ND vs. PU - A Battle of 2-1's

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By Nick Shepkowski

A year ago we remember the match up in which the Irish waited until they trailed 23-0 before showing any signs of life in West Lafayette. That game was a coming out party of sorts as Golden Tate emerged on the scene with a touchdown on three receptions for over 100 yards receiving. As the story goes, we all remember that it would take until week one of 2008 to hear from Golden in such a way again.

When the Boilermakers enter South Bend this Saturday they will be led under the Golden Dome one last time under the reigns of head coach Joe Tiller. Tiller, who will retire at the end of the season became Purdue's all-time winningest coach last week, passing Jack Mollenkopf. Tiller looks to finish his career against Notre Dame right at the .500 mark as he enters Saturday 5-6 all time against the Fighting Irish, but only 1-4 in South Bend. Often under appreciated, one can not argue that Joe Tiller has put Purdue football back on the map after a rough start to the 1990's.

The Boilermakers come in fresh off of a come from behind win against familiar foe, Central Michigan. Trailing by one with under two minutes to go, Kory Sheets took a handoff 46 yards to give Purdue their second win of the season. What must Notre Dame do in order to keep Purdue from leaving South Bend with a 3-1 mark Saturday? Lets take a look...

The Purdue offense enters dangerous as usual, led by very possibly the most pro-ready quarterback in next years NFL Draft, Curtis Painter. Painter may not have the same kind of weapons around him like he has in years past but is still a dangerous quarterback who will not let the hectic Notre Dame blitz get in his head. Painter is coming off of an impressive 27/36 showing against Central Michigan where he threw for 261 yards and a touchdown. One negative of Painter so far this fall, his interception total matches his touchdown total with three a peice. Don't worry too much about him fleeing the pocket, but when Notre Dame blitzes it will be important they get to him in a hurry because he will make them pay if they fail to.

Kory Sheets carries the bulk of the weight in the Purdue run game as he enters leading the team in touchdowns with six, and two of them coming one week ago. Personally I would like to see the Irish slow down Sheets and make Painter beat them. I'm not saying Painter is a bad quarterback by any means as I have already stated how pro-ready he is, but his receivers this year aren't quite the receivers of previous Purdue teams.

Kevin Smith, Greg Orton, and Desmond Tardy are Painters go to guys, all averging over 50 yards a game this season. On third down and long Irish fans be weary as these will be the weapons of choice, don't expect any of these three to be the reason Purdue may walk out victorious on Saturday, if they do it will because of Kory Sheets.

The inability to run the football killed multiple drives early on in this past Saturday's game against Michigan State. This is a game where there should be no excuse for the Irish to not be able to run the football effectively. If they fail to there will be nobody to blame besides themselves.

Purdue enters this week having major problems stopping the run. A week ago Central Michigan was able to spout off just under four yards a carry for the entire afternoon against the Boilers. Previous to that, Oregon ran all over the Purdue defense in a game they averaged 7.1 yards per carry on their way to a 306 yard day on the ground. As I stated, expect Charlie Weis and Notre Dame to try and use the combination of Robert Hughes, Armando Allen, and James Aldridge. If Notre Dame can't run the football against Purdue then I am scared to see what the rest of the season brings in this department.Although Purdue is better against the pass than they are the run, they have still had troubles this season in stopping teams through the air. The Ducks of Oregon aired out right at 200 yards of passing offense while Central Michigan's Dan Lefevour threw for 291 yards a week ago. The defensive line is the strong point of the Purdue defense but if the Irish line can give Jimmy Clausen time, much like they did against Michigan, expect Clausen to have a big day if the running game fails.

Remember the game plan against Michigan which was to try and use playaction early on to take advantage of the weak secondary of the Wolverines? Expect the exact opposite this Saturday. I fully expect to see Notre Dame come out and try to pound away at the Purdue defense on the ground, then setting up a playaction deep ball. Then again, if the Irish have success running they may not stop either.

Special teams on both sides of the ball will be an exhibit in what not to do this Saturday. Both Purdue and Notre Dame enter this weekend with subpar field goal units. Sadly the edge probably does go to Notre Dame in this department as they have at least covered kicks slightly better than Purdue to this point in the season. I hope this game does not come down to field goals because it could last until eternity if it did.

I would like to see a few things from the Fighting Irish this Saturday that would let me breathe easier and be able to expect a win.

1 - Stop a Third and Long...Please!
Each opponent has converted a third down and long this season and wound up getting points as a result. It would be nice to see the Irish not allow a Purdue first down this weekend when they give the Boilermakers over seven yards to get.

2 - No Dumb Penalties...Enough said but I'll say more!
A week ago we saw Sam Young get called for a personal foul while the Irish were setting up show in their first possession of the game. It may not have directly amounted in points for Michigan State but it killed any hopes of Notre Dame picking up a third down and did not help in the field position battle. Its a little thing but it goes a long way at the end of the day.

3 - Turnovers...Must win this battle!
The last two weeks Notre Dame has been given a free lesson in winning the turnover battle. Michigan was obviously for the better and MSU for the worse. Win the turnover battle, convert turnovers into points and 9 out of 10 times you win the game.

4 - Let Golden make a play!
Golden Tate has emerged as legit playmaker on this offense. There aren't a whole lot of go-to guys like this on Notre Dame for the time being. He's a weapon and a proven go-to guy so far this season. When he gets touches good things happen, so make sure he gets the ball in his hands.

Prediction Time:

The Irish run game takes steps in the right direction while mixing in some long passes along the way as well. After seeing amongst the best running games in the nation a week ago Notre Dame slows down Purdue in that aspect...

Nick (3-0): Notre Dame 27 Purdue 21

Notre Dame Road Show: Irish Travel to Take on MSU

Two years, its really been that long? It seems like just yesterday I was sitting by my computer in my dorm room, listening to all the things in the world that went wrong for the Spartans in East Lansing by none other than Mike Valenti. In a way, that was a turning point for MSU as they struggled the rest of the season and replaced John L. Smith with Mark Dantonio after 2006. Needless to say, its been a change for the better in Spartan-land.
The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame hit the road this weekend for the first time in 2008 as they enter East Lansing in hopes of improving to 3-0 on the year. Fresh off of a 35-17 victory over Michigan, the Irish must improve on a few aspects of the game if they hope to pull an upset as they enter as 8.5 point underdogs to a 2-1 Michigan State team.

When Michigan State has the Ball:

Irish fans meet Javon Ringer.
Remember him? Hes the guy who has been tormenting the Irish for the past decade or so it seems when its really only been the past three seasons. He will enter Saturday just shy of 500 rushing yards with a total of 498 as he runs for just under five a carry at 4.8 yards per attempt. Simply put, stop him or even slow him down and the chances of pulling out a win in East Lansing sky rocket.
What is concerning about the fact that Ringer is the go-to man offensively is how the Irish performed last week against Sam McGuffie of Michigan. Only a freshman, McGuffie was able to scrap off 131 yards on twenty-five carries. Ringer is bigger, stronger, faster, and more experienced than McGuffie so the Irish defensive front will have no choice but to improve before this weekend.
Michigan State fans were very high on Brian Hoyer entering this season after he showed potential in his first season as the starting quarterback a year ago. Unfortunately for Spartan fans, Hoyer has struggled through the first three weeks of 2008, completing only 44% of his passes with just one touchdown thrown. The good of Hoyer? He's thrown just one pick so far in 75 attempts. It's obvious what this means Irish fans - make Michigan State put the ball in the air. Be able to do so and the Irish should be in business.
The Irish will also find a very capable deep threat in East Lansing this Saturday with Mark Dell. He has been the go to man for the Spartans in passing situations as he has hauled in over a third of the teams 36 receptions with thirteen of his own for 320 yards. BJ Cunningham is thrown to about half as much, but has still pulled in eight catches, averaging 17.4 yards per reception. Sure the stats with this are a bit intimidating, but remember, Hoyer's percentage of completed passes and know that getting pressure on the quarterback will be key. If the Irish can "make" him make a play instead of "let" him make a play they should be okay in pass defense.
To sum up the defense as a whole this weekend, I feel the Irish should do all in their power to control the running game and take their chances against Michigan State's passing game. Hoyer hasn't seen quite a defense like Notre Dame's so far this season. Do I mean the Irish bring that great of one to East Lansing? No. I mean what Notre Dame's gameplan consists of, which is blitz, blitz, and blitz again for the most part. To a quarterback that has not seen it before or at least - this season, this can reek havoc, expect the Irish to try and use that to their advantage in obvious passing downs.

When Notre Dame has the ball:

We saw Jimmy Clausen come alive in the fourth quarter against San Diego State and keep the momentum going into the first half against Michigan. Obviously, the weather and score of the game changed the Notre Dame gameplan for the second half, but the key stat to me from one week ago was the number 3.3. The Irish entered with a struggling running game and faced one of the best front-seven units in college football with Michigan, a team that was allowing right at one yard a carry against opponents entering last Saturday.
The Spartans bring a defense to the game Saturday which struggled very much against Cal in week one. Allowing 467 yards of total offense that day, as Michigan State struggled to find a way to slow down the Bears. I hope to see good weather this Saturday in East Lansing because this is a game where I feel the Irish are capable of throwing the ball around once again.
Coming off of last week it is easy to say this, but against Michigan State, I feel that it will be crucial for Notre Dame to get an early lead and to not turn the ball over. Golden Tate has been the go-to guy so far when the Irish have needed a play and for the most part he has come through for the Irish in 2008. The defense of Michigan State has allowed big plays this year, there is no reason why the Irish shouldn't be able to break one or two again this week.
Michigan State brings in talent, but a lot of question marks still lie in their defense where experience is not there in most respects. I feel that this game is going to turn into a shootout to some degree based on both teams defenses.
Notre Dame is facing a front-seven which is not nearly as talented as that of Michigan was. What does that mean exactly for the Irish? Success in establishing a running game as well as the ability to give Jimmy Clausen time to throw the ball down field. I would be surprised if the Irish offense can't put at least 24 points on the board this weekend.
Looking at special teams, that of Notre Dame's has come on very strong this season. Last week there were only two real mishaps, one when Armando Allen fielded a ball that was going out of bounds and gave the Irish poor field position, the other when a third quarter punt was partially deflected. Other than that special teams came up huge for Notre Dame, keeping Michigan deep in their own territory, something they need to do to Michigan State again this week.
I'll be honest, before writing this article and researching Michigan State a bit more, I did not like the Irish's chances too much in East Lansing. However, if Notre Dame can catch a couple of breaks and be able to do the things I talked about they should be in it late in the ballgame and we all know anything can happen then.
Unfortunately, I feel this week will be a bit of a hiccup for Notre Dame as Javon Ringer will prove to be just too much to handle.

Michigan State 34 Notre Dame 28

WWR 2.0

A few short years ago the campus of Notre Dame was blessed by the presence of the likes of Maurice Stovall, Jeff Samardzija, and Rhema McKnight, forming WWR (Weis Wide Receivers) 1.0 . My fellow followers of football under the watch of Touchdown Jesus, a new core of receivers has shown its face on Notre Dame's campus and in my eyes looks to be even better than the aforementioned names. That's right, Duval Kamara, Michael Floyd, and Golden Tate will not only equal what Stovall, Shark and McKnight offered, they will be better.
How scary this young group of wide outs has to be for opposing defenses can't be fun to think about. We saw flashes in the pan of what Kamara can do in a jump ball situation against a cornerback in the endzone, with notable catches against Navy last year and Michigan this past week. Need someone to go to in one-on-one coverage? Kamara is amongst the best in the business in the college today, as a sophomore.
What Jeff Samardzija was able to do in a Notre Dame uniform is unbelievable considering how unknown he was a very short time before bringing on his stardom. Samardzija is the kind of receiver I expect to see Michael Floyd be one day. As a freshman Floyd was shown the awareness and leaping ability you expect to see from a veteran, not a player who has now seen the field in only two career college football games.
Michael Floyd already does many things very well but has time to get even that much better. Floyd has shown his ability to go up for a jump ball much like Kamara is able to do, but he also shows the ability to run away from defensive backs just like we saw from Samardzija. Already seeing valuable playing time as a freshman, expect Floyd to turn into amongst the best wide outs in the nation before his tenure under the Golden Dome is complete.
The biggest play maker of the youthful group so-far in 2008 has to be none other than Golden Tate. Whether it has been a late fourth quarter drive where the Irish face an obvious passing down while needing a first down, or in a surprise deep fly route, Golden Tate has continued to impress early in 2008.
When Tate came onto the scene against Purdue last season he seemed like he was plenty capable of running a fly route but what scared me was how he struggled in getting open if he wasn't trying to run right by a defender. It is safe to say that Tate has figured out how to go about doing just that.
Whether it was being a key cog in two fourth quarter drives against San Diego State or the receiver of the third touchdown in the win against Michigan, Tate has turned the corner. Not only has he improved in his ability to run routes, he has become the best route runner on this Notre Dame team. He has caught on very quickly, learning proper separation techniques that are even more key because of his lack of height compared to others.
Notre Dame fans have cried about not having anyone to throw the ball to since the departures of Samardzija and McKnight at the end of 2006. The wait is over folks and WWR 2.0 is currently in development and will be much better than its original in due time.

The Greatest Moments Captured by ESPN

If you're looking for a greatest games type thing then you are in the wrong place and can move along now if you like. If you are looking for priceless things seen on the worldwide leader in sports, more commonly known as "Fuck-Ups" by ESPN in things that were shown that should not have been shown or just someone speaking a way they shouldn't be, then you're in the right spot.

Number 5: "Two for One"

...Not only is a certain part of the male body drawn with a telestrator but listen closely shortly after that mishap. Awkwardness, anyone?

Number 4: "Rick has No Idea"



...Was it staged or does Rick Majerus have no idea what he just said? Whatever the case Steve Lavin has a priceless reaction.

Number 3: "Lee Corso is a What?"



If you have to play it back a few times but look in the background and notice why some SEC fans are proven to have functioning brain cells.

Number 2: "West Fucking Virginia"

Short and straight to the point. Well done, sir. If a camera man or producer didn't lose a job over this one I'm shocked.

NUMBER 1: "HAND-JOB MOUNTAIN"



Oh I bet mom and dad are oh so proud of their youngsters. Did the idea of a blanket ever cross either of their minds?

Don't agree with me about these five or have one to add? Let us know about it by right away by posting a comment below.

Close Calls that Still Hurt...A lesson in Notre Dame History

Close calls and what might have been is a good way to put what Notre Dame has gone through since their last National Championship title in 1988. Sure there were close calls along the way, plenty of them. They could have played for a title a year later had they won in the Orange Bowl. Who can forget a week after beating #1 FSU, the loss that occurred at home against Tom Coughlin and Boston College?

2000 was the year we saw Notre Dame come back onto the map (albiet a short time) in the college football ranks. An overtime loss against Nebraska then kept the Irish from chasing what could have been a national title game appearance. Sad, but actually true if you go back and look at that season.

Lets take a look back at heartbreaking Notre Dame losses over the past twenty years and see which ones really were the worst.

1989 vs. Miami
Many expected Notre Dame to repeat as National Champions in 1989 as they entered the season #2 in the nation, behind only the Michigan Wolverines. After defeating UM 24-19 in the Big House the Irish soared up to #1 in the nation. What stood between them and another national title though were the Miami Hurricanes, the defending champs the Irish had to knock off in South Bend the year before.

Although this game did not come down to a last second play it showed the Irish they were not the best team in the nation that year. Miami cruised to a 27-10 win in the Orange Bowl and finished the year as National Champs. Although it was not as heartbreaking as other Irish losses, it was still a day that Irish fans can look back at and just wonder.

1991 Orange Bowl vs. Colorado
1991 has two offerings for the Irish, one coming on the first day of the year in the Orange Bowl against Colorado. Although Notre Dame entered the game not capable of winning a national championship themselves in all likelyhood, they still had the opportunity to defeat the Buffs and keep them from being the champs. Well, long story short the Irish were held in check by the Colorado defense throughout. Trailing 10-9 late in the game there is no way Colorado would kick to the Rocket...right? This pains me to post but why not, its still a hell of a run back.

1991 vs. Tennessee
In 1991 the Irish seemed primed for another title run before the Tennessee Volunteers came to South Bend and started off the game down 14-0 before most fans in the stands even blinked. The Irish continued to pile on, gaining a 31-7 advantage at one point in the matchup. However the Vols came storming back and defeated the Irish 35-34 as Reggie Ho missed a last second field goal that would have won the Irish the game.

The Irish would have had to have other things work out which did not in order to gain a trip to the title game in 1991 but this loss still pains Irish fans to think about to this day. The loss sent the Irish in a downward spiral that set up the dramatic Sugar/Cheerios Bowl game against Florida.

1993 vs. Boston College
The Irish were championship chasers once again in 1993 and gained the #1 ranking after defeating previous #1 Florida State in South Bend. All Notre Dame had to do was beat Boston College and they were headed to Miami to face Nebraska and play for the national title. That's all they had to do and what happens?

A defense that held Heisman Trophy QB Tommy Ward in check for the most part a week before goes out and gives up 41 points to BC. The Irish lose 41-39 and settle for date in the Cotton Bowl where they in turn beat Texas A&M for a second year in a row.

This is the first Irish heartbreak I remember watching first hand. I was seven years old and to this day can't describe what happened that day. Notre Dame had no answers defensively for most of the afternoon while Tom Coughlin and Glenn Foley had all of them. Thinking of this kick will prevent me from being able to sleep tonight.

Since that day one can argue the Irish have not made a serious run at a national championship. Although it is safe to say they were not the best team in the nation any of the years since then it is fair to say they have had their title opportunities if one thing or another went just slightly different.

2000 vs. Nebraska
Not a whole lot was expected of the Irish in 2000 but after beating Texas A&M convincingly they found themselves in the top 25 with number one coming to town. In a game where the Irish cashed in on Special Teams they found themselves tied late with a chance to win the game.

Instead Bob Davie and company decide not to risk anything and to play for overtime. Nick Setta steps up and gives the Irish the lead once again, sure. However, Eric Crouch leads the Huskers right down field and into the endzone.

I was not watching this game at the time, instead was in a car headed home listening to the whole thing. As a freshman in high school I knew Davie was wrong for sitting on the ball and to this day I feel the same way.

2000 vs. Michigan State
Two weeks later the Irish traveled to East Lansing looking to move to 3-1 and improve their rankings. A game that was back and forth until the end, Notre Dame losses on a touchdown pass over the middle that goes for big yards.

I may be wrong but I remember this play occuring on a fourth down. At the end of the year this loss did not matter, it didnt prevent Notre Dame from a BCS game or a national title but it was an extremely tough pill to swallow nonetheless.

2005 vs. USC
October 15, 2005 will be a day I will never forget. The atmosphere of Notre Dame that day was unmatched and there was just the feeling in the air something was different on that afternoon. Early in the game both teams trade a few scores before Tom Zbikowski brings the house down with a punt return for a touchdown to put the Irish ahead (I specifically remember nearly passing out during this play).

The game goes on, both teams convert 4th downs in their own territory. Late in the game with the Irish trailing Brady Quinn scores on a keeper and the Irish are one stop away from the upset of the century.

First two downs are an incomplete pass and a one yard gain. 4th and 9, no timeouts for USC who is trailing 31-28 at the time. That's when Matt Lienart and Dwayne Jarrett hook up on a perfectly thrown ball to keep hope alive for the Trojans.

Shortly after the Irish hold USC and time winds out on the scoreboard with ND winning 31-28. After order is restored on the field Pete Carroll is seen signaling to his team to get to the line and spike the ball. Instead Lienart takes the ball on a sneak and gets some extra help from Reggie Bush to find the endzone.

34-31, USC Wins. As mentioned earlier in this article, I am still pained in this loss and it was the toughest pill to swallow of any that I have ever had to when it comes to my team and losing.

So that's that for that. What do you think, which one of these losses was the worst for you since the Irish last won a title? Do you have a loss not mentioned that you feel is deserving? Go ahead Irish fans, let me know how you feel.

Notre Dame '08: It Starts up Front

It seems idiotic to even imply that Notre Dame could be the biggest surprise team in 2008 but the statement alone makes everyone realize how far it is the Irish have fallen. One year ago they were coming off of back-to-back BCS appearances and seemed primed for the spotlight for years to come once again. However, 3 wins and 9 losses later they enter 2008 looking to gain back some of the respect that was lost on the national level a year ago.

So what does Notre Dame have to do to at least get back to a bowl game? What do they have to avoid to make a sure a repeat of 2007 does not occur? Its pretty simple with Notre Dame in '08, the Irish need to get back to the basics and that starts up front.

Jimmy Clausen will never come within shouting distance of All-American status and Robert Hughes and the rest of the Irish stable of running backs won't reach their full potential if the offensive line does not improve. If we learned one thing towards the end of last year it was that Notre Dame has more talent on their roster than a 3-9 record should have. However, the offensive line was amongst the very worst in the game. If that does not change then the results in the win column will fail to as well.

Rightfully so there are a ton of questions marks about this offensive line. Irish fans wish it was as simple as a years more experience means that the line will be that much better but the truth of the matter is that it does not work that way. Sure the experience may help but to what degree? Time will tell.

On the line Notre Dame will see its anchor back in Sam Young.

The former 5-Star recruit will be playing right tackle this year and will be counted on heavily in giving Jimmy Clausen more time to throw while also opening up running room for the Irish backs. Young was a pleasant surprise his freshman year of 2006 but '07 saw him take a step back. Young getting back to his form at right tackle in 2008 will be key for Irish success.

Joining Young on this years offensive line are expected to be Paul Duncan, Michael Turkovich, Dan Wenger, and Eric Olesen from left to right, with Young being the RT. This has turned into an older and more experienced group for the Irish, both something that will be helpful for 2008. Like I mentioned before though, experience will not matter if these guys did not gain anything from last years debacle.

What needed to be done is that the Irish offensive line learned from mistakes they made last year. The coaching staff needed to learn what they may have done a poor job with while working with the O-Line a year ago.

Nobody knows yet what the Irish offensive line may entail in 2008. They could be the reason the Irish disappoint again or they could very well be the reason Notre Dame flies in under radar on their path back respectability. As far as I am concerned, this is the only important question Irish fans need to ask themselves about for the time being.

If the line has not improved from a year ago there is no need to worry about the development of Jimmy Clausen or the skill of the running backs on the roster. Without an offensive line these young men will not prosper on the football field and will not have to be worried about to make plays because they once again will not be able to.

Only if the offensive line is improved should Irish fans begin to even have doubts about what happened to the skill positions of Notre Dame last fall. If the line gets better and Clausen and company still struggle, then you can begin to question player development at those positions. However, without an offensive line it is impossible to be critical of the rest of the offense, including the play calling because it does not have a chance when the line doesn't hold up its part of the bargain.

About Frickin' Time

The Irish outlast UCLA and finally, finally, finally, holy freaking hell, finally get their first W of the season. Was it pretty? It seems like the answer to this is no but in all honesty I didn't see one down of this game. Being in college and all and having to broadcast The Battle for the Little Brass Bell took away from my Irish-watching Saturday night.

Announcing for a 3-2 DIII team coupled with not having a functioning VCR leaves me with the Ga-Tech debacle as the only game I have seen from start to finish for Notre Dame this year. With everything being read however I am left with plenty of questions...

1) Why no vertical passing game from Jimmy Clausen??
-Seems to me from everything that I have been able to read that the team runs the same offense when both Clausen and Sharpley are on the field. When then may I ask does Jimmy not attempt the deep ball? Whatever happened to John Carlson and his seem routes that were so effective last year and why have they not been used in '07?

2) Was the defense that good last night?
-Honest question. I have heard that the performance last night is what a 3-4 defense is supposed to look like and by giving up just six points it was obviously effective. Remember Ben Olson was injured though, how big of difference would he have made?

3) Is the progression of the offense enough to make this an elite offense in the years to come?
-Seems to be the offensive line is playing better as of late. Are they developing as we expected or is this simply what happens when you play a few of the weaker fronts? Is Jimmy for real, will he be the Saviour that we were lead on to believe he would be? Sure Armando has as much speed as anyone but will he ever be able to maneuver around a defender?

That's all I have for now. BC this week, time to have a role reversal and have us ruin their potential title dreams...wait, "BC" and "title dreams" in the same sentence? That's gotta be a misprint. Midterms this week which means procrastination and much blogging...go irish.

Golden Tate

Rhema McKnight with hands.

Playoff Debate

A playoff would be crazy in college football, especially after watching this weeks slew of upsets. As my often outspoken suite mate often tells me, "Bite My Ass!".

There is no need for a college football playoff. If there was a playoff, someone please tell me the significance of what happened late in Gainesville on Saturday night. What meaning would Colorado upstaging Bob Stoops and Oklahoma have? Would the fact that South Florida ousted the favored Mountaineers even matter?

The answer to all these questions is a simple n-o. The fact of the matter is that each week plays the role of a round by round playoff in college football. There is no need to mess with this. What do you know, right now the two teams that everyone has slated as the two best in the country would be set to play each other in the national title. Think of Ohio State/Michigan last fall and all the hype that surrounded that game. Would there have been any hype whatsoever around this game between unbeatens in the final week of the season? None at all. Likely the stars would have sat out with both coaching staffs knowing each others futures were safe in the fact both would be in a playoff.

A playoff would ruin college football, it would make what happened this past weekend painfully meaningless. It would not make for a crazy playoff, it would simply take away from the regular season, a regular that is bar none the most exciting of any major sport.

Clausen or Sharpley?

Question on many Irish fans minds right now. Should it be the wonder boy JC, or should it be Evan Sharpley under center for the Irish against the Bruins. Depends what exactly you are looking for if you are Notre Dame. I feel very adamant that a two quarterback system does not work unless you have QB's with two extremes (passing and rush ability). Obviously Demetrius Jones may have presented the Irish with the option to at least try running the ball with the QB but his passing was beyond a joke.

So stick with Jimmy or go with Sharpley who is yet to start a game? Coach Weis today announced as long as JC is healthy that he is the guy. I will admit that I am quite the fan of Evan Sharpley but I feel this is the right move.

As much as it hurts to say, the Irish really have no hope for this year. In order to reach a bowl game even you have to ask them to beat at least one top 10 team as well as win in the Rose Bowl this weekend. We can hope but reality has to set in that this is not likely to happen whatsoever.

I would like to see JC throw the ball down field a little bit more than we have seen. The only difference I see between him and Sharpley right now is that Sharpley shows a little better ability to step up in the pocket and fire the ball down field. JC still seems to prefer escaping the tackle box and having to either throw on the run or take it himself. Although he is more fleet of foot than Brady ever was, Jimmy is by no means a scrambler.

This is something that is only going to come with time for Jimmy. Anyone remember Brady's line his freshman year? Refresher...

Brady Quinn 157/332 15INT 47.3 Comp.% 1831yds 9TD
JC(Thru 5 games) 57/94 3 INT 60.6 Comp.% 474yds 0TD

Tough to compare numbers, Brady obviously was less hesitant to throw the ball down field his freshman year. Will Jimmy Clausen turn into what Brady Quinn was? Time will tell. I do feel however in order to have a big time quarterback, he has to be given time to learn by trial and error now. Having Clausen on the sidelines if he is healthy is not going to do this team any favors besides for the short term. At most, maybe Sharpley is one win better than Clausen the rest of the year. I'm not sure about you, I'll trade a win or two from here on out this year for an All-American type quarterback in a year or two.

West Virginia

At least there is some humor in the world of college football that can still make me smile these days. That and the fact that Kirk Herbstriet feels pretty confident that the Irish will be back in a real short amount of time.

Ty is a better coach than Charlie

Ask anyone, Ty is obviously a better coach than Charlie Weis. Weis can only win with Ty's players, forget the fact that nearly every main contributor on the Notre Dame team this year is in their first real year of big time contribution.

Ty beat a bad Syracuse team and won against a Boise State team that was rated highly only because of their success last year. For those that say Ty is such a great coach, talk to me in 5 weeks...after the Huskies drop 5 games in a row to Ohio State, USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Arizona State. I'm not exaggerating, Arizona State is the only one of the five games I could see Ty winning.

Has Charlie Weis done perfect at Notre Dame? No. The offensive line has looked terrible in the first two weeks, nothing more can be said for them. Lowest rated running game in college football, they have talent up front, the offensive line is just not getting the job done.

One thing that I do disagree with Weis in is the fact he has failed to really make the field vertical yet this year. Two plays the Irish really threw the ball downfield so far this year, one from Evan Sharpley to David Grimes, with Grimes just being overthrown against GaTech and the other being from Jimmy Clausen to Golden Tate on a play that was actually completed against Penn State, but negated because of holding.

I would like to see Charlie and the offense test the Michigan secondary a little more this weekend. Appalachian State showed success with it and Oregon had a successful day throwing the ball as well. Usually the pass game is used to compliment the run game...this week I feel this may have to change.

If I were a coach, which I stress I am not, the offense should come out with four receivers against the Wolverines this weekend. Spread them out, take away their ability to blitz...or at least minimize it. USC is the only team with as good of defense as the Irish faced in both week one and week two.

I feel you go to a shotgun set and spread the receivers out and good things are bound to happen. Spread the linebackers out and open up running holes a little bit better. These are little things that have not been done by Notre Dame this year and that is what I question. The offensive line has dropped the ball more than any other contributor to the Irish team...why not take the pressure off of them a little bit?

Darren McFadden

Today Darren McFadden's mother made it clear to the world that her son will not return to Arkansas for his senior season. Forget the fact he hasn't played a down of his junior season yet...

I'm not big on a player declaring for the draft before his regular season even starts. Makes no sense to me. What happens if there is an injury and he's no longer capable of everything he was at one time? I'm not wishing this on him, just stating that I think he went about this the wrong way.



If I were one of McFadden's Arkansas teammates this would drive me nuts. Seems to me that McFadden cares more about the big bucks than he does his college career. Funny how he told his mother "He told me [Friday], 'Mom, I'll be through in December...". I guess that means Darren doesn't plan on his team making a New Years Day or better bowl game.

Of course I do not either but just oddly quoted. How will McFadden fare this year? In all honesty I have trouble believing he will come anywhere near replicating last years performance. Much of the Hogs O-Line is gone, good luck Darren because you are going to half to make most of your yards on your own this year, something you didn't have to worry about a season ago.

Heisman Winner? Doubtful. I would actually be shocked if he's a finalist for sports most coveted individual award come December.

What Makes Notre Dame Special

Recent events with Steve Spurrier have made me more proud than ever to be a fan of the University of Notre Dame. When a coach comes to Notre Dame they know that things aren't going to be made special for them and not just any player, no matter the level of talent will be able to be a Golden Domer.

When it comes down to it do you want your team to be full of thugs that rarely attend class, are far from model citizens and win or be a team with average talent at best but have a roster full of athletes that you would be proud to call your son?

As much as I did not like Bob Davie or Tyrone Willingham, they put what was most important to me first. That is the athletes life they were dealing with. It can be said that Charlie Weis "gets it".

You never saw Davie or Willingham going after players that make the school look bad. You saw a lot of good people go through the Notre Dame football doors when these two men were on campus. The same can be said for what Charlie has done now as well, as you hear stories of Weis getting on recruits cases because their grades in high school aren't good enough. These are kids he isn't even going to coach for sure.

Rumors had it that Urban Meyer would have taken the job at Notre Dame had he been able to lower academic standards for athletes to get in. Congrats Urban on winning a National Title at Florida. I am not arguing that he is not a great coach because he really is. However I just feel Notre Dame prides themselves on being different from everywhere else and it makes me proud to say I'm a fan of the institution.

Another case that sticks out to me is that of Friday Hand. Hand, the Irish defensive end who was arrested by an undercover police officer in a prostitution ring a short time ago was immediately suspended and isn't expected to see the practice or game field anytime soon. It seems to me that when players get in trouble at most other schools, cutting playing time is the last thing that any coaches wish to do.

Take Rashon Powers-Neal's case in 2005. After being arrested for a DUI he did not see the field again that season, a season off to a very promising start after he scored three times against Pitt.

So many players aren't suspended for their actions and I feel that this is where many NCAA Coaches drop the ball. Its not only the coaches duty to turn out a good football team in my personal opinion, its also their duty to try and distribute quality young men.

I feel Notre Dame does a great job of that compared to most other places. Every time I hear about a player from another school being charged with a crime and not being punished severely by his coach it just makes the Golden Dome shine that much brighter to me.

Big Ten

Is the Big Ten still an elite conference? Many say not like it used to be anyway and for the most part you can't argue it. When you look at what the conference did last year at the top in bowl games, its embarrassing. On New Years Day Michigan was still claiming they should be playing Ohio State in the National Title and in the process were run off the field by Southern Cal. A week later Ohio State who held the number one ranking all season couldn't even celebrate a touchdown the right way as Florida looked like world beaters in a 41-14 drubbing.

Good but not great is how I see the Big Ten this year. A few very talented teams but how they compete on the national level instead of just in conference will be a test once again this year. It seems that Wisconsin and Michigan both could be title game contenders, but can they play with the SECs and USCs of the world? Only time will tell.

Players to Watch:
Offensively everywhere you look people will tell you how great Mike Hart, Chad Henne, and Mario Manningham are as well as anything to ever wear the Maize and Blue. Don't get me wrong, all three are exceptional players but my preseason Big Ten Offensive MVP is P.J. Hill of Wisconsin...

As a freshman last year he went over 1500 yards while averaging 5 yards a carry and scoring 15 times on the ground. Oh, and 0 fumbles in over 320 touches.
This year Hill will come back with four of his five offensive linemen in front of him. Grant it the third overall pick in the NFL Draft, Joe Thomas is gone, but the core of a solid offensive line is still there. Couple that with a new quarterback and expect Hill's numbers to only go up. After Wisconsin defeats Michigan in Camp Randall, Hill will clinch a trip to New York City as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.

Other than the Michigan boys and Mr. Hill things are a blur at best offensively in the Big Ten this year. Remember the names Dorien Bryant (Purdue) and James Hardy (Indiana) as both will have huge years catching the football.

On the defensive side of the ball is where the Big Ten makes up some ground against the rest of the nation. Wisconsin brings a team that is loaded on defense into the conference this year with much back from a squad that surrendered just 12.1 points a game last fall. DeAndre Levy, and Jonathan Casillas will anchor the outside linebacker roles but a lot will be asked of Elijah Hodge as he will be the Mac-backer for the Badgers. The secondary will be a little younger but expect big things from them as the season wears on, also the defensive line for Wisconsin will be amongst the best in all of football.

Defensive MVP you ask? None other than James Laurinaitis of The Ohio State University. The man's an animal, we can leave it at that. 115 tackles last season as a sophomore, Laurinaitis gives Columbus reason for hope this coming year. He will be asked to do a lot for a team that losses most of its star power, but behind Laurinaitis you will see the Buckeye D mature quickly during the year and make a New Years Day bowl game.

How They'll Fall:
1. Wisconsin - Loaded D and a great run game make things much easier on a new quarterback.
2. Ohio State - Supposed to be a down year but the defense has time to mature in the first half before showdowns at Penn State, against Wisconsin, and in the Big House three of the last four weeks of the season.
3. Michigan - Lloyd Carr is still coach, therefore expect disappointment. Until he wins a meaningful game (Notre Dame last year can be argued, however he followed it up with losses to OSU and USC) I can't consider the Wolverines a true Big Ten title contender.
4. Penn State - A team I was very high on at the end of last year just keeps impressing me less and less. Some off the field issues this off season didn't do Joe Pa any favors and a tough schedule could leave the Nittany Lions with four regular season losses.
5. Iowa - All the highly touted recruits from Kirk Ferentz have to kick in eventually...don't they?
6. Purdue - Offense will put up points but can they stop anything?
7. Illinois - Very young but very talented. The team will improve much as the year goes on but a bowl berth may finish just out of reach.
8. Indiana - Sad story with coach Terry Hoeppner this offseason, not only a great coach but even a better guy from everything you hear. A program headed in the right direction has just too much to overcome this year.
9. Northwestern - Not much to work with gives the Cats another losing season.
10. Michigan State - Team headed in a downward spiral and not much veteran experience on top of it.
11. Minnesota - If football were a contest determined by off the field issues then Minnesota has a legit case at being your preseason number 1. Its not and the Gophers will not win a conference game.

There is how it will go. Other predictions I might include would be Michigan losing to Wisconsin and Ohio State as well as their bowl game and Lloyd Carr getting axed. I also don't expect the Big Ten BCS luck to change this year, a few good teams won't be enough to beat a SEC or Pac 10 Champ.

Previews Galore!!!

I know you have all been waiting very anxiously for this and here it is...20 days until the first Thursday of the year and 22 days until September 1st. Time for some previews.

During the next couple of days expect previews for the SEC, ACC, Big Ten, Big Twelve, Big East, and Pac-10. We'll start things off however with my first top 10 of the season. Anything after the top 10 is really pointless to me so we will keep it at 10 for now. Read later entries for reasons why teams are ranked where they are...

1. USC
2. LSU
3. Wisconsin
4. Texas
5. Florida
6. West Virginia
7. Va Tech
8. Oklahoma
9. Ohio State
10. Georgia

As I said, conference by conference previews to come. Also expect some Heisman Hopefuls and all that fun stuff...including bad youtube videos from various gameday campuses this coming fall..

Its good to be back and its really good to be just three weeks away now.

Mr. Quinn?

The biker is somewhat surprising, I would have guessed the cowboy.

I'm Back

While I was gone plenty happened. I apologize, I am a college student after all and with an unpaid internship going on and a lot of class work for a change it has been hard for me to get on here on a consistent basis, or at all even. But since I have been away plenty has happened.

Corwin Brown is the new defensive coordinator, seems to have a good track record. As for a Michigan guy taking over an important coaching position, it will be different getting used to but at least we might have a hint of a secondary now.

Recruiting came and went, another top 10 class but not a whole lot on the defensive side of the ball. It should be interesting to see what Coach Weis can do with this class. I was also disappointed to see a few bail outs on Signing Day but what can you do? Enjoy North Carolina Greg Little.



Basketball has also consumed me the last couple of months. I know I'm late but congrats to Colin Falls for setting the Big East record for career three pointers. Quite the feat, also congrats to Mike Brey for being named Big East Coach of the Year this past weekend. As you all know the Irish were picked to finish eleventh in conference this year in the preseason coaches poll. Fourth in the regular season was a solid showing with a near upset of Georgetown in the conference tournament semi's.

This past afternoon was Selection Sunday. Combine it with the first day of the tournament and it is right there with New Years Day for my favorite day of the year, sports related anyway. The Irish drew a #6 seed where they will play Winthrop. Are you kidding me? The Big East was regarded by most to be the toughest conference in college hoops this season and the Irish finished fourth in it. The Irish should have been in contention for a #4 seed, I thought a #5 was a safe bet. Instead they draw amongst the toughest mid majors and a #6. Not real sure how this happens, especially when you look and see the likes of Virginia, Va Tech, Maryland, and Tennessee. The Irish had a stronger case than all of these teams for a #5 seed and were flat out screwed by the tournament selection committee.

That's all for now, finals tomorrow morning. Can't wait for this term to be done and to go on spring break...in Coal City, Il.

Army All American Game

Now on NBC I am watching the Army All American Game. I tuned in thinking that this would be much like the pro bowl with sugar coated defenses and very boring offenses. I also didn't expect to see much hitting.

I was wrong. Grant the West is blowing out the East but I feel reassured that the Irish are in good hands. A few years ago we were lucky to get one or two players in this game, now we have at last count, 8.

I know its a high school all-star game so to say but I enjoy this day. Watching it has made me feel a helluva a lot better about things than I felt at about 10:15 Wednesday night. It would be nice to see a couple linebackers or defensive linemen dawn the interlocking ND on their heads but with what I have seen so far I can't complain.

41-14

Where did it all go wrong? After a well played second quarter, with 1:44 to go in the half the Irish looked as if they were onto something. They hadn't allowed any points in the quarter and fought back to tie the game at 14 after trailing 14-0 to start off the ballgame. That is when things got ugly.

Real ugly.

LSU marched down field and scored just before the half to put the Bayou Bengals ahead 21-14 and they never looked back. They came out guns a blazin' in the third quarter and the Irish were lucky to hold them to a pair of field goals. Two more second half scores made it a 41-14 ballgame and thats how it finished.

"Where do we go from here?" is a question that will be asked.

What unemployed looks like

In all likelihood I feel that Rick Minter has coached his final game at Notre Dame. On defense Notre Dame does a very bad job of disguising blitzes and the defensive backs are out of position too much. Those both showed tonight. To an extent you can blame the players but there comes a time when you have to question who is running the defense. It was as if they had no idea what was coming at them, not real sure why because LSU didn't run that complex of a defense.

Can't put all the blame on the defense either, offensively in the second half the Irish looked miserable. Recievers dropped too many balls, offensive line didn't play their best game, and Brady had seen better evenings as well. A lot will be gone next year, we will have to wait and see what the rest of '07 has to bring.

Many will say that Charlie Weis is yet to deliver a top notch win at Notre Dame and they are completely correct in that assessment. I am not going to jump all over him and call for his head though. I am guilty of drinking a little too much "Notre Dame Kool-Aid" as you all call it. I apologize. However look what has happened under the Golden Dome in the past two seasons. A combined 19-6, with five of those losses being against top 5 teams in the nation. He doesn't lose games that he is supposed to do, a credit to him. Maybe all Irish fans alike are guilty of expecting too much, too early.

Two BCS bowls in a row, sure Notre Dame gets a break on bids when it comes down to it, but its a helluva way from a combined 1 BCS bowl in 8 years and its a better to be playing in New Orleans on January 3rd than in Bank One Ballpark before the New Year. Give Weis time. Next year doesn't look the best on paper but only time will tell. Even after tonights shalacking, there is not a doubt in my mind that the Irish are headed in the right direction and will be a force to reckon with as long as Weis is there.

Thank you seniors, what you were able to contribute to this team in your four years is remarkable. It ended biterly, but you have a lot to keep your heads up about.