Are we still playing this game? Reading the Pitt (they don't like being called Pitt anymore) preview over on ISD made me realize that it's still a big game. Whether or not Charlie will be back, it's still a big game. Pitt has good lines, they have a good RB, they have a good QB (though not in the same class with Jimmy Clausen). They will no doubt be fired up to the max, they are in the BCS conversation, they have a schedule to move them up in the BCS standings. This game means a lot to them. They won't take the Irish lightly. They will be ready. If the Irish are ready, we can beat these guys. We have a better QB, we have RB's that are as good as theirs, we have better recievers. I don't know if we have a better defense, in fact I doubt we do. They were talking about how our defense vs a conventional offense has been improving. That we limited a very good BC RB to way below his average and forced 2 fumbles out of him. That we held USC to way below their season average running the football. So maybe our defense will do better against the Pitt offense. 5 years ago guys on NDNation were making fun of Wannstadt, saying Wanny was a joke and that he wouldn't last. Well he hasn't exactly lit up the Big East in his 5 years. But he'll still be the Pitt coach next year and Weis will be back in the NFL (most likely). Funny (or not) how some things turn out. What do the Irish have going for them? Jimmy Clausen, that guy is a winner, we've talked about leadership in the upper classes, well I have a lot of confidence in Jimmy as a leader. That fumble he made was the result of a bad decision to not slide when he saw the middies were going to get him. Instead he tried to score like he was Robt Hughes, they laid him out, he was out cold, he had to be helped from the field. Yet some smelling salts, and some H20 and he was ready to go back. The kid is as tough as nails. To bad he can't play defense they'd be a better unit with him. Point is I think we have the leadership that will refuse to get down in the dumps with the woe is me, we're losing the coach, we suck, etc. The team will put this behind them and come out with resolve to win. I think we are going to upset the sh$t out of Pitt this week. Go Irish!
Hey Terry, I hope you guys win, however I hope Lewis gets me a bunch of yards for our fantasy league.
Hey Bill you don't really need to win this weekend do you, isn't your playoff spot solid? If the Pitt kid gets a lot of yards the Irish aren't likely to win, we need to contain him like the USC kid and the Boston College kid!
Terry, I think my playoff spot is safe, but not who I play in the first round. If it's BT then I have to play him two weeks in a row and would be on a two game losing streak to him. Of course that might make me due?????
nd <r>Terry,<br/> <br/> I really can't even get in the mood to talk about this game..... <E>:?</E></r>
Terry, You make a good point about our defense and conventional offenses. We not only seem to do well against them, we seem to show improvement each time we play against one. What is frying my ass this season isn't the Charlie thing (although he is directly responsible for him).. It's the Tenuta thing. Call it arrogance, call it ignorance (although I highly doubt it) but he's shown no real predisposition to take these 'gimmick' offenses seriously and they have cost us football games. Our defensive strategy vs Navy was just mind numbing. He has to know better than that. It's almost like he's just refused to acknowledge the perceived strengths of the spread or the option and just thrown his base package at it thinking that will cure all... It's maddening. I remember a few years ago, I believe it was Jack O'Brien, who was calling bull on my suggestion that Auburn actually shifted between a 4-3 and 3-4 defense. Some internet expert out there had told him it was impossible, but I know what my eyes saw.. Fast forward a few years and now we regularly see Alabama and USC both do it.. my point is.. if 2 of the greatest defensive minds in the game on any level (Saban and Carroll) can shift their defensive packages to suit their opponent, why can't we?
ND <r>Terry,<br/> <br/> I wish I could share your optimism on this game but I'm still in deep depression..... <E</E></r>
Weis was pretty upbeat in his press conference today, said the team has had great practices all week and he expects them to be ready. Naturally he was asked about Corwin Browns outburst on Navy and pretty much refused to answer (smart IMHO), just said they had a conversation and moved on to Pitt. He did say this which I found ironic. For most of my lifetime the situations were reversed, only other time I can think of that it wasn't was during the Heydey of Pitt from about '76 through 82 when Pitt had some great teams with guys like Dorsett, Dan Marino, Hugh Green, Mark May and a bunch of other great players.
ND <r>Good ole ESPN does it again. Now they are hyping this game durimg their commercial breaks as as " 8pm EST 6pm CST, Notre Dame at Pitt, Charlie Weis needs a win!"<br/> <br/> Can you believe these people? <E>:shock:</E></r>
Tim, Their words did exactly what they wanted them to do. It got them exposure in a forum that they would not have gotten without their "shock" tactics. It took me a looong time to understand exactly why they kept pissing off Tennessee fans. The fans didn't quit listening to them. Their trash kept people coming back to hear what they would say next.
ND <r>Well it's Friday evening and I've had a couple of beers but I'm going to tell you what this ND forever, subway alum, Irish Loving fan is going to do tomorrow. I'm going to get up, put on my ND shirt and hat, put out my ND flag and root like hell for this Irish team to beat the crap out of Pitt. Not for Charlie Weis or anyone else other than the young men who wear the Blue and Gold of ND. There will be plenty of so-called ND fan wishing for a ND lose to insure Charlie gets the boot but not me. <br/> <br/> Regardless of what happens to Charlie Weis, I'm hoping ND kicks the holy hell out of Pitt. <E></E></r>
Halftime 10-3 Pitt. Irish seem to be running the ball ok but they won't stick with it and the passing game is not very productive.
I feel for the refs. They had to call that one offside when the D lineman from Pitt caused the movement. Otherwise they could have had their shutout. By my count 9 penalties on ND, 1 5 yder on Pitt. And the replay official outdid the on field officials. That foward spiraling fumble was something else.
What a hose job. Charlie might not be the best coach for ND, but he's sure been hosed by the officals at every turn this year. Of course Wenger going for the chop block at a critical time didn't help either.
The Hallmark of a Weis coached team is coming out flat in a big game. I'm sure he'll do well again as a NFL Coordinator, assuming he gets a good QB to work with.