Good news for ND---It looks like GT will beat VT by 11 (there are 6 sec left). I will go back to an earlier post of mine--we (ND) are a top 10--15 team--but if they win out they will be in the top 6. We really don't have a great pass rush--and it makes a weak secondary look that much weaker. The (ND) radio guys said that the ND/Purdue game was for all practical purposes over at the half--I say BS. I wasn't confortable until there were 38 sec. left. Stephen
It wasn't over till it was over. The big thing was giving up that TD pass right before half after we'd gone up by 3 scores. They had the ability to score quickly so that made it a dangerous game. Krebs is probably in the ER over the db play!
:roll: I guess its OK for Georgia Tech to be good again... They looked pretty darn good to me against us. There isn't any "great" team out there that I've seen. This year's NC is wide open to anyone who can escape with wins any way they can do it...
Just got back from the E.R. Our DB's are an open door. I think Lambert can be a good one and I prefer Ferrine to TZ... at least he gets close enough to his man to get a pass interference penalty called. TZ is a linebacker masquerading as a DB. I have never seen a DB in my life bite on a a routine play fake harder than he does. You need CBs like Champ Bailey or Deion Sanders because there ain't no help a comin' from the FS. If he plays one down in the NFL as a safety I'll eat my hat.
Since G. Tech lost to ND they have to be part of the group of "nobodies" that ND has beaten. At least that's the way many of the media portry us. One of the Atlanta Constitution writers wrote just that before the ND Tech game. I emailed him telling him that later in the season or next year, some home town writer will be saying the same thing about Tech. MSU sure took a big step to that designation yesterday, didn't they? Wow, much distress in Spartyland.
You dance with who brung you. Weis knows he has to outscore people, he knows he doesn't have a great defense. The thing that has to be answered is wheter or not our defense could play better or is it playing about as well as it can. Is the lack of pass rush a player problem or a coaching problem? Is poor db play a player problem or a coaching problem. Is questionable LB play a player problem or a coaching problem. Lines are being drawn that it's Minter, and some if not all of his coaching staff. The fire Rick Minter crowd is growing, some say it's his Blitz package, other say he and his staff can't teach kids how to tackle, that Jappy Oliver is a lousy DL coach and a lousy recruiter. Thing is that Weis made a big deal out of his having constantly having had a list of coaches that he would call if he ever got a college job at either ND or So. Carolina. Those are the 2 college jobs he said he was interested in. So is Weis not really that good at evaluating staff? Certainly 10-3 at worst is within relatively easy reach. If he goes 10-3 or 11-2, would he be wise to make staff changes? I really do wonder what he thinks about the problem, coaching vs talent? Terry
It's hard not to note that Ty Willingham is now 4-1 at Washington. Be sure that if he continues to have a good season there will be much made of it by writers that it's another example of why he's as good as Weis.
Re: our pass rush. I will observe only that PU has a consistent history under Tiller of protecting the QB, no matter how young the O-line. I have no idea if that figured into the coaching strategy, but I was not surprised that we could not get to the QB. Having said that, I agree that our defense has a long, long way to go.
Stu, at one point in the 1st half, when PU had been called for a few penalties, I remarked that they can't blame their own Big 10 refs. One good thing about this game for ND. We reduced the holding penalties.
I didn't know this but it has been pointed out to me that the Purdue OL was rated the #3 OL unit in the country preseason by Phil Steele. I just hope Purdue gets out there now and beats some of their B10 brothers and finishes the season strong!!!