Cincinnati Connection

Brian Kelly hit the ground running in the arms race that is recruiting. His first target, however, came from familiar territory. Austin Collinsworth, a 3-star athlete and son of WHO-DEY legend Chris Collinsworth, committed to the Irish after first being recruited by Kelly at Cincinnati. Collinsworth was the star tailback, and starting DB, for #5 nationally ranked Highlands High School, a legendary football school right across the river from Cincinnati in Ft. Thomas, KY.

In addition to Collingsworth, Kelly had already secured seven commitments from recruits from Cincinnati and its surrounding suburbs, but was more importantly recruiting several heralded recruits. Here are a five additional Cincy products that should be wearing an Irish uniform next season:

5. Marcus Rush - 6'-3" 225 DE - Moeller

Although Rush is currently committed to Michigan State, no doubt thanks to the influence of Greg Jones, the stud All-American LB for MSU and fellow Crusader, I expect Kelly to make a late push for Rush. I think Kelly has more pull this time around.

4. Andrew Hendrix - 6'-3" 220 QB - Moeller
3. Luke Massa - 6'-4" 205 QB - St. Xavier

The local newspapers have recently reported that Hendrix has not decommitted from the Irish, but simply wants to talk to Kelly in person before deciding anything. Hendrix has a cannon for an arm and would easily be #2 heading into next season. However, if Hendrix or Tommy Rees decommits, look for Massa, a UC commit, to get the call and follow Kelly to Notre Dame. I expect Hendrix to stick with the Irish, potentially starting fall practice as #1 due to Christ's injuries. In addition, I could see Massa joining the Irish at a different position if the QB situation clogs up.

2. Alex Welch - 6'-5" 225 TE - Elder

Welch committed to Weis and ND before the start of the season, following in the footsteps of fellow Elder alum Kyle Rudolph. Welch has since remained committed to ND thanks in part to Rudolph (and his father) who has been Kelly's biggest ND supporter, and recruiter for that matter, in Cincinnati. Welch will enter ND looking to compete at a deep position for the Irish.

1. Matt James - 6'-8" 290 OL - St. Xavier

James is a mammoth tackle and nationally ranked product, who had trimmed his list down to ND, OSU, and UC. It was widely known locally that James was simply awaiting to see where Kelly landed. Now that Kelly is with the Irish, I expect James to ultimately end up at ND, where he would add instant depth to a depleted O-line. This is exactly the type of kid and player you want to build a foundation on, which makes him a high priority for Kelly.


All in all, I think the Irish will land at least three of these recruits. This class will set the tone for Kelly's involvement with the city of Cincinnati, a place where most UC "fans" (I use that term loosely around here) despise the man, but recruits admire him. Nonetheless, take Collisworth as the first on many dominoes to fall in the talent rich city of Cincinnati, where high school football has long held prominence. That is before the arrival of Marvin Lewis (can I get another WHO-DEY!) and Brian Kelly. Nevertheless, I expect Cincinnati to continue to supply Kelly with talented recruits, not only this year, but in many years to come (more on that in a later post).


-DH

Kelly Brings Passion, Charisma, and Tweets to ND

After an in-depth, calculated search, the University of Notre Dame has found its new head football coach in Brian Kelly. Let me be the first to welcome NDftB patrons to the BK Lounge. The first person AD Jack Swarbrick talked to and the only one offered the job, Kelly appears more than eager to take over the reins of arguably the toughest coaching gig in the nation. As the former Cincinnati coach put it in his introductory presser today, “There’s a football coach…and then there’s the head football coach at Notre Dame.” Full of motivating one-liners and a deep admiration for Our Lady’s University, Coach Kelly had me about ready to hit somebody.

What took ten days felt like ten years. The media treated the search for the next head coach at the most relevant irrelevant football program in the nation as if there was about to be a primary. Coaching candidates were coming out of the woodworks like Tiger Woods mistresses. Randy Edsall?! What’s more, referenced “sources” included Brian Kelly’s twitter page. I’m glad we can all sit back and laugh about it now, but geez did Joe Schad put me through some needless anxiety. AS the dust settles, ESPN and the other media outlets have continued their wall-to-wall coverage of the best-worst football program, as I have managed to learn everything about Brian Kelly in past few hours except for his first cat’s name. Oh wait, here we go… it was Whiskers (his sister named it). It’s kind of a funny story because, you see, the cat never grew whiskers after a tragic… I digress.

On the other hand, you do have to hand it to the media for their crafty article titles today. Pluck of the Irish. Golden Touch. Irish Eyes. Yeah, those are about as creative as a right-handed pitcher wearing his glove on his left hand. I also have to hand it to ESPN for doing their research and carving up a whopping total of three archived videos of Brian Kelly roaming the sidelines for the Cincinnati Bearcats. My personal favorite is him screaming, “Do your job!” repeatedly to a player on the field. One last media point: has anyone seen a picture of Brian Kelly coaching in action wearing less than four layers of clothing? I realize Cincinnati has its Midwestern roots but winter doesn’t start in September. What about their game last year at Hawaii? Show me that picture.


Now that the chaos has temporarily ended, it is time to reflect, assess, and of course discuss. Notre Dame fans and alums have every reason to be cautiously optimistic. Cautious because no one has consistently won at Notre Dame since Lou Holtz in the early 90s. Optimistic because Brian Kelly has had one (I repeat one) losing season in nineteen as a head football coach. His formula is proven. Cautious because as Kelly said today, “We’re 0-0.” But quickly reminded everyone that his team will head into the 2010 season with one win under their belt – proclaiming it is all but certain that they will win the Spring game, as he turned to give that Irish Catholic wink in Swarbrick’s direction. Optimistic because it is this charisma that has been lacking in South Bend since Holtz. He’s loud, he speaks from the heart, he is a molder of men (in Kelly’s words, “tough gentlemen”), and best of all: he has a deeply-rooted affinity for Notre Dame. His entire career has culminated to this point.

You in?

rabes

The wait is almost over...

After 9 excruciating days of waiting for the future head coach of Notre Dame to be announced, it is all about to end. ND has a press conference tomorrow, but will it bring rejoicing, shock, pain, or tears? It is safe to say I have developed a newfound disrespect for Mr. Joe Schad, who has been running Irish fans through a hurting rollercoaster of emotions. Notice how after a few misled reports, though, ESPN's resident guido has managed to treat the typewriter as if it had the swine (Wein! ~courtesy of Harper). Ah yes, silence is Golden.

Through all the rumors, tweets, and various reports and speculation, I believe the Irish face three options:

1. Brian Kelly. Word has it (take Word for what it is these days) that Coach Kelly has scheduled a team meeting at 4 pm right before his 5 o'clock Cinci team banquet. Could he be telling them Goodbye?

2. Randy Edsall. Much respect for the man, and I truly admire what he has accomplished not only this season but his entire career. With that respect, this is a giant risk for the program as he has never led a big-time program before and I believe Irish AD Jack Swarbrick knows better.

3. Unknown coach. There is a slim possibility that through all of the fanfare and media frenzy, Swarbrick has managed to go Bin Laden with a possible candidate. I have no idea who this would be, but I doubt that Kelly and Edsall are our only two options right now. There is something we are not being told, as this search as been about as stealth as the Alaskan Assassin.

Looking forward to posting tomorrow or this weekend on the New Head Coach of Notre Dame.

rabes

Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting...except me

John Don

By now every Notre Dame fan on the planet knows that Jimmy Clausen received a swift sucker punch to the face outside the fine South Bend establishment CJ's during the wee hours of the morning a few weeks back. What many of you probably don't know is that the punch was thrown by none other than (wait for it): John Donovan.

No, not the John Don you all know and love, the other John Donovan from the Notre Dame class of 2008. (The same guy that paid court fees that didn't belong to him because he's been in trouble with the law so often. Clearly a classy individual.) However as this news has leaked I've received numerous texts and emails from friends, acquaintances, and EVEN MEDIA OUTLETS! A few weeks ago I received this email from AM 780 - a huge radio station in Chicago:

John,

My name is Justin Weiner with Chicago's WGN Radio 720 in Chicago. It was brought to my attention through some individuals that you were involved in the altercation with Notre Dame quarterback, Jimmy Clausen, early Sunday morning. Dave Kaplan, host of Sports Central would like to have you on the show tonight at 7:10 p.m. CST to talk about the incident and get your take on what happened. If this is something that you would be willing to do, please call 847-525-8056 as soon as possible. If you do not feel comfortable going on the show, we completely understand and you can respond to this message with a simple "no." I look forward to hearing from you John and thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Justin Weiner
Chicago's WGN Radio 720
WGN Sports

Wow. And just yesterday, I spoke to David Haugh, the ND beat writer for the Chicago Tribune looking to do a feature in the paper. Some of you may think that I made a huge mistake, but I told both reporters the truth and passed up the opportunity to become known as "that guy" that made Jimmy's decision to bolt for the NFL a little easier. But I just couldn't do it. I love me some Jimmy Clausen, and even though he didn't win I'll always think he's easily one of the best quarterbacks ever to don the blue and gold. I wish he'd stay.

My favorite part of this crazy story is that when most people ask me if I did it, they throw something in there like "Yea I could see you doing that." Nice reputation. This certainly isn't the first time people have gotten us confused (MSA dog book, anyone?). But his foolishness is helping build my street cred by the minute. Brian Kelly better look out or he may be next on my hit list.

My thoughts on Notre Dame Football

Before we start to roll out the red carpet for Charlie’s departure and praise him for the wonderful job he has done with this football program, I’d like to put some of my thoughts out there. As I am likely to black out during this rant, I would like to warn all that this may become long (that’s what she said…just for you JD) and may jump around from topic to topic. The reason being is that when I begin to talk about Charlie Weis and Notre Dame football, I tend to get a little heated and will probably go on all sorts of tangents about what I think is wrong with Notre Dame. So bear with me.

First things first, I do not hate Charlie as a person and I never have. I hate him as a head coach. So please don’t think I’m attacking him on a personal level. Do I hate his arrogance as a head coach, yes. But he has done great things with his foundation and has represented the University as any alum should and you can never take that away from him. He is a family man and doesn’t deserve any of the criticism that is directed towards his family. Yes, he has succeeded at doing a lot of good charity work, but we didn’t hire him to be the CEO of a charity. We hired him to be the head football coach.

And as a football coach, he is not very good (Yes, I’m stating the obvious) and did many things make me dislike him as a head football coach. For instance, after the Navy game, telling the media that he will never change. Well, Charlie, it is your stubbornness not to change that cost you your job. And then to call out Ian Williams after he spoke the truth stating Navy did out scheme Notre Dame and say that’s the reason he is not a captain is terrible. That’s something you keep behind doors and not something you discuss in the media. And then after the Pitt game to mention Dan Wenger’s chop block about 5 times as a reason the game was lost. No the game was lost because you were conservative:

"It was how we called the game," Weis said. "We were playing the game relatively conservatively. When you're playing the game on the road, with a raucous crowd, I think it's important to understand how you call a game. You don't call a game the same way at home as you do on the road. We're sitting there 3-3 with five minutes to go in the second quarter. To be honest, at the time, we were in a pretty good spot."

You just lost to Navy for the second time in three years. Your seat has never been hotter. Yet, you want to come out a play conservative. Yes, I am not a head football coach and have no idea how to develop a game plan. But if I was and I’m in Charlie’s position, I am pulling out all the stops to save my job. He is the only one to blame for that loss. Not an offensive lineman who made an honest mistake (As an offensive lineman, things happen fast and at the time, Olsen wasn’t engaged with the guy Wenger cut. But also, maybe that says something about coaching. Instead, of teaching your lineman to man up and block a guy, your teaching them to cut. I make this assumption because I see our lineman cut blocking a lot on pass protection.)

There has never been a nastiness with the ND Football teams under Charlie. This is the worst tackling team in America! The O-Line is terrible. There is no physical toughness with this team. We can’t run the ball when we need to. And that’s why we can’t beat the teams we’re supposed to beat.

As pretty as a passing attack is with Clausen, Floyd, Tate and Rudolph we’re never going to win a championship through the air unless we have a running game. We will continue to lose games we should win because we can’t run the ball (Syracuse, Pitt, and NC last year….Michigan, Navy and UConn this year.) I think I’m in the minority when I preach to run the ball even though we have Tate and Floyd, but we will never win if we can’t run the ball. Passing offenses don’t win championships in college football (see Texas Tech). Good, physical defenses and running games win championships. Just look at the Navy game this year, we threw for over 400 yards yet lost because we had 70 yards rushing. Besides, what good are Floyd and Tate when you can’t get them ball (at least in space or on the run lately) because they are doubled covered. Here are a few stats. ND is 20-0 under Charlie when we have rushed more than the opposing team. We are also haven’t won this year when Jimmy threw more than 40 times. It’s easy to defend Notre Dame right now. The O-Line sucks and can’t block a 4 person pass rush. Therefore, teams can leave two safeties over the top while their defensive line does work on our O-Line. With a running game, we can run out the clock when you’re up. For instance, if we had a running game against Michigan this year, which we did until Armando got hurt and we put in Jonas Gray over Robert Hughes for some crazy reason. Instead of throwing an incomplete fade (which even if completed I still would have been upset…and I’m being honest) and another incompletion, we could have run the ball for a first down. But this is all in the past and there is no point to cry over sour grapes because the future is now.

Personally, I think the decision has already been made and Charlie has been told. I would like to see Charlie resign and not have ND fire him. I am actually calling for Charlie to do this and if he does he will gain some respect in my book. He should do it because he should recognize he is not the guy and will never be the guy. He should do it because he is a graduate of this University and should realize that his supposed buyout of 18 million is ridiculous and can be spent more wisely within the school. I don’t want to hear anyone say that he deserves all of that money. He didn’t succeed here, and that is by his own standards. He even said he can’t argue against a change if they made it. So if you can’t argue against it, be the good person that you are and resign and negotiate with the University to come to a reasonable agreement on his buyout. Yes, that buyout is part of his contract, but that contract was made by a terrible Athletic Director and Charlie’s agent couldn’t get him to sign it fast enough. But knowing Charlie, he still thinks he can win a championship here and will not resign.

Yes, Charlie will leave ND in a better position than it was when he got here. I appreciate his effort and work he has done on the recruiting trail. But as much as I like to think this is going to be a Ron Zook leaving Florida type of situation, it’s not. Because of our flip flopping of defenses in the past three years, our defensive line is not good and depth is not good. Ethan Johnson is a stud, but he is not a defensive tackle. He is a defensive end. Flemming is not a defensive end. He is an outside linebacker. If he is a defensive end, then make him add weight. Yes, he has made many tackles for a loss. But if you watch him every play, he is easily pushed around. John Ryan….enough said. All of our committed defensive lineman recruits this year are around 240. If we don’t have two legitimate defensive tackles, teams will continue to run all over us. Yes, have we just missed on some solid defensive tackles? But instead of picking up a body we cried about coaches poaching our players. In my opinion, defensive line is one of the easiest positions to teach and if I had to guess there are many 2 and 3 star recruits doing well on good teams at defensive tackle.

As for the other line, they’re not good. Put a speed rush and Paul Duncan and it’s a sack. The depth we have there is not that great either. Yes, we have players lined up. But if there isn’t a backup tackle that can start over Sam Young or Paul Duncan now, then what is there to look forward too. We will for sure have three new starting lineman next year and possibly 4 if Stewart leave, which is possible because he graduated last year. So it will be another starting over process with the O-Line next year. Great, just great.

This brings me to who I want and hope we get as Head Coach. BOB STOOPS. I personally think we have a good shot at getting him. Bradford is leaving and Oklahoma has been irrelevant this year. I want him because of his defense. I want him because he has won a national championship. Has he lost the big game, absolutely? But at least he has played in the big game. I would take a national championship win along with 3 championship losses in a heartbeat. I would hope that everyone else would too. The only thing more you can ask for is the current Florida situation, but Urban isn’t coming here. Defense will be the quickest way to turn this program around. I think Bobs Stoops can take what we have right now and make it tremendously better. Another reason why I want Stoops, 3 losses at home since 1998. THREE! We’ve been averaging three losses a year it seems like.

This brings me to another problem with ND Football Stadium. And that is the pussification of Notre Dame Stadium. South Bend has to be one of the easiest places to play these days. We’re not intimidating at all. We are quiet fans. The atmosphere isn’t exciting. People tell you to sit down when it’s a key play in the game (My season tally was 4 times. And that would have been higher had I been able to make it to Washington and Navy and not sat in the last row as I did for other two games.) The ushers say welcome to Notre Dame when you walk in like its Disney World. Thanks pal but this isn’t my first rodeo. Either shut up or say Go Irish! Oh and don’t even get me started on this Irish Green crap that they have for the kids before the game. Instead of looking forward to a football game, we have kids looking forward to getting their face painted by a clown. What they need to do is start showing highlights of the past so these kids realize what true Notre Dame football is. Not the crap they see on the field now of losing to Navy, Syracuse, UConn, and on and on and on.

Sorry, got sidetracked. Back to my point, we will never win a National Championship if we can’t win at home. The only way that’s going to change is by getting a coach in here that knows how to win and lead his players and motivate them. A jumbotron and some loud music would help too. I’m being serious. I’m tired of this tradition crap and letting the band entertain me during TV timeouts. And it’s embarrassing, absolutely embarrassing the scoreboard they have up now. Whoever approved that should be fired. During UConn it was flashing D and then a picture of a fence. In red and blue. Are you kidding me? Are we watching Pop Warner games now? Either make the full switch or go back to the old one. People get bored at Notre Dame Games. And bored people do not cheer loud enough and do not make a difference in the game. Yes, fans have an impact on an opponent. When I was younger and Lou was the coach, ND was playing a big ten team. Notre Dame was called for a timeout because the crowd was too loud. And this wasn’t the first time; I have seen a few more instances on ESPN classic. Does this have a lot to do with the product on the field, absolutely? But I can guarantee you it would be a much livelier and more entertaining game. I mean why do you think people rather go watch the game in legends. Alcohol, yes. Don’t have to pay for such an expensive face price ticket, Yes. But I also think that says something about the stadium atmosphere. It isn’t exciting enough or enticing enough to pay the price. I mean the loudest and most into the game the student section got against UConn was when the band played Taylor Swift. Enough said.

For me, there have been more bad memories than good memories and these good memories stem from the people I was with more so than the product on the field (Did I just get anyone to shed a couple of tears?) Yes, USC in ’05 was great…but we lost. That was a great stadium atmosphere, but that was for only one game. If ND wants to win the NC, the stadium needs to be like that for all games. As said earlier, a jumbotron would help. All I’m asking for a Jumbotron during timeouts and for replays. Turn the thing of for all I care during play. Many schools have managed to use both a band and a jumbrotron.

JD, you yelling at a girl, classic. But that’s another problem with this program. Most of the student body cares more about the band rather than the team winning or losing. Instead we clap for our players when we lose a tough one to Syracuse or Navy. F*ck that. These players need to understand their performance isn’t acceptable and should take it personal. Maybe then they would start winning at home.

Another thing that grinds my gears, the 1812 Overture. That should be banned until a national championship is won. All that does these days is trigger a unified booing attack.

Alright, I’ve gone on long enough. I think it is obvious at this point that Charlie isn’t the guy. I want Bob Stoops. I don’t want to take a chance on Brian Kelly. I picture him as another Charlie Weis with his passing offense. John Gruden would love college football and I think players would love to play for him. What scares me is he is coming from the NFL. So we will see. But Notre Dame returning to what it once was and being in contention year in and year out can, and will, no doubt happen in the future. I will never lower my expectations as Joe Montana once suggested. Never.

Go Irish! Beat the Trees and their coach.

Wow, that was long. Sorry but had to get it off my chest. Also, a lot of the problems I mentioned that I have can be forgotten with a better product on the field. A new coach will hopefully do that.

Jimmy Clausen's Black Eye

Jimmy Clausen’s Black Eye

So yesterday, I wake up to a text message from Hack Attack telling me “If Clausen can’t even show his face in South Bend without getting beat up, how can we expect him to stick around.” I thought great, just what this program needs right now. Their star quarterback gets mugged in the beautiful city of South Bend. So I immediately jump out of bed, get to my computer and read the article. This is where I find out that it was an irate fan that punched him and it was outside of my favorite bar. Even worse, he was with his family. What a great picture this paints for my beloved University. So once I got to work, I immediately start fielding questions from co-workers about “Clausen’s Black Eye”. And the more I talked and thought about it, I got the feeling we’re not getting the full story about what happened outside of CJ’s that Sunday morning.

So I reached out to my sources back on campus to find out the true story behind “Clausen’s Black Eye”. (By the way, by putting Clausen and black eye together, I’m hoping to get some Google traffic to this site). Anyways, my source informed me that Clausen did not get punched by an irate fan rather it was a friend of Jimmy’s teammate. So Clausen, who was at CJ’s with his brothers, was leaving at 2:30 with his female acquaintance. While Jimmy was outside, 19s girlfriend spilled a drink on the brothers. The brothers then exchanged some words with 19 and his girlfriend. My boy 90 sees this happening and runs out to tell Jimmy that his brothers are chatting with 19. But guess what, a friend of 19 hears this and starts for the door because he’s got his buddy’s back (as any good friend would). Jimmy sees this and tries to stop him and let him know that they’re his brothers talking to 19. Well the conversation isn’t going well and Jimmy gives this guy a shot to the face. Well Mr. 19s friend responds with what may now be known as “the punch”. It is this one punch that gives Jimmy a black eye and knocks him to the ground. From what it sounds like, it was a pretty solid hit and Jimmy’s eye is pretty swollen.

You may ask, where was the O-Line or the other football players that were there with him? Well the O-Line tried throwing a couple of blocks to help Jimmy out, but whiffed (what a surprise). Okay so this part was made up but it was too easy for me not to say it.

Anyways, why do I believe this story?

1. This event happened Sunday, why did it take until Tuesday to be reported?
2. There was no police report filed. You would think that as Jimmy and his family were enjoying some delicious burgers, cold beers and sharing some laughs, you know, just being Americans, where all of a sudden he gets sucker punched (That’s the picture I painted). Pretty sure most of our family members would have called the cops if that happened
3. It occurred at 2:30 in the morning. Yes, possible that a fan would do this because he was drunk, but I have a hard timing thinking that a Notre Dame fan would throw a punch unprovoked. I mean this is the same fan base that was congratulating Navy fans, yes not players, after the game on their win.
4. This is a pretty detailed story.
5. The players will not be speaking this week. Yes, we can think it’s to avoid Charlie questions, which they would be asked no doubt. But I think it also might have to do with not showing Jimmy’s face.

So why do I care about Jimmy’s Black Eye so much?

A. He is our quarterback (in a Lovie Smith voice)
B. The way the media is reporting this makes Notre Dame look terrible and can’t paint a good picture for possible recruits.

C. I bought his jersey this year.

Hopefully the true story starts to circulate instead of the current story out there. If it doesn’t, I think Notre Dame needs to come out and say it was not an “irate” fan that punched Jimmy, rather it was a simple misunderstanding between young men and these young men were doing what most college students do on a Saturday night. (I’m sure they can think of something better, but that’s not my job.)

Anyways stayed tuned for my next post: The State of Notre Dame football.

PS – Just read ESPN they’re still reporting it was a fan that did it. At least we can look forward to Jimmy wearing his helmet the whole game with the visor. It will kind of be like LT when he didn’t play against the colts.

Also, as this is word of mouth, not sure if all, ior if any, of the details of this story are true. Just thought I would say that in the rare chance someone outside of our group does read this.

What a Strange Trip It's Been

Anyone with a pulse knows there's little chance that Charlie Weis will make it past December 1, and with his impending doom I think it's time to reflect on his five years (and much of our own time) at Notre Dame. Yesterday's pre-game walk out of the tunnel is exactly why I feel so conflicted about Charlie's exit from South Bend. Even the biggest Charlie Weis haters (OC, anyone?) had to feel something for the man at that point. There's no doubt he truly cares for his players and the university and that's part of the reason why it's so difficult to see him go for me. I really wish he had succeeded here, because I truly think he's the perfect man for the job in so many aspects except the most important: Saturday afternoons.

Despite his rough exterior and arrogance, he is a truly great man. The charity work he has done for his daughter and others is far too often lost in the sea of the media's agenda to label him as an arrogant ass. (NBC's footage of his opening press conference as UCONN is lining up for the game winning field goal is just one example.) I guarantee you that Charlie has regretted making that famous "schematic advantage" statement, at least since 2007; but his I still think golden domers need to realize just how what a great representative for the university the man has been and could continue to be, that is if he had succeeded.

Weis' recruiting success has been well-documented but it's something I want to emphasize now. Charlie has made this job attractive again; he might be the first coach in 20 or possibly even 30 years to leave the program in better shape than he found it. The same certainly can't be said of Davie, Ty, or even beloved Lou Holtz. Most coaching changes ultimately result in a huge rebuilding process that may take years to play out (see: DickRod), but Charlie has set up his successor to have the opportunity to succeed right away. He brought a pro-style passing offense to ND, something greatly needed in order to succeed in the college football landscape that more and more relies on the quarterback. I think we can all admit now that Charlie Weis is nothing more than our version of Ron Zook. And you know what, I'm okay with that now. If Swarbrick and Co. can make the homerun hire we all hope they can (another post to come on this), that man can have us in BCS contention immediately. Because the cupboard is not bare, and when we're hoisting a Sears glass football in 2012 a big part of me will be thanking Charlie Weis for making this job palatable again.

The irony of yesterday's UCONN loss is that one of Charlie's first big recruits, Zach Frazer, helped put the final nail in the big man's coffin. But despite all the lows the Charlie Weis era has provided, as it comes to a close I can't help but remember some of the great moments that his teams provided us, especially in the first two years. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Zibby's punt return against USC: possibly the loudest moment I've ever heard at Notre Dame stadium. Earlier that afternoon I was arguing with Spicy that I didn't think that Zibby had the breakaway speed to be our return man. When #9 walked into the endzone, he called me out from five rows up, and I loved every minute of it.

2. Brady's TD run on the draw in the final three minutes against USC: thought we were heading for the promised land

3. The ass kicking he gave Wann-stache in his debut.

4. Booing the shit out of the 2007 team as a group: may not have many great memories from this season, but I always got some gratification out of letting them have it right before the alma mater. I know, I'm a sick man.

5. The 2005 game against Stanford: with this lousy opponent the only between us and the BCS, I always loved that Charlie had the intelligence to call timeout on goal line defense to give our offense enough time to come back. Many coaches would have the arrogance to rely on their defense getting a stop in those moments.

6. The 2005 Fiesta Bowl: the outcome may not have been great, but everyone who was at Dom's and elsewhere in Phoenix that week has some great memories.

7. Making a band girl cry in the famed 2007 season: not directly related to Charlie, but his struggles on the field led to my ever-growing annoyance with the band. A classic JD moment.

8. Giving us two of the greatest quarterbacks ever to lace it up for the Irish.

And my favorite Weis-era moment of all time as called by Don Criqui: "It's caught by Samardzja... Notre Dame has SCOOOOOORED."

Charlie, I wish you well in your next coaching stop, hopefully as offensive coordinator of the Browns. Many of my fondest memories of ND are football-related (shocker, I know). Thanks, Charlie, for helping make many of those memories.

-JD

And the Winner Is...

The chart above is a compilation of stats from the top coaches in college football. Most of these teams are ranked in the Top 25 in the BCS standings. Now if you are an idiot, you can listen to the media who will say Urban Meyer, Brian Kelly and Jim Harbaugh (really?) are the most likely candidates to replace Charlie Weis as the head coach of Notre Dame. (see post below) However, I am not pleased with any of those candidates so I put together some research on my ideal candidate and some interested trends appeared:

CONTRACT LENGTH

It seems as if the culmination for a decision on a head coach is around the 5 year mark. At the end of 5 years, if a program is not happy with where the program is at, a move has to be made. If a program rests on a solid foundation, then the coach has job security. Furthermore, once a coach passes the 12 year mark like Frank Beamer, Bobby Bowden, and Joe Paterno then they receive a lifetime contract and schools are forced to wait until they retire, for better or worse. With Charlie at the end of year five and Notre Dame still struggling, its time to make the move.

DEFENSE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS

It is no coincidence that the top four teams competing for a National Championship have the best defenses in college football. At the same time, they have capable, but not great offenses. Teams with stellar offenses, like Notre Dame, can't succeed without stout defenses, yet teams without an offense, like Ohio State and LSU, are annually in the picture.

SCHEDULING

Notre Dame will always receive scrutiny over their schedule. Regardless, the Irish schedule is just fine in my opinion and almost annually turns out to be quite competitive. All teams have patsies and tough rivalries. In reality, the schedule typically lightens up in November, which is where Weis has had his most difficulties (3-9 in November the past three seasons). Bottom line, the schedule will be what it is and it shouldn't matter.

So all things considered, the next coach at the University of Notre Dame is...BOB STOOPS.

I think Stoops is a viable option for a lot of reasons. One: He has been at Oklahoma for 11 years and is struggling this year. It might be time for him to move along and find a new challenge. After all, most coaches don't last longer than 12 years at a school before they are locked in for life. Two: He is a proven winner. He was won a National Championship and is in the hunt every year. Three: He is a defensive minded coach which has proven to be the necessary piece to winning a National Championship. Four: He's passionate and can light a fire under his players and future players, which he will have no problem recruiting to Notre Dame. Five: It's not a risky pick. Some of the "hot" coaching prospects right now are too risky. After botching the last four hires, Notre Dame MUST get this one right or the program might never recover.

Mind Numbing

Alas we have closure. No doubt remains. How much longer will this image grace the walls of such fine South Bend establishments like Politos?

-JD

Sorry Charlie

I hate to lose all faith in the Irish with two more games to go, but the time has come on this blog to discuss the hopefully upcoming coaching vacancy for 2009.

I write this post prior to ND/UConn kickoff. However, regardless of what may happen I will stand by my opinion that Charlie should pack his bags. I said at the beginning of the year, BCS or Charlie's gone; and we ain't going BCS dancing this year.

Who do you guys want to be the next coach in South Bend? Who do you think it will actually be?

Here are the Vegas odds as of 11/21/09.

Urban Meyer..................3/2

Brian Kelly......................3/2

Jim Harbaugh................7/2

Chip Kelly.......................21/4

Kirk Ferentz..................12/1

Bob Stoops.....................10/1

John Gruden.................30/1

-CI

If Not Me, Then Who?

Let the finger pointing begin. Who do you blame for arguably the ugliest game I've ever seen?

I personally find it hard to pin this one on Charlie. You can blame him for the general lack of motivation (one of his biggest pitfalls) and the turnover on downs. BUT Weis wasn't the one missing the field goals, fumbling on the goalline or throwing it into the back of the receiver. And if you are going to blame the defense, which is hard considering they only gave up 21 points to an offense that averages 350 yards (290 rushing), don't blame Weis. The man has little if anything at all to do with the defensive scheming.

While the fire Weis talk will commence (the third straight season of such talk), a reasonable Notre Dame fan would be better served to let the media be the media. Save your fire Weis crap for the end of the season. Only then will I discuss it because after all, it could end up being pointless, and not to mention detrimental to the remainder of the season.


-DH

Putting out an APB

Much like the readers of this blog, ND fans have turned off the television on the ND football season. Why? I'm not sure. This guy blogged last week with predictions, of which all materialized in San Antonio. I posted a picture of Tim Brown at the 1987 Heisman Trophy presentation, and boom! none other than Tim Brown himself was the honorary member for the coin flip. I affirmed Jimmy Clausen would win the Heisman, and boom! Clausen goes 22-27 for 268 and 2 TDs in less than three quarters of play. I glorified Tate as the front runner for the Biletnikoff, and boom! Tate amasses 141 yards of total offense and two TDs. It would be disrespectful to not mention Tate's hail mary grab over three WSU defenders!

The Irish currently sit at 6-2 at #21 in the BCS. There is a lot of football left to play! The Irish only have to get to #14 in the BCS rankings to be eligible for a BCS game. And we all know the pull the Irish have for BCS bowls. It looks like it could all come down to the game at Pitt on November 14th. So wake up Irish fans, this could be the best season yet. Need I remind you we were 3-9 two years ago and 6-6 last year?

I understand you just read the ESPN article about Luke Harangody being the leading vote getter as a preseason First Team All-American and preseason Big East Player of Year. But there is plenty of time for HaranGODy after the football season! I'll let the picture below wake you all up out of your sleep.



-DH

2009 Season Climax

The 2009 Irish football season has reached its climax. After a heartbreaking loss to USC in what was billed as their biggest game this season, the Irish bounced back to break another streak with a win against BC. With five games to play, the Irish have past the crest in the hill and should coast towards the ultimate conclusion of the season: the bowl game.

The Irish sit at 5-2 and are currently ranked #23 in the BCS standings. The Irish are predicted to win out to finish 10-2, but with the way this team has been playing, I'm not so sure. Regardless, Charlie needs these games to prove the Irish are legitimate contenders again. Even though a National Championship is out of reach, I would love to finish 11-2 which should rank us in the Top 10. In addition, the golden boy Jimmy Clausen has a great chance to win the Heisman and Golden Tate should run away with the Biletnikoff.

All things considered, the 2009 ND Football season can still rank as one of the best ever, topping Weis' 2005 and 2006 success.

-DH

Time

Can you taste it? With every autumn in South Bend comes a bottle of fruitless optimism (only 50 calories!), leaving a bitter and foul winter aftertaste. Will this year be any different? USC has beaten Notre Dame seven straight years by an average of 27 points. Why are we to think this year is any different? Are we making too much of this game? Time. That’s the answer. Only He will tell.

Listen to the experts, everyone’s talking about the Irish offense versus the Trojans defense, which are both top-10 units. All I hear is how Notre Dame hasn’t faced a defense as tough as USC’s yet this year, and if we struggle against teams that bad defensively, how can we possibly move the rock against Carroll Almighty. What no one mentions is the “caliber” of offenses USC has faced this season. Take a bite out of this nifty chart. I made it myself. USC’s opponents thus far:

Rank (offense)
San Jose State - 117
Ohio St - 85
Washington - 74
Washington State - 119
California - 49

On average, USC has been facing the 89th ranked offense in college football. You don’t think SC has some inflated numbers this year? No doubt, this defense is phenomenal, but they have not faced the likes of our very own Weisian juggernaut that is Jimmy & Co. Whoever came up with the term Weisian needs to tarred and feathered. I have trouble staying away from it though; it makes him sound like he has accomplished something great. Like invent the crossing route or something.

The key to the game I believe is the running game. We need to have just one speckle of a running game to keep USC honest or else Jimmy is going to be eating the high weeds of Notre Dame Stadium all afternoon. They will simply drop 7 back in coverage, keep the safeties deep, and just wait for the Front 4 to get to Clausen. We must have the ability to run the rock – that’s on you O-Line.

On the other side of the ball, we must be able to moderately contain their rushing attack, forcing the true freshman Matt Barkley to win the game with his high school arm and teenage brain. This is something we failed to do against Michigan (the reason for that awkward 1 behind the 4). Right now, our defense is not good. To say they are underachieving is to say that Keanu Reeves is an actor “with range.” They are below underachieving. We are currently nuzzled in quite cozy at the 100th spot in total defense in between Hawaii and Ball State. Let that sink in.

Meanwhile, the top 3 teams in the polls (granted, they are Best of the Best) are ranked #1, 2, and 4 defensively. Not one of the top-5 teams in the nation gave up more than 14 points this past Saturday, and they were facing the likes of Florida, LSU, and Ole Miss. But, in the words of Stephen A.: “HOWEVAAHH” (however)!!!! There is hope. Currently we are a modest 49th against the run, well above the likes of Va Tech (62), Miami (66), and LSU (70). Will this be enough to slow SC down? Will we be able to consistently move the ball against the Trojans? Step up, baby!

Irish win. It’s about time.

So, let’s hear what you got. This blog has less traffic than Middletown at 2 in the afternoon.

rabes

Now or Never

Charlie will have to use all the weapons in his artillery this weekend to take down the Trojans. This might be the best team Charlie's ever had at Notre Dame and is easily Weis' best chance to beat the Trojans. If he doesn't succeed, Weis may very quickly become the hunted, and find himself on the retreat out of South Bend.

-DH

What Just Happened

I found myself asking this question nonstop while watching the Irish squeak out a 37-30 victory on Saturday over Washington. The game displayed all facets of offense and defense; the good, the bad, and especially the ugly. Furthermore, there were so many individual plays that left me clueless. It was an instant classic, for arguably all the wrong reasons.

Here are the five most ridiculous plays from Saturday:


5. HOW FAR CAN YOU GO

At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Irish capped off a 93 yard scoring drive with a field goal. I didn't even know that was possible. To make matters worse, the statistics indicate the Irish accumulated 117 yards on that one drive! Can someone please tell me how did we not score a touchdown?


4. #1 FANTASY PICK-UP

Freshman kicker Nick Tausch booted FIVE field goals on the day! FIVE! With a performance like that, lets hope the days of losing to Syracuse on a missed field goal are over. While I love putting points on the board, I would much rather score TDs. The Irish drives resulting in field goals were 49, 58, 72, 76, and 93 yards. Convert those to TDs and the Irish would have put up 50 points in regulation.


3. THE BULLDOZER

Junior running back Robert Hughes could easily be credited with the play of the game. Not only did Hughes rush for 70 yards and the game winning TD, but the 2-point conversion run was by far the most impressive. As soon as Hughes ran smack into the back of O-Line, I turned to my dad sitting next to me and rattled off a slew of curse words. Yet, by the time I turned back to the action, Hughes was in the end zone (or was he?) and celebrating.


2. THE FORWARD PASS

Irish signal caller Jimmy Clausen almost threw away his Heisman hopes with one pass. What the hell was he thinking! It was the most idiotic play I have seen in a a few years (since maybe where's the ball John Ryan, 2007 - that's for you OC). Somehow, Clausen's atrocious turnover was swept under the rug and trampled on by another dramatic finish. Or maybe it was his stat line: 23-31 for 422 yards and 2 TDs - 1INT (catch the ball Allen!!!!).


1. THE BALL STOPS HERE

Heading into the game, the Irish had proven they couldn't stop anyone (except Nevada who coincidentally put up 779 yards of offense Saturday). Following an opening drive TD for Washington, I knew it was going to be a long day for the defense. But who knew they would stop the Huskies on 10 possessions from inside the 5 yard line!! It was a new side of this defense I was stoked to see! It's what ultimately won the game for the Irish. Had Washington gone up two scores, I would have doubted an Irish comeback.


Bottom line, while it didn't appear the Irish deserved to win, they did. And I would rather win ugly than lose pretty any day of the week. And there were a few things I learned; Weis will always take the points. Our offense can move the ball at will. I am glad for the bye week, as I can rest my heart as there is no end in sight for dramatic finishes, and our next game just might be the most dramatic of the year.


OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Golden "Fair Catch" Tate (thanks Rabes)

As an all-around weapon for the Irish, Tate alone turned small passes into big gains. He racked up 244 yards and a TD on nine catches! What I love best was his desire to get into the endzone. He broke two tackles to score a TD and attempted a five yard dive to the end zone in OT. But with the way the Irish offense was settling for FGs, I don't blame him.


DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Defensive Front Seven

The defense was terrible between the 20s, but they played with the bend, not break mentality. Give credit to the defensive line lead the charge in those goal lines stands. T'eo was all over the field making tackles in his first start. Outside of the roughing the snapper (didn't know that was a penalty) call, the Irish played a smart game, though they gave up 457 yards of offense.


-DH

Which Way?

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program heads into Saturday's game standing at the crossroads. Rewind to last year. The Irish emerged through the "Big Ten" stretch of their schedule with a 3-1 record. However, the Irish soon stumbled in some games they should have won: a 29-24 throw away victory to North Carolina and a 36-33 heart breaking overtime loss to Pittsburgh at home. These two games set the tone for a 6-6 season. (Don't get me started on Syracuse)

Fast forward to the present. For the second straight season, the Irish have accumulated a 3-1 record through their "Big Ten" stretch. Washington now stands in front of us and the road winds in two directions. At the beginning of the season, Washington looked like a cakewalk. However, a new coaching staff has roused the potential in the Willingham recruits. (I've heard this story before)

The Irish must win this game to avoid falling in a rut that would derail their season. A loss Saturday and the USC game looks hopeless and a sub par .500 record would soon follow. A win over Washington and the Irish will carry a 4-1 record and a little momentum into their off week preparation for the Trojans.

Where we go from here is up to us - and Jimmy's big toe.

-DH

Green Means Go

For four years, I had the pleasure of working at a go-kart track. Before each race, we were required to read a safety announcement. The most important aspect was: "Gas is your right, brake is on your left. Your break will not work unless you take your foot completely off the gas." On Saturday night, the Irish rocketed off the starting line, only to take their foot completely off the gas, slamming on the brakes, and almost losing the game in the process. I just don't get it. For the fourth week in a row, the Irish started off hot, only to play conservative and allow Purdue to get back into the game and eventually take the lead. Look no farther than the drive chart:

Drive #: TOP - Plays - Yards - Result

Drive 1: 3:20 - 6 - 33 - Turnover on Downs
Drive 2: 3:57 - 10 - 60 - Field Goal
Drive 3: 4:07 - 9 - 73 - Touchdown
Drive 4: 3:49 - 7 - 62 - Touchdown

Drive 5: :54 - 3 - 5 - Punt
Drive 6: :45 - 5 - 29 - Interception

Drive 7: 5:20 - 8 - 28 - Punt
Drive 8: 6:20 - 13 - 42 - Turnover on Downs
Drive 9: 1:11 - 3 - (-2) - Punt
Drive 10: 1:38 - 3 - 1 - Punt
Drive 11: 3:17 - 12 - 72 - Touchdown

Drive 12: :03 - 1 - (-1) - End of Game

Now I've broken it up so that its easier to analyze and see that the Irish clearly went conservative, when they should have put the game away. I understand the first drive as it was going to be an experiment to see exactly how Clausen's turf toe was going to affect his play. Therefore, I throw out the first drive. Next, the Irish scored 17 points on their next three possessions! That is peddle to the metal. On those scoring drives, the Irish offense averaged 3:58 TOP, 8.66 plays, and 65 yards. That's 8 yards per play and almost scoring at will. That is the Charlie Weis offense we are all used to.

Now you can throw out the next two drives as the Irish were in the 2 minute drill. I approve of Weis bringing Clausen back in at this point because of his comfort in the 2 minute drill (see end of game). Furthermore, I like how Weis wasn't willing to just run out the clock (see 3rd quarter) as that is not his style and he's very ineffective in doing so.

Which brings me to the notorious 3rd quarter. At this point, the Irish are up 10 points with a back up QB. Now I know Christ is a back-up, but the man is talented. There is no reason to not give Christ a few throws (he missed a wide open Tate for 6). Regardless, the Irish took the conservative route, sitting on the ball, and killing clock. The problem is, it resulted in nothing!! To make matters worse, the defense turned around and gave up a touchdown in 3:21. This totally defeats the purpose of "clock killing."

I'm convince that this move was not in the best interest of the Irish offense. The Irish started the 3rd quarter with the ball and had the opportunity to drive the field for a TD and in doing so would virtually put the game away. Bottom line, you want to score regardless of how long it takes. By putting on the brakes, the Irish only hurt themselves. But it is comforting to know the Irish offense can flip the switch and go 70+ yards in only 3 minutes!

But the question remains, if you were Charlie Weis what would you have done in that 3rd quarter?



OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jimmy Clausen

At 11:23, I received the following text: "A legend is born." Forget the stat line, the Irish are nothing without their golden boy.


DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Da Feenz

As the only one of us in attendance, his cheering (or lack there of) was as effective as the Irish defense actually on the field. McCarthy blew coverage for Purdue's go ahead TD. Walls had a meaningless interception. The fumble recovery didn't matter. Teo had a sack, but it was the only time he was on the field all game. Blanton dropped a pick 6. The list goes on as Purdue racked up 363 yards of total offense.


-DH

Metatarsalphalangeal Joint Sprain

No that's not jibberish. It's the official term for turf toe. By now, if you are like me, you know everything there is to know about this phantom injury that never seems to leave a player alone. Officially (wikipedia official), "turf toe" is an injury to the joint and connective tissue betweenthe foot and one of the toes, notably, the big toe.
First off, Notre Dame Stadium is equipped with grass, so I'm not really understand where the turf part comes in. And secondly, I love Jimmy Clausen, but I don't really need daily updates regarding his big toe. It's comparable to Brett Farve returning to the NFL, Vick practicing again, or Feenz going canoeing in Canada. If I've heard it once, I've heard it a dozen times.


We can throw out the predictions. Our success now depends on JC's big toe. See if that helps you sleep at night.

-DH

Purdue Fans

By CI

Purdue Fans are some of the most bitter I’ve ever come by. Maybe its just an ND hatred for them (Little Brother-itis). But I don’t think so, as I’ve heard that other schools’ fans have similar negative responses to Purdue fans. While there is a small list of teams I fundamentally hate, the fan bases of those particular teams tend to be quite respectful and classy. Purdue is not on that list.

Maybe I’m hating the wrong people? Maybe Purdue should be the team I really hate? Na, because why let the fly of Purdue agitate the elepahant that is Notre Dame football.

But what drives the bitterness from the Purdue people towards ND. Is it because we are both in Indiana? Is it because of ND’s unique place in college football?

Here are my top 5 reasons Purdue fans are bitter towards ND fans:

1. Lack of Football Success: 1929 was the last outright conference championship season for the boilermakers. So, a great stat for those of you traveling down (or up) to West Lafayette may be that Notre Dame and Purdue have the same number of outright conference titles in the past 80 years. To their credit, Purdon’t has earned a share of the title 8 times…but only once more than the University of Chicago, who exited the Big Ten in 1939 and last won an outright Big Ten title in 1924. By the way, Purdue’s lone outright championship pales in comparison to the University of Chicago’s 6 outright Big Ten titles.

2. Depressing Demographics: The largest college major at Purdue is engineering. I’ll speak from my enginerd experience and tell you that thousands of engineers pooled together usually don’t make for much fun and excitement. Additionally, Purdue is only 41.2% women. It doesn’t hurt to have a girls school across the street from ND. These demographics factors would alone make me bitter to ND fans. Finally, most of the students are from Indiana…I’ll just leave it at that.

3. Terrible Rivalry: These guys are stuck being rivals to IU. Even though they dominate this rivalry, it is pathetic to get built up for IU, the shithouse of the Big Ten.

4. Lack of fan Interest: Having lived in West Lafayette for a summer, I can confirm that students at Purdue just don’t care about football games. They go to drink, pass out, wake up, and they harass young fans from the visiting team. Their entertainment lies not in watching the winning 40 yard field goal rise through the uprights as the clocks ticks to zero, but rather in cursing at visiting fans in order to show off their drunken sailor mouths that their mother’s never washed out with soap. These fans are terrible, and their lack of football knowledge and interest doesn’t help their case. I think Purdue fans may just be bitter about a fan base who actually cares about the status of their schools football team.

5. Shitty Stadium: Ross-Ade Stadium is probably the worst stadium I’ve ever been to for a school that would claim itself a major football program. If felt like a glorified high school game, but with less enthusiastic fans. The only nice part is how the visiting fans can easily make as much noise as the Purdue fans, making this a very unintimidating place for ND to play this week. Moreover, that big stupid drum you get to see while visiting Ross-Ade is claimed to be the biggest in the world. I think they are safe with the record, as I can’t think of anyone else who would want to build a bigger, stupider drum than Purdue’s.

So…enough of me ranting about Purdue’s classless fans. On a side note, Mr. Louis Leo Holtz has been participating in political commentary on Sean Hannity’s “Great American Panel”. While I love hearing Lou, I never want to again be subjected to hearing his commentary on global warming. I’m just not sure his credentials are there. Then again, his credentials are likely as good as Al Gore’s.

Stray Bullets

What’s up, bloggers? Although I’m not blogging via the free wi-fi of Panera this week, I still get a weird feeling when I click “Post Blog” that I suddenly don’t like girls. Alright, inhibitions aside, I have to say it’s been an awesome 3 weeks of college football….

Notre Dame is 2-1, with the loss to now-#23 Michigan. To say the offense was “clicking” would be an understatement. They are playing a lot better than even I expected. The injury to my man Mike Floyd will hurt, but let’s see how much confidence ole Weis has in that bench. The defense has given up 38 and 30 points the past two weeks to the state colleges of Michigan, and in the process lost to a punk, but talented, 19-year old. The special teams have not looked so good. Kickoff return for a touchdown, missed field goal (acceptable), missed extra point (unacceptable), and an onside kick recovered against us. The intangibles have not looked so good either. Many thoughtless penalties and lacks of concentration have taken their toll, and that falls on the coach. In short, it seems that the rest of the team (including Weis as a “head coach”) will constantly be trying to catch up to the offense throughout the season. Let’s hope it happens sooner rather than later.

Case of the Mondayyyys
Until proven otherwise, I will uphold that this is the best commercial out there right now. ESPN, you’ve done it again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1W7FNnyOfg

VT Showin’ No Love for the Irish

At the Virginia Tech-Nebraska game this past weekend at Lane Stadium, when that final whistle blew, I ran inside and caught the end of the ND-MSU game. A Virginia Tech fan walks in and yells, “Let’s go Michigan!” Of course, it was Michigan State. Showing little fanhood for either team, the man would proceed to refer to them as “Michigan” for the remainder of the game. “I have two favorite teams,” he continued. “Virginia Tech and anyone playing Notre Dame.”

I’m always curious to hear the reasons why so many people hate Notre Dame, so I asked him why. He turned to me in a hurry, anxious to describe his position. Putting out three fingers and touching his fore finger first, he proclaimed, “They took Tech’s spot in the BCS three years ago and got killed! The BCS gives them an automatic bid! The Big East gives them their bids to bowls…”
While all I wanted to do was tell him how stupid that argument was, I held back in an effort to sway him to the ND side. “How is that Notre Dame’s fault?” I asked, mild-mannered. “Are you telling me Tech wouldn’t take that deal?”
“Tech wasn’t asked!”
“That’s not Notre Dame’s fault. You should really be mad at the BCS or Big East conference.”

These Notre Dame haters continually blame the team and not the system. I agree ND gets preferential treatment, but that’s not their fault…if anything it’s their luxury. They got a good deal, and they took it. 118 other teams would do the same thing – it only makes sense.

This Tech fans reasoning had no logic whatsoever, but in an attempt to lessen his hatred for ND, I restrained myself from bringing his stupidity to light. His point bordered simply on jealousy. Our team got in, his team didn’t. I get it. I analogize it to the following:

You’re a high school boy, like Tate Forcier last year. You really want to go to prom with this girl. She’s one of the 5 hottest girls in the school. Well, she ends up asking another guy to prom. He’s probably smarter and he’s a whole lot more popular. Because of this, you end up hating this guy. High school analogy, middle school logic. This 55-year old man needs to grow up.

On a lighter note, there’s a great clip of Beamer, Holly Rowe, and the crazy Tech fans after the Nebraska game. (I never thought I would mention “great clip” and “Holly Rowe” in the same sentence) Watch how angry Frank gets:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZWWvcRNtaI

Gotta Groh

Al Groh’s UVA squad is 0-3 and they are miserable to watch. Don’t just take my word for it, even their mascot tried to end the misery:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6TkO2v_jCA

What was even funnier to me was one of the YouTube comments regarding the fall. It was made by one of the bouncing (see video) members of the UVA band who simply goes by the name “PinkSpaceHippy.” It follows:

“I'm a member of the marching band, and so I've actually been able to talk to "Cav Man", and was down there when it happened.

He didn't fall off. Seriously, he's been playing polo over 20 years.

The horse spooked. That was a new horse that is still getting used to crowds and all the noise, and something spooked him and cause him to just stop in his tracks.

"Sabre" didn't throw him, just the laws of physics say that just because horse stops doesn't mean you stop with it.”

Wow.

rabes

Painful to Watch

I was so tense on Saturday while watching the Irish that my girlfriend asked me how could I not possibly have fun watching the Irish play, especially when they were winning. The answer lies in the fact that Irish were simply too painful to almost watch. Even though the Irish squeaked out a 33-30 victory, they could not have looked worse and played more frustrating. The Irish opened up a 14-3 lead in the first quarter after just two possessions, but failed to maintain that level of play. For the second week in a row, the Irish dominated the first half statistics only to find themselves down a point at halftime. How you might ask? Well here are five areas of concern where the Irish must improve to turn first half success into dominating victories:


5. DEPTH

One Irish expert (Rabes) was quick to point out that in order be a GREAT team, the Irish must establish depth at the skill positions, especially now that Floyd is potentially out for the year. Tate, Rudolph, and Allen accounted for 77% of the Irish offensive output (337 of the 437 yards). Senior wide out Robby Parris and junior target Duval Kamara must step up to fill the void left by Floyd. And can someone please find Robert Hughes?


4. SPECIAL TEAMS

Even though freshman kicker Nick Tausch was 2 for 2 on field goals (22, 46), that missed extra point could have come back to haunt the Irish. Still, the Irish have yet to incorporate special teams as a weapon. Riddick and Gallup have yet to really break open a kick off return and Tate hasn't had many opportunities in the punt return game. Kudos to Ethan Johnson for the blocked PAT. Bottom line, the Irish got lazy and gave away a free onside kick to the Spartans which was completely inexcusable. See mental mistakes below.


3. KILLER INSTINCT

A few weeks ago, I praised the Irish D for their shut out performance, and lauded the Irish O for stepping on Nevada when they were down. Well, I'm not quite sure what happened to that mindset. The Irish once again dominated in the opening minutes, but failed to deliver the knock out blow early. As the Irish face must win games the next two weeks, they need to get on a roll to gain some mental swagger.


2. PASS DEFENSE

Remember the "No Fly Zone" images created by Raeshon McNeil and Darrin Walls following their signing with ND as recruits. Well its more like Fly, Fly Away. Our depth at defensive back was suppose to be the anchor of our defense. Well, that anchor has a lot of rust as DWalls struggles to return to his old form. The Irish defense always seemed to be one step behind as Michigan State racked up 354 yards through the air.


1. MENTAL MISTAKES

This is easily the most frustrating aspect about this football team, and the list from Saturday is endless. Onside kick. Sam Young jumping offside. Dropped balls on offensive and defense. Holding penalties. Personal fouls. Two personal fouls in a row. Three personal fouls in a row! Are you kidding me?!! All in all, the Irish racked up 99 yards in penalties. That is simply atrocious.


OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Golden Tate

Tate hauled in 7 receptions for 127 yards and the game winning TD. Tate's spectacular grab to give the Irish the lead with 5 minutes to play more than made up for his terrible drop earlier in the game. However, with Michael Floyd possibly out for the season, Tate will have to put up these numbers each and every week.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kyle McCarthy

The Irish safety earned his second straight "Defensive Player of the Game" nod after sealing the Irish victory with an interception. It's McCarthy's third interception in three games. On top of that, McCarthy leads the Irish defense in tackles. McCarthy has been and should continue to be an Irish force on defense.

-DH

Seven In A Row Means Weis Has To Go

Michigan State is riding a six game win streak at Notre Dame Stadium, heading into Saturday's key battle. The Spartans and the Irish are looking to rebound as both teams threw away victories last weekend. The winner could be able to salvage their seasons. A loss for the Irish would mean the end of Charlie Weis. Period. The Irish have enough motivation, but I'll let the image above marinate in their minds for a little bit.

-DH

The Storm Before the Calm

Following Saturday's 38-34 let down against Michigan, Notre Dame fans are no doubt about to stir up a storm in hopes of sinking the ship of Charlie Weis as Notre Dame's head football coach. There is a lot of fuel for the fire to be extracted from the Irish performance. So here are the top five plays that haunted me last night:


5. WIDE LEFT

I understand the kid is a freshman, but the Irish needed to get points out of that first drive. Had the Irish got some points on the board following that drive, it would have no doubted changed the course of the game. The mentality of the Irish team would have been different. In a big game, on the road, driving the ball dominantly 80 yards for a touchdown would have crushed the young Wolverines. It was a missed opportunity that the Irish paid for later.


4. QUARTERBACK DRAW

laksjdflsakjdf;lqknlkajds!!!!! What the hell! Jimmy Clausen is by no way a threat with his feet. All you offensive gurus can tell me it was a good call because the defense wasn't expecting it, but I still won't believe you. You drive the ball 60 to 70 yards with dominating plays, why switch it up, especially on 3rd down. Stick with something you know will work!!!!


3. PUT IT ON THE TURF

The Jonas Gray fumble might be the biggest mistake of the game. I understand he's listed at #2, but why is he in the game. Who cares that he's from Michigan and its a rivalry for him. He choked. In a big game, I want people with big game experience. Give me Robert Hughes. Enough said.


2. PENALTIES

Let me start off by saying Big Ten referees are the worst. They suck. Their publicized attack on holding calls this season got entirely out of hand. To be fair, the calls went both ways. And maybe it wasn't the refs fault at all. But seriously, holding calls on a screen pass!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me?!!?!? Penalties negated Irish progress all night long. The one that sticks out to me was the pass and catch to Kyle Rudolph for roughly a 45 yard gain, negated by a Sam Young holding that wasn't actually a holding at all! But the players must adjust the refs, and the Irish were sloppy all night long.


1. LET IT FLY

The play that will be talked about most will be the 2nd and 10 play in which Clausen threw a fly route to Tate which he dropped (stop complaining and catch the ball son!!) and stopped the clock at the end of the game. Now I actually don't mind the call, but save it for 3rd down. If you run the ball one more down, you make Michigan burn their second time out. Now not mentioned at the time was the fact that Armando Allen left the game a play earlier with a sprained ankle. Weis has since defended this play saying he was only "trying to win the game." Do realize that all you haters would have praised Weis for that call had Tate caught the ball. Just a thought.


This all being said, I could easily highlight my top five plays as well. But because we lost, people are going to focus on the negatives. I just hope people realize the game for what it was: a tough, competitive battle. I know we should have won the game, but the Irish are actually competitive again and for that I'm optimistic. The season is not lost, so save that fire Weis crap until the end of the season. Look for the Irish to rebound to calm the uprising by winning out. (and get revenge against Michigan in a BCS bowl)


OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Armando Allen Jr.

Allen had a career performance; 21 carries for 139 yards and a TD, and 2 receptions for 24 yards with a TD questionably negated by official review. My only question: Where was Allen in the 3rd quarter?

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE GAME: Kyle McCarthy

The interception by McCarthy could not have come at a better time. The Irish needed the defense to step up and force a turnover to get back in the game. The Irish turned McCarthy's pick into the go ahead score. This will ultimately be overlooked as the Irish D failed to stop Michigan in the closing minutes.

-DH

First Team to 24 Wins

by John Don with research by The Diesel, '79

Although neither Michigan nor Notre Dame is the other school’s biggest rival on the schedule (those distinctions belong to USC and Ohio State respectively), this matchup has actually remained just that: a rivalry. While The Vest has clearly owned Michigan the last several years and we all know how that other “rivalry” has worked out since Ty took the reins, the game between the two winningest programs in college football history has remained competitive. Over the past ten years, both teams are 5-5; here’s what the scoreboard looked like at the end of each of those contests:

Michigan Notre Dame

1997 21 14

1998 20 36

1999 26 22

2002 23 25

2003 38 0

2004 20 28

2005 10 17

2006 47 21

2007 38 0

2008 17 35

Incredibly, despite a few lopsided victories on each end, an average game between these two teams is essentially a draw: Michigan’s median point total over the past ten meetings is 22, the Irish – 21.5. But when Michigan wins they do it by scoring, which I find surprising with Lloyd Carr at the helm for every U of M win in the data set; Michigan’s median point total in wins is a whopping 38, while in losses their median point total is only 20. As for ND, we “average” 28 points in wins and only 14 points in losses. This is where the Diesel put in some expert Excel work (you would have thought he had Mike Morris, too). Here are some interesting stats:

Michigan Notre Dame
Lowest Point Total in a Win 21 17
Highest Point Total in a Loss 23 22

And when scoring at least 24 points, both teams are 4-0; 24 is clearly the magic number and not just to Jack Bauer: the first team to score 24 wins. In my opinion both teams may get to that plateau this weekend with two offensive coaches and two (possibly) suspect defenses. But as the data suggests, hitting that magic number is the key to victory.

The home team has dominated in recent memory, with each team only winning once on the road (Notre Dame in Charlie’s Ann Arbor debut in 2005, Michigan in 2006 ending Irish “title hopes”). And the last time an unranked Michigan team hosted a ranked Notre Dame team was in 1985, when the Wolverines pulled out a 20-12 victory.

Yet despite clear data to the contrary, my (homer) pick is Notre Dame – 31, Michigan – 20. But to win this game, we’ll have to rely on the golden arm of the golden boy. And a few big catches by Michael Floyd wouldn’t hurt either…