If your anything like me there is a mental clock going off in your head as we speak.  You don't know where it came from or how it got there.  Its slow and steady pattern is repetitive and continuous.  There's no different settings, no snooze button, and no switch.  For most of your day its nothing but background noise as you keep busy during your nine to five cycle.  Until you decide it's time to relax, calming your body and mind you take ten minutes out of your day and let everything go.  Your thoughts become lighter, your to-do list disappears, and you sink deeper into relaxation.

But the moment expires before it fully arrived as the ticking and tocking seeps back into the center of your brain grabbing your attention.  Your primitive instincts take over and tell you its a countdown.  A countdown that was with you the day you left the womb and will undoubtedly be with you on your last day.  People like us were born with it.  Implanted in our genes from our generations before us.   A blessed curse.  Always on our mind wether we are truly conscious of it or not.

Its getting louder which means its close.  Soon the clock will expire, our troubles will be over, and we can go back to what we do best..  Filling our days with quarterback sacks and cheerleaders racks.  Consuming our Saturday dose of beer, wings, and McDonalds Big Macs.  Combing the fantasy football waiver wire for someone to slip through the cracks and filling your cup with more Coke & Jack....  DING!

Footballs Back.

Notre Dame at Michigan (September 7th)

This is the Wolverines only real test until November which means they need to win this game if they want to prove that their actually back in competitive way.  Considering last year Michigan was 0-4 against ranked opponents they will need to bring their "A" game against the Irish to kick that monkey off their back.  Although this match up is in Ann Arbor, Notre Dame may still be favored which is good news for the Wolverines, because seven of the last nine games between these two have been upsets.  

Wisconsin at Ohio State (September 28th)

This will be the Buckeyes first real test after four warm up games against non-conference opponents.  This rivalry is always a dramatic filled battle to the end, and last year was no different.  After Ohio State jumped out to an early two touchdown lead, the Badgers defense shut down Braxton miller holding them to only 47 yards and four first downs.  In overtime the Buckeyes put it away on a touchdown and stopped Wisconsin on the next possession.  The Badgers are 1-7 in Big Ten road openers and will have their work cut out for them because Columbus, Ohio will be for lack of a better term, animated. 

Notre Dame at Purdue (September 14th)

Here is another chance for a Big Ten team to knock off last years championship runner up.  Last year in this game Purdue traveled to South Bend and put on a gritty performance.  They were to little to late however, as the Irish kicked a game winning field goal with seven seconds left.  The Boilmakers surly played the "what if" game with themselves after the week two loss ultimately, watching them go on to play for the title.  This year in the rematch Purdue plays in front of their home crowd and will look to make a statement early in the season.  A win here would be a great momentum boost for new head coach Darrell Hazell as they travel to Wisconsin the following week. 

UCLA at Nebraska (September 14th)

On the same day Notre Dame and Purdue play their rematch the Bruins and Cornhuskers play theirs.  Last year this game was all tied up 27-27 in the fourth quarter when Nebraska missed a field goal, allowed a safety, and Taylor Martinez tossed an interception.  A complete melt down by Bo Pelini's team.  Much like Purdue tho Nebraska gets their opponent at home this year.  This game will feature two of the best quarterbacks in the country.  Martinez is a dual threat who ran for 10 touchdowns and threw for 23 and excels in his offensive scheme as a read-option quarterback.  Brett Hundley on the other hand had a phenomenal freshman campaign, and will look to build off that in only his sophomore season.  Much like Martinez Hundley is a threat with his legs and arm.  Although he had tremendous efficiency last year he will have more attention and pressure on him now that he has woken up defensive coordinators.

Michigan State at Notre Dame (September 21st)

Sure why not? The Irish play spin the bottle with the Big Ten in September playing three of them in their first four weeks. And guess what?  This one is a rematch as well.  These two teams know each other good and play each other hard.  Out of the last 13 games played between the two, nine of them have been decided by single digits.  Last year Notre Dame held stud running back Le'Veon Bell (rushed for 1,793 yards in 2012) to just 29 yards (1.3 per carry).  The Spartans could not get anything going offensively and only mustard three points losing by 17.  More bad news for Michigan State the visitor has lost four of the last five of these match ups.