You stay classy, West Lafayette

One thing that I love about Notre Dame is the fact that everyone either likes them and pulls for them week in and week out, or absolutely hates the school with a passion and tunes in week after week hoping to see the Irish lose. I love how every week, no matter if the opponent is USC or Arizona State, everyone thinks that they're Notre Dame's biggest rival. The exception here I believe is the three military schools, especially Navy since they are the only one on the schedule each year.

Purdue fans are as bad as any at this. Don't believe me? Scroll down a little bit. The classless people of Northwest Indiana who are truly supposed to be rivals with Indiana University think it is their place to bad mouth everything that is Notre Dame. Who knows what Purdue has done throughout history to earn this, but apparantely (according to one shmuck at least) Notre Dame is God's way of telling the world he hates us all, enjoy, it was pulled from a PU message board.

I really, really hate Notre Dame

I hate the campus. It's not that pretty. The roads are pavement. The buildings are brick. Last I heard the candles in the grotto were made of wax. The way they talk about it, I expected rivers of chocolate, trees made of cinnamon sticks growing candied apples picked by singing Tahitian dwarves enslaved by a tall guy with good teeth and a tall hat.

I hate the students. All 4,000 of them show up to the game in the same stupid green t-shirt that bears the photos of the Four Horsemen and says "RETURN TO THAT TIME BEFORE I WAS ALIVE WHEN WINNING EIGHT GAMES WAS CAUSE FOR MASS CONSUMPTION OF INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH DRAIN CLEANER" or some crap like that. I hate the fact that the girls yell "Go Irish!" in such an ear-piercing tones it makes me wish my ears were equipped with a high-pitch band reject filter. I hate the fact that 75% of them couldn't name the starting five on the men's basketball team, but they can tell you the helmet size of their true freshman backup gunner on the scout team's punt coverage unit.

I hate their fans. I hate when they say "I'm from Bangladesh, so I like Notre Dame" or "My dog's previous owner was Catholic, so I like Notre Dame". I hate the fact that they haven't won a national championship since before most of them were catheterized, yet they continue to bring it up even after you just waxed them 41-16 on their home field. I hate the fact that they cried during Rudy. There are stories occurring every day at deaf high schools around the country better than Rudy, yet we have to watch a long-winded movie about a Bangledeshi midget with the foot speed of a heavily sedated three-legged yak whose dog's previous owner was Catholic and so he grew up wearing a Notre Dame letter jacket, talked to an old bald guy and had his dorky friends chant his name so he could get playing time against the Angry Lepers of Southwestern Nebraska School of Appendectomy Surgery and Haiku Poetry.

I hate their stadium. It's nothing special. It seats 80,000. It didn't wake up any echoes when I walked in. Wrigley Field gives me goose bumps. Notre Dame Stadium gives me sneezing fits. I hate the bloody leprechaun that prances the sidelines like a Penn State flag boy wearing capri pants. I want to back over him with the Special. I'd like to beat his head against the World's Largest Drum. I hate the tailgating scene at ND. I've seen shorter lines for Port-A-Lets at Kid Rock concerts. I've seen better spreads tailgating at IU and Northwestern.

I hate NBC. I hate Sunday Night Football on NBC. I hate John Madden for being on NBC. I hate 2:30 kickoffs. Play at noon or 3:30 like everyone else. I hate the fact that my cable company doesn't even carry NBCHD.

I hate Charlie Weis. He's arrogant and overrated. I'm sorry, but when your team lays an egg at home against the first truly good team they play, you're not Yoda. When Michigan State is pasting you before John L. Smith pulls a John L. Smith and hands you the game, you're not even Jabba. Jabba had Carrie Fisher in a bikini and chains. Weis couldn't get Rosie O'Donnell in spandex. I hate how those window-licking morons in South Bend anointed him after one good season and completely forgot the fact that Ty started out pretty hot too. I hate the fact that his profile from his forehead to his gut is a straight line. I hate the fact that he's taller lying down than he is standing up. I hate the fact that his offensive line rolls him out of the tunnel and onto the sideline like that fat kid from Hook.

I hate Lou Holtz, the commentator, and how even though he coached at other schools afterward, he still jocks ND. I hate Lou Holtz, the coach, for going into Purdue's locker room after pummeling us in the 80's and telling Lani Paleli that if he wanted to come to Notre Dame, he would still take him (even though he played for Purdue). I hate Lou Holtz, the old wrinkly author and his "motivational speeches". I hate that he seems drunker than Harry Caray (rest his soul!) at 9pm during a day-night double-header when he's stone cold sober.

I hate all the talk about their schedule. They wouldn't be that great in the Big 10 and they know it. They would be like Penn State: just another good team. They would struggle to play their Big 10 teams, USC and still squeeze in all the service academies and retirement center rec squads they manage to eke on to their schedule so they can be bowl-eligible every year. I hate the fact that even though their schedule is no harder than any SEC, ACC or Big 10 team plays year in year out, we have to hear about how hard it is to play Michigan, Purdue, Michigan State and USC EVERY STINKING YEAR!!!!!!!!! Never mind MOST Big 10 teams play Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Wisconsin, and Iowa week in, week out, without benefit of scheduling them as they see fit.

I hate the fact that after several seasons, DaveK continues to sucker people with his Notre Dame comments. I hate the fact that people get all in a twist about every mention of Jeff Al-Zarqawihoushmanzadehokoyepolamaluzibikowski's name on our board.

I really, really hate Notre Dame, but that's just me.

Did someone say "bitter" or "jealous" or is that just me thinking out loud?

Purdue Pete

Purude Pete doesn't have nipples.
Why does this bother me so much?

Joe Tiller

Is it just me or does Joe Tiller look like he could very well be "That Guy" at a wedding? He looks like the grandpa that you hear stories of about making remarks that old people aren't supposed to make. It's neat to see how his hair has gotten grayer and his skin seems to have gotten spotier of the seasons.

Purdue Defensively

That other school in northern Indiana comes to South Bend this week as Brady Quinn looks to improve on the three touchdowns and 440 yards he threw for last year against the Boilermakers. This week I expect the Irish to come out and finally play four quarters of solid football again. Purdue doesn't have a terribly great defense, in fact one of the worst in the nation as they have given up over 420 yards a game so far this season. The offenses that have done this to the Boilermakers aren't exactly juggernauts either. The likes of Indiana State, Ball State, and Miami of Ohio have all managed to put up more than 30 points on the Boilers this season.

Click here to buy shirt

Low and Behold?!?!

The State College of New Jersey is ranked in the top 25 in football this week for the first time since 1976. That's right, the 4-0 Scarlet Knights of The State College of New Jersey (I refuse to acknowledge the official name of this school because it was until I was a sophomore or so in high school that I realized it was a state school, not a near ivy league institution).

Congragulations New Jersey, live it up. Go beat up on North Carolina, Illinois, Ohio, and Howard. With Navy, Pitt, Louisville, and West Virginia still left on the schedule the Scarlet Knights will be lucky to escape the regular season with less than three losses. Enjoy it Jers, Greg Schiano will be out of your state like Chris Simms' spleen as soon as he gets an offer.

Turning Point?

Is the fourth quarter last night going to be what we look at as the turnaround point at the end of the season? We will be favored in the next seven games and justiably so. Last night could have been a total catastrophy. 3-1 right now is a hell of a lot better feeling than 2-2 would be.

It appeared to me that some of the upperclassmen really took on their leadership roles late in the third quarter. You saw players like Chinedum Enduke going for the strip on runs, something you did not see the entire first half. Also Brady Quinn and Jeff Samardzija. Both seemed very out of it in the first half when things didn't go their way. On the second scoring drive of the first half things seemed to kind start to take a look on offense.

Whatever the case, I honestly feel that last night was a season saver. The team showed what they are capable of and what they should be doing week in and week out. Now they just have to go out and do it on a consistent basis which I feel shouldn't be an issue any longer.

A Tale of Two Teams

It was the worst of times, then the best of times.

That pretty much sums up Saturday night for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Early Saturday night it looked as if Notre Dame was on pace to give up 60 points to the upstart Spartans and be embarrassed for the second week in a row. Michigan State jumped out to an early 17-0 lead in the first quarter and all things pointed to being routed for the second week in a row.

That's when Brady Quinn found Rhema McKnight in the end zone for the first time in the evening. The defense holds MSU from scoring and momentum is all of a sudden on the Irish's side, right? Not so fast.

Darius Walker fails to turn around on a pass intended for him in the flat and the ball is brought back to the house, 24-7 Spartans. The scoring wasn't over yet for the half, though. Both teams found the end zone once more a peice, the Irish on a 17 yard pass from Quinn to Samardzija and MSU via Drew Stanton finding Kerry Reed open for a 15 yard score. 31-14 at the half and not looking good.

However, something happened at halftime. Brady Quinn claims "they went and got that other quarterback" during the break. The Irish D starts off with a stand and Quinn found John Carlson for a 60 yard touchdown pass and all of a sudden the Irish are back in it. However the defense failed yet again, allowing MSU to march down field and score at ease, extra point was missed though. 37-21. It stayed that way until 8 minutes left in the 4th.

Shark byten were the Spartans by Jeff Samardzija, who finished with two scores and 113 yards. His second score coming with 8:18 to go in the ballgame, making the score 37-27 after a failed two point try.

Wake up the echoes.

The defense showed signs once again of what they looked like the first two games of this season. Chinedum Indukwe ripped the ball out of Drew Staton's hands giving the Irish the ball in great field position. Two plays later it was Brady Quinn finding Rhema McKnight for the second time in the endzone, on a ball placed perfectly over McKnight's outside shoulder. 37-33 after another missed extra point.

Terrail Lambert then made maybe the play of the year so far by picking off a Drew Staton pass and running it back for six points and an Irish lead. Lambert would pick off a pass on the final drive for Michigan State to seal the 4-37 comeback victory for the 12th ranked Irish.

Comeback City

Were you one that had given up on the Irish last night and were ready to call this season a complete failure?



Do me a favor and listen to Bon Jovi. He knows what the hell he's talking about.


Game recap coming soon

AHHH!!!

It's early on this Saturday morning, just got done watching gameday and have made an observation today that I can't stop thinking about...

Does the Wisconsin band not properly know how to write a "W" ???

1st Quarter Recap

So most teams have played 3 games so far and for the most part, most teams will end their pre conference seasons this weekend. After the first three weeks, heres a quick breakdown from me.

Ohio State and Auburn are the two best teams in college football currently. A few other teams have shown that they are very good as well, but I really feel that these two will be playing in the national championship. West Virginia, Michigan, Florida, USC, and Louisville have all looked tough as well.

Right now I will begin what will become a weekly happening on "What Thou the Odds," I will predict the BCS bowls each week. Not by just the top rated teams at the time, but by predicting how the season will finish and who will be slotted where.

Orange Bowl:
Notre Dame vs. Virginia Tech

Sugar Bowl:
Louisville vs. LSU

Rose Bowl:
Michigan vs. USC

Fiesta Bowl:
Texas vs. West Virginia

National Title:
Ohio State vs. Auburn

Suprises? Perhaps, but I do feel that Notre Dame will run the table the rest of the season. I also feel that Louisville will win the Big East, but West Virginia will escape the season with just one loss keeping them very much in the hunt for a BCS berth. I also feel that Louisville will run the table and be held out of the title game.

Heisman Watch:
Right now it is really tough to say about who will win the Heisman. Not all teams have played a tough opponent yet so many players stats have been padded. Here is how my top 4 ballot would go as of today if I had one.

4. Garrett Wolfe
3. Kenny Irons
2. Troy Smith
1. Steve Slaton

Week 4 previews will be coming shortly.

"Even the best fall down sometimes"

Notre Dame/Michigan Breakdown

MICHIGAN KICKS NOTRE DAME'S ASS

Michigan handed the Irish the worst beating I have seen since...well, see above photo.

Offensively:

Play calling seemed to be okay to me. Kind of makes me wonder why ND didn't try running a hurry up offense a little sooner though. Last year they marched downfield on Michigan on the first drive of the game, going no huddle and 4 or 5 wide each down. I thought after it worked on the final possesion of the first half, we should have come out with it first drive of the 3rd quarter.

The play of the offense was herrendous. Not a word describes it any better, if it wasn't one thing it was another. Starting with the quarterback, Brady Quinn was flat off today. He had several open recievers that he just missed. Offensive line was hit or miss all day, Brady either had all day to throw or no time. It seemed like there was no in-between. I didnt think the running game was miserable. Did Mike Hart outrun DWalk? Yes. I thought that the running for the most part was the brightest spot for Notre Dame this weekend on offense.

Defensive Breakdown:

Do Notre Dame cornerbacks know how to jam a reciever? Does the Notre Dame coaching staff ever consider jamming a reciever? I thought that was a major reason in why we got killed in the airways. No corner that was in would get a jam the entire afternoon. At this point I don't care if the underclassmen aren't as good as Wooden, Richardson, and Lambert, there is no possible way that they could do any worse of a job. For Christ sake, we made Mario Manningham look like Jerry Rice.

Defensive line couldn't get a consistent pass rush today and were blown off the ball for the most part against the run. Linebackers also didn't exactly do a stellar job of slowing down Hart either.

I don't know. What else is there to say? National title hopes are gone, Brady's Heisman is going to be sitting next to Ron Powulus'. As bad as the game was, it really came down to three plays. Three that we just shot ourselves in the foot on...

1) Brady's interception return for a touchdown, 1st drive of the game.

If Carlson brings this pass in its a first down and we're moving. Instead, its 7 points the other way, game changes big time.

2) Brady's incomplete pass to Walker, first quarter

On a third down Walker was wide open on a swing pass. If Brady gets him the ball on that play its a first down and we're in position to put more points on the board. Instead we have to punt the ball away.

3) Fumble on kickoff return.

Give Michigan the ball in great field position while already trailing. Kind of explains itself, defense was unable to make the stop.

Don't get me wrong, Michigan out played Notre Dame and deserved to win without a doubt. However if the Irish would have made any of these three plays, it would have been an entirely different game.

Separation Saturday

This Saturday is far and away the biggest weekend of the young season...so far anyway. Seven games are between ranked opponents Saturday which is the most on one weekend since 1995. So I'm going to get out of my 'norm a little bit here and instead of previewing and predicting three games, I will preview and predict all seven of these matchups.

#17 Miami (FL) at #12 Louisville 2:30 - ABC

Louisville has been on the verge of turning into a national powerhouse the last few seasons. They lack a win against a big time opponent is their only problem and here is their chance to overcome that. Miami brings in one of the top defenses in the nation while the Cardinals pride themselves on putting points on the board. The Cardinals haven't had a real test this year, beating up on the likes of Kentucky and Temple. Miami fell to Florida State the first weekend of the season after leading most of the game. Without Michael Bush it will be difficult for Louisville to get a ground game going. I expect the 'Canes defense to stand tall in this one, and put just enough points on the board to sneak by.

Miami 24 Louisville 21

Oklahoma at Oregon 3:30 - ABC

Oklahoma looked awful at times against Washington last weekend. Ask the likes of highly rated Wisconsin and Michigan teams what its like to open on the road against Oregon. Not usually good news for teams from the midwest. I don't know a whole lot about the Ducks this year, besides the fact that their uniforms somehow managed to get even uglier this offseason. With that said though I like Oregon to pull out a nail-bitter in Autzen.

Oregon 27 Oklahoma 23

#24 Texas Tech at #20 TCU

TCU currently holds the longest winning streak in D-1 college football. They host in-state rival Texas Tech this weekend. The Horned Frogs are looking to make a BCS bowl this year, but they have to get by the Red Raiders if they want to do that. TCU's pass defense has been suspect at times this season, something they can't afford to have against TTech.

Texas Tech 34 TCU 28

#19 Nebraska at #4 USC 7:00 ABC

Nebraska wants to make their return to the top official by knocking off the Trojans on Saturday night in LA. Cornerback Andre Jones for the Huskers all but guaranteed victory this Saturday for his team. Good look with that, buddy. Nebraska travels to a place where victories are hard to come by. USC will probably play down to Nebraska's level for most of the game but Booty-call and the Trojans will walk out on top, proving the Huskers are still (at least) another year away.

USC 38 Nebraska 21

#7 Florida at #13 Tennessee - 7:00 CBS

The lower ranked team seems to own this series as of lately, winning four out of the last five and six of the last eight. Tennessee has shown promise this season and looks like they could be a threat in the SEC East. This game will most likely determine who represents the east in the SEC title game. Florida has blown out two insuperior foes this year while the Vols blew a highly touted Cal team out of the water in week one, and nearly fell victims to Air Force last week. Erik Ainge out duels Chris Leak and the Vols win at home in this one...

Tennessee 21 Florida 13

#6 LSU at #3 Auburn 2:30 - CBS

The game of missed kicks the last few years as missed field goals or extra points have come back to bite the losing team in the ass each of the last two seasons. As the other big SEC game tonight will determine the East, this will determine who represents the West. Kenny Irons is too much of a grinding back and will emerge as a Heisman candidate after a huge day.

Auburn 24 LSU 14

#11 Michigan at #2 Notre Dame 2:30 - NBC

Michigan hasn't won its road opener since 1999. The Wolverines haven't won with Touchdown Jesus watching over them since 1994. Also though, the Irish haven't been favored in this matchup since 1994. Can Notre Dame's defense slow down Mike Hart and Kevin Grady? Can the Notre Dame offense put up enough points to win? Last week the two teams finished with the same final score of 41-17 over their opponents. Notre Dame did it to Penn State, Michigan did it to Central Michigan. Notre Dame avoids a derailment against a formidable foe and wins this one in South Bend with Rhema McKnight having a huge day. It's just too bad Bo isn't around to make sure they "Kick it to Rocket" again. Charlie Weis outcoaches Lloyd "They'll never expect this reverse" Carr and the Irish remain unbeaten.

Notre Dame 34 Michigan 17

There's my picks. So far on the young season I'm 4-2, which is not good enough, but percentage will improve this weekend. Speaking of not being good enough, those towels that were handed out last week at the Notre Dame/Penn State game are going through the roof on Ebay.

Sunday

I am getting sick of the NFL. Its turned into a game where we are more concerned with what kind of touchdown dance is going to be used instead of the actual game. The NFL on Fox only added to my dislike for it this morning with their new pregame show. Talk about a complete spin-off of College Gameday, just done very poorly. Joe Buck is way too serious and doesn't have the word "fun" in his vocabulary. Terry Bradshaw is an idiot, he thinks everything he says or does is hilarious when its obvious that he is just trying to hard. He makes Lee Corso seem like a genious, I wish I was kidding. And finally Howie Long needs to learn how to speak. Comparing Kirk Herbstriet to him would be an insult.

The thing I really hated more than anything about the pregame show this morning was the fans. Heres a memo for Fox Sports, NFL fans aren't the best fans in the world. You talk about how dedicated NFL fans are in each of their respective cities. NFL fans aren't 1/10th as passionate as fans of the college game. You see creatvie signs and fans going bizerk at College Gameday each week while this morning it was like watching Laura Quinn and AJ Hawk have sex...Painful on the eyes.

Notre Dame/Penn State breakdown

I tried telling people not to be nervous after last week. Tried telling them that the Irish aren't overhyped, instead many people thought Notre Dame was overrated. A lot of things looked good today. My god, we beat Penn State 41-17, we were up 41-3 when our starting defense left the game. Take a moment for those numbers to sink in.

Okay. We did that to the Nittany Lions but by no means were we perfect today.

Offensively:
I guess I can't expect Brady to go 32/32 with 375 yards and 4 touchdowns each week, but he had a few throws today that were way off of the mark. If he has a little better touch on a couple of balls early in the half the game is over even sooner. Brady did an excellent job of distributing the ball today. He found Samardzija, McKnight, Carlson, and Darius all afternoon with multiple completions to each of them.

Offensive line played excellent today. Pass blocking except really on one drive looked good and we ran the ball a lot better than I expected us to against an excellent rush defense. Walker did well, I thought when he converted the fourth down late in the second quarter is when we won the game.

Defensively the team looked excellent. The Lions were able to move the ball on the ground a little too well, somewhat concerns me with Michigan coming in next weekend. Pass defense looked good however and Zibby seems like he just keeps hitting harder. Second string didn't look faboulous, either. I guess its a good sign when this is one of my biggest issues after the game.

Also remember the name Darrin Walls. He will be excellent.

National week two review coming shortly...

What possibly could have been said in this post game coveration. Grant it whatever JoePa did say, I'm willing to be that Charlie didn't understand a single word he said (watch with ESPNMotion).

"Pat, it's 41-3!!"

Week 2 Preview

Week two is upon us and as the case last week, not many huge games to talk about. Obviously I'll give my take on #1 vs. #2 and the ND/Penn State battle, but what other games catch my attention this weekend? Clemson traveling to Chestnut Hill strikes my fancy to be honest, we'll start there.

#18 Clemson @ Boston College - 2:30 CST on ABC
Clemson seems like the obvious pick but Boston College is a team that you can't underestimate. It seems like every year they're good to win a game that they're not supposed to and Clemson always seems to lose one they should win. With that said, I still like Will Proctor and the Tigers in this one.

Clemson 27 BC 17

#19 Penn State @ #4 Notre Dame - 2:30 CST on NBC
These two haven't met since 1992 in what is now known as the 'Snow Bowl'. Of course all Irish fans remember that one when Reggie Brooks caught the game winning two point conversion with under 20 seconds to play. This game should be different though as I expect the Irish to come out and put more than 17 on the board. Last week the passing game never really looked to be in sync for the Irish, something that won't happen this week. Notre Dame should have trouble moving the ball on the ground, they're playing arguably the best linebacking core in the nation with Tim Shaw, Dan Connor, and oh yeah, that one Posluszny fella. The secondary is very inexperenced, not a concern you want to have when you're traveling to see Rhema McKnight and Jeff Samardzija. With an improved defense and too much of an advantage in the passing game, I like the Irish in this one.

ND 35 Penn State 20

#1 Ohio State @ #2 Texas - 7:00 CST ABC

#1 vs. #2, thats all you need to say here. Ohio State doesn't have a lot of experience on defense, but sports one of the most exciting offenses in the nation. Texas on the other hand doesn't have Vince Young this year, instead Colt McCoy is in and this will be the first real team he plays. Will he be able to check down the recievers this week and burn the Ohio State defense? Limas Sweed will likely get a lot of double teams from the Buckeye secondary and I don't think McCoy is mature enough of a quarterback to be able to look off and find someone else to throw to.
On the other side of the ball I feel Ted Ginn will be too much for the Texas defense. If he's not then expect Anthony Gonzalez to step up and make a few big plays. I'm going with the Buckeyes.

Ohio State 31 Texas 21

Lorenzo "I've never paid for my own college text" Booker

Does anyone remember signing day in February of 2002 when Lorenzo Booker stood up new Irish coach Tyrone Willingham and Irish eyes were furious?

Looking back that may be one of the best things to happened for Notre Dame in recent years, especially when you add this little guy into the equation...


Lets take a look at the career totals...


These two backs came into college with different expectations. Lorenzo Booker came in as the #1 recruit in all of america, while Walker was only rated as a 3-Star Back.

A quick look at their career college stats tell a different story...





Lorenzo Booker:
'03: 62 car/334 (5.4 avg) 3 tds, 19 rec/86 (4.5 avg), 0 td
'04: 173 car/887 (5.1 avg) 4 tds, 24 rec/160 (6.7 avg), 0 td
'05: 119 car/552 (4.6 avg) 4 tds, 38 rec/329 (8.7 avg), 2 td
This weekend: 6 car/-3 yds (-0.5 avg) 0 td, 3 rec/47 (15.6 avg) 0 td

Darius Walker:
'04: 185 car/ 786 (4.2 avg) 7 td, 10 rec/74 (7.4 avg) 0 td
'05: 253 car/1193 (4.7 avg) 9 td, 43 rec/351 (8.2 avg), 2 td
This weekend: 22 car/ 99 (4.5 avg) 1 td, 4 rec/18 (4.5 avg) 0 td

Maybe one of the two doesn't come in with nearly as much hype as the other, but one has produced and not been a disappointment. Lorenzo Booker may have all the talent in the world, but he just doesn't have a heart one-third the size of Walkers'.

Miami/Florida State

So out of the three games I predicted last week, I got Miami hosting Florida State wrong. At halftime I really felt I was going to be correct about this one, but at least I said it would be a great defensive matchup.

The final stats showed that the two teams combined for a total of 3 rushing yards. Not one team, combined. You read that correctly. Good to see that this was the highest viewed college football game in the history of ESPN.

However to put the five total rushing yards in prospective, I decided to compare it to the following:

1 yd: total FSU yards rushing
-or-
distance from my desk to door








2 yds:
Miami (FL) total yards rushing
-or-
Distance from desk to 'Fridge

4 yds: 1 yd more than combined total between FSU and Miami (Fl) -or- Distance from my desk to the sack.


and finally....

13 yds:

10 more yards than those combined of FSU and 'Da U on the ground
-or-
Distance from my door to the john

and 18 yds:

6 times as many combined rushing yards
-or-
Distance to continue my ongoing NCAA '07 rivalry with a floormate.

Not gonna lie, I feel like I could walk on to either club and be playing over Antone Smith or Charlie Smith.

College Gameday

College Gameday has become a part of our lives on Saturdays. It's obvious seeing the show has been extended to a two hour program this year. When I was little I thought the single coolest thing on earth was when Lee Corso would put the mascot head of the team he thought would win on his head.

Gameday seems to bring out the best in the most dedicated of fans. Whether it be in a sign calling the other teams All-American quarterback a terrorist, or by just calling the opposing coach overweight. I was able to attend Gameday last season as Notre Dame hosted USC in one of the most exciting games of all time. Seeing Corso pick the away team that day made Irish fans in attendace go bizerk. It was obvious why they have a net behind the set that day.

I thought as mad as most fans there were at Corso that day, they realized its just a game and the man is doing his job. The same however can not be said for one Georgia Tech fan...



"What the hell are they booing for?"

The man sounds like his life ended when he Corso said he was going with the Irish. Then the personal vandeta he holds against Lee is simply stunning.

Drinky Drunks

I know I try and keep this pretaining to only college football but opportunities like this very rarely come around. This past Saturday, instead of sitting around the house watching college football, Chicago Bears quarterbacks Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton decided to head out to the Kenny Chesney concert just outside of Chicago. Both appeared to be in rare form...Well, not so rare for Orton, anyway.


Orton was supposidely quoted as yelling out, "If the Bears are playing tomorrow I'm sure as hell going to Vegas and betting against them!" Rex Grossman was seen throwing imaginary passes to crowd members. Rex and Kyle both also seemed amazed when they realized that the crowd members had less combined drops than Muhsin Muhammad last season.

I'm kind of suprised that these men were at a Kenny Chesney concert. Grossman grew up in Bloomington, Indiana so I would imagine he heard more than his fair share of country music growing up.

Orton on the other hand looks like he could go to an NHRA event and fit right in with everyone there. The jury is still out on what the hell he is doing in this picture. Some kind of Redneck Mating Call? A rain dance?


Thank you Laura Castle for the investigative reporting.

Salutations.

Mistake on my Part

I'm getting tired of hearing that the blow to Brady's head wasn't helmet-to-helmet contact. The Rock Report does a pretty solid job of showing that it was obviously the right call. People will make any excuse to how they got screwed out of a win when the only reason is because Notre Dame made the plays last night that needed to be made in order to win the ballgame.
I'm also sick of hearing how Notre Dame is obviously overrated after last nights performance. A shaky start against a good defense that did new things. That's all that was, its no time for panic in Domerland.

I am mad at myself after this weekend though. I posted on my own blog that the Vols would win over California on Saturday (in which I was right) but on my yahoo pick'em I accidently marked Cal. So instead of having a perfect week, my total score was only 230/231.

Georgia Tech/Notre Dame Recap

Things started off shaky for the Irish tonight but they were able to prevail. What is important to remember tonight is that we're 1-0 right now. In week 12, nobody will be able to bring up "they lost to Georgia Tech in week one". It wasn't exactly pretty, but it was a win. Here were a few things I saw.

Too Many Penalties

11 Penalties for 80 yards. Its when they occurred that mattered the most though. A touchdown run by Darius, a nice punt return by Zibby called back and numerous first downs taken off of the board. Also a few first starts, 2nd and 8 is much easier to work with than 2 and 13.

New Kicking Game

The punt team looked excellent. Geoff Price was able to bomb two over sixty yards and the coverage team looked very good as well. The field goal unit looked horrendous though. Both field goals (42 and 36 yards) never looked like they had a chance.

Defense

Overall I thought our defense was impressive tonight. We started off somewhat shaky, but we bent and never really broke. Here's a rundown...

Pass Defense

Mike Richardson looked awful tonight. Other than that I was pleased with what I saw in the secondary. The Jackets didn't really ever test Zibby, he did however deliever a couple massive blows and made his presence felt. I was probably the most impressed with Chinedum Ndukwe. He was rarely seemed to be out of position and seems to have matured quite a bit since last season.

Linebacker Play

I guess I didn't expect a whole lot from them tonight but I was impressed with their overall performance. Grant it there were a few times they were out of position and Reggie Ball was able to break loose a few too many times. Late in the game they came through though and made big plays when they needed too.

Front Four

Our pass rush really wasn't there in the first half but it improved as the game went on. I was very impressed with how the defensive line played on third and short. Multiple times we were able to come up with a stop on third and three or less.

On the Other Side of the ball...

Recievers
Folks, we aren't losing a thing when we have Rhema instead of Stovall this year at the other wide out. Comparing him to Samardzija, Rhema is quicker off the ball and he cuts and runs better routes than The Shark.
I know its week one but they could have performed better tonight. Too many dropped passes on balls that should have been caught. If Rhema would have caught the third down pass on our second to last possesion the game would have been anything but climatic.
Furthermore, their downfield blocking looked good to me tonight. They sprung Darius on a few runs and both Samardzija and McKnight looked good on blocking the bubble screens for each other, besides on Rhema's questionable holding call.

Brady Quinn - 23/38, 246, 1 Rushing Touchdown

What is the key number up there? Trick question, its the 0 in the turnover department for Brady. He showed tonight that he can be human, however we have to remember that this was the first game of the season. It was the first time he saw a defense that blitzed quite like Georgia Tech did. He didn't make a stupid pass under pressure or cough up a fumble by doing something stupid. He also showed some great decision making in tucking the ball down a couple times. As the game went on you could see him gain more confidence in himself. After the drive at the end of the first half that finally got us on the board you could tell he had taken control of the game.

Offensive Line:

Struggled early on but got better as the game goes on. You can only expect them to struggle early against a defense that they see for a first time. Later on in the game it was obvious that Georgia Tech's defense was tired and we were able to take full advantage of that. Also able to create some nice running lanes for Darius and Thomas.

Game Ball Goes Too....

Darius Walker. It's a tough choice, I feel Brady and Travis Thomas could each get it. Darius started off slow in the first half but carried the load by carrying the Irish down field to open the second half and getting in the end zone. His numbers weren't anything stunning (22 car/104 yds, 1 td, 4 rec/18 yds) but his ability to be a grinder really demoralized the Tech D. Happy Homecoming, D-Walk.

Recap:

It wasn't the prettiest of wins but we escaped this week with a 1-0 record. We might not have looked all that impressive but you have to remember we weren't playing a cupcake like Vandy, Akron, or Louisiana Tech. Georgia Tech is going to be a bowl team and don't be suprised if they pull off an upset later this season. However our defense looked improved and although we only put up 14 points, our offense was impressive and made plays when they had to.

Now lets get ready for Penn State and go show JoePa why we don't need to be in a conference next week, as much as he believes he's right. Stay tuned for a National roundup from week one shortly.

Christmas Morning

It's 2 AM. Why am I not in bed? Ever since I have gotten older, I celebrate my Christmas in September each year instead of in December. That's right. The first Saturday of the season is upon us and it couldn't have come sooner. I have had the countdown going since last January and it seemed like this day would never come, but it has and its finally here, so this is my schedule for Saturday...

4-8 AM - Work at Radio Station
Yes, I know. Sounds brutal and it is. I will most likely spend the time reading other blogs from different fans. Who the hell listens to the radio at 4 AM on a Saturday morning anyway?

8-8:45 AM - Denny's GrandSlam breakfast.
Speaks for itself.

9-11 AM: College Gameday on ESPN
That's right folks, its 2 hours long this year. A good way to start off your Saturday, especially if you're up for this.

11 AM: Various Games
Michigan hosting Vanderbilt is the showcase of the 11 AM games today. Without Jay Cutler this one is ugly and leaves me waiting anxiously for...

2:30 PM: Northern Illinois at Ohio State (ABC)
I have a friend going to this game in Huskie gear. I too will be cheering on NIU soley for the fact of my dislike for the classless Sweatervest Buckeyes. Garrett Wolfe is going to be a suprise for the inexperienced Buckeye defense...The suprise being its still a game at halftime.

4:30 PM: California at Tennessee (ESPN)
Right about when the Buckeyes lead gets too imbarable to watch is when I'll flip to ESPN and watch Cal and Tennessee. This might be the most exciting matchup of week one between the two most evenly matched teams. If it wasn't for the Irish, this would be my game of the week.

6:30 PM: Put on Darius jersey and open first Guiness of the evening.

7:00 PM: Notre Dame at Georgia Tech (shhh, but here's the opener if you would like a preview)
Self explanitory. Charlie will lead the Notre Dame convoy into Atlanta later this evening and when he leaves, the city will look just as it did exactly 142 years ago on this date.

10:28 PM: Talk with friends at NDNation about how bad the team looked, even if they do win running away.

10:32 PM: Finish off the day by watching Arizona and Brigham Young duel it out. Philosiphy about how sad it is to think just two years ago that same BYU team managed to beat the now #2 ranked team in nation.

11:14 PM: Start counting down the days until I visit the Holy Grail of college football in a week to see the Irish take down the JoePa's.

Week One Preview

Week one in college football is usually kind of bittersweet. Sure the season finally has begun, but usually there are only one or two games between ranked opponents. This year really isn't any different. Three big games this weekend to watch and I'll break them down for you.

Cal at Tennessee

This game will tell alot about where both teams are. Is Tennessee on the road to recovery after a herrendous year last year? Can Cal take the first step in the right direction in a year full of high expectations? Tennessee is just 5-5 in their last 10 games at Rocky Top. It would appear that playing there has lost some of its intimidation. I think this game might be the most exciting to watch this weekend with the Vols just sneaking by.

Notre Dame at Georgia Tech

Is Charlie Weis going to be ready for the blitz happy defense of the Yellow Jackets? Yes. Yes he will. The defenders for GT are going to leave themselves out on islands as Darius Walker will have a huge homecoming as he returns to his home state. The biggest question for the Irish will be can they stop explosive Calvin Johnson? Supposidley the Irish secondary got quicker this offseason which spells trouble for Georgia Tech. I take the Irish running away in this one.

Florida State at Miami (FL)

The Florida National Guard might have to be in attendance for this one. Not because of the fans, but because of the players. Two of the dirtiest programs in college football battle on Monday night in the Orange Bowl with both of these teams expected to win their repectful divisions in the ACC this year. I don't expect the 'Canes offense to score more than 14 points in this one. However I'm not sure FSU will change the goose egg on the scoreboard themselves. I'll take the Canes and their nasty defense in a defensive struggle.