As Notre Dame prepares for Saturday's contest at Purdue, Irish fans should reflect on how much they miss former Boilermakers coach Joe Tiller.
Ole Joe always seemed like one heck of a nice guy, but he might have been the only mentor in the Big Ten that Charlie Weis could out-coach. Tiller actually might have stressed defense less than Weis.
Of the three Big Ten teams that Notre Dame plays regularly, Weis has a winning record only against Purdue. He is 2-3 against Michigan and Michigan State - counting this season's results - and 3-1 against the Boilers.
Still, Notre Dame was only 7-5 overall against Tiller, as the Boilers have enjoyed more success against the Irish in West Lafayette, where they have won two of the last three meetings. Notre Dame has won 15 of the last 16 in South Bend.
Purdue may have hope, as in new coach Danny Hope, but the Boilers still aren't playing much defense. They allowed 31 points in a season-opening win over Toledo (52-31), 38 in a two-point loss to Oregon and almost 30 in last week's 28-21 defeat to Northern Illinois.
Still, Notre Dame is ripe to be beaten because we don't trust the Irish - and Weis - in any situation on the road.
Since Notre Dame has played two straight games in the 30s - 38-34 loss at Michigan and 33-30 win over Michigan - we see another high-scoring affair that will have Irish fans once again yelling at their televisions: Notre Dame 35, Purdue 31.
These hair-raising finishes don't seem to be causing our man Charlie to lose any weight. Actually, they might be having an opposite affect.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Still down in the dumps over the loss to Michigan
Not really in the mood to watch the game today, feeling the year already has been lost, thanks to Charlie Weis' late playing calling last week.
It is, of course, a foolish way of looking at the season, because there is still a lot of good things the Irish can accomplish in 2009.
A 10-win campaign is still possible, but then means running the table, and I'm not sure Notre Dame can do that.
Wait, you say. The Irish can still get to 10 wins by going 9-1. Sure, they can, but that one defeat will be to Southern California.
So, that means running the table in the other nine games, and we're just not sure the Irish can avoid another slip-up somwhere down the road.
That's how damaging last week's game was, both from an emotional and practical point of view.
We'll see how the Irish bounce back. Let's see if they come out with a better attitude than this fan, and finally beat Michigan State at home.
It is, of course, a foolish way of looking at the season, because there is still a lot of good things the Irish can accomplish in 2009.
A 10-win campaign is still possible, but then means running the table, and I'm not sure Notre Dame can do that.
Wait, you say. The Irish can still get to 10 wins by going 9-1. Sure, they can, but that one defeat will be to Southern California.
So, that means running the table in the other nine games, and we're just not sure the Irish can avoid another slip-up somwhere down the road.
That's how damaging last week's game was, both from an emotional and practical point of view.
We'll see how the Irish bounce back. Let's see if they come out with a better attitude than this fan, and finally beat Michigan State at home.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Weis' foolish play-calling costs Irish at Michigan
How much more of this must Notre Dame fans endure?
Notre Dame's supposed improved defense proved to be anything but in Saturday's 38-34 loss at Michigan. It's unfathomable the Irish could give up 38 points to a freshman quarterback making his second career start.
Also unfathomable was the reckless play calling in the final minutes by the most over-hyped coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision. That of course would be our man Charlie.
Instead of milking the clock and forcing Michigan to use all its timeouts, he has Jimmy Clausen attempt a home run pass. Once that second-down pass was incomplete, the Irish were almost forced to pass on third down, which played right into the hands of the Wolverines, who got the ball back with two timeouts and more than two minutes remaining for their winning drive.
We swear, this was about Weis' inflated ego. He couldn't merely try win the game - he wanted to be flamboyant, reminding everybody he's Charlie Weis, the offensive genius. He lived by the pass and then he died by the pass.
It's akin to the gambler who foolishly goes for broke on one hand of Black Jack. Sure, there is a reward, but the risk is too great.
Then Notre Dame got beat by a freshman signal-caller with one game under his belt. Amazing, just amazing.
Notre Dame's supposed improved defense proved to be anything but in Saturday's 38-34 loss at Michigan. It's unfathomable the Irish could give up 38 points to a freshman quarterback making his second career start.
Also unfathomable was the reckless play calling in the final minutes by the most over-hyped coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision. That of course would be our man Charlie.
Instead of milking the clock and forcing Michigan to use all its timeouts, he has Jimmy Clausen attempt a home run pass. Once that second-down pass was incomplete, the Irish were almost forced to pass on third down, which played right into the hands of the Wolverines, who got the ball back with two timeouts and more than two minutes remaining for their winning drive.
We swear, this was about Weis' inflated ego. He couldn't merely try win the game - he wanted to be flamboyant, reminding everybody he's Charlie Weis, the offensive genius. He lived by the pass and then he died by the pass.
It's akin to the gambler who foolishly goes for broke on one hand of Black Jack. Sure, there is a reward, but the risk is too great.
Then Notre Dame got beat by a freshman signal-caller with one game under his belt. Amazing, just amazing.
Trip to Michigan a big test for maturing Clausen
Much has been made about how Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen seems to have a different demeanor, about how he is having more fun on the field and playing with more confidence.
Those things will come with winning and experience. Clausen, of course, is now a junior, having put together back-to-back spectacular efforts against Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl and last week against Nevada in this year's season opener.
With talented receivers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd in his arsenal, Clausen could threaten Notre Dame's single-season passing record of 3,919 yards set by Brady Quinn in 2005.
Now, however, we want to see how Clausen handles a hostile environment (a.k.a, the Big House), to see how much he really has matured and grown.
You know Michigan will be out to make amends for last season's 35-17 loss at Notre Dame that was worse than the final score indicated.
Clausen's first visit to Michigan two years ago was not pretty. He was replaced by Evan Sharpley after passing for just 74 yards, as Notre Dame slipped to 0-3 for only the second time in school history.
As a side note, we have to comment again on the allegations made by anonymous - and former - Michigan players that Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez exceeded the 20-hour practice week mandated by the NCAA.
That could never happen at Notre Dame because it would mean Charlie Weis would have to delay his dinner reservations.
Those things will come with winning and experience. Clausen, of course, is now a junior, having put together back-to-back spectacular efforts against Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl and last week against Nevada in this year's season opener.
With talented receivers Golden Tate and Michael Floyd in his arsenal, Clausen could threaten Notre Dame's single-season passing record of 3,919 yards set by Brady Quinn in 2005.
Now, however, we want to see how Clausen handles a hostile environment (a.k.a, the Big House), to see how much he really has matured and grown.
You know Michigan will be out to make amends for last season's 35-17 loss at Notre Dame that was worse than the final score indicated.
Clausen's first visit to Michigan two years ago was not pretty. He was replaced by Evan Sharpley after passing for just 74 yards, as Notre Dame slipped to 0-3 for only the second time in school history.
As a side note, we have to comment again on the allegations made by anonymous - and former - Michigan players that Wolverines coach Rich Rodriguez exceeded the 20-hour practice week mandated by the NCAA.
That could never happen at Notre Dame because it would mean Charlie Weis would have to delay his dinner reservations.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Eric Mangini, name a starter -- please!
Exactly what is the big deal?
Eric Mangini is the only NFL coach who has not officially named a starting quarterback for this week's season-opening games.
All NFL coaches are paranoid control freaks to some degree, but the first-year Browns coach is taking the paranoia to a new level.
He thinks that officially announcing his quarterback would put his team at a disadvantage Sunday against the Vikings. He acts as if he is guarding a classified trade secret.
However, this is perhaps the NFL's worst-kept secret, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Wednesday that Brady Quinn has been tabbed as the Browns' starter.
Everyone around the NFL seems to know that Quinn will start Sunday, yet Mangini acts as if no one knows -- how absurd!
Anyway, we may be biased, but we think Mangini made the right choice. Derek Anderson enjoyed a storybook season two years ago, nearly leading the Browns to the playoffs, but he flopped last season, suggesting that he is no more than a one-year wonder.
The feeling here is that the Mighty Quinn has a better upside. He provides the intangible elements that Anderson lacked (leadership, intelligence, charisma, an ability to rally his teammates).
Eric Mangini is the only NFL coach who has not officially named a starting quarterback for this week's season-opening games.
All NFL coaches are paranoid control freaks to some degree, but the first-year Browns coach is taking the paranoia to a new level.
He thinks that officially announcing his quarterback would put his team at a disadvantage Sunday against the Vikings. He acts as if he is guarding a classified trade secret.
However, this is perhaps the NFL's worst-kept secret, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Wednesday that Brady Quinn has been tabbed as the Browns' starter.
Everyone around the NFL seems to know that Quinn will start Sunday, yet Mangini acts as if no one knows -- how absurd!
Anyway, we may be biased, but we think Mangini made the right choice. Derek Anderson enjoyed a storybook season two years ago, nearly leading the Browns to the playoffs, but he flopped last season, suggesting that he is no more than a one-year wonder.
The feeling here is that the Mighty Quinn has a better upside. He provides the intangible elements that Anderson lacked (leadership, intelligence, charisma, an ability to rally his teammates).
Monday, September 7, 2009
Saying a prayer for the great Ernie Harwell
"For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
Each year, before the Detroit Tigers' first spring training broadcast, Ernie Harwell would quote that passage from the Song of Solomon.
Although this isn't really related to Notre Dame or college football, we have to take a moment here to say a prayer for the great Harwell, the legendary Tigers' announcer who is dying.
Well, maybe we can relate this to football, because Bo Schembechler had the audacity to fire Harwell when the former Michigan coach was the general manager of the Tigers.
The harsh reality is that Harwell is indeed dying after the Tigers reported last week that he has inoperable bile duct cancer. In some respects, the news really shouldn't be considered surprising or a cause to feel down.
Harwell, after all, is 91, and no man lives forever. He has enjoyed a full, wonderful life, spending 55 years in baseball as a broadcaster and consummate gentleman.
Still, it is sad to know that someone who has been called the nicest man in baseball won't be around too much longer.
Growing up in Connecticut, I didn't get to listen to Harwell very often, but next to Phil Rizzuto, he was my favorite baseball announcer.
On those rare occasions when I did get to listen to him, I enjoyed his soothing voice and catch phrases ("Loooong gone", "He stood there like the house by the side of the road", "He's out for excessive window shopping; looked at one too many.")
He was the voice of summer on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull for four decades, and his call of the Tigers clinching the pennant against the Yankees in 1968, when racial strife was tearing apart Detroit, may have been his best:
"And the wind-up, and the pitch - he swings, a line shot, base hit, right field. The Tigers win it. Kaline scores, and it's all over. Don Wert singles. The Tigers mob Don. Kaline has scored, the fans are streaming on the field. And the Tigers have won their first pennant since Nineteen Hundred and Forty-Five. Let's listen to the bedlam here at Tiger Stadium."
A humble man in a business often lacking humility, Harwell handled the news of his cancer with the grace everyone knew he would.
If anyone could rival Vin Scully as the best baseball announcer who ever lived it would be Earnest William Harwell, born January 25, 1918 in Washington, Georgia.
Wouldn't it be special if the Tigers could give Harwell another World Series title in his final days? They came close in 2006, reaching the World Series.
Recalling how Schembechler once treated Michigan's most beloved adopted son makes me want Notre Dame to pound the Wolverines on Saturday even worse than last season.
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land."
Each year, before the Detroit Tigers' first spring training broadcast, Ernie Harwell would quote that passage from the Song of Solomon.
Although this isn't really related to Notre Dame or college football, we have to take a moment here to say a prayer for the great Harwell, the legendary Tigers' announcer who is dying.
Well, maybe we can relate this to football, because Bo Schembechler had the audacity to fire Harwell when the former Michigan coach was the general manager of the Tigers.
The harsh reality is that Harwell is indeed dying after the Tigers reported last week that he has inoperable bile duct cancer. In some respects, the news really shouldn't be considered surprising or a cause to feel down.
Harwell, after all, is 91, and no man lives forever. He has enjoyed a full, wonderful life, spending 55 years in baseball as a broadcaster and consummate gentleman.
Still, it is sad to know that someone who has been called the nicest man in baseball won't be around too much longer.
Growing up in Connecticut, I didn't get to listen to Harwell very often, but next to Phil Rizzuto, he was my favorite baseball announcer.
On those rare occasions when I did get to listen to him, I enjoyed his soothing voice and catch phrases ("Loooong gone", "He stood there like the house by the side of the road", "He's out for excessive window shopping; looked at one too many.")
He was the voice of summer on the corner of Michigan and Trumbull for four decades, and his call of the Tigers clinching the pennant against the Yankees in 1968, when racial strife was tearing apart Detroit, may have been his best:
"And the wind-up, and the pitch - he swings, a line shot, base hit, right field. The Tigers win it. Kaline scores, and it's all over. Don Wert singles. The Tigers mob Don. Kaline has scored, the fans are streaming on the field. And the Tigers have won their first pennant since Nineteen Hundred and Forty-Five. Let's listen to the bedlam here at Tiger Stadium."
A humble man in a business often lacking humility, Harwell handled the news of his cancer with the grace everyone knew he would.
If anyone could rival Vin Scully as the best baseball announcer who ever lived it would be Earnest William Harwell, born January 25, 1918 in Washington, Georgia.
Wouldn't it be special if the Tigers could give Harwell another World Series title in his final days? They came close in 2006, reaching the World Series.
Recalling how Schembechler once treated Michigan's most beloved adopted son makes me want Notre Dame to pound the Wolverines on Saturday even worse than last season.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Irish impressive in season-opening win over Nevada
Watched the game today with a fellow Notre Dame fan who wanted another touchdown in the fourth quarter.
"Don't want to be greedy," he said, "but 42-0 would have looked a lot better than 35-0."
Oh, well. Some guys are never satisfied.
Maybe Notre Dame's 35-0 win over Nevada doesn't qualify as a true blowout, but it certainly was a decisive, workman-like victory for the Irish.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Notre Dame's triumph is that the game took barely three hours. That's because there weren't an abundance of possession changes due to the Irish's ball-control attack.
Really, it would be difficult to find much wrong with ND's performance Saturday. If you want to pick some nits, you could say that the Irish weren't quite as effective in the second half after building a 28-0 lead at the intermission.
But that's only for guys who need to complain about something. Notre Dame scored touchdowns on five of its first six possessions and gained more than 500 yards. Jimmy Clausen threw four TDs. What's not to like?
It quite apparent that Notre Dame has a pair of speedy receivers in Michael Floyd and Golden Tate. The Irish also got a semblance of a running game going against the Wolf Pack after ranking near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing the last two seasons and recorded their first shutout of the Charlie Weis' era.
Still, somebody needs to tell NBC commentator Pat Haden to tone down the shilling. Haden suggested Weis, already well-compensated, "deserved a raise."
Even if said in jest, it is a ridiculous over-the-top comment after one game. The Irish beat Nevada, not the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers. Haden should stop drinking the Kool-Aid, at least until the Irish beat USC.
The Irish now need to show they can win in a hostile environment (at Michigan next week).
"Don't want to be greedy," he said, "but 42-0 would have looked a lot better than 35-0."
Oh, well. Some guys are never satisfied.
Maybe Notre Dame's 35-0 win over Nevada doesn't qualify as a true blowout, but it certainly was a decisive, workman-like victory for the Irish.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Notre Dame's triumph is that the game took barely three hours. That's because there weren't an abundance of possession changes due to the Irish's ball-control attack.
Really, it would be difficult to find much wrong with ND's performance Saturday. If you want to pick some nits, you could say that the Irish weren't quite as effective in the second half after building a 28-0 lead at the intermission.
But that's only for guys who need to complain about something. Notre Dame scored touchdowns on five of its first six possessions and gained more than 500 yards. Jimmy Clausen threw four TDs. What's not to like?
It quite apparent that Notre Dame has a pair of speedy receivers in Michael Floyd and Golden Tate. The Irish also got a semblance of a running game going against the Wolf Pack after ranking near the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing the last two seasons and recorded their first shutout of the Charlie Weis' era.
Still, somebody needs to tell NBC commentator Pat Haden to tone down the shilling. Haden suggested Weis, already well-compensated, "deserved a raise."
Even if said in jest, it is a ridiculous over-the-top comment after one game. The Irish beat Nevada, not the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers. Haden should stop drinking the Kool-Aid, at least until the Irish beat USC.
The Irish now need to show they can win in a hostile environment (at Michigan next week).
Friday, September 4, 2009
Weis facing heat entering fifth season at Notre Dame
Do not count former Notre Dame linebacker Tom Reynolds among Charlie Weis' biggest fans.
According to the "Daily Domer", Reynolds is the man responsible for the following words that appeared on a huge billboard erected earlier this week just outside the Notre Dame campus: "Best wishes to Charlie Weis in the fifth year of his college coaching internship. Linebacker Alumni."
Ouch! Coach Weis could not be reached to comment on the billboard.
The sign was erected almost directly above the Linebacker Inn (hence the name), which is located on the corner of Edison Road and South Bend Ave, near the southeast entrance of the campus - and less than a half mile from Weis' office.
If this sign appeared inside the campus, we imagine the perpetrator would have been seized by Notre Dame's overzealous police force and publicly flogged.
On to Saturday's game itself ...
Nevada finished last a year ago in defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision and Jimmy Clausen is coming off a 401-yard passing performance - and five touchdowns - in Notre Dame's rout of Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl.
That would seem to suggest Clausen is in for another huge game Saturday. We're not so sure. Even with an excellent receiving corps (at least on paper) that includes
Golden Tate and Michael Floyd, we see the Irish struggling with a case of opening-game jitters, as they did a year ago with San Diego State.
If Notre Dame is greatly improved, it will roll Saturday to the tune of a 42-14 victory. We don't see it. We think the Irish will win but the 14-point spread is too high ... Notre Dame 31, Nevada 21.
According to the "Daily Domer", Reynolds is the man responsible for the following words that appeared on a huge billboard erected earlier this week just outside the Notre Dame campus: "Best wishes to Charlie Weis in the fifth year of his college coaching internship. Linebacker Alumni."
Ouch! Coach Weis could not be reached to comment on the billboard.
The sign was erected almost directly above the Linebacker Inn (hence the name), which is located on the corner of Edison Road and South Bend Ave, near the southeast entrance of the campus - and less than a half mile from Weis' office.
If this sign appeared inside the campus, we imagine the perpetrator would have been seized by Notre Dame's overzealous police force and publicly flogged.
On to Saturday's game itself ...
Nevada finished last a year ago in defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision and Jimmy Clausen is coming off a 401-yard passing performance - and five touchdowns - in Notre Dame's rout of Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl.
That would seem to suggest Clausen is in for another huge game Saturday. We're not so sure. Even with an excellent receiving corps (at least on paper) that includes
Golden Tate and Michael Floyd, we see the Irish struggling with a case of opening-game jitters, as they did a year ago with San Diego State.
If Notre Dame is greatly improved, it will roll Saturday to the tune of a 42-14 victory. We don't see it. We think the Irish will win but the 14-point spread is too high ... Notre Dame 31, Nevada 21.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Getting Ready For Another Notre Dame Football Season
The heart beats a little faster. The palms start sweating. The butterflies appear in the stomach.
The beginning of another Notre Dame football season, the 121st in school history, is less than 72 hours away. For a Fighting Irish fan or any college football fan, this is Christmas, New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July all rolled into one.
We much prefer the college game over the NFL for reasons that will appear in another blog item.
Again, I think of my dad, the biggest Notre Dame fan I have ever known. He would always get excited the week before the Irish's first game, act like a little kid waiting to open presents on Christmas morning.
On Thursday, I will perform my traditional season-opening ritual by visiting his grave and softly singing the fight song that he loved so dearly. We actually thought of playing the Notre Dame Victory March at his funeral in 1987(not really!).
The start of another Notre Dame football season is like a rebirth, a renewal of faith. It is timeless and forever. Really, it's the same on any college campus, except that no school mixes religion and football the way Our Lady's school does.
Indeed, these are traditions that help define the fabric of American life and culture. Saturday's America, as the great author Dan Jenkins so eloquently put it.
And, on a beautiful late summer day inside the House That Rockne Built, Here Come The Irish, Here Come The Irish, Here Come The Irish, charging out of the tunnel.
The Notre Dame band, the band of the Fighting Irish, strikes up the Victory March. Eighty thousand members of the flock begin the rhythmic clapping. If this does not get the juices flowing, then, sir, I would say you have a heart of stone. You also can't be Irish.
Unfortunately, out of the tunnel also comes Charlie Weis, beginning his fifth season - one too many, as far as we're concerned - as Notre Dame coach.
Saddled with a mediocre 29-21 record, Weis is out of excuses and officially has been put on notice by Irish Eyes are Smiling.
Win at least nine games this season, or get out of South Bend. With a favorable schedule and a veteran team returning, anything less than nine wins would be unacceptable. He really needs to win 10 games.
Our prediction for the Irish: 10-2, because we're foolishly optimistic when we should know better.
The beginning of another Notre Dame football season, the 121st in school history, is less than 72 hours away. For a Fighting Irish fan or any college football fan, this is Christmas, New Year's Eve and the Fourth of July all rolled into one.
We much prefer the college game over the NFL for reasons that will appear in another blog item.
Again, I think of my dad, the biggest Notre Dame fan I have ever known. He would always get excited the week before the Irish's first game, act like a little kid waiting to open presents on Christmas morning.
On Thursday, I will perform my traditional season-opening ritual by visiting his grave and softly singing the fight song that he loved so dearly. We actually thought of playing the Notre Dame Victory March at his funeral in 1987(not really!).
The start of another Notre Dame football season is like a rebirth, a renewal of faith. It is timeless and forever. Really, it's the same on any college campus, except that no school mixes religion and football the way Our Lady's school does.
Indeed, these are traditions that help define the fabric of American life and culture. Saturday's America, as the great author Dan Jenkins so eloquently put it.
And, on a beautiful late summer day inside the House That Rockne Built, Here Come The Irish, Here Come The Irish, Here Come The Irish, charging out of the tunnel.
The Notre Dame band, the band of the Fighting Irish, strikes up the Victory March. Eighty thousand members of the flock begin the rhythmic clapping. If this does not get the juices flowing, then, sir, I would say you have a heart of stone. You also can't be Irish.
Unfortunately, out of the tunnel also comes Charlie Weis, beginning his fifth season - one too many, as far as we're concerned - as Notre Dame coach.
Saddled with a mediocre 29-21 record, Weis is out of excuses and officially has been put on notice by Irish Eyes are Smiling.
Win at least nine games this season, or get out of South Bend. With a favorable schedule and a veteran team returning, anything less than nine wins would be unacceptable. He really needs to win 10 games.
Our prediction for the Irish: 10-2, because we're foolishly optimistic when we should know better.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
