I agree with Godfather, it was a pain to constantly hear that SC band honking that stupid song. I got quite a bit of work done last night that otherwise would have been put off. Sorry, Don and Nina, that your trip was dampened by the loss!
Charlie is putting a good face on things in his media moments, but I truly wonder how long it will be before we're looking for a new coach. On the NFL pregame show today, Jimmy Johnson was saying that at the very least, Charlie will be rich. Doesn't that give you the feeling that Charlie's days are numbered and most everyone knows it?
Incidentally, Syracuse is looking for a new head coach -- wonder if Charlie is interested? He'd fit in well there, better than Robinson did. But I doubt he'd work for their AD Darryl Gross (who should also be on the way out but no one at SU has enough sense to dismiss him.)
Hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Our day will come
Not sure if Charlie will be the coach next week or next year, but things will have to get better for the Irish in the coming years. Bowl bids are going to be interesting. I can see us being invited but not accepting. Or worse, accepting and not taking the band! Cause the band was the star of the show yesterday. The ND band was great and got a very nice reception at halftime from the USC crowd. I doubt the TV showed the "we are babies and jerks" USC halftime show which was basically themed "here are all the songs you missed ND band while we were beating you here in the Coliseum over the last 35 years". Really bush league. They did not refer to any of the years during the 13 year stretch of Irish victories in the 80-90's by the way. And that stupid Trojan band never stops playing!
Anyway, the game played out how everyone expected though I was impressed by the defensive performance for most of the game. They came to play. The offense on the other hand is just plain terrible. Nothing else to say about it.
Forgot how lousy that stadium is to watch a game; the ND section was way up in the crow's nest at the torch end of the stadium. Very hard to see anything. 6 years ago we were in the closed end of the horseshoe and could see a bit better. But any former bandie would have been proud to see the Band of the Fighting Irish on that grass. It made us very happy and we were thrilled to be there for it.
Go Irish, Beat Somebody!
Anyway, the game played out how everyone expected though I was impressed by the defensive performance for most of the game. They came to play. The offense on the other hand is just plain terrible. Nothing else to say about it.
Forgot how lousy that stadium is to watch a game; the ND section was way up in the crow's nest at the torch end of the stadium. Very hard to see anything. 6 years ago we were in the closed end of the horseshoe and could see a bit better. But any former bandie would have been proud to see the Band of the Fighting Irish on that grass. It made us very happy and we were thrilled to be there for it.
Go Irish, Beat Somebody!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Beat the Spread!! Beat the Spread!!
Yes, folks, that's what we're fighting for today. The papers are all over us. The sports shows are kicking us around. It's one big bad joke, and the punchline is that we're going to get our lights punched out.
So is there any hope?
Alas, not much. SC's defense is REALLY good. Now, sometimes their offense forgets to show up a little, and they have a habit of being a little loose when holding on to the football.
But don't hold your breath.
We took the girls to the Orange County Alumni Club pep rally in Anaheim last night, got to see Don and Nina, which was great. We'll try to hook up again at the Coliseum later today at the game.
The band sounded great at the rally, and it was fun to have them there. Great crowd, and some good speeches from former players who now live in the local area and are just as tired as me of taking crap from their SC work-mates. The streak is at 6 (SC's longest) and no one in Trojan Nation expects anything other than to rack up #7-in-a-row tonite.
I still haven't watched the Syracuse game and I'm not taping today's. If we do win, it'll most likely be an "Instant Classic" so it will be on ESPN all week at 2 in the morning and I'll tape it then.
Bottom line? A loss.
How big? I'm praying we can keep it respectable. Like, better than last year's 38-0 loss at home. We'll probably only score a TD as a direct result of a turnover (runback) or a TO that puts us deep in SC territory. No long drives. Unfortunately, that means our offense isn't going to be able to keep their offense off the field, and so our defense will be tired at the end of the second quarter and the entire 4th quarter.
I think we can beat the spread, but not by much. Trojans win, 38-13.
Watch for us in Section 4, Row 84! Listen for the band too.
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT TROJANS!!!!!
The Colonel
So is there any hope?
Alas, not much. SC's defense is REALLY good. Now, sometimes their offense forgets to show up a little, and they have a habit of being a little loose when holding on to the football.
But don't hold your breath.
We took the girls to the Orange County Alumni Club pep rally in Anaheim last night, got to see Don and Nina, which was great. We'll try to hook up again at the Coliseum later today at the game.
The band sounded great at the rally, and it was fun to have them there. Great crowd, and some good speeches from former players who now live in the local area and are just as tired as me of taking crap from their SC work-mates. The streak is at 6 (SC's longest) and no one in Trojan Nation expects anything other than to rack up #7-in-a-row tonite.
I still haven't watched the Syracuse game and I'm not taping today's. If we do win, it'll most likely be an "Instant Classic" so it will be on ESPN all week at 2 in the morning and I'll tape it then.
Bottom line? A loss.
How big? I'm praying we can keep it respectable. Like, better than last year's 38-0 loss at home. We'll probably only score a TD as a direct result of a turnover (runback) or a TO that puts us deep in SC territory. No long drives. Unfortunately, that means our offense isn't going to be able to keep their offense off the field, and so our defense will be tired at the end of the second quarter and the entire 4th quarter.
I think we can beat the spread, but not by much. Trojans win, 38-13.
Watch for us in Section 4, Row 84! Listen for the band too.
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT TROJANS!!!!!
The Colonel
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Fun in the Sun
I hope that I can title my next blog the same way if we somehow find a way into the Sun Bowl but that is looking unlikely right now. An unexpected win over USC would probably get us the Gator Bowl, a loss opens up too many permutations to bother with here. I think the Irish will accept an minor bowl invitation even at 6-6, we shall see.
Lots of airplane logistics around here tomorrow morning so I thought I would get my prediction in early. The line is Trojans by 32.5! Wow, have we ever been an underdog by that much? Of course USC wants to run it up so they can make a case for the BCS championship game. The sad truth is that beating up on Notre Dame will not help their standing. How sad.
Hard to see any way we pull this one out but as I was saying to my son today, you have to believe. That is one of the great things about the Irish faithful. I am going to predict that USC has too many guns for us but that we will make it respectable by beating the spread. I don't see us scoring much at all on their defense, so that means our D will have to step it up.
How about USC 31, Irish 10. No logic, just heart and hoping the Irish play well to close out the regular season and feel good about taking a minor bowl bid.
Go Irish! Beat Slimeballs! Watch for us in row 88.
Go Band of the Fighting Irish!
Lots of airplane logistics around here tomorrow morning so I thought I would get my prediction in early. The line is Trojans by 32.5! Wow, have we ever been an underdog by that much? Of course USC wants to run it up so they can make a case for the BCS championship game. The sad truth is that beating up on Notre Dame will not help their standing. How sad.
Hard to see any way we pull this one out but as I was saying to my son today, you have to believe. That is one of the great things about the Irish faithful. I am going to predict that USC has too many guns for us but that we will make it respectable by beating the spread. I don't see us scoring much at all on their defense, so that means our D will have to step it up.
How about USC 31, Irish 10. No logic, just heart and hoping the Irish play well to close out the regular season and feel good about taking a minor bowl bid.
Go Irish! Beat Slimeballs! Watch for us in row 88.
Go Band of the Fighting Irish!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
I don't even want to think about Saturday
because I'm afraid it will be a total waste of my time to watch the game.
The Syracuse papers are gloating and rightfully so over last weekend's game. If this is the same unmotivated, unfocused group that shows up in SoCal, we have absolutely no chance whatsoever. Bob said that ND played down to Syracuse's level, and I think he's right. With the talent we have in one place, you'd think that something right would happen.
Still, a miracle might happen. The team might miss the plane and then we won't have to watch another unnecessary disaster!
Rosie
(I guess I'm not an optimist any longer.)
The Syracuse papers are gloating and rightfully so over last weekend's game. If this is the same unmotivated, unfocused group that shows up in SoCal, we have absolutely no chance whatsoever. Bob said that ND played down to Syracuse's level, and I think he's right. With the talent we have in one place, you'd think that something right would happen.
Still, a miracle might happen. The team might miss the plane and then we won't have to watch another unnecessary disaster!
Rosie
(I guess I'm not an optimist any longer.)
Sunday, November 23, 2008
One more picture, and a few thoughts
In thinking about DG's comments on Charlie, and the qualities of successful coaches at ND, I can't help make comparisons between Charlie and Lou Holtz. Yes, both of them are students of the game, and they have sat in that same coaching seat. But are there other similarities? I don't see them.
Lou is funny, inspiring and led his teams both at ND and elsewhere to good records. He seems to have the personality that inspires his players to go beyond their talents and work together for a common goal. I don't see that with Charlie. His team seems disjointed, self-centered and uninspired to say the least.
We happened to be in the middle of campus when the team walked from the Basilica to the stadium. Bob commented that the kids seemed too lighthearted, unfocused and generally not ready to play by their demeanor of the laughing and joking of the guys as they went from one place to another. When we got to the stadium, we happened to be right at the entrance when the SU busses pulled up. Those players got off the bus with very serious expressions, almost as if they were being transported to a terrible fate. Those kids came to play, not sightsee, stroll about and have a marvelous time. I don't know if it's the coach who was responsible for that attitude, but maybe it's a symptom of one of the things wrong with our guys, they aren't focused, can't sustain a drive and don't seem to be able to work together for a common goal.
one more picture for you -- Jimmy walked by himself in the middle of the team, with that goofy expression that says to me either he isn't aware of the work he's supposed to be doing or he thinks he deserves to be honored just by being the ND quarterback. Well, Jimmy, there's a lot of guys who played QB for ND and people have a hard time remembering their names.
Lou is funny, inspiring and led his teams both at ND and elsewhere to good records. He seems to have the personality that inspires his players to go beyond their talents and work together for a common goal. I don't see that with Charlie. His team seems disjointed, self-centered and uninspired to say the least.
We happened to be in the middle of campus when the team walked from the Basilica to the stadium. Bob commented that the kids seemed too lighthearted, unfocused and generally not ready to play by their demeanor of the laughing and joking of the guys as they went from one place to another. When we got to the stadium, we happened to be right at the entrance when the SU busses pulled up. Those players got off the bus with very serious expressions, almost as if they were being transported to a terrible fate. Those kids came to play, not sightsee, stroll about and have a marvelous time. I don't know if it's the coach who was responsible for that attitude, but maybe it's a symptom of one of the things wrong with our guys, they aren't focused, can't sustain a drive and don't seem to be able to work together for a common goal.
one more picture for you -- Jimmy walked by himself in the middle of the team, with that goofy expression that says to me either he isn't aware of the work he's supposed to be doing or he thinks he deserves to be honored just by being the ND quarterback. Well, Jimmy, there's a lot of guys who played QB for ND and people have a hard time remembering their names.
Only One Man to Blame
I have been on the "Charlie is really ok" side of the coach argument this year, but sometime in the second half I switched to the other side. I think it was sometime around when we went 0 yards on 3 plays, failed to score, and blew our 3rd timeout much too early in the half. At that point I realized it did not matter if we won or lost in relation to assessing our coach.
What makes a good college football coach? Of course the only true measure in today's world is wins & losses. And those stats are pretty dismal for Charlie right now. But if you look beyond that metric, the story is even more disconcerting. Here is my analysis of the top 8 things a college coach should do and how we should rate Charlie.
1. Win Games. Plenty of evidence that ND is no better in wins than any coach going back to 1960. Embarrassing.
2. Secure Great Recruiting Classes. OK, we have to rate Charlie very high here by the way people count things. Great athletes matter the most.
3. Get the team motivated and ready to play every week. Charlie is horrible at this. Yesterday the team was flat in the final home game trying to earn the Gator Bowl. We all can name many instances where the Irish did not demonstrate the will to win in the last few years. We are going to get creamed next week and it will be embarrassing for everyone.
4. Make a difference in close games. Charlie is consistently out-coached in close games. See his overtime performance, his close game performance, etc. He makes bad decisions regularly at key junctures in the game. Very bad game coach.
5. Give the team a “schematic advantage”. At least Charlie should have a great playbook. If we do, it seems other teams have figured it out. I cannot prove it, but it feels like the other team knows exactly what play we are calling most of the time. Look at all the no-name coaches taking their teams to major bowls this year without the talent and advantages that ND football has.
6. Develop talent, make the team better. Again, I see very little evidence that Charlie's players get better under his tutelage. As a team, the group has regressed this year. We have NEVER had a game under Charlie since his first USC game, where the team played above its head.
7. Run the program with Integrity and Class. Everything I read says we are okay here. We don't see too many stories about ND players in trouble though of course there are always a few.
8. Represent the University well. Charlie has pissed off a lot of people, particularly in the media. Being a "New Jersey" guy is cute up to a point, but he is also a Notre Dame guy and a Notre Dame graduate. He should enhance the image of the university not diminish it.
Throw that all in the wash and one concludes we need a change. It won't happen this year, but I am of the opinion that we will fall short of expectations again next year and that may be it for Charlie. I would love to be proven wrong.
GO IRISH. BEAT TROJANS. (yeah right!)
What makes a good college football coach? Of course the only true measure in today's world is wins & losses. And those stats are pretty dismal for Charlie right now. But if you look beyond that metric, the story is even more disconcerting. Here is my analysis of the top 8 things a college coach should do and how we should rate Charlie.
1. Win Games. Plenty of evidence that ND is no better in wins than any coach going back to 1960. Embarrassing.
2. Secure Great Recruiting Classes. OK, we have to rate Charlie very high here by the way people count things. Great athletes matter the most.
3. Get the team motivated and ready to play every week. Charlie is horrible at this. Yesterday the team was flat in the final home game trying to earn the Gator Bowl. We all can name many instances where the Irish did not demonstrate the will to win in the last few years. We are going to get creamed next week and it will be embarrassing for everyone.
4. Make a difference in close games. Charlie is consistently out-coached in close games. See his overtime performance, his close game performance, etc. He makes bad decisions regularly at key junctures in the game. Very bad game coach.
5. Give the team a “schematic advantage”. At least Charlie should have a great playbook. If we do, it seems other teams have figured it out. I cannot prove it, but it feels like the other team knows exactly what play we are calling most of the time. Look at all the no-name coaches taking their teams to major bowls this year without the talent and advantages that ND football has.
6. Develop talent, make the team better. Again, I see very little evidence that Charlie's players get better under his tutelage. As a team, the group has regressed this year. We have NEVER had a game under Charlie since his first USC game, where the team played above its head.
7. Run the program with Integrity and Class. Everything I read says we are okay here. We don't see too many stories about ND players in trouble though of course there are always a few.
8. Represent the University well. Charlie has pissed off a lot of people, particularly in the media. Being a "New Jersey" guy is cute up to a point, but he is also a Notre Dame guy and a Notre Dame graduate. He should enhance the image of the university not diminish it.
Throw that all in the wash and one concludes we need a change. It won't happen this year, but I am of the opinion that we will fall short of expectations again next year and that may be it for Charlie. I would love to be proven wrong.
GO IRISH. BEAT TROJANS. (yeah right!)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
How's This For Confidence?
I'll be doing the TiVo thing again today. We're off to Kott's Berry Farm to meet friends for a day of rollercoasters and unhealthy food.
Hopefully Irish will have no rollercoasters to deal with today. I nice 28-7 win would be good for a change.
Looked like a high of 30 today, but no snow, according to weather.com. Stay warm, Rosie.
Well, off to the coasters. Will write tonite after the replay.
GO IRISH!!! BEAT ORANGE!!!
Hopefully Irish will have no rollercoasters to deal with today. I nice 28-7 win would be good for a change.
Looked like a high of 30 today, but no snow, according to weather.com. Stay warm, Rosie.
Well, off to the coasters. Will write tonite after the replay.
GO IRISH!!! BEAT ORANGE!!!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Squeeze the Orange
Latest line is Irish by 20 tomorrow but I think the cold and snowy surroundings will dampen the scoring a bit so I think we will win by less. So let's say ND 35, Syracuse 20.
We will be bundled up and cheering on the band; our son Tony's last home game so he gets to stand up front and sway during the school songs. The good news is that he gets to step on the turf two more times before hanging up his plaid.
GO IRISH!
We will be bundled up and cheering on the band; our son Tony's last home game so he gets to stand up front and sway during the school songs. The good news is that he gets to step on the turf two more times before hanging up his plaid.
GO IRISH!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
On the road
as in, I'm on the road with Bob and two of the four kids.
Well, SU has a lame-duck coach, so this is his next-to-last game. I like Robinson; he's Syracuse's Gerry Faust. Nice guy, not in the right place.
Anyway, we'll be in section 12 hoping to stay warm. I checked the forecast online and it looks like snow. Since SU plays in a dome, the weather is in ND's favor.
Although it looks like ND can handle this without any trouble, I can think of times when teams looked ahead and got stung by an opponent that was supposed to be a pushover. So our guys still have to execute well, and should use this as a good practice for the USC game coming up.
ND 35 SU 13 is my best guess. I'll be offline until sometime Sunday evening after we get back.
Rosie
Well, SU has a lame-duck coach, so this is his next-to-last game. I like Robinson; he's Syracuse's Gerry Faust. Nice guy, not in the right place.
Anyway, we'll be in section 12 hoping to stay warm. I checked the forecast online and it looks like snow. Since SU plays in a dome, the weather is in ND's favor.
Although it looks like ND can handle this without any trouble, I can think of times when teams looked ahead and got stung by an opponent that was supposed to be a pushover. So our guys still have to execute well, and should use this as a good practice for the USC game coming up.
ND 35 SU 13 is my best guess. I'll be offline until sometime Sunday evening after we get back.
Rosie
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Defense sets the tone (uh, until the end)
A little too exciting at the end there and it took the luster off a fine performance by the ND defense. Really was happy to see the boys shut down the shifty Navy offense. I think they converted only one 3rd down and our boys played assignments terrific.
Yeah Rosie, incredible to lose two onside kick chances there at the end but more frustrating to give up a bomb on first down. Well the bonehead plays and really dumb penalties (diving into the end zone, roughing the kicker, etc.) are indicative of an immature team and the ups and downs we have seen all year. The turnovers were brutal again and could have cost us big time if not for the defense. One head scratcher for me was the 4th down play with the scrubs in at the Navy 45. Why not just punt it away and make them go all the way with about 5 minutes in the game and leading by 3 touchdowns? Instead we turn it over, then get a penalty and next thing they are driving into the end zone which sets up the fireworks at the end.
Lots to like in this game however. Fine running game, a very nice set of plays and drives after halftime, two more field goals for Walker. He is something like 9 out of 10 since his dismal start (guess which one he missed?). Jimmy looked shaky again which is disturbing. But this is the best team we beat this year so we should feel good about it. The stats were way in favor of the Irish and we must have won time of possession which is amazing against Navy. I hope Floyd is okay, we will need him against USC.
I expect a strong performance against Syracuse next week which will set us up for showtime in the Coliseum.
Go Irish, Beat Orangemen!
Yeah Rosie, incredible to lose two onside kick chances there at the end but more frustrating to give up a bomb on first down. Well the bonehead plays and really dumb penalties (diving into the end zone, roughing the kicker, etc.) are indicative of an immature team and the ups and downs we have seen all year. The turnovers were brutal again and could have cost us big time if not for the defense. One head scratcher for me was the 4th down play with the scrubs in at the Navy 45. Why not just punt it away and make them go all the way with about 5 minutes in the game and leading by 3 touchdowns? Instead we turn it over, then get a penalty and next thing they are driving into the end zone which sets up the fireworks at the end.
Lots to like in this game however. Fine running game, a very nice set of plays and drives after halftime, two more field goals for Walker. He is something like 9 out of 10 since his dismal start (guess which one he missed?). Jimmy looked shaky again which is disturbing. But this is the best team we beat this year so we should feel good about it. The stats were way in favor of the Irish and we must have won time of possession which is amazing against Navy. I hope Floyd is okay, we will need him against USC.
I expect a strong performance against Syracuse next week which will set us up for showtime in the Coliseum.
Go Irish, Beat Orangemen!
That was NOT pretty
And I'm glad it's over. What's up with the onside kick deal? Twice we get burned with that. I have to admit, I was so frustrated with ND that I folded wash, ironed clothes and made gingersnaps. Once again, ND football is making me very productive away from the television.
For a while there I thought I was going to be proven wrong on the weather forecast, but boy did it rain! It's been doing that here in Sherburne most of the day, so on top of a tough game to watch, I have dark, wet skies to 'enjoy.'
Well, Syracuse plays UConn Huskies tonight at 7. I get to watch that debacle on ESPNU. The only bright spot I can see is SU is bringing in David Tyree as honorary captain -- these events are how they try to get people to come to games. But that's another thread altogether.
Next week at Notre Dame I think we'll do fine; Syracuse can't beat a decent high school team (well, they DID beat Louisville somehow) so I'll put in an early prediction for ND 42 SU 13.
For a while there I thought I was going to be proven wrong on the weather forecast, but boy did it rain! It's been doing that here in Sherburne most of the day, so on top of a tough game to watch, I have dark, wet skies to 'enjoy.'
Well, Syracuse plays UConn Huskies tonight at 7. I get to watch that debacle on ESPNU. The only bright spot I can see is SU is bringing in David Tyree as honorary captain -- these events are how they try to get people to come to games. But that's another thread altogether.
Next week at Notre Dame I think we'll do fine; Syracuse can't beat a decent high school team (well, they DID beat Louisville somehow) so I'll put in an early prediction for ND 42 SU 13.
The Pollsters have been right
Looking back on the season, the odds makers and pollsters have had the Irish pegged pretty good this year. Keeping us out of the top 25 when we were 4-1 or 5-2 was right and the odds have been spot on most weeks. So I am going with the consensus and saying the Irish win by the spread today. ND 28, Navy 24.
Charlie and the team have been battered in the Chicago papers this week. There is always a feeding frenzy when ND stumbles and there is plenty to hate these days. I think it has been a little too much, but I am a partisan. I can argue both sides of the equation but think 7-5 is still likely and a trip to the Sun Bowl will be a big step in the right direction. The real "show me" year for Charlie will be next year as all the excuses will be gone. And I do think it will be the beginning of string of great years.
But first we have to beat Navy.
GO IRISH!
Charlie and the team have been battered in the Chicago papers this week. There is always a feeding frenzy when ND stumbles and there is plenty to hate these days. I think it has been a little too much, but I am a partisan. I can argue both sides of the equation but think 7-5 is still likely and a trip to the Sun Bowl will be a big step in the right direction. The real "show me" year for Charlie will be next year as all the excuses will be gone. And I do think it will be the beginning of string of great years.
But first we have to beat Navy.
GO IRISH!
Charlie "Embattled"?
According to the South Bend Tribune, he is. Article states, in part the game "has all the feel of a referendum on fourth-year head coach Charlie Weis' job". Very interesting.
Rosie's right; the rain will fall today during the game. And these 9 AM starts are still weird to me, especially after spending last weekend in the right time zone.
So what gives today?
Who the heck knows. I hope the team remembers the bitter taste in their mouths after last year's heartbreaker. I hope they stay in their lanes and don't overpursue a Navy team that has actually won a game this year without throwing a pass. Three QBs have thrown only 60 total passes over 9 games. I hope they get something clicking offesnively against a defense that we'll hear 8000 times today is vastly outsized in height and weight (but not in heart?).
But after last week, can we count on that? I don't know.
This will probably be a high scoring game. Navy averages 29 points per game. They're also ranked 104th in pass defense, so we can play to our strength on offense.
We're 3 1/2 point favorites. In more "normal" times, we'd be 20+ point favorites. That says a lot about this team. If we win, it will be our first against a winning team this year. That says a lot about this team.
Kirk Herbstreit just noted over the last 14 years, we average 7 wins, so why is everyone upset. Seven Wins: The New Normal. Except it's not so new now.
OK, I'm getting depressed now. Time to get my game breakfast.
Irish 31, Navy 24. Yes, I'm predicting a field goal.
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT MIDDIES!!!!
The Colonel
Rosie's right; the rain will fall today during the game. And these 9 AM starts are still weird to me, especially after spending last weekend in the right time zone.
So what gives today?
Who the heck knows. I hope the team remembers the bitter taste in their mouths after last year's heartbreaker. I hope they stay in their lanes and don't overpursue a Navy team that has actually won a game this year without throwing a pass. Three QBs have thrown only 60 total passes over 9 games. I hope they get something clicking offesnively against a defense that we'll hear 8000 times today is vastly outsized in height and weight (but not in heart?).
But after last week, can we count on that? I don't know.
This will probably be a high scoring game. Navy averages 29 points per game. They're also ranked 104th in pass defense, so we can play to our strength on offense.
We're 3 1/2 point favorites. In more "normal" times, we'd be 20+ point favorites. That says a lot about this team. If we win, it will be our first against a winning team this year. That says a lot about this team.
Kirk Herbstreit just noted over the last 14 years, we average 7 wins, so why is everyone upset. Seven Wins: The New Normal. Except it's not so new now.
OK, I'm getting depressed now. Time to get my game breakfast.
Irish 31, Navy 24. Yes, I'm predicting a field goal.
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT MIDDIES!!!!
The Colonel
Rainy day
What's the word, guys? Are we going to have a chance against Navy on a rainy day in the East?
Navy is 6-3 losing to Pitt, Ball State and Towson State (I think). They beat Temple in overtime last week. This is hard to call. What we do know is that Jimmy needs to be a little sharper. He's had some troubles lately. If Charlie is going to have a little more involvement in the offensive calls, let's hope Jimmy can respond to those instructions.
Noon EST on CBS, so Colonel, you have a nice breakfast and settle in for an early game.
We should win this one but I'm not predicting a big score considering the weather and our most recent performance. 17-14 Irish (as always, I'm optimistic!)
Rosie
Navy is 6-3 losing to Pitt, Ball State and Towson State (I think). They beat Temple in overtime last week. This is hard to call. What we do know is that Jimmy needs to be a little sharper. He's had some troubles lately. If Charlie is going to have a little more involvement in the offensive calls, let's hope Jimmy can respond to those instructions.
Noon EST on CBS, so Colonel, you have a nice breakfast and settle in for an early game.
We should win this one but I'm not predicting a big score considering the weather and our most recent performance. 17-14 Irish (as always, I'm optimistic!)
Rosie
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Looked Like Powlus vs USC
(Sorry, had limited net connectivity in NJ. Can you say AOL by dial-up?. Here's what I was writing Sunday morning after the BC game but couldn't get posted.)
Is it Thanksgiving weekend already? Boy that was reminiscent of several trips we've taken to LA during the Davie and Willingham era. Complete lack of anything on offense.
Don put it as well as I can. Can't hate on the defense for only giving up 10 points during game totally played on a short field. Although after BC went up 17-0, they really went totally vanilla on offense. They didn't look like they were trying to score at all after that. Just wanted to eat some clock, avoid mistakes, let the defense take over. And why not? A great strategy the way we were playing.
And here's the frustrating part. When we got the ball early in the 4th quarter down 17, I was still saying to myself, "OK, we can still get in this thing and make it interesting". I really believed that. Silly me. JC really thinks he's invincible; some of his INTs were in to triple coverage. And how was BC getting so much pressure with 3- and 4-man rushes? Horrible. For the third season in a row, our O-line proves to be the Achilles Heel of the team.
And you know what's really scary? How many of you were flipping to the Florida and Texas Tech games during ours? Wow. What a difference in offensive execution. Is chasmic a word? If not, it should be, because that describes the gap between our offense and some of the Big 12 offenses. And Florida's too, by the way.
Oh well, I'm finishing this Saturday morning. Navy game starts in 50 minutes, so I'd better get over it and move on.
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT MIDDIES!!!!
The Colonel
Is it Thanksgiving weekend already? Boy that was reminiscent of several trips we've taken to LA during the Davie and Willingham era. Complete lack of anything on offense.
Don put it as well as I can. Can't hate on the defense for only giving up 10 points during game totally played on a short field. Although after BC went up 17-0, they really went totally vanilla on offense. They didn't look like they were trying to score at all after that. Just wanted to eat some clock, avoid mistakes, let the defense take over. And why not? A great strategy the way we were playing.
And here's the frustrating part. When we got the ball early in the 4th quarter down 17, I was still saying to myself, "OK, we can still get in this thing and make it interesting". I really believed that. Silly me. JC really thinks he's invincible; some of his INTs were in to triple coverage. And how was BC getting so much pressure with 3- and 4-man rushes? Horrible. For the third season in a row, our O-line proves to be the Achilles Heel of the team.
And you know what's really scary? How many of you were flipping to the Florida and Texas Tech games during ours? Wow. What a difference in offensive execution. Is chasmic a word? If not, it should be, because that describes the gap between our offense and some of the Big 12 offenses. And Florida's too, by the way.
Oh well, I'm finishing this Saturday morning. Navy game starts in 50 minutes, so I'd better get over it and move on.
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT MIDDIES!!!!
The Colonel
Pitiful, Horrible, Irrelevant.
Not much to say about the dismal performance last night.
The offense was pitiful. No one stepped up to make a play. We had more yardage and more first downs and still could not score. Pitiful.
The kicking game was horrible. 30-yard average on punts, one blocked, one punt fumbled and it led to a score. Did not even try a field goal.
A good performance by the defense was made irrelevant by the other two facets of the game. They played on the ND side of the 50 all night and only gave up 10 points. But brutal timing on many key penalties and the turnovers absolutely buried the Irish.
Have to give some credit to a strong BC defense for a great scheme that bewildered the Irish. They stuffed the run, confused Jimmy, and swarmed all over the field. But let's face it, this was not a terrific BC team and they were ripe for the taking. We really did not have it yesterday and looked a little too much like the 2007 team.
Enough said. We have to beat Navy next week. Go Irish.
The offense was pitiful. No one stepped up to make a play. We had more yardage and more first downs and still could not score. Pitiful.
The kicking game was horrible. 30-yard average on punts, one blocked, one punt fumbled and it led to a score. Did not even try a field goal.
A good performance by the defense was made irrelevant by the other two facets of the game. They played on the ND side of the 50 all night and only gave up 10 points. But brutal timing on many key penalties and the turnovers absolutely buried the Irish.
Have to give some credit to a strong BC defense for a great scheme that bewildered the Irish. They stuffed the run, confused Jimmy, and swarmed all over the field. But let's face it, this was not a terrific BC team and they were ripe for the taking. We really did not have it yesterday and looked a little too much like the 2007 team.
Enough said. We have to beat Navy next week. Go Irish.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
On the Road Again
Both the Irish and the Wusslers head east this week. While the Irish are in the unfriendly confines of Chestnut Hill, MA, the Wusslers will be safely ensconced in the basement of my parents' house in Scotch Plains, NJ watching our boys take on the BC Eagles.
Safe and warm here; not too confident about the environment 250 miles NE of here. I share Godfather's non-confidence about tonite's soiree. BC picked this weekend to dedicate their Doug Flutie statue, so it's almost like we're BC's Homecoming game. Nice.
Haven't really watched the Eagles this year, although I've been surprised they lost to Clemson, which is having a bad enough season to fire its coach. But they're at home, and they're always up. Maybe BC can come out in green jerseys and jinx themselves. Probably not.
Wish I could predict success in Don's "keys to the games", but i haven't seen that from our team this year, so it's not looking good for the good guys.
Interesting the way the bandies have to choose between Bball and Hockey band. I loved hockey band, and, in fact, played at the last game in the 82-83 season which was the last as a varsity sport for a long time, as i recall. Always a good time. Not so say I didn't also love Varsity Band. I recall students were only able to buy tickets for half the home games, so I would try to sub as much as possible for the games I didn't have tickets for. Didn't miss many in 4 years...
Back to football.
Don, I did a little research (not much). I'm guessing that Charlie's first two games, at Pitt and at Michigan, were "upsets". UCLA last year as well. But you're right about us not beating "better" teams. We don't do it.
And tonite, I'm afraid, will be no different. While I'll predict an Irish field goal in our score, it won't propel us to victory. Not sure how you came up with 25 for BC Don. 2 safeties?? Let's be more traditional. BC 28, ND 17
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT EAGLES!!!!!
The Colonel
Safe and warm here; not too confident about the environment 250 miles NE of here. I share Godfather's non-confidence about tonite's soiree. BC picked this weekend to dedicate their Doug Flutie statue, so it's almost like we're BC's Homecoming game. Nice.
Haven't really watched the Eagles this year, although I've been surprised they lost to Clemson, which is having a bad enough season to fire its coach. But they're at home, and they're always up. Maybe BC can come out in green jerseys and jinx themselves. Probably not.
Wish I could predict success in Don's "keys to the games", but i haven't seen that from our team this year, so it's not looking good for the good guys.
Interesting the way the bandies have to choose between Bball and Hockey band. I loved hockey band, and, in fact, played at the last game in the 82-83 season which was the last as a varsity sport for a long time, as i recall. Always a good time. Not so say I didn't also love Varsity Band. I recall students were only able to buy tickets for half the home games, so I would try to sub as much as possible for the games I didn't have tickets for. Didn't miss many in 4 years...
Back to football.
Don, I did a little research (not much). I'm guessing that Charlie's first two games, at Pitt and at Michigan, were "upsets". UCLA last year as well. But you're right about us not beating "better" teams. We don't do it.
And tonite, I'm afraid, will be no different. While I'll predict an Irish field goal in our score, it won't propel us to victory. Not sure how you came up with 25 for BC Don. 2 safeties?? Let's be more traditional. BC 28, ND 17
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT EAGLES!!!!!
The Colonel
Notre Dame 4, Boston College 1
Anyone guess what my title is about? It was the score of the ND-BC hockey game played last night at BC. The game was on ESPNU here in Chicago, very fun to watch. Big victory for the Irish (#12) against the Eagles (#2). You may know that the teams played in the NCAA national championship game last spring with the Eagles coming out on top by the same score. So a little payback for the Irish and hopefully a sign that this might be our weekend.
I pay a little more attention to the hockey program these days as our kids have both chosen to play in hockey band. The ND Band system these days is a student picks hockey band or basketball bands. The bball bands rotate between the men's and women's games while the hockey band signs up for all the home hockey contests. A person can sub in other bands but no one is on the roster of more than one band. Those of you that remember how we scraped up 30 or so people to play hockey band in the old days would be impressed with the almost 100 that show up these days in the official band hockey jersey uniform.
Well back to football. We could win today but I am not confident that we will for several reasons. First, the vibe is bad. BC is coming off two losses and we are coming off a heartbreaker. Feels like they are more likely to come out fired up unless Charlie figures out a way to get his team going again. The second reason is that BC is a pretty good football team and we have not beaten a pretty good football team this year (or last year). Finally we are on the road again and we do not seem to have that figured out despite the win over Washington.
The second point is worth a few words. Charlie continues to lose when he is the underdog (BC is favored by 3.5). This bugs me; he cannot seem to get the Irish to play as more than the sum of the parts. I think the athletes are there now and we have seen some flashes of brilliance. But coaching has to make the difference in close games and so far it has not for Charlie. Check me on this one Colonel. I think the only time we won as an underdog in the Weis years was against UCLA last year. Not much of a record.
Keys to the game for me:
- Time of possession. Not just total, but consistent time of possession. We have to get 3-4 first downs every time we have the ball so the defense can rest. I think we ran out of steam against UNC and Pitt because the offense kept doing the 3-and-out thing late in the game.
- Special teams. In a close game, kick returns and field goals will be critical. I think Walker turned a big corner last week and hope he is not scarred by that last miss. He could be the x-factor today.
- Killer instinct. If we get ahead, and I think we will, we have to keep the pedal to the metal and score as much as possible. I would like to have a big lead as cushion for the inevitable 2nd half swoon.
Having thrown all that in the pot, I think we are going to fall a little short today. BC is a little better than its record and will play well.
Final score BC 25, ND 17.
GO IRISH!
I pay a little more attention to the hockey program these days as our kids have both chosen to play in hockey band. The ND Band system these days is a student picks hockey band or basketball bands. The bball bands rotate between the men's and women's games while the hockey band signs up for all the home hockey contests. A person can sub in other bands but no one is on the roster of more than one band. Those of you that remember how we scraped up 30 or so people to play hockey band in the old days would be impressed with the almost 100 that show up these days in the official band hockey jersey uniform.
Well back to football. We could win today but I am not confident that we will for several reasons. First, the vibe is bad. BC is coming off two losses and we are coming off a heartbreaker. Feels like they are more likely to come out fired up unless Charlie figures out a way to get his team going again. The second reason is that BC is a pretty good football team and we have not beaten a pretty good football team this year (or last year). Finally we are on the road again and we do not seem to have that figured out despite the win over Washington.
The second point is worth a few words. Charlie continues to lose when he is the underdog (BC is favored by 3.5). This bugs me; he cannot seem to get the Irish to play as more than the sum of the parts. I think the athletes are there now and we have seen some flashes of brilliance. But coaching has to make the difference in close games and so far it has not for Charlie. Check me on this one Colonel. I think the only time we won as an underdog in the Weis years was against UCLA last year. Not much of a record.
Keys to the game for me:
- Time of possession. Not just total, but consistent time of possession. We have to get 3-4 first downs every time we have the ball so the defense can rest. I think we ran out of steam against UNC and Pitt because the offense kept doing the 3-and-out thing late in the game.
- Special teams. In a close game, kick returns and field goals will be critical. I think Walker turned a big corner last week and hope he is not scarred by that last miss. He could be the x-factor today.
- Killer instinct. If we get ahead, and I think we will, we have to keep the pedal to the metal and score as much as possible. I would like to have a big lead as cushion for the inevitable 2nd half swoon.
Having thrown all that in the pot, I think we are going to fall a little short today. BC is a little better than its record and will play well.
Final score BC 25, ND 17.
GO IRISH!
Friday, November 07, 2008
My turn to be out during a game
Believe it or not! We have a wedding tomorrow evening. I hope they have ESPN at the reception, I might be the only one looking for a score in this crowd.
We must win this one. Our road record isn't good, we had a tough loss last week, and it's another battle in the "Holy War". It's the Holy Cross school vs. a Jesuit school, and if you know your history, HC priests aren't exactly fond of those Jesuit eggheads.
While I'm not overly confident, I think we can pull off a squeaker. The weather in Boston is supposed to be rainy and cooler in the evening. I'll say we'll take it 28-24 in 4 quarters only.
Rosie
We must win this one. Our road record isn't good, we had a tough loss last week, and it's another battle in the "Holy War". It's the Holy Cross school vs. a Jesuit school, and if you know your history, HC priests aren't exactly fond of those Jesuit eggheads.
While I'm not overly confident, I think we can pull off a squeaker. The weather in Boston is supposed to be rainy and cooler in the evening. I'll say we'll take it 28-24 in 4 quarters only.
Rosie
ND's Victory March transcends sports
From ESPN...
According to popular lore, it was in a Massachusetts church in 1908 that Michael Shea sat down at a piano to play a unique, yet-unheard song that he and his brother John had written in honor of their alma mater.
It's hard to argue with the fact that "The Notre Dame Victory March" is college football's most recognizable fight song.
The reaction of that first audience at the Second Congressional Church in Holyoke has been lost to history, but a century has passed and college football fans still can't get the tune -- the Shea brothers christened it "The Notre Dame Victory March" -- out of their heads.
The composition was declared "the greatest of all fight songs" in college football's centennial season of 1969, but it might even be more than that. "[The Victory March] is the fourth most well-known song in the country, behind only 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' 'Happy Birthday' and 'White Christmas'," says eminent college football historian Beano Cook.
While there are those in Ann Arbor, Atlanta, College Station and Columbus that will vehemently disagree with any such claims, there is no disputing the song's singular appeal, the fact that the "Notre Dame Victory March" is undoubtedly the most recognizable collegiate fight song.
The proof is that unlike other fight songs, one doesn't just hear the "Victory March" at halftime. Love it or hate it, the song has transcended sports for nearly its entire life, framing Irish conquests from South Bend to Yankee Stadium to Tokyo, as well as being heard everywhere from far-flung battlefields and White House parties to appearing in episodes of "The Family Guy" and "The Simpsons" and the movie "Airplane!" The song has also been covered by a wide variety of artists ranging from Glenn Miller to the Dropkick Murphys.
It's so catchy, so contagious, even Irish opponents have been unable to resist its siren-like lure. Legendary USC coach John McKay found himself humming the "Victory March" while walking off the field at Notre Dame Stadium after his defending national champion Trojans were defeated 23-14 in 1973. "There was nothing else to hum," quipped McKay.
The success of the song surprised Rev. Michael Shea, the 1904 Notre Dame graduate and priest who considered the song he co-wrote (Michael Shea wrote the music, John Shea, the lyrics) "very amateurish." Notre Dame officials might have agreed; the "Victory March" reportedly did not make its campus debut until Easter Sunday 1909, and was not played at an athletic event for another decade. But soon after Notre Dame band director Joseph Casasanta reworked the song into the jaunty, modern version known today, it became the soundtrack to the epic story of the rise of Notre Dame football in the 1920s.
And age hasn't caught up to the Sheas' song -- it's been a busy centennial-birthday year. The "Victory March" celebrated its Massachusetts birth in March when five marching bands, including that of the University of Massachusetts, played a stirring rendition during the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day parade. In May, the Notre Dame band performed the "Victory March" at the Beijing Concert Hall in the midst of a tour of China. And over 500 Notre Dame band alumni from the classes of 1941 through 2007 joined current band members on the field for a special commemoration celebration at the Notre Dame-Stanford game Oct. 4.
One can only imagine what the Shea brothers would have thought about those honors. John Shea became a Massachusetts state senator and lived in Holyoke until his death in 1965. In addition to being a pastor in Ossining, N.Y., Michael Shea would study music in Rome and serve as an organist at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral before his death in August 1940.
The priest who delivered Rev. Shea's eulogy in South Bend, Rev. Henry F. Hammer, could have been speaking of future decades and not just the fall of 1940 when he predicted that soon "Thunderous crowds will gather in great stadia throughout the nation to attend the intercollegiate football contests. Bands will play and pennants wave and through the radio will come the triumphant strains of a long familiar tune. You will pause and listen and say, 'It is the Victory March…"
Unlike those in attendance at tomorrow night's Notre Dame-Boston College game, those exiting Holyoke's Second Congregational Church that day in 1908 certainly did not recognize the tune, nor did they in all likelihood understand the significance of what they had just heard.
Yet, chances are, they were humming.
John D. Lukacs is the consultant to College GameDay.
According to popular lore, it was in a Massachusetts church in 1908 that Michael Shea sat down at a piano to play a unique, yet-unheard song that he and his brother John had written in honor of their alma mater.
It's hard to argue with the fact that "The Notre Dame Victory March" is college football's most recognizable fight song.
The reaction of that first audience at the Second Congressional Church in Holyoke has been lost to history, but a century has passed and college football fans still can't get the tune -- the Shea brothers christened it "The Notre Dame Victory March" -- out of their heads.
The composition was declared "the greatest of all fight songs" in college football's centennial season of 1969, but it might even be more than that. "[The Victory March] is the fourth most well-known song in the country, behind only 'The Star-Spangled Banner,' 'Happy Birthday' and 'White Christmas'," says eminent college football historian Beano Cook.
While there are those in Ann Arbor, Atlanta, College Station and Columbus that will vehemently disagree with any such claims, there is no disputing the song's singular appeal, the fact that the "Notre Dame Victory March" is undoubtedly the most recognizable collegiate fight song.
The proof is that unlike other fight songs, one doesn't just hear the "Victory March" at halftime. Love it or hate it, the song has transcended sports for nearly its entire life, framing Irish conquests from South Bend to Yankee Stadium to Tokyo, as well as being heard everywhere from far-flung battlefields and White House parties to appearing in episodes of "The Family Guy" and "The Simpsons" and the movie "Airplane!" The song has also been covered by a wide variety of artists ranging from Glenn Miller to the Dropkick Murphys.
It's so catchy, so contagious, even Irish opponents have been unable to resist its siren-like lure. Legendary USC coach John McKay found himself humming the "Victory March" while walking off the field at Notre Dame Stadium after his defending national champion Trojans were defeated 23-14 in 1973. "There was nothing else to hum," quipped McKay.
The success of the song surprised Rev. Michael Shea, the 1904 Notre Dame graduate and priest who considered the song he co-wrote (Michael Shea wrote the music, John Shea, the lyrics) "very amateurish." Notre Dame officials might have agreed; the "Victory March" reportedly did not make its campus debut until Easter Sunday 1909, and was not played at an athletic event for another decade. But soon after Notre Dame band director Joseph Casasanta reworked the song into the jaunty, modern version known today, it became the soundtrack to the epic story of the rise of Notre Dame football in the 1920s.
And age hasn't caught up to the Sheas' song -- it's been a busy centennial-birthday year. The "Victory March" celebrated its Massachusetts birth in March when five marching bands, including that of the University of Massachusetts, played a stirring rendition during the Holyoke St. Patrick's Day parade. In May, the Notre Dame band performed the "Victory March" at the Beijing Concert Hall in the midst of a tour of China. And over 500 Notre Dame band alumni from the classes of 1941 through 2007 joined current band members on the field for a special commemoration celebration at the Notre Dame-Stanford game Oct. 4.
One can only imagine what the Shea brothers would have thought about those honors. John Shea became a Massachusetts state senator and lived in Holyoke until his death in 1965. In addition to being a pastor in Ossining, N.Y., Michael Shea would study music in Rome and serve as an organist at New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral before his death in August 1940.
The priest who delivered Rev. Shea's eulogy in South Bend, Rev. Henry F. Hammer, could have been speaking of future decades and not just the fall of 1940 when he predicted that soon "Thunderous crowds will gather in great stadia throughout the nation to attend the intercollegiate football contests. Bands will play and pennants wave and through the radio will come the triumphant strains of a long familiar tune. You will pause and listen and say, 'It is the Victory March…"
Unlike those in attendance at tomorrow night's Notre Dame-Boston College game, those exiting Holyoke's Second Congregational Church that day in 1908 certainly did not recognize the tune, nor did they in all likelihood understand the significance of what they had just heard.
Yet, chances are, they were humming.
John D. Lukacs is the consultant to College GameDay.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Have a Good Laugh on Me
I wasn’t going to bore you with the travails of my Saturday, but I’m not ready to write about the game yet. Blame it on the Irish.
So, I told Jill, “no problem, buy the High School Musical 3 tickets for the 3:50 show. The game will be long over.” As Godfather has already noted, I obviously haven’t learned how long our games are. Especially when they go 4 OTs.
Did I mention my Blackberry’s internet access wasn’t working? Not good. I’ve become an expert at following games from espn.com. Watched Michigan from the golf course. Watched Red Sox games from a theater. But no, that would not be my fate this day.
We parked on the roof of the mall parking garage so that I could listen to as much of the game as possible. We left the car for the theater after the third OT, tied at 33. To say I was not a happy camper would be a bit of an understatement. I was getting ready to go radio silent for two hours.
But wait; it gets better.
After a rousing viewing of HSM3 (2 stars but the girls really liked it), I checked my Blackberry for email. Lo and behold, there was on from a Lieutenant Colonel who’s a fellow Domer in my office who was sending an update to a bunch of people on his satellite that was just coming out of a major test. He said something like “we finished testing successfully and the Irish won in OT so it’s a good day”.
Can you see where this is leading?
I’m happy; we play some video games in the theater and head home. And we listened to Radio Disney on the way home because I had the game taped so I didn’t want to spoil how we pulled out the victory.
We got home, got everyone settled and I sat down to watch the thrilling, edge-of-your-seats, at least 4 OT victory.
We didn’t score in the 4th OT. So I’m wondering “how do we stop them and how many OTs do I get to watch?” I couldn’t wait to watch the unsuccessful Pitt field goal attempt.
A funny thing happened along the way to the 5th overtime.
No bad snap. No botched hold. No block.. No wide right. No wide left. No upright or crossbar doinks.
Um, what just happened here, other than my heart being slightly ripped out?
In some ways, though, it could be worse.
I haven’t called my brother Randy the Penn State grad yet tonite. Texas Tech just leap frogged over them in the BCS standings. Jo Pa could conceivably have his 5th undefeated season with no chance at the national championship. Not likely, but still could happen.
I’ll talk about the game later in the week. I’m depressed again all over. Even after my G-Men trounced the Cowboys.
It’s a “better” depressed than last year. But it is depressing.
Here’s a prediction for how my next post will start:
We should be 7-1.
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT THOSE %$#&ING EAGLES!!!
The Colonel
So, I told Jill, “no problem, buy the High School Musical 3 tickets for the 3:50 show. The game will be long over.” As Godfather has already noted, I obviously haven’t learned how long our games are. Especially when they go 4 OTs.
Did I mention my Blackberry’s internet access wasn’t working? Not good. I’ve become an expert at following games from espn.com. Watched Michigan from the golf course. Watched Red Sox games from a theater. But no, that would not be my fate this day.
We parked on the roof of the mall parking garage so that I could listen to as much of the game as possible. We left the car for the theater after the third OT, tied at 33. To say I was not a happy camper would be a bit of an understatement. I was getting ready to go radio silent for two hours.
But wait; it gets better.
After a rousing viewing of HSM3 (2 stars but the girls really liked it), I checked my Blackberry for email. Lo and behold, there was on from a Lieutenant Colonel who’s a fellow Domer in my office who was sending an update to a bunch of people on his satellite that was just coming out of a major test. He said something like “we finished testing successfully and the Irish won in OT so it’s a good day”.
Can you see where this is leading?
I’m happy; we play some video games in the theater and head home. And we listened to Radio Disney on the way home because I had the game taped so I didn’t want to spoil how we pulled out the victory.
We got home, got everyone settled and I sat down to watch the thrilling, edge-of-your-seats, at least 4 OT victory.
We didn’t score in the 4th OT. So I’m wondering “how do we stop them and how many OTs do I get to watch?” I couldn’t wait to watch the unsuccessful Pitt field goal attempt.
A funny thing happened along the way to the 5th overtime.
No bad snap. No botched hold. No block.. No wide right. No wide left. No upright or crossbar doinks.
Um, what just happened here, other than my heart being slightly ripped out?
In some ways, though, it could be worse.
I haven’t called my brother Randy the Penn State grad yet tonite. Texas Tech just leap frogged over them in the BCS standings. Jo Pa could conceivably have his 5th undefeated season with no chance at the national championship. Not likely, but still could happen.
I’ll talk about the game later in the week. I’m depressed again all over. Even after my G-Men trounced the Cowboys.
It’s a “better” depressed than last year. But it is depressing.
Here’s a prediction for how my next post will start:
We should be 7-1.
GO IRISH!!!! BEAT THOSE %$#&ING EAGLES!!!
The Colonel
Making History
There is so much I want to write about yesterday's game but most of it is not good so I will try to keep it to a reasonable length.
First note: we made history yesterday with the longest OT game ever at ND Stadium (Charlie is now 0-3 in them); we also were part of the "sprinkler incident" which could have really been fun if either the OT had started at that end OR the band had been on the field for post-game. That would have been something.
Second note: The game was like the whole season crammed into one day (one LONG day) with a little bit of everything to see. One series we looked like world beaters and marched down the field; the next series we looked like boobs. We missed a field goal that really meant something (inevitable) and ended up +3 in turnovers with 3 interceptions. We ran bad, we ran good, we passed great, we threw it up for grabs.
In the end we lost to a decent team in an exciting game and it is important to remember we are 4-1 at home (soon to be 5-1) but this was a tough one to lose. So a brief ND report card:
Coaching = D. Charlie got outcoached when it mattered in the 4th quarter and the OT. And what was he thinking by going for it on 4th down at the end of regulation (after TWO time outs!)? And I have to say I was wrong about our ability to adjust (as pointed out by the Colonel previously). We did not adjust in the 2nd half and Pitt did. Have to blame coaching a little bit for not scoring a TD in 4 tries during OT. Seemed like PITT knew when we were going to run and when we were going to pass better than we did.
Offensive Line = D. Once again we could not sustain a running game and for a good portion of the game Jimmy was running for his life in the backfield. We had 115 yards on the ground but less than 3 yards per carry with MANY zero or negative plays.
QB play = B. Jimmy's brain has to start working at the same speed as his arm. He made some very bad choices and should have been intercepted a couple times. Of course there were some great throws along the way and 271 yards but Jimmy was not sharp and very inconsistent with only 23 completions in 44 throws. He could have won the game with a wide open TD shot in the OT. He seems to be so obsessed with avoiding the sack that he throws it up for grabs too often.
Defense = C. Good job stopping the run in the first half but in the end McCoy had 169 yards and we looked gassed in the second half. We seemed confused on those direct snap/triple option plays and could not adjust. Nice job in the OT in holding Pitt to field goals, that should have been enough to get us a win. Nice stop after the punt block.
Special Teams = C. Kicking game was horrible on punts with a block and a shank. We cannot kick it inside the 10 on kickoffs either. Actually Walker was a star yesterday on field goals. I felt great for him when he made that 48 yarder on 3rd OT. And while we should not have needed him to kick 4 in OT, in the end he could not do it and we lost.
Receivers = A. Floyd and Tate are superstars. These guys are going to score a lot.
So where are we now? Maybe this loss will charge us up for BC next week. I would happily trade a loss to Pitt for a win against the Eagles. We shall see. It always hurts a lot to lose such a close game and it turns out my initial gut feel was right about this one, it was the ultimate pick 'em with 4 OTs. The hurt will pass and I still feel we have good things ahead hopefully with an upset next week.
Go Irish, Beat Eagles!
Saturday, November 01, 2008
So I spoke too soon
And I wish I hadn't. You should have seen me pacing around during the OT sessions. It was nearly unbearable.
However, our kicker got some great experience today and proved you guys wrong until the very end there. He wouldn't have had to kick if JC had been a little more accurate in the end zone!
Oh, well. Now we have to go to BC. I don't like that idea, with our road record and coming off this tough loss. I'll reserve my call until closer to game time, just to see how things pan out this week.
Certainly were some "SportCenter" moments in our game, weren't there?
Rosie
P.S. Yes, you can say it. My post is like wearing a green jersey. Won't do it again!
However, our kicker got some great experience today and proved you guys wrong until the very end there. He wouldn't have had to kick if JC had been a little more accurate in the end zone!
Oh, well. Now we have to go to BC. I don't like that idea, with our road record and coming off this tough loss. I'll reserve my call until closer to game time, just to see how things pan out this week.
Certainly were some "SportCenter" moments in our game, weren't there?
Rosie
P.S. Yes, you can say it. My post is like wearing a green jersey. Won't do it again!
Better to be lucky than good
And it seems like today, we're covered on both accounts.
Pitt has a good defense, but it seems like their QB is having problems. Twice now we've gotten interceptions, and I hope we'll capitalize on the latest one.
FG kicking might be seeing a turnaround here. Let's hope so! It was a good way to start the game.
Rosie
Pitt has a good defense, but it seems like their QB is having problems. Twice now we've gotten interceptions, and I hope we'll capitalize on the latest one.
FG kicking might be seeing a turnaround here. Let's hope so! It was a good way to start the game.
Rosie
Bring on the Panthers
Our bit of a strange season carries on. Why strange? Blame it on our opponents, I guess. Michicgan is terrible; Pitt has lost to Rutgers and Bowling Green. BC is a bit sub-par as well. It’s been hard to gauge how good our team is because this has turned in to one of our weakest schedules in recent memory. Michigan State looks fantastic against us then lays a Michigan vs ND-like egg against Ohio State. Hope the Spartans win out so it will look more like a “quality” loss. But I doubt they’ll win at Penn State in three weeks. So in theory, if we win out, we’d have less losses than them going into the Southern Cal game.
And the pollsters have had similar reaction to our season. Blame this one on last season. You’d think that 5-2 would be good enough to crack the Top 25. But alas, we’re 30th in the coaches poll and still 34th in the writer’s poll. Granted, there are no three-loss teams in either Top 25, so hard to argue who shouldn’t be in, but still, it feels a little weird. We started so far down on people’s “depth charts’ due to 3-9; it’s like we started the season 0-2 in people’s minds. Oh well. My guess is if we go 10-2, we’ll manage to make the Top 25. And we’d probably crack the Top 10 if we were to beat SC, but not before that. 9-2 won’t do it based on our next 4 opponents.
So here come the Panthers. As the Godfather has pointed out, their starting QB may or may not play. But their backup, who’s a sophomore, started 8 games last season, so it’s not like we’ll get fresh meat. They also lost their starting center for the year last week, so that could cause some issues on an O-line that apparently is having some problems already. That bodes well for us.
Once again, hate to lay it all on a sophomore for us, but if JC is on, we win. We’ve obviously demonstrated that this season we will live and die with the passing game. If that is on early, that can open things for the running game later. But we are a “pass to run” team this year. So be it.
I think the defense is playing pretty well overall, although again, with the level of opponent, it’s hard to tell sometimes. Pitt has averaged almost 30 points per game, but we’re giving up less than 20 per game, so this should be a good measuring stick for our defense.
I’m feeling a bit more confident than Don. Sunny, high of 60 today. The fans are going to be juiced (even though the alumni band won’t be there this week). The team is confident. They know this is one of their good tests and a springboard to bigger things, as Don points out.
So, here goes: ND 35, Pitt 21. (No field goals yet; maybe next week)
GO IRISH!!! BEAT PANTHERS!!!
And the pollsters have had similar reaction to our season. Blame this one on last season. You’d think that 5-2 would be good enough to crack the Top 25. But alas, we’re 30th in the coaches poll and still 34th in the writer’s poll. Granted, there are no three-loss teams in either Top 25, so hard to argue who shouldn’t be in, but still, it feels a little weird. We started so far down on people’s “depth charts’ due to 3-9; it’s like we started the season 0-2 in people’s minds. Oh well. My guess is if we go 10-2, we’ll manage to make the Top 25. And we’d probably crack the Top 10 if we were to beat SC, but not before that. 9-2 won’t do it based on our next 4 opponents.
So here come the Panthers. As the Godfather has pointed out, their starting QB may or may not play. But their backup, who’s a sophomore, started 8 games last season, so it’s not like we’ll get fresh meat. They also lost their starting center for the year last week, so that could cause some issues on an O-line that apparently is having some problems already. That bodes well for us.
Once again, hate to lay it all on a sophomore for us, but if JC is on, we win. We’ve obviously demonstrated that this season we will live and die with the passing game. If that is on early, that can open things for the running game later. But we are a “pass to run” team this year. So be it.
I think the defense is playing pretty well overall, although again, with the level of opponent, it’s hard to tell sometimes. Pitt has averaged almost 30 points per game, but we’re giving up less than 20 per game, so this should be a good measuring stick for our defense.
I’m feeling a bit more confident than Don. Sunny, high of 60 today. The fans are going to be juiced (even though the alumni band won’t be there this week). The team is confident. They know this is one of their good tests and a springboard to bigger things, as Don points out.
So, here goes: ND 35, Pitt 21. (No field goals yet; maybe next week)
GO IRISH!!! BEAT PANTHERS!!!
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