Does every Irish fan agree that the ND at Pitt game is the biggest game the Irish have had in the last several years? Pitt is cruising along at 7-1......the Irish have been acting like a BCS Bowl contender......and are they really turning the corner? Lose to Pitt and it's back to mediocrity in my opinion.
Every game is a deal breaker for the Irish, beat Pitt but lose to Stanford at Palo Alto is a deal breaker. It's a playoff from here on out for us. Biggest problem will be keeping Jimmy Clausen healthy, his backup is a student teacher.
Just like Ohio State needs a win today to go BCS bowling or at least Cap One I think ND must win at Pitt so it makes for interesting football watching when those kinds of things are on the line. Just think....with a playoff system we could all be enthralled by these games that would decide playoff seeding and not much else. Yippee.
When you have 2 losses that means no more losses or no BCS, unless of course you are a conference team in a conference with a playoff and win an upset in the Conf Title game. B12 N Champion likely to have 4 losses and if they pull the upset they go BCS Bowling with 4 or more losses. Something needs to be done about that, it shouldn't happen. You should have to have at least a top 14 ranking or you don't go BCS Bowling. It's a travashamockery.
weiss... <t>And that entire staff is 30 minutes away from sealing their future at ND.<br/> <br/> Shutout at home to Navy. Defense is clueless versus the option and the offense doesn't even warrant discussion for the first 30.<br/> <br/> Beyond embarrassing.</t>
Larry, I don't know what the answer is for ND not being close to the program. ND has played it's way into some holes this season but has played exceptionally well to play out of those holes at times. There will be better days.
No such thing as moral victories or almost comebacks. However, the Irish showed that they have no quit in them. If the miscommunication had not happened where the ball bounced off of Floyd's back, the outcome may have been a little different. Understand guys, the military academies are playing with more heart today than they have any other day. You hit a Navy team at the worst possible time.
ND <r>Well that game put the nail in the coffin for me. As much as I like CW it is over. You can't lose to Navy twice in 3 yrs at South Bend, you just can't! I hate what will unfold over the rest of the season but there is no way he will be back at ND next season, no way. <E>:cry:</E></r>
Tom I would agree that today the Academies, USAFA, USMA, and USNA all most likely played with a special purpose. God Bless those young men. This Irish team has never quit and I'll give them credit for that, but we've had some hard losses this year that if we had even an average defense we'd most likely be 8-1. Tim, I'm not very hopeful at this point that Charlie can rally the troops to win on the road at Pitt and at Stanford both teams will have a lot to play for and have been improving as the year has gone on. Losing 2x to Navy, 5x to USC, 5 years is enough most likely. If he beats Pitt/UConn and Stanford he'll save his bacon. I don't know if that is a good thing or not for the program.
As... <t>A ND fan for more years I care to admit I have pulled hard for CW to right this program but today has to be it for him and that poor staff he has. Navy does a great job and the score was no indication of how they dominated the game. There are way to many of these type games in the CW era. The team was flat from the start and never really got into it till late. Remember we did not score till ther 5.04 mark in the third quarter versus Navy. It was fitting to watch both Duncan and the turtle Sam Young give up back to back sacks to end the game. I'm thankful they both are gone.<br/> I have despised this defense all year and to watch them come out poorly prepared and get run over all afternoon has to tell you something. Wait till they spend sixty minutes watching Andrew Luck from Stanford play action them to death at seasons end. Stanford just beat Oregon by the way.<br/> If the ND administration wants to totally kill Irish football give CW another year. I think its fair to say he has been given a complete shot to right the ship. He is not the guy to return ND to the college football landscape. What a sad day for Notre Dame football.</t>