Doc Ya can't win all the time. Sooner or later this streak has to end. What better year to give the Middies a win than this miserable season? On the other hand, I don't feel these kids have quit and they probably would welcome another win. CB's doing a good job. With 2 weeks, the D should be ready to go.
The Sharpley experiment failed so CW may as well start Clausen the rest of the way just to get him some experience.. The Irish need to start somewhere in the grand scheme of things and perfect SOME part of their game plan, whether its running between the tackles or an intermediate passing game, whatever. This is the part of the schedule to do that. If we can win two of the next four we will have a little something to sustain us until next year.
no no no <r>The Irish should win all 4 of these games.<br/> <br/> Interesting thing about our alleged 'rushing attack.'<br/> <br/> There's a lot of reasons why we suck and the schedule has been pointed towards many times... But I was looking at the top Rush Defenses in the country.<br/> <br/> ND has faced the: #1, 3, 7, 12, 17, 35, 49 and 63 rush defenses. In fact, the worst ranked of those rush defenses was Michigan's. In fact, not many people have travelled that road.<br/> <br/> We came into the season trying to find our legs with the run and we faced 5 of the top 20 rush defenses in the country in our first 8 games. Our remaining 4 opponents are nowhere near as good against the run.<br/> <br/> The remaining 4 opponents and their rush defense rankings are:<br/> 77 stanford, 79 duke 85 air force, 92 navy.<br/> <br/> numbers can be verified here if you'd like to check:<br/> <br/> <URL url="http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/stats/byteam?cat1=defense&cat2=Rushing&conference=I-A_all"><s></s><LINK_TEXT text="http://sports....at2=Rushing&conference=I-A_all</LINK_TEXT><e></e></URL></r>
an example <t>of what I am talking about..<br/> <br/> Look at the Florida Gators..good schedule, right? I agree.<br/> <br/> They faced the #8 rush defense (LSU) but after that the next highest ranked opponent against the run is Western Kentucky at #21...then Auburn at #32. It goes down (WAY DOWN) from there..<br/> <br/> My point isn't to slight UF's schedule, I think we all agree its been a tough road so far. What I am saying is that there are few, if any, teams that have had to travel the road the Irish have...now you add in the fact we're trying to rebuild an offensive line....and from there you add in Ty's horsesh*t recruiting efforts and lack of senior talent/leadership... then toss in Charlie's bad idea to waste pre-season prep time with a gimmick offense for Georgia Tech...Then only 2 of the first 6 games played at home... 8 straight games with no bye week.. it goes on and on<br/> <br/> Its pretty easy to see why we've been fooked.</t>
On my wife's laptop so I don't want to do the research on this Corey but I would venture that teams in the SEC for the most part can and do rush the ball pretty well so I wouldn't expect rushng defenses in the SEC to be ranked at the top in national rankings. On the other hand if ND rushes the ball that poorly then their opponent's rush D rankings would improve. I know that's not all of it but some of it I think. Also, I said before the season that this time I thought the strength of ND's schedule would hold up. For awhile it looked like Michigan might try and foul that up but the Wolverines look better and better these days.
after 8 games <t>that whole 'sec teams run the ball so well it hurts defensive rankings' stuff doesn't really hold up...<br/> <br/> to assume what you are saying is true, is to say that teams in the big12, pac10, big10 and big east don't run the football well at all... so basically, CUSA and the SEC appearantly have a strangle hold on the rushing game in college football.<br/> <br/> that ain't the case.</t>
Corey..... <t>"The Irish should win all 4 of these games."<br/> <br/> I hope you are correct but we will revist this at years end. As bad as this team is I see 2/4 at best.<br/> <br/> By the way did anyone enjoy the gutting of Ty by his instate stud J. Stewart/Oregon. I saw this kid play as a freshman in a game w/ Houston and he will be moving up the draft lists as a junior. Great prospect.</t>
Corey....I am curious. Does the data base you refer to show how the SEC teams rank in rushing offense?
for example pt 2 <t>Arkansas is the highest ranked rushing offense (in the SEC) at #7, LSU is next at #11, next is Kentucky at #22..then Florida at #32..and once again, it goes down from there..and those are CLEARLY the best rushing attacks in the SEC..and the same time, those same conferences with great rushing defenses seem to have plenty of great rushing offense as well.<br/> <br/> So anyway, this is exactly why I seriously thought about using UF as an example.. I used them as an example of strength and schedule competence...and what really happens is we wind up in a flipping 'SEC IS AWESOME' discussion.<br/> <br/> So back to the topic on hand...The Irish sucking... why? thoughts on topic?</t>
MCG <r>'that database' that I am referring to is the NCAA's statistics listed on yahoo sports...<br/> <br/> here's the link again..this time for rushing offense:<br/> <br/> <URL url="http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/stats/byteam?cat1=offense&cat2=Rushing&conference=I-A_all&year=2007"><s></s><LINK_TEXT text="http://sports....g&conference=I-A_all&year=2007</LINK_TEXT><e></e></URL></r>
Thanks for the link Corey. I do notice that Arkansas is actually #4 in YPG rushing offense but otherwise every major conference seems to be represented with no clear edge by any one conference that I could tell. On ND....I don't have anything to add other han what I said in that the strength of schedule for the Irish has played out to be as strong as it looked. This has not worked out well for ND because they haven't caught a break when they needed one due to the down year. The realistic side of me questions whether or not the present leadership of Weiss and his staff will turn this around. If I were a ND fan I would be paying very close attention to the remaining games to see what kind of lessons have been learned and what kind of fundamentals have been re-learned and what kind of heart remains. ND should win at least three of those games if Weis is going to get er done.
Corey, I don't know how much of a difference it makes but if, in your links, you sort on y/g (yards per game) you get a slightly different lineup than if you use the Rush Yards sort. Some teams have 7 games worth of total yards and some teams have 8. 8)
from another site... good analysis Weis' view: Evidence of progress 'critical': Already has his eyes on spring practice By Brian Hamilton After the somewhat peculiar, they'd-better-enjoy-it-now bluster Saturday, some wondered what served as Charlie Weis' basis for braggadocio, especially as it followed yet another humbling loss. Turns out that group includes Charlie Weis. The Notre Dame coach has five weeks left to work with a woeful 1-7 club, and starting this off week, he begins the search for tangible reasons to believe. "To be honest with you, if things don't progress, on what basis would you go into the spring thinking that everything's going to be OK?" Weis said Monday. "I'm no different than the rest of you guys. I have to see evidence that we're making progress. "It's very, very critical to make progress over the next five weeks, for those guys to set the tone for an off-season where you're moving in the right direction. Because if you continue the way you are right now, you're not moving in the right direction." As a lost season plays out, there are certain key areas, on and off the field, to watch - if you can bear it: . Quarterback. The copious offensive miseries extend beyond one position. But someone is the Irish's quarterback of the future. Though the favorite remains a healthy Jimmy Clausen, Weis expects Evan Sharpley to start Nov. 3 against Navy. "I don't think it would be fair to do it the other way, to just say, 'OK, he's got his one shot,' " Weis said of Sharpley, who threw for 117 yards in Saturday's 38-0 loss to USC. How the Irish coach interprets Sharpley's performance will be intriguing, because success actually might happen. The defensive rankings of the Irish's last four opponents? Navy, 99th out of 119; Air Force, 57th; Duke, 98th; Stanford, 102nd. Through what prism will Weis view positive results? . Playmakers. Part of the Irish's struggle has been a lack of game-changing options at offensive skill positions and a shortage of consistently disruptive defensive presences. It seems incumbent on Notre Dame's youth to provide both. So can Duval Kamara start eluding tacklers after a reception? Likewise Robby Parris? Can Golden Tate begin to run routes that aren't merely a sprint downfield? Can Armando Allen break tackles and make defenders miss? Can Kerry Neal and Brian Smith set up camp, consistently, in an opponent's backfield? . Attitude. The most insidious sign that Notre Dame has a long-term problem is if Weis loses his players and the final month becomes a funeral march. Save what seemed an attitude swoon against USC, the Irish have shown fight despite ample reasons not to. "I think the team has stayed intact," Weis said. "And I don't mean just physically. I mean emotionally and psychologically." But, faint as the hope was, the Irish had bowl eligibility to play for. They had marquee rivals to face. All of that inspiration to endure slings and arrows from coaches has vanished. If Weis can't motivate his team to compete for the sake of competing, it may signal a deeper issue. . Weis. The coach said he had defied his own dogma this season, and a microcosm of that was winning the coin toss Saturday and not taking the ball. It was the sensible choice, but one Weis never envisioned himself making. Until now. "I probably adapted more this year than I have in my whole coaching career," he said. That must continue. He must treat college players like kids, not as corporate underlings. Down the road, he must make practice more physical to get it during games, especially with a young team. He must prioritize establishing an identity over creativity. Some of that might not be eminently evident these last four games, but as Weis knows, what happens in the "now" must buttress a less dismal future.
George, Do you know if that is written by Brian Hamilton, the former ND defensive tackle? EDIT: Scratch the above question. I found the article in the Chicago Tribune. Not the same guy.