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AUSTIN, Texas -- A season opener between college football heavyweights Texas and No. 10 Notre Dame should be a preview for the national title chase.Instead, its a referendum on Longhorns coach Charlie Strong.Hes coming off two losing seasons at a program that likely wont tolerate a third. Strong is still searching for a dependable quarterback and has put his future in the hands of hotshot offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert, who wouldnt leave Tulsa until he was pried away with a personal visit from the Texas president and athletic director and a three-year guaranteed contract worth $850,000 annually.And now here come the Irish, who expect to be in the College Football Playoff hunt in December. Beat Notre Dame and the pressure -- for now -- eases off Strong. Lose again and it only gets worse . No Texas coach has had three consecutive losing seasons since the 1930s.Its big, said Strong, whose 11-14 record includes a 38-3 loss to the Irish last season. Were at home ... We need it within our program to play well. I expect us to go play well.Win or lose, all praise or blame will fall on Strong, who charged Gilbert with lighting up defenses like everyone else in the Big 12 does. Gilberts biggest challenge has been finding a starting quarterback in either senior Tyrone Swoopes or freshman Shane Buechele, who had a tantalizing spring.Strong wont reveal his starter until the game. Gilbert seems confident in whoever it will be.Well just call it and theyll ball it, Gilbert said.A few things to watch when Notre Dame and Texas play Sunday night:IRISH QUARTERBACKS: Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has been just as coy about his quarterbacks , refusing to say if hell start Malik Zaire or DeShone Kizer. Unlike Strong, Kellys dilemma is choosing between two proven playmakers. His bigger problem is the potential for hurt feelings and disrupted team chemistry whichever way he goes.Wed both rather ourselves be the only guy playing. But this is how it is, Kizer said. We want to win games. Thats one thing we can agree on.18-WHEELER: Even if he doesnt start, look for Swoopes to get on the field. At 6-foot-4, 250-pounds, he was effectively brutish runner in the 18-Wheeler package in upset wins over Oklahoma and Baylor. The set calls for Swoopes to take the snap, dive off tackle and drag defenders with him.THIRD DOWN: The Texas defense was notoriously bad on third down last season, ranking among the worst in the country. If Notre Dame can keep moving the chains, Gilberts offense may never get a chance to get on the field. As for Notre Dame, expect a steady rush of blitzes to disrupt Swoopes or Buechele in passing situations. Swoopes has shown he can be rattled and no one knows yet how Buechele will handle pressure.DEFENDING THE DEEP BALL: Texas will throw deep. The offense typically accounts for a deep target, and with speedy receivers John Burt, Devin Duvernay and converted quarterback Jerrod Heard, the pressures on the Notre Dame secondary -- notably freshman Devin Studstill -- to prevent the long touchdown.NOTRE DAME DISCIPLINE: Kelly has said he intends to make four of the five players arrested by state police on marijuana possession during training camp available to play. Wide receiver Kevin Stepherson and linebacker Tevon Coney were listed on the depth chart this week. Kelly has said he expects running back Dexter Williams and cornerback Ashton White to contribute this season. Kelly dismissed safety Max Redfield, who also was charged in the same Aug. 19 incident with a misdemeanor charge of carrying a handgun without a license. Cheap Blue Jays Jerseys .C. -- Todd Fiddler scored a hat trick, including the overtime goal, as the Prince George Cougars survived an 8-7 win against the Kamloops Blazers in Western Hockey League play Sunday. Toronto Blue Jays Shirts . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Toronto Blue Jays Store . He said Tuesday thats a big reason why he is now the new coach of the Tennessee Titans. Whisenhunt said he hit it off quickly with Ruston Webster when interviewing for the job Friday night. Custom Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys .ca NHL Power Rankings for the second straight week, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Colorado Avalanche. Here are a few things to watch in Week 5 of the Southeastern Conference football season:GAME OF THE WEEK: No. 11 Tennessee at No. 25 Georgia: After erasing a 21-0 deficit in a 38-28 victory over Florida last week, Tennessee can move a big step closer to its first Eastern Division title since 2007 by beating Georgia. Tennessee already is the only East team without a conference loss. Georgia is trying to recover from a 45-14 loss at No. 16 Mississippi.MATCHUP OF THE WEEK: Missouri WR JMon Moore vs. LSU CB TreDavious White: Moore already has 26 catches for 434 yards and six touchdowns. He leads the SEC in total receiving yards and touchdown catches and is tied for the SEC lead in total catches. He had two touchdowns and 196 yards receiving against Georgia and followed that by scoring four times in a 79-0 blowout of Football Championship Subdivision program Delaware State. Moore faces a much tougher challenge Saturday against an LSU secondary that features White, a four-year starter and likely early NFL draft pick.NUMBERS GAME: Two of the three longest active winning streaks in the Football Bowl Subdivision ranks are owned by SEC teams. No. 1 Alabama has won 16 straight and No. 11 Tennessee has won 10 in a row. No. 19 San Diego State of the Mountain West Conference owns a 13-game winning streak. ... Tennessee rallied from a 21-0 deficit Saturday to beat Florida, which marked the Gators largest blown lead since they squandered a 23-point advantage in a 38-33 loss to Miami in 2003. ... No. 9 Texas A&M is one of only three FBS teams with at least 1,000 yards rrushing and 1,000 yards passing this season.dddddddddddd The others are No. 3 Louisville and Oregon. ... Kentucky has only 11 seniors, the lowest total of any FBS team. ... LSU lost two September games for the first time since 2000. ... Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly has thrown a touchdown pass in 17 straight games to break Eli Mannings school record.UPSET WATCH: LSU is a 13-point favorite at home against Missouri despite playing its first game with interim coach Ed Orgeron following the firing of longtime coach Les Miles on Sunday. Missouri nearly knocked off Georgia before losing 28-27 and has the leagues most productive passing offense. ... No. 16 Ole Miss is a 14+-point favorite at home over Memphis even though the Tigers beat the Rebels 37-24 last season. Memphis has a new coach in Mike Norvell and is averaging more than 50 points per game after three wins.IMPACT PERFORMER: Auburn K Daniel Carlson. Its unusual for kickers to be stars, but it illustrates just how good Carlson has been this season. He scored all of Auburns points in last weekends 18-13 win over LSU, making all six of his field goal attempts. Hes made all 12 of his FG attempts this season and all eight of his extra point tries. Hes also forced 18 touchbacks in 19 kickoff attempts.-----AP Sports Writers Steve Megargee in Knoxville, Tennessee, and David Brandt in Jackson, Mississippi, contributed to this story. AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org . ' ' '