Irish Have Fuel for Rivalry Game

Yes, Saturday's match-up against Michigan is just the 2nd game in a 12 game season.  Coach Kelly stressed that ND is preparing for this game no differently than any other game, seemingly diminishing the rivalry that exists between these two storied programs.  We all know better... and so do the players.  Coach Kelly's attempt to keep his players "level-headed" may work, but deep down they know that importance of this game.

Irish players, coaches, and fans need not look far for motivational tidbits to tuck in their helmets for this game.  There are many reasons why Notre Dame Nation is filled with angst over the Skunkbears of Ann Arbor.  Allow me to get your Irish juices flowing as we near Saturday afternoon's vaunted battle.

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Week 2 Reaction - Lost Me Pot O' Gold.

 

A Notre Dame fan goes through some clearly defined psychological stages after a tough loss.

1. Disbelief:  "I can't believe this is happening."
2. Denial:  "This must be a terrible nightmare.  Did we just lose to an unranked Michigan team?  What?! A freshman QB just single-handedly beat us?"
3. Projection:  "The Big Ten officials were ridiculous!  THEY cost ND the game!"
4. Isolation:  "Don't talk to me!  I'm going home and going to bed... this stinks."
5. Reasoning:  "We were the better team, we moved the ball at will, we just shot ourselves in the foot one-too-many times."
   
6. Acceptance. "Well, it was a close game and Michigan was better than I expected.  It's time to move on and beat the Spartans."

After 2 days of riding the emotional roller coaster described above, I am ready to react to Saturday's loss.

I found some of "me gold" this weekend.  The offense proved that they are a force to be reckoned with.  I was looking for a solid running attack from the Irish, and I found it with a career-high 139 yards from Armando Allen.  Michael Floyd demonstrated again that he is one of the nation's elite receivers.  Jimmy had a solid day with 336 passing yards and 3 touchdowns.  He played well with the exception of a few errand long-balls early in the game.

Here is what I didn't find in "me pot" on Saturday.  A defense that contained well and stopped the run.  A few costly breakdowns swung the momentum in Michigan's favor, especialy when a freshman QB was allowed to jog into the endzone from 31 yards out.  I didn't expect to see a breakdown on kickoff coverage either, considering that has been a strong suit for the Irish.  However, I did expect better play from our secondary.  We gave up a few crucial pass plays that were a result of coverage breakdowns; most notably the game winner in which newcomer Tate Forcier made Darren Walls look like the freshman.

Needless to say, I was disappointed that we lost that game.  To quote two of my co-workers, who happen to be Michigan fans, "Notre Dame was the better team, they just kept killing themselves with penalties and missed opportunities."  That is what makes the loss hard.  We should have won that game, but costly penalties plagued ND throughout.  We killed our own momentum. Dropped passes and an untimely misque hurt as well.  Some of those things are expected, just not all at once, in a game of this magnitude.

As a result of the loss, Charlie Weis is facing the usual criticism from the average college football fan.  Most people are upset with his playcalling, especially at the end of the game.  Domers and Charlie-haters alike shouldn't rush to judge that aspect of is performance Saturday.  If you read the notes from his presser following the game, he defends why he called 2 passing plays on 2nd and 3rd down when the clock needed to be run out.  Armando Allen left the game with an injury to his thigh.  Anytime it was an obvious running down and ND fielded a RB other than #5, Michigan stacked the line.  After all, Armando was the only Irish rusher giving them trouble.  Charlie recognized this and opted to call a pass play that had been open all game.  Unfortunately Golden Tate was pass interfered with... uh hemmm... "defended well" and Tate wasn't able to haul it in.  This all makes sense.  Just a missed opportunity, or a bad "no-call", either way it could have meant a first down and the game would have been over.  The problem with the following play was 1 of 2 key players in the "pitch and catch" was sitting on the sideline.  If Michael Floyd is in the game at that point, its a first down.  I do question why we were throwing to a freshman in that pressure situation.  The only other questionable play call, a terrible play call in my opinion, was the QB draw on our first offensive series.  Please don't run that again Charlie.

I do have to question Weis' ability to prepare his team for a big game.  Senior center Eric Olsen admitted "We had a little bit of a sloppy practice on Tuesday, and even Wednesday."  This is inexcusable and Weis should take the blame for it.  Olsen concluded ""We'd lose focus at times. In their minds, guys are just trying to survive practice, get through it, it's just another practice. We've gotta use every rep in practice as a way to get better. It translates directly into the game."  Olsen is right.  Practice doesn't make perfect.  Perfect practice makes perfect.  Jimmy Clausen reportedly addressed the team in the locker room following the loss.  Let's hope that the Fighting Irish can rally behind the words of their QB and have a good week on the practice field.

All in all, ND fans are left waiting to see if their team can rebound.  Will they show some resiliency and bounce back with a victory at home?  Will ND's defense improve their ability to stop the run, which is currently ranked 88th in the nation?  Will Charlie motivate his team in practice this week?  I think so.  I hope so.

We will see.

Until then, Go Irish!

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Week 2 - Where’s me pot o’ gold?

Week 2 First Impression

Coming off of a statement game by the Irish, it would be easy to let my emotions take over and throw rational out the window concerning our next opponent. With a convincing 35-0 shutout under our belts, ND fans may have the urge to consider Lou's National Championship prediction to be law. But we aren't Michigan fans, are we. The Wolverines managed to impress the country with a one-sided victory of their own. They demonstrated improved discipline, surprising poise, and speed. Rodriguez has a history of significantly improving his team from year one to year two. At West Virginia, Dick Rod improved a 3-8 record to a 9-4 record in his first 2 seasons. All controversy aside, the guy can coach. That said, I don't think he has all the pieces to his puzzle in Ann Arbor, yet. Week 2 offers two traditional powerhouses brimming with confidence and newly raised expectations. This game has the potential to be another classic in a storied rivalry that excites both Fighting Irish and Wolverine fans alike.

What could go wrong for the Irish?

Michigan will have a packed house full of 110 thousand Wolverine fans aching for a significant victory. Notre Dame must march into Ann Arbor focused and unshaken by the recent improvement of their opponent. If Charlie allows the hostile environment to distract the players from the gameplan, we could be in for a long day. I consider Michigan's home field advantage to be their only significant edge on Saturday. That said, they do have more weapons than last year. Tate Forcier demonstrated remarkable poise for a true freshman starting his first game as a college athlete. He completed 13 of 20 passes last week, 3 of which resulted in 6 points. If this kid gets on a roll on Saturday, his confidence will continue to grow and he might start to back up that "cocky" attitude. Michigan also demonstrated speed in their opener. Enter Denard Robinson. A reported 4.32 second 40 yard dash and he doesn’t know how to tie his shoes? That's blaze'n folks. He touched the ball a few times last week, and managed to take a broken play and turn it into a 43 yard sprint to the endzone. If the Irish D gives him room, call it 6. The Wolverine defense headlined by stud DE Brandon Graham did look improved. If they pressure Jimmy all day and manage to stop the Irish running attack, ND will struggle.

Where's me pot o' gold? (Keys to the game, or "me pot o' gold")

If you stack these two teams side-by-side Notre Dame has the clear talent edge. The Fighting Irish are much deeper and more seasoned than the less experienced Wolverines. However, Notre Dame needs the key components of its gameplan to click in order to come away with the win.

The biggest key to a Notre Dame victory on Saturday is containment. Michigan will try to spread the ball and create space on offense. Our defense will "cash in" if they can pressure the edges and keep Michigan from moving the pocket on passing plays, and gaining the edge with its speedsters. Now, Notre Dame did demonstrate some weakness up the middle last week. So the blitzing linebackers need to hit their gaps to prevent 15 yard rushing gains up the middle. That's another nugget in the old pot o' gold for ND. Our DB's have the talent edge on Michigan's receiving core, so I don't see that being an issue unless our safeties are forced to focus on defending the run.

Offensively, one thing is certain: Notre Dame is going to score points. The number of points will be determined by the effectiveness of our running game. Yes, our running game. We know that Golden-Floyd and Company will get theirs. Especially considering one of Michigan's starting corners, Boubacar Cissoko, aggravated an injuray last week and is questionable for Saturday. An established running game will force Michigan to leave our receivers in one-on-one coverage, creating enormous scoring opportunities for ND. I am looking for a repeat of last weeks rushing numbers from the Irish. If that happens, the Michael Floyd highlights continue. Duh duh dut, duh duh dut.

A disciplined defense coupled with a balanced offensive scheme will translate to a victory for the Fighting Irish on Saturday.

What do I think will happen Saturday?

I see Notre Dame quieting the rowdy "Big House" crowd with a couple quick scores in the 1st quarter. Michigan will pull some trick plays out early, hoping to gain the momentum off the bat, but ND's defense will rise to the occasion by creating an early turnover. I expect the Irish to be up at least 7 points going into the half. Sparks will continue to fly for the ND offense in the 2nd half, and Michigan will struggle to keep pace without the ability to establish a rhythm on offense. Much like Nevada's offense last week, they will get their yards, but drives will stall for the Wolverines. Second half play will be greatly influenced by the depth advantage that ND holds over U of M.

Outmatched and beaten down, the Wolverines surrender a 35-17 victory to the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame on Saturday. Sound familiar? That was the score of last year’s match in South Bend.


 

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My Shillelagh - Why I Hate Michigan Football

I can't stand the Michigan Wolverines.  I cannot stress enough how much I despise that football team.  I moved from the South Bend area to Michigan with my family when I was 3 years old.  I still remember the smell... the first time I sniffed the B.S. that fuels Michigan fans across this state.  I recognized it at the age of 3, and I smell it now at the age of 27.  Don't get me wrong, as a grown man I chose to settle in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and I love this state.  It's just too bad that the majority of college football fans here choose to cheer for the Wolverines.

I will never get over the "Why aren't you a Michigan fan?  You live in the State of Michigan dummy!" argument that plagued the playground at Lincoln Elementary School.  I still hear that one from grown men today... and that's just stupid.  If you want to use the proximity argument, I live closer to ND's campus than U of M's, geography wiz.  I will never forgive my childhood friend Timmy for switching from an ND fan to the dark side because his Dad made him.  I will never forgive one of my high school football coaches (Michigan fan) for defaming the University of Notre Dame for allowing Tony Rice to play football (according to him, Rice was "dumber than a box of rocks").  That is blasphemy as far as I am concerned.  Bring up Michigan's current high-standard coach that produced such fine student-athletes as Pacman Jones, and you will get "oh, I'm sure ND cheats... they have to".  Good comeback Bevis.  It seems that all Michigan fans love to ignore the facts and base all arguments on irrational emotion driven by a 30 pack of icehouse.

Let me offer a story that all you married men will appreciate: 

I married the 2nd oldest of 8 children.  My in-laws produced 3 sweet girls that could care less about football, and 5 foaming-at-the-mouth Michigan fan boys.  Now, I have been able to handle the constant badgering (or should I say "wolverine-ing") at family get-togethers and holidays.  But what happened one sunny Sunday afternoon trumps all ridiculous claims and unwarranted remarks from any Michigan fan.

It was a Sunday morning and I was ironing my shirt and preparing to head off to church.  As I meticulously flattened a shirt that I probably wore the day before, my lovely wife chimed in with a question.  "Will you go shopping at Kohls with me after church?"  Now, in my morning stooper I thought nothing of it and gladly agreed to go.  Fast-forward to the church parking lot following the worship service.  Apparently I had stayed up a little too late the night before, and by this time I was feeling the effects of little sleep coupled with sitting for a few hours straight.  The entire trip home my mind focused on nothing more than the sweet Sunday afternoon nap that was inevitable at this point.  But as we pulled up the driveway my better half kindly reminded me that I "promised" that I would go shopping at Kohls.  (Here comes my mistake...)  Shopping, at Kohls... for girl stuff... the last thing I wanted to do.  I had neither the energy nor the patience that this kind of endeavor requires.  So, I acted as if I completely forgot, which I kinda did, and I mumbled "I forgot... can you go without me?  I need a naaa (SLAM)!" I shut the bedroom door and climbed under the covers.  Well, apparently this ticked my wife off, but she didn't let on to it.  The afternoon passed and I arose victorious form my nap, feeling like a million bucks.  My wife returned from her shopping splendor and we carried on as usual.  Until I asked about the shopping trip.  "What did you buy honey?  Show me."  That is when it appeared... the most disgusting thing I have ever seen, has ever entered my home, and has ever touched my wife.  A grey University of Michigan football sweatshirt, made especially for the spiteful wife of a Notre Dame fan... complete with sparkly glitter etching that hideous block M.  Never in my life have I been that disappointed, that hurt, and that pissed-off that I didn't go shopping.  "You did this because I didn't go, didn't you!" I shouted.  "I don't know what you are talking about" she said as she walked to her closet to stash it away.

Needless to say, she knew EXACTLY what to do to get her point across, and to this day she claims it was innocent, with no ill-intent.  But I know better...  Needless to say, when we were on campus for the Blue-Gold game this spring, we spent a good hour in the bookstore finding new, cute ways to introduce some Irish pride into my wife's wardrobe.  Now that's my kind of shopping.

I'm sure you get the point.  I hate Michigan Football.  That said, I do have a certain level respect for their program.  They don't get to be called the winningest program in college football history (for a few years) by being a complete bunch of morons.  You can shove that respect aside come this Saturday though.  I'll be grinning from ear to ear as my Fighting Irish trounce the overexcited Wolverines.

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