5. Notre Dame

One day last spring Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz decided to take a peek at the renovations in Notre Dame Stadium. It was the first time since the end of last season that Holtz had been in the 67-year-old facility, which is being enlarged to raise seating capacity from 59,075 to 80,990 by the start of the '97 campaign. The coach wanted to see the view from the last row. "I sat down in the top corner of the end zone," he says with a chuckle, "and I immediately started hollering, 'Throw it to the tight end! Throw it to the tight end!' "

The 59-year-old Holtz usually finds a way to laugh off the pressure that comes from coaching the college football program with the highest profile in the nation. Now in his 11th season in South Bend, Holtz was reminded just how fickle the Irish faithful can be when some fans called for his removal after last year's season-opening loss to Northwestern. The criticism waned as the Irish won their final six regular-season games and played well in a 31-26 loss to Florida State in the Orange Bowl, but the smoke from the sniping still lingers over the Golden Dome.

The good news for Holtz is that this year's squad might be good enough to return him to "Saint Lou" status. Quarterback Ron Powlus returns along with senior fullback Marc Edwards and the usual assortment of speedy tailbacks. Equally important, the Irish defensive line is deep, something it has not been the past two seasons. Says defensive coordinator Bob Davie, "We've got the personnel now to be an attack-style defense."

Even so, much of the focus will be on Powlus, who hasn't quite lived up to the expectations that greeted him when he arrived in South Bend three years ago. Powlus hasn't put up bad numbers (he needs only 11 touchdown passes to break Rick Mirer's school career record of 41), but he has been inconsistent and hampered by injuries. Last year he broke his left (nonthrowing) arm in the penultimate regular-season game, against Navy, and was still out for this year's spring drills.

Though Powlus could gain another year of eligibility because he missed all of his freshman year with a broken collarbone, he is on course to graduate in December and seems intent on testing NFL waters. Some Irish fans say this would be good for Holtz, because Powlus's drop-back passing skills don't suit the coach's smash-mouth offense. Holtz tried to open things up this spring with a four-and five-receiver spread formation, but a lack of good receivers undermined the plan. Holtz has another option, however. Sophomore quarterback Jarious Jackson, an option specialist, was impressive in running the first team during spring drills.

No matter who's calling the signals, Holtz surely feels the urgency to win. His '96 team is senior-laden, so after this season it might be a while before Notre Dame can talk about a national title again. If the Irish don't win now—and win big—Holtz can count on hearing about it from the fans in the top row.