For my notebook today, I checked in on Chris Polk to see how he is doing in his recovery from season-ending shoulder surgery.

As you can read, Polk said the damage was more extensive than first thought, but that he thinks he'll still be ready to go for spring ball.

Polk also said he has no plans to look elsewhere and sees his future at UW, though he admitted he's not looking too far ahead.

In a quote that didn't make the story, Polk said this when I asked about what he thinks about the possibility that Tyrone Willingham won't be back: "It doesn't worry me because I'm just trying to focus on now, really, and just trying to get right. I don't know what's going to happen and I really don't pay no mind to that right now. After the season is over I'll start to think about that and observe that more.''

But Polk said he fully intends to be back at UW.

"This is where I want to be,'' he said. "I won't regret my decision because it was mine and my mother's and I know my mother wouldn't steer me wrong. I have 100 percent trust in her.''

Polk also said he thinks there might be some good in in his injury, particularly when it happened.

"It's kind of hard,'' he said. "But as you think about it, everything happens for a reason. That's the way I see it. I'm kind of glad I got hurt when I got hurt. If I would have played one more game I would have lost the year, so I got hurt at the exact right time.''

Polk said the rehab process is more difficult than he imagined but that he intends to get ready as quickly as he can.

"Somedays it's like I'm kind of busy and I don't have time for rehab,'' he said. "But I just fit it in, give up my free time to come here for therapy, so I can get it done and get healthy and come back as soon as possible.

IN OTHER NEWS...

--- In the other item in the notebook, I talked with former UW center Tom Turnure to get his take on the controversy over the honoring of the 1978 team Saturday and whether any of the players should have spoken to the current team. As you can read, Turnure said the thought of talking with the current team was never brought up by any of the '78 guys and he said he's not sure any of them would have wanted to if asked. He said this was a pretty informal get-together -- about 50 players showed up after about 25 had said they were going to -- and Turnure said he thought everyone had a good time and had no complaints about anything. "We barely went to the game, we had so much fun at the pre-game [reception],'' he said.

--- ESPN.com's Ted Miller picks Notre Dame to win 44-24.

--- CollegeFootballNews.com picks UND 35-17.

--- Matt Hayes of The Sporting News says again that he thinks Lane Kiffin is headed to UW.

--- Some good UND info in this notebook.

--- The AP has this look at the game and the Willingham angle.

--- Phil Steele presents his mid-year All-Pac-10 team with a few Huskies on the list --- Daniel Te'o-Nesheim on the first team, D'Andre Goodwin on the second team and Mason Foster and Juan Garcia on the third team.

--- Finally, a reminder that the roast for Don James is tonight in Bellevue.

All for now.