Irish 38 Purdue 21

The Notre Dame defense continues to play plenty good enough to win, now giving up only 18.5 pts per game through 4 games. The offense finally clicked, with 3 TDs and 275 yards from Jimmy, and 200 yards rushing. Easily, the best game since 2006, maybe 2005. Hard to believe, but still the more true. Here are some highlights via YouTube. Enjoy

Lost in Translation: Euro Soccer

The Pope is currently pontificating in Germany in order ensure that the Papal audit goes well in the German division. So I figure, that being such a sports fan, why don't I give the local sport a try? My hotel being situated on the property of the Veltins Arena couldn't have made it any easier. Veltins Arena is one of the most modern soccer stadiums in Europe, hosting FIFA World Cup games in 2006, as well as being home to one of the premier teams in the German League (the Bundesliga), FC Schalke 04 (the 04 is for the year they were founded, 1904). So the Pope has now gone to 2 matches in 4 days, and has some thoughts.

 

Initially, I sought to compare sports in Europe to the American sports. Since there is only one sport in Europe that means anything (football = soccer), it really became a question of how to translate European Football to an American sports fan. I think certain tendencies and characteristics of all our American sports helped me more easily understand European football.

 

So here is your American sports translation guide to European football. A trait of Euro football is explained via comparison to its American sports equivalent:

1. Pageantry & Passion of Euro Football   -   College Football    -    Flags swinging in the stands during the game, singing, and a cheer for every call, pass, near goal, goal, corner kick, and set piece (free kick). Go to a Notre Dame game and count the number of cheers that every single student knows and uses throughout the game, depending on the situation. There is even a section of fans at the Veltins arena that never sit down  -  and they even jump and dance at various points of the match. Nothing in all of American Sports is similar to the crowd and energy, passion, etc, except college football, where stadiums and student sections cheer and dance in an manner that has been proliferated through its participants for years. A tradition like no other, college football and European soccer.
2. Commercially Driven Stadium Experience    -    NFL Football    -    I walk into the Veltins (one of the top selling German beers) arena. Advertisements everywhere, commercials on the big screen, jerseys with sponsors names on it  -  American sports hasn't gone the jersey route yet, but we have commercialized everything else in the NFL. Even the concessions (beer please) felt extremely similar, as numerous middle aged and likely middle class men anxiously wait for their next beer and to return to their seats. On field entertainment during halftime was very similar to NFL games I have attended - fans get their chance to kick one ball from midfield to win money.
3. Frustrating and very Subjective Officiating    -    NBA Basketball   -   My least favorite part of the game of soccer is the power of the whistle. The number of questionable calls and their potential impact on the outcome of a soccer match is absurd, and the only thing that is comparable is the NBA and its oftentimes subjective officiating. The NBA officials don't have nearly as much impact with one whistle though. The "star treatment" by officials is an NBA specialty nowadays, and Euro soccer gets some of this as well. Fake falls, or doing anything with the body to fake contact and a foul, are much too common in Euro soccer. I saw at least 4 to 5 players fall without being touched! They didn't just fall, but to add insult to (fake) injury, each player writhed around on the ground in pain, only to hop right up and continue playing after a short 30 second visit from a trainer. Disgusting, and there is very little direct American sports translation for this horrific stunt. The closest thing would be NBA officials and a player faking a "charge" in basketball. Maybe a WR falling down when a defender touches him, on a pass that's not catchable.
4. History   -   Baseball   -   The teams over here are very proud of their history, especially when the club or team was founded. Most teams were founded in the late 1800s or early 1900s, which was a period that is only comparable in America to baseball, which popularized about the same time. An NFL or NBA comparison is impossible, as the leagues were barely relevant until the 1950s or 1960s really. College Football certainly has been around, but was not as big a deal really until the 1910s or 20s.
5. Numerous Divisions of Minor Leagues    -    Baseball   -   The German Bundesliga has 7 divisions. Just about every town and even village has a team of some sort. There are 3 national divisions, with the top teams being in the 1st division (commonly referred to as the Bundesliga). There are even 4 leagues for each "Region" of the country  -  N, S, E, and W Germany all have divisions that are lower than the 3 National divisions. Very similar to Minor League baseball, which has 3 levels of major minor leagues (A, AA, and AAA), as well as numerous semi-pro and rookie leagues. Teams have "farm" teams and bring players up here in soccer just like in baseball.
6. Opposing Teams Fans on the Road   -   Numerous examples   -    How about Alabama or any SEC team's fans at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA? Or maybe Cowboys fans in the upper deck of the old Veterans stadium in Philadelphia? The only difference is that opposing teams in Euro soccer are placed all together in the corner, surrounded by 8 foot tall plexiglass, with spikes on top of the glass to prevent climbing over. Yes, spikes - on top of the fence enclosing the opposing fans - to keep other fans from climbing the wall. Soak that in. Of course, about half the stadium's security guards are typically near this section. No such luxuries are provided to Alabama fans in Baton Rouge, or Cowboys fans in Philly, and I guess I kind of like it that way.

To sum up my feelings  -  Euro football is very entertaining and is a great sport. American sports fans will always struggle to digest with the fake injuries or fake falls by some players, and power of the officials to near completely decide a game. A fake or exaggerated fall then creating a free kick call from an official  -  a kick which results in a goal and a game being won 1 to 0  -   would not be acceptable for an American fan. Especially considering that once the team scores they goal, they pull all their players back and don't even attempt to have an offense.

 

There you have it, you now know everything about European soccer from an American sports point of view. Its an incredible and unique experience that should be tried by American sports fans that have the chance  -  remember, its the most popular game in the World.

Sparty Wins . . . Again

Make it 9 wins in their last 12 meetings with the Irish. To say the Spartans have our number would be pretty spot on. Man I miss Jonelle Smith . . .

 

Michigan St beat the Irish 23-7 on Saturday. My predicted close loss for the Irish was not fully correct, but I did predict a losing effort for the Irish in a winnable game. It was winnable, although the Irish clearly did not deserve to win. Here are a few straight from the hip thoughts about the Irish:

• Rushing Offense  -  Awful by the Irish. How this year's team managed fewer yards rushing against the Spartans than the 2007 team (40 yards vs 150 yards) is baffling. No matter what running back, we could not get any headway. The coaching staff better fix this soon. I hope its fixable  -  because it really looks like our guys are just getting beat.
• Brandon Walker and the Irish Kicking Game get an F-. Absolutely embarrassing and awful. See the rest of my post, and you will hear a tone of not being upset but positive criticism and a belief in what we are doing. I have patience in all aspects of the 2008 Irish, except no longer in the kicking game. The left footed kicker never even gets close to making a field goal, and his ball hooks every single time. If walker makes one or both of the missed field goals on Saturday, more pressure on the Spartans might have benefited the Irish defense and changed the game. Put someone else in, anyone, because this kid has proven over and over again that he CANNOT kick. Period.
• Defense  -  Looked very solid with an A grade to the defensive backs, B grade the linebackers, and a C to the defensive line. Up until the late 70 yard run by Ringer, we had held him to 130 yards on 35 carries, which was acceptable. The defensive backs continue to defend deep balls perfectly (Raeshon McNeil - I'm looking at you  -  nice defense yet again on the deep pass in the end zone) and the safeties are playing lights out. Against the pass, we are as good as we have been in 10 years, easily. Against the run, we lack the big talented bodies on the line right now. But we are much closer to stopping the run and solidifying the defense than we are to effectively running the ball on offense.
• Passing Offense   -  Looked fantastic at times, but inconsistent. We you cant run the ball at all, passing the ball is more difficult. This is what faced Clausen and the Irish and I think we had no trouble moving the ball on the Spartans. Freshman Michael Floyd and Sophomore Golden Tate are already fantastic players and will make the Irish a good passing team this year, and a great team in the years to come. I predict in 2010 (2 years) that the Irish passing attack will be the best in the history of Notre Dame. I think Clausen could be like Brady Quinn, although we don't know yet. The big key is that the WRs will be the best collection of WR talent ND has ever had, period. Samardzija and Stoval were good, but these guys are younger, faster, and will be better.

The Irish are now 2-1. After the Michigan game, the koolaid drinking gained a lot of momentum with Irish fans, who began to raise their expectations quite a bit. I think in the back of some fans' minds, there were images of riding into the Coliseum at Thanksgiving to take on the Trojans, both teams sitting at 11-0. That's ridiculous in two ways. First, 11-0 heading into the last game is crazy. Second, to even think the game with USC will be a close or barely competitive game is absurd. Am I the only sane Irish fan around?

 

Coach Weis said, "You are what you are  -  and right now you're a 6-6 football team", when he was hired. Well, its an objective gut check time for the Irish fan base. WE are what WE are, and I think the following:

• 1 year removed from being a 3-9 team, hapless all over the field
• Very young all over the field; against Michigan, all 5 touchdowns were scored by true sophomores
• 2-1  -  with a chance to win the one game we lost
• Likely favored by Las Vegas in at least 5, maybe 6 of the 9 remaining games (I presume we are favored against Purdue, Stanford, Navy, Syracuse, and @Washington ; not favored @ North Carolina, @ Boston College, or @ USC; tossup being at home against Pitt)
• And most of all  - still on pace for a bowl game, the only logical goal for a team recovering from an awful season

I predicted 7-5 back in my preseason prediction. Yes, I predicted the Irish to be 2-1 at this point also, but with a loss to Michigan and a victory over Michigan St. Nonetheless, we are still on pace for the Meineke Car Care Bowl bid that I predicted. Miami is slightly above pace to meet us in that bowl game, but anything can happen.

Michigan St. Spartans Preview

Notre Dame @ Michigan St.   -  Saturday, 2:30pm Central time (9:30pm in Germany, where I currently am)

 

Michigan St. is favored by 9 points for a reason  -  they own the Irish, and matchup very well against the Irish weakness, the defensive line/run defense. Michigan St.'s new coach Mark D'Antonio is old school   -  run the football. Last weekend, All American Running Back Javon Ringer ran 48 times for 270 yards! against Florida Atlantic, albeit in the rain. They don't run a spread, but rather have a 300 point lineman in all 5 spots and line up in traditional fullback sets like the power i. The Irish are going to likely need to keep Ringer under 200 yards to have a chance, barring lots of turnovers or a lack of scoring somehow. Hoyer is a more than adequate passer as well, as Michigan St. typically has underrated but very talented college WRs (Derrick Mason, Plaxico Burress, Charles Rodgers, last year's 1st WR taken Devin Thomas).

 

Prediction #1  -  Javon Ringer will have 155 yards rushing

Prediction #2  -  QB Hoyer will have 150 yards passing

 

Obviously I am predicting a big offensive day for the Spartans, a very balanced attack. DAntonio will go the air more as the Irish load the box to stop the run. The Spartans are easily the best offensive team that we have played, and are far superior on offense to the Wolverines.

 

Michigan St's defense however, has much to be desired. Their run offense does shorten the game and give their defense a good rest. Michigan St's defense is giving up 350 yards total offense per game, compared to the Wolverines 280. In addition, the Spartans are giving up 4.5 yards per rush, compared the Wolverines 1.8. Michigan St lost a close battle to Cal, but has played Eastern Michigan and Florida Atlantic the past two weeks.

 

The Irish should have a good day on the ground and in the air against the Michigan St defense, assuming Clausen and the offensive line continue improving. The only variable here is how the Irish will respond to their first road test in a hostile environment like East Lansing, where bitterness of being #2 in Michigan and a hatred of the Irish combine with alcohol to form some nasty situations (trust me, the Pope knows).

 

Prediction #3  -  The Irish will have 175 yards team rushing  -  Armando Allen with 75, Hughes with 50, Alridge with 50, a balanced attack.

 

Prediction #4  -  The Irish will have 175 yards passing

 

Prediction #5  -  Clausen will throw two interceptions, one tipped and one bad pass

 

This will be a good football game, perhaps one of the best of the year. Both teams will have a balanced offense, and this game will be high scoring. I would expect this game to be near the 30s for each team. The best player on the field (Ringer) and the home crowd give the Spartans the final score and a close, hard fought victory. Irish cover, but lose:

 

Michigan St. Spartans  -  31     Notre Dame Fightin' Irish   -  28

 

I hope I'm wrong

Apologies from Vatican Smoke

Below, in my post last Thursday, I predicted the Irish would beat the Wolverines by the score of 38 to 14. I was wrong. The Irish only won 35-17, so obviously my credibility is now shot. Read the pregame preview below, pretty interesting to read it after the fact. Here is a recap of my predictions:

Prediction 1  >>  Michigan would have 150 yards rushing, 75 yards passing.  Not bad, Michigan had 159 yards rushing. But, they had 229 yards passing.

 

Prediction 2  >>  Michigan's QBs will have at least 2 turnovers. Try like 4 or 5. Michigan's QB was intercepted 2 times, fumbled a snap once, and was involved in another two fumbles (one on a handoff, one on a backwards pass). The Michigan QB play was a big reason the Irish won.

 

Prediction 3  >>  The Irish will rush for 75 yards and throw for 250. The Irish rushed for 113 yards, and passed for 150. Granted, in the second half, all we did was run the ball to preserve the lead and due to the rain. We could have passed for 200 easily, but didn't need to.

 

Prediction 4  >>  Michigan's defense will recover 1 Irish fumble, have 1 interception, and have 1 sack of Clausen. Pretty good by the Irish considering the rain. ND fumbled 3 times but lost Zero of them, Clausen had 2 interceptions, and for the 2nd straight week, the OLine gave up 0 sacks. Through 2 games, 0 sacks. UNREAL!! Last season's 5 sack average per game is going to be beaten this year.

 

Prediction 5  >>  The Irish will run 4 screen passes for a total of 50 yards. The Irish ran 1, maybe 2, and they were completely blown up and unsuccessful. I still say the offense cannot be complete until we can effectively use the screen pass.

 

Prediction 6  >>  Predicted score, Irish 38 Michigan 14. Not bad, 35-17 was your final.

 

Hard to measure all these predictions, but I would say I did a pretty good job considering the score. The Irish offense was better on passing that I thought they would be, even though passing yards were explainably low (weather and 2nd half lead). The new found ability for the Irish to have a quick strike to Golden Tate or Michael Floyd is the single biggest surprise and success of this new season. Defenses will have to worry about the deep ball, which always opens more options across the middle, short, and in the running game.

 

What a fantastic gameplan by Weis!! The defensive front 7 of Michigan were stout, as I and everyone else knew. Weis didn't try to run the ball into that  -  but instead planned to take a lot of play action deep pass chances early in the game, in hopes of getting a lead and creating pressure for a young Michigan team. It worked, with deep balls galore to Golden Tate and true freshman Michael Floyd.

 

Tough game this week   -  and don't think I'm done posting about this win. I will definitely have some upcoming thoughts for all of you out there that think the Irish were "given" the game. We were served the game, but the Irish still had to finish the Wolverines, which we did. More on that later.

Michigan Game Preview

Michigan and Notre Dame square off in South Bend this weekend. This marks the first meeting between coaches Rich Rodriguez and Charlie Weis, while its Weis' 4th time against the Wolverines. Kickoff is at 2:30pm central time - here is a quick rundown of what to watch for on each side of the ball, with some of my predictions mixed in via bullet points below.

• When Michigan has the football . . . the key here for the Irish will be stopping the spread offense running game. Michigan will play both QBs (Threet, Sheridan), as well as 3 or more RBs, Minor and McGuffie being the main guys. Both RBs are improving and are different types of backs, Minor being more power inside, with McGuffie being more speed outside. Michigan's passing game has been abysmal through 2 games, so that should help us allocate defenders to the run. Notre Dame must stop the running game and let our defensive backs matchup with the Michigan WRs man to man. This will give us the best chance to leave more guys to defend the run and pressure the QB.
• Prediction: Michigan will have 150 yard rushing, 75 yards passing
• Prediction: Notre Dame's pressure will cause at least 2 turnovers from Michigan QBs Threet or Sheridan (both will play).
• When Notre Dame has the football . . . its a line battle, plain and simple. If Michigan's very talented defensive line - headlined by all 4 returning starters from last year - can cause even close to the destruction it caused against the ND offensive line last year, then this game will be over before it starts. ND's line will be improved, but getting 100 yards on the ground will be a necessity - Michigan's average yards rushing given up so far this year is 45 yards, through 2 games. At the minimum, the Irish must protect Jimmy Clausen. Anymore than 3 sacks given up will make this game difficult to win.
• Prediction: The Irish rush for 75 yards, while passing for 250
• Prediction: Michigan's defense will have 1 fumble, 1 interception, and 1 sack
• Blitzing Irish Defense >> One thing that people have harped about this week is whether the Irish should keep blitzing last week, since we only got 1 sack and San Diego St. was able to move the ball. I think the blitz caused San Diego St to make shorter passes and allowed fewer big plays than our prior years defenses. The Aztecs passed 60 times, only completing 29, for an average of 4.2 yards. That's not even a great rushing average! I say the defense played fine outside of a few bad third down shovel passes, as well as two third down penalties that continued drives that had ended. Hopefully we saved some of the more exotic blitzes for a very green Michigan Offensive Line this week.
• Screen Passes >> I will know the Charlie Weis offense of 2005-2006 is back when we start executing screen passes to perfection. Last year the screen game was a complete joke, and that took away a huge piece of the Weis offensive arsenal. Screens can be extremely effective against a blitzing defense, or one where the defensive line is running rampant through the Offensive Line. However, its a very difficult play to execute for the offense, down to the timing, tempo, and all the things that have to go right at the same time. But when it does work, man is it pretty. I think we are gonna have to execute the screen play well against Michigan to have a chance.
• Prediction: The Irish will run 4 screen plays for 50 yards, with plays of 3, 5, 30, and 12. 3 passes to Armando Allen, 1 to Robert Hughes.
• Enjoy this screen play from the Pittsburgh game, the first game of 2005 and of Weis' coaching career. This, my friends, is how you run a screen play.

Prediction Time: The Michigan defensive line's dominance over the Irish OLine is the unavoidable roadblock for many trying to pick the Irish to win this one. Even the corners for Michigan are very experienced and are going to cover our young WRs much better than San Diego St. Michigan's offense has looked bad through 2 games - I'm betting they don't look any better on Saturday either.

I am a completely biased homer of a moron. I cannot fully explain why I am predicting this, because logic and matchups discussed above would denote otherwise. I think the Irish are going to come out swinging against a punchless opponent. Electricity and confidence and hope and fire and passion and pure adrenaline will return to Notre Dame stadium for the first time since 2006. The Irish will start fast . . . and end fast. We won't run over Michigan, as they will hand us the game with 3 major turnovers, all 3 of which are converted into touchdowns. The Irish will look much better than reality, which is better than reality slapping us in the face like all last season. Notre Dame is still an average or slightly above average team, at best - but the scoreboard will say otherwise on this day:


Notre Dame 38 Michigan 14

Titans Report

A very weird first week for the Titans that includes a big, dominant win as well as a confused quarterback.

• Big Win, Big Defense >> The Tennessee defense was absolutely superb on Sunday. 7 sacks, 2 interceptions, and a forced fumble, all against a good team at avoiding turnovers, the Jaguars. The divisional win, combined with the other two teams in the division (Colts & Texans) both losing, created a near picture perfect first week for the Titans. The defensive line looked unbelievable - as nearly all of that pressure came by the line alone, rarely needing blitzes to get to David Garrard. Another incredible stat from the game was the total rushing yardage - 36 yards - that the Jaguars got on 24 carries. WoW. If healthy, this defense is better than last year's team, which finished ranked #5 in the league. Scary.
• Vince Young's play, not mental state >> Vince Young looked pretty bad against the Jaguars, a very good defensive team that has always given him trouble. The whole issue this week with Vince's leadership and mental health (commented on below) is not a factor in my analysis here - but I think that Vince is never going to be the quarterback that many expect. He will never be a great pocket passer. What he can be is an amazing leader, and someone who's improvisation and speed abilities should be a stable that every defense must prepare for. Vince Young needs more called running plays and rollouts, plays which always seem more natural and easy for him. These plays will establish rhythm, and that's when he will make his big passes, after he has a feel for the game. 5 step drops and standing still will not work for Vince. He is currently injured with a sprained MCL. I say leave him out for as long as he needs to get healthy, then bring him back slowly. Vince is a leader but not someone that the Titans utterly depend on to win (ie, Tom Brady).
• Chris Johnson out of the backfield, WOW >> A fantastic debut for the rookie speedster out of East Carolina. Johnson ran a sub 4.3 40yrd dash and was a surprise 1st round pick of the Titans. Most thought he would be a change of pace back, with the bulk of the carries going to Lendale White. Wrong. Johnson got 19 carries, started the game, and easily was the best thing the Titans had going on offense. The offense really appears to be utilizing and valuing Johnson's potential, and defenses are going to have to adjust. He will either have continued success, or defenses will have to leave something else open for our offense. I expect the Tight Ends to benefit the most by less linebacker attention. And he is on my fantasy team, which rewards heavily for receptions out of the backfield, a CJ specialty. He'll be fun to watch.
• Vince Young Mental Advice >> I love Vince, and think he is a winner. Right now he is just having a hard time not having the immense success he enjoyed at Texas. I fully expect him to come out of his funk, get healthy, and lead this team. I think the Titans have a responsibility to be patient with Vince, as well as give him more chances to make plays. He is not yet and likely will never be a pure pocket passer, so we must get him going early with called run plays and more rollouts. Then Vince's natural instincts will begin flowing, giving him tempo and rhythm to make the passing plays we need. Hang in there Vince, you have a fan here at the Vatican.

Titans at the Bengals this weekend, who played poorly against the Ravens in week 1. Bengals are favored by 1, but we all remember the butt whooping the Bengals put on the Titans last season in Cincinnati in mid season. Certainly it could happen again, but I find it tough to believe the Bengals will score more than the low 20s against our defense. Kerry Collins will have a big day, my prediction:

Titans 31 Bengals 20

ND vs San Diego St. - Recap

ND - 21 San Diego St 13

Game recap here

The initial impression that many have today is one of disgust or "here we go again" after watching the Irish yesterday. As ugly as it was, a win is a win. Last year's team would not have won that football game late like the Irish did yesterday. Much more can be learned after an ugly win than what could have been learned after a loss that likely would have been the beginning of the end of the Weis era. Now to address my specific game predictions from my Friday post, as well as to assess grades for the 4 areas of grading (Passing Offense, Rushing Offense, Defense, Special Teams), here we go:

• Rushing Game I predicted 10 carries at least each for Armando Allen, James Aldridge, and Robert Hughes. In addition, I predicted 300 yards rushing and 4 TDs on the ground. Wow. The rushing total finished at 105 yards, including zero rushing TDs. Allen had 17 carries, Hughes had 16, and Aldridge had none. I love giving all the carries to the more talented sophomores than the older, slower Jr James Aldridge. But where were the big 300 pound uglies that we heard about all off season? The run blocking was just plain bad for 90% of the rushing attempts. This must be fixed, because passing won't come as easy on other teams. Grade: C-
• Passing Game I predicted Jimmy Clausen would finish with 2 touchdowns, 1 interception, and pass for 225 yards. Jimmy surpassed all expectations, especially late in the 4th quarter, throwing 3 touchdowns and 237 yards, against 2 interceptions. It should be noted that the two interceptions were likely both Kamara's fault, one hitting him in the face mask and another ball thrown his way that he wasn't even looking for. Jimmy's touchdown passes were beautiful, well thrown passes. He finished the game 10 out of his last 11, allowing the Irish to complete the comback with a victory. Pass blocking, unlike last year, was superb. Zero sacks for Jimmy Clausen, and only 1 hurry. This after giving up 58 sacks in 2007. Grade: A
• Defense Predicted 3 turnovers, 4 sacks, and 2 celebration penalties. The Irish defense got 2 turnovers, 1 INT and 1 Fumble. Overall, I thought the defense played fair. They definitely blitzed a whole helluva lot, which is encouraging to see. It's apparent though that our defensive line will not be able to get pressure by itself, so blitzing and leaving short passing routes open for the opponent - which San Diego St used all day long - will be a common situation our defense creates. The defense only got 1 sack, despite all the blitzes. We must get more pressure on the quarterback, while figuring out a way to better stop the short and intermediary passing routes. Our safeties and deep pass coverage was a plus. And hey, we only gave up 13 points and 345 yards of total offense, so I can't complain too bad. But San Diego State's ball controlling and short passing game was definitely a cause for concern. Grade: B-
• Special Teams A complete abortion on the kicking game. Numerous bad snaps by Freshman Braxton Cave, in addition to a field goal attempt that was not unlike a Chinese fire drill. We did partially block a punt, and had good coverage on our punts and kickoffs. Some decent punt returns by Armando Allen as well. But our inability to lineup and kick a field goal, with even extra points not even close to certain, this was a huge disappointment. Grade: D

A win is a win, but we all know the Irish will have to play better to beat any of our later opponents on the schedule. This win does put us on a 3 game winning streak. We'll see how much longer it can last when the Wolverines come to town next weekend. They have plenty of talent, but luckily haven't totally put it together yet either. More on that game later in the week.

Ian O'Connor: Irish Hater Extraordinaire

Ian O'Connor, former USA Today sportswriter, currently employed by Fox Sports of some type, does not like Charlie Weis. Nor does he like Notre Dame. No big deal, because he is entitled to his opinion. So am I. I figure that its time someone wrote about him, or more directly, about his misconceptions about Weis and the Fighting Irish.

 

Here is his first article, way back in 2004 when Willingham was fired and Weis was hired. The title of this 2004 article is "Sorry Charlie, but Hope Luck of the Irish is All Bad". (Notice the first article is in the pages of USA Today, a major national publication). Read the article here, its very interesting.

 

The basic premise of the article is that he's pissed off that Notre Dame has fired Willingham, being an Irish Catholic former fan of the University. He then follows the age old and extremely tired argument about Notre Dame selling its soul and becoming a football factory, no longer being any different than any other big football school. So cliche, so overdone, not taking into account the big picture of Notre Dame.

 

Here is a quote that sums up what I have a problem with in this first article (discussing Kevin White's words after the firing of Willingham): 

 

White said Willingham had dominated the line of scrimmage from Sunday to Friday, shaping Fighting Irish athletes into responsible and academically oriented young men. But then the AD talked about the one day of the week — Saturday — where none of that mattered, the only day of the week when Notre Dame keeps score.

 

O'Connor references the quote from Kevin White in which he said that Willingham was a great coach and leader of the program from Sunday to Friday, but not Saturday, implying that Willingham did everything right but win. O'Connor claims that Notre Dame now only cares about "Saturday" and winning, making us no different than major college programs.

 

My question to O'Connor is this  -  why can't you believe that Notre Dame strives for excellence Sunday through and including Saturday? Notre Dame is different because both on the field and off the field do matter. The school does not tolerate less than excellence in any arena of measurement. Yes, winning matters at Notre Dame. It matters a lot. But don't suppose that academics, ethics, and grades don't matter either! Yes, this sounds very idealistic, but its true.

 

The element of faith is mixed in with all that we do at Notre Dame. This faith element often creates a misconeption of arrogance to many outsiders, who do not understand that faith gives us the confidence and independence  -  also known as the Grace of God  -  to strive for success in everything from water polo to chemistry to football.

 

O'Connor's most recent article  -  on Fox Sports Network, no longer USA Today  -  again reaks of a dislike of Weis and Notre Dame, a dislike rooted in the Willingham firing. The title is "We're still waiting for Weis to prove himself." This article really says nothing more than he thinks Weis is unproven, overrated, and that he is still rooting against Weis and the Irish. A quote:

 

So far, the coach has done little to add to the mythology of Notre Dame football, and a lot to harden the myth of his own genius.

 

I don't have much problem with this article. Honestly, its pretty fair, unlike his first article. O'Connor says he thinks Weis is arrogant, not a great coach, and goes through the timeline of all the arrogant things Weis has said. All the facts that he presents are fair and truthful.

 

This article adds no new insight or opinion, just some things Weis said combined with a restatement of O'Connor's self proclaimed "rooting against the Irish. His article is akin to an awkward 10 year old boy standing atop the tree trunk on the playground, proclaiming to all the other school children that Johnny, the self described best 4-Square player, is losing his current match to Bobby. Sweet. Nobody cares. In reality, Johnny is otherwise like able and the match that he is losing is still only in the 1st quarter.

 

I'm entertained by writing like O'Connor's, because a lot of people dislike Notre Dame but aren't quite as transparent as Ian is. At least you know which side of the road he stands on. It's sad that there is a decent chance that O'Connor's writing about ND is the only way he can get attention nowadays.

Gametime: Irish vs San Diego St.

The Irish open up tomorrow at home against the San Diego St. Aztecs, with kickoff set for 2:40pm central standard time.

San Diego St. is not a good football team. I'm sure they will play hard and likely have a few athletes, but this is not a team the Irish should even play a close game with. San Diego St. lost to a very good D1-AA team in Cal-Poly last weekend, 24-22. They gave up 270ish yards rushing and only had about 50 themselves on the ground. They pass the ball a lot on offense, and don't play much defense. Their best players are in their WR, RB, and Defensive Back units.

It doesn't take a brainiac to know what the Irish are going to attack the Aztecs: on the ground. The Irish have said they are going to be a running team this season, and this is the perfect team to test run our ground attack on. I fully expect all 3 Irish running backs (#5 Armando Allen, #33 Robert Hughes (sophmores), and #34 James Aldridge (jr) ) will all get at least 10 carries in this game. I predict the Irish will have 300 yards rushing, and about 225 passing. Jimmy will throw 2 TDs, 1 Int, and then we will have 4 rushing TDs from the backs (Armando with 1, Hughes with 2, Aldridge with 1). Jimmy's passing TDs will be to Duval Kamara (soph WR) and Will Yeatman (TE, junior).

Jon Tenuta (pictured) and Corwin Brown's defense will create 3 turnovers (2 ints, 1 fumble), as well as racking up 4 sacks and 2 celebration penalties. The energy on the Irish defense will be crystal clear to all observers.

Final Score - Irish 45 Aztecs 17

Grizzlies Sign a 10 footer from Iran . . .

At the end of last week the Grizzlies signed 23 year old Hamed Haddadi, a 7 foot 2, 254 pound center from Iran. Wow, lets take all that in.

 

This signing was a surprise in many ways. Note only have I never seen "Iran" in the headlines without being near "war", "nuclear", or "Bush", but I didn't know Iranians play basketball. Apparently a few of them do very well, after reading up on Hamed and his Iranian teammates, who recently competed in the Olympics for the first time in the last 50 years in basketball.

 

Hamed averaged a double double, being the only player in all of Olympic basketball to do so. Apparently he was equally impressive on the defensive end. In fact, he led all Olympians in rebounds and shots blocked, despite playing a few less games than the teams in the medal rounds. Wow. You can read about him here on Grizzlies.com.

 

Interesting that he played so well in the Olympics, and also in the Rocky Mountain Review (an NBA summer league for draft picks, young players), the 2007 FIBA World Championships, and even in the Iranian Super League he plays in currently . . . yet he wasn't drafted at all. I know that he entered the draft in 2004 and wasn't drafted, but I assume he could have been drafted in any later draft, unless he just did not enter the draft at all.

 

Long term, he is a projected and has great potential to be a solid defender, rebounder, and prescence in the paint. In the short term, he has size and his most immediate skill appears to be rebounding, which we all know is a huge problem for last year's Grizz.

 

Sounds like this was a signing with nothing but upside. We don't know the details, but certainly the contract was not expensive. Even if we get a bench supporter then its likely worth the deal. If Hamed develops into a solid NBA center that starts or plays significant minutes, then of course this was a great move. We needed interior size, defense, and rebounding, and those three are Hamed's specialty. Not much else to add until we see him on the court.

 

I certainly wish we had some big American players down low, however. Marc Gasol (Spain), Darko Milicic (Croatia), and Haddadi (Iran) obviously provide a European flavor. But I think all Grizz fans will agree on this: if these guys win, nobody really cares where they're from.

Prediction Time for the '08 Fightin' Irish

I have talked quite a bit in the previous posts about my prediction. Well, here it is. I have made a few predictions below, one for each bullet point. At season's end we will check up and see how I did. Each week I will have a game preview and prediction that will not change the below. Here goes . . .

• The Irish go 7-5, with game predictions as follows:                                                       
• Wins (7) over San Diego St, Purdue, Stanford, Washington, Pittsburgh, Navy, and Syracuse.                                                                                                                                  
• Losses (5) to Michigan, Michigan St, North Carolina, Boston College, and USC.                      
• The Irish home record finishes at 5-1, while the road record is just 2-4. This is not a very safe split given the Irish home record last season (1-5, 2-4 on the road). The new grass at Notre Dame stadium is faster, which should help our team feel more comfortable and use our new found speed. Individual game predictions with more detail will come each week and are subject to change, but these are the predictions I will be judged by at the end of the season.
• At season's end, the one unit that will be seen as "most successful" and adding the most to the Irish season will be the Irish defense, particularly the linebackers coached by Jon Tenuta. Every unit will be improved, and the special teams field goal unit will be a close second.
• The Irish will face off against an old but very short lived rival, the Miami Hurricanes, in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in North Carolina. Both teams will have finished 7-5, and the bowl game will prompt a home and home between the Canes and the Irish in the years 2013 and 2014.
• Jimmy Clausen will throw 20 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. The progress made will be substantial, and the hype for his junior season will begin with a great bowl game where he throws 3 TDs and leads the Irish to a  . . .
• Win over Miami in the aforementioned bowl game, 31-24. Jimmy has his best game of the year, starting the hype for his Jr. season in 2009.
• Offensive line only gives up 30 sacks, a nearly 50% improvement over the prior year. The sack improvement alone vaults ND's rushing yardage to very respectable levels, not to mention the 3 good RBs that the Irish have . . .
• Sophomores Robert Hughes and Armando Allen each finish with 800 yards rushing, while junior James Aldridge gets 400. Hughes and Allen each have 6 TDs, while Alridge gets 5. The Florida speedster Armando Allen is the most improved, and hits two runs for over 60 yards.
• Freshman Wide Receiver Michael Floyd combines with Duval Kamara to form a tough WR tandem for the next 3 years. Floyd ends up with 35 catches, while Kamara paces the Irish WRs with 55. Both earn some form of All-America, whether it be Freshman All America for Floyd, or some obscure third team mention for Kamara (sophomore).

That's about as many specific predictions as I can make (8). I would love to see 6 of my 8 predictions come true, with obviously the 2 I get wrong being missed on the not optimistic enough side. We'll see, but I'm cautiously hopeful that we can return to respectability.