Hoosiers vs Gophers: Big Ten Clash of the Once Beatens.
As the days leading up to Saturday’s show down in B-Town slowly drag on we should all take notice of this game. This game has all the makings of a classic top 10 matchup; great post players( Trevor Mbakwe and Cody Zeller), tweener post/perimeter guys who can dominate( Christian Watford and Rodney Williams) up and coming point guards who we know can be the best on the floor ( Andre “Dre” Hollins and Yogi Ferrell). Then you add in the coaching matchup between Crean and Tubby and you have all the makings of a MUST WATCH GAME! I circled this game on my calender once the Big Ten schedule was released. This is a game that will show us just who can lay claim to early season Big Ten supremacy. I’m going to break down the position groups and who has the advantage at each spot and coaching.
Point Guard Matchup:
Andre Hollins vs Yogi Ferrell: “Dre” Hollins has been amazing thus far this season. He has played so well that Tubby Smith has given him the keys to the car so to speak. He allows Dre to call most plays the Gophers run and he does so exquisitely and he can also score the rock. He averages 13.7 points per game which leads this balanced Minnesota attack.
Yogi Ferrell is a spark plug for this IU squad and has shown flashes where he can be the go to guy. I remind you of the Butler game down 3 and Yogi makes tre ball to send it into OT. Yes, that is IU’s lone loss of the season but Ferrell showed just what he can do, when he needs to do it. He only averages 6.8 points per game, but he is usually facilitating for others. He lives in the lane and gets a lot of easy shots for everyone else in Cream and Crimson.
Slight edge to Dre Hollins because he scores more and is a sophomore, I feel he’s seen more in his days in college. It’s a close matchup but Dre Hollins will be able to see over Yogi’s head all afternoon and will make it easier to score with his ability to rise above the smaller Yogi.
Shooting Guard Matchup:
Jordan Hulls vs Austin Hollins: I like the smaller Hulls in this matchup for 2 guards. I think Hulls makes shots and somehow makes them when guarded….a lot! Hollins is still coming into his own and doesn’t hunt for his shot like Jordy does. This is why i’m going to give Hulls the nod over Hollins.
Small Forward Matchup:
Victor Oladipio vs Joe Coleman: This is another win for IU here, Ollly is the best player on this Indiana squad. I know some of you will think I’m nuts but if you watch the games and look at who makes big plays down the stretch it’s always Oladipio. Joe Coleman however is coming off his career high 29 points at Illinois on Wednesday night. Coleman had 3 made threes all year and made 2 last night. So confidence is going to be on Coleman’s side coming into a hostile Assembly Hall. Oladipio with the nod here as I feel he will show us again Saturday that he is truly IU’s best player.
Power Forward Matchup:
Rodney Williams vs Christian Watford: Both of these guys play on the perimeter a lot and on the edges Watford has the edge. But once you get in the paint Williams will use his superior athleticism to rise above everyone in the gym for dunks and other shots. This is where the Gophers get a nod, Watford to me looks like a shell of the man who lite up UK last year in both games. Rodney Williams will compete at a high level on both ends of the floor and if he is allowed to get out in transition he will posterize the entire Hoosier squad. If you haven’t seen Williams dunk then your’e in for a treat come Saturday afternoon.
Center Matchup:
Cody Zeller vs Trevor Mbakwe: This is the most intriguing matchup in the entire game. I think on any given night either guy could be the most dominate and unguardable player in the entire Big Ten if not the Country! I thought the Butler game was one of Zeller’s worst on the College Level. I thought he didn’t demand the ball enough or go get offensive boards. Mbakwe is coming off an ACL injury that cost him last season and the 6th year senior is finally back to full tilt and that could spell trouble for Zeller and the Hoosiers. I am calling this matchup a push! I haven’t been able to decide who I think is better and I think both could be the best on Saturday so it’s a push as I said.
Coaching Matchup:
Tom Crean vs Tubby Smith: I believe both guys are great coaches, Crean has proven his ability to recruit these last few years and Tubby finally has his best team at Minny. Crean is leading the Hoosiers back to national prominence, Tubby is trying to do the same at Minnesota. Tubby hasn’t won a tourney game at the U yet and Crean is coming off a Sweet 16 run with the Hoosiers last season. But there are 2 things tilting the scales in Tubby’s favor; he’s won a National Championship while coaching Kentucky and most importantly has an incredible MUSTACHE!! Advantage Tubby….but only by a mustache hair!
Game Prediction:
This game is at home for Indiana and that is going to mean a lot in the Big Ten Title Race. The teams who can win Road games in the conference are going to set themselves up for the Title. Minnesota got a huge road win last night at Illinois, the Hoosiers haven’t gotten a marquee road win yet. Wins at Iowa and Penn State don’t exactly set the world on fire. But they will get chances to prove there road worth as the season continues.
I believe Indiana will get a big game from Olly and Hulls and will get a solid game from Zeller and win 82- 77. The Gophers will be paced by Andre Hollins and Rodney Williams but it won’t be enough to win in B-Town.
Like what I have to say follow me on Twitter @C_K_42 or Facebook
National Championship Preview and Predictions:
Tonight is the night we’ve all been waiting for! Well at least I’ve been waiting for it and I’m assuming the rest of you are as smart as me and so in turn you’ve also been waiting for it. The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame will take their unbeaten 12-0 mark and #1 national ranking into Sun Life Stadium in South Beach to battle with #2 ranked and 12-1 Alabama’s Crimson Tide.
Manti Te’o kissing the National Championship Trophy on Media Day
The Irish enter the game as of this moment as 9.5 point underdogs tonight and that is the 3rd highest spread in BCS Title Game history. Some good news going in the Irish’ favor is the fact that the teams who were bigger “dogs” not only covered but they won those games! I for one think the spread on the game is a joke and seem to think that if Notre Dame is the undefeated team and #1 ranked they should not necessarily favored to win but shouldn’t be more then a 4.5 point underdog. The Irish have relished the underdog role all season and will continue to do so tonight.
Keys to tonight’s National Title Game for Notre Dame:
The Irish Defense wins the Turnover Battle: The Notre Dame D has been its brightest shining star all season and for the Irish to win it’s first Title since 1988 it must force some fumbles and maybe snag an interception or 2.
The Irish control the clock: This to me is probably the most important facet of the game. If Theo Riddick and Cierre Wood can run between the tackles and keep the chains moving on a constant basis Notre Dame could be well on it’s way to winning this game. The Irish also have a game breaker in George Atkinson III who I think could provide an enormous spark tonight if he’s able to bust a long TD run or heck maybe 2. For Notre Dame to run the ball the O-line needs to show the nation the SEC hasn’t faced an O-line like this one! Braxton Cave, Zach Martin and Co. need to bring their A game tonight and show the Bama front 7 whose boss early and often.
Everett Golson: Is this Everett’s official coming out party? Or is this where we all say he’s too young and the spotlight was just too bright for him. Golson is a dual threat QB who can give Alabama fits much like Heisman winner Johnny Manzel did to the Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium. EG has shown great improvisational skills this season and a lot of those go unnoticed because he got out of a sack to get a 4 yard pass or a throw away. But yards are going to be at a premium tonight and if I’m Alabama I have to make sure Golson is tackled and hit a lot. If Golson is allowed to make plays with his feet Notre Dame is going to be in great position to win. I do think though Alabama is going to try and sell out vs the running attack of Notre Dame and force Golson to beat them. Golson’s star shined brightest against Oklahoma in a great second half and against Pitt when Notre Dame desperately needed him and he delivered them from evil. Tonight Brian Kelly and Co. will need him to have his best game, his most explosive game, and lead the Irish to a National Championship!
My final thoughts as we head into tonight’s Title Tilt in South Beach:
Alabama is the Champion and they will not go down without a fight, the Tide will bring the fight to the Notre Dame doorstep. The Alabama offense however hasn’t played against a defense of this caliber. The battles up front will determine who wins this National Title Game. The individual battle of Luis Nix (Irish Chocolate) vs Barrett Jones is to me the most important fight up front. If Lix dominates like we’ve seen all year all of a sudden the running game for Bama becomes very average. That is a huge battle as will be the battle in the secondary of Notre Dame going against the Bama receivers. Mainly Amari Cooper vs Bennett Jackson and KeiVarae Russell. Saban is going to test Russell early and often in this game, Jackson has proven to be the better of the 2 starters and Russell has shown greatness as well but has been exposed in pass coverage at times this season. If KieVarae holds his own and holds the big play Amari Cooper down the Irish will WIN this game.
Prediction Time:
The winner of the National Championship is going to be the University of Football in America. Yes, the University of Notre Dame will come away with a hard fought, slugged out win over Alabama. Points, yards, and style points will be hard to come by and thus Notre Dame will show the SEC and America you can have great academics and great football!!
Notre Dame 23- Alabama 16
MVPs: Zeke Matta 7 tackles 1 INT and 1 Forced Fumble and the Notre Dame Offensive Line making room for ND to run for 208 yards and 2 scores in the win!
Like what I have to say? then hit me up on Twitter @C_K_42 or on facebook
Notre Dame Taking Talents to South Beach for Title Shot
The stage was set for USC to ruin the Irish run to the National Title game. Over hyped team goes into a rivals house, rookie QB, much maligned coach, and an underachieving team rises up and destroys the BCS. But the thing about that story is that Notre Dame wasn’t over hyped, they went into the Coliseum and punched USC right in the mouth. The rookie QB had 2 picks and was rattled early and often. Lane Kiffin and his play calling and clock management are highly questioned today (4th qtr USC had 11 snaps inside the Irish 5 and came away with 3 points), and the over hyped team was USC! Came into the season as preseason #1 and ended the season 7-5 and lost 5 of 6 to close out the year. This Irish team isn’t going to win any beauty contests but they’re going to win a lot of football games and that is far more important.
Brian Kelly and his coaching staff were the perfect fit to replace Charlie Weis and his underachieving staff. Kelly is a program builder and that was exactly what those under the Golden Dome were in need of 3 years ago. Kelly had just led Cincinnati to an undefeated regular season and knew the Bearcats were on their way to a BCS game and what did he do? He took the Notre Dame job and almost immediately started laying the ground work for this season’s undefeated bunch. He put together a staff of strong recruiters, free thinkers, and simply great college football coaches. The previous regime had a lot of NFL coaches, yes men, and over the hill recruiters. That began to change in the last year when they got Manti Te’o to commit, Zeke Matta, Theo Riddick, and Tyler Eifert. So I will say thank you to Charlie Weis for that. I will now thank Brian Kelly for being exactly what Notre Dame needed then, needs now, and will need in the future.
Notre Dame is on the cusp of something I never thought I’d see again. A shot at a National Championship. Can you still underestimate them? Yes, but I wouldn’t recommend it. To underestimate this Irish team is to do what everyone did in the preseason did, what everyone did after they started 4-0…..6-0…..11-0 did! To continue and underestimate the heart, skill, and will of this Irish team would be dumb but to each his or her own.
Bennett Jackson and Fans celebrate after the Win Saturday at USC
The Irish will continue their world wide tour to South Beach on January 7th and hope to bring home the most storied football progam’s first National Title since 1988. Not a single player on the squad was born, hell I was 5 and know I wasn’t watching it. My dad was but me I was probably asleep or playing with some Lincoln Logs and GI Joe’s. But on January 7th I will be glued to my TV and having a few adult sodas, some snacks, and I will have my phone off. I will not be bothered and I will say this as I go; if you don’t believe in this years Notre Dame team, I don’t care and I’ll be laughing all the way to the “Natty” or National Championship come January and after that game is over I believe all of College Football will stand up applaud and watch as Brian Kelly, Manti Te’o and Co. hoist that Title amongst the confetti, streamers, and tears. If they win I’ll be crying and I’ll even video it and post on the website.
Let me know what you think and hit me up on Twitter @C_K_42.
Irish back on top of College Football
So many haters out in College Football land have said Notre Dame isn’t that good, they have been lucky, and they can’t beat the big boys. Well the Irish ARE good, they have been lucky, and they have beaten the big boys!
Manti Te’o hugs Coach Brian Kelly as he leaves field for last time
The next step in the Irish journey is to take care of a USC team that is in the midst of a bad season, off field controversy, and a coach who has proved time and time again that he can’t be a leader of men! The Irish will roll into So Cal next Saturday night with an 11-0 record, the nation’s #1 ranking, and the keys to the BCS National Title Game in their pocket. That being said USC is going to play this game all out, this is essentially the Trojans Super Bowl. They’ve had a lack luster season and what better way to salvage your season then to ruin your long time rivals shot at a National Title? Brian Kelly will not allow the Irish to feel good about the new #1 ranking. He will use it as another motivating tool and get the Irish to rally around it and hopefully make another statement on the national stage. Early reports out of USC is that QB Matt Barkley won’t play because of a separated shoulder he suffered in Saturday’s loss to UCLA. If that is true then the Irish road will be a little easier, but I don’t believe a thing out of USC’s mouths and I’m fully expecting Barkley to be under center Saturday night.
It’s been 19 years since Notre Dame sat atop the rankings in College Football. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long, but if you remember the lows of the past few years this makes this high even better! The #1 will be lit above Grace Hall on campus for the first night since beating Florida State all the way back in 1993. The bulbs were replaced today and the #1 is bright above the Irish campus. That is not the goal coming into this season, that goal won’t be reached until the Irish play on January 7th in Miami, Florida in the National Championship Game. If the Irish are able to win Saturday and then Monday the 7th of January it would mark the first National Championship for the Irish since 1988. Not to get ahead of ourselves but if ND is playing in that game I won’t be able to focus on much else the entire Christmas/New Years holiday.
Kapron Lewis-Moore waving to the Irish crowd upon leaving the field for the Final time at Notre Dame.
I’d now like to take some time to thank the Irish Senior Class. Everyone knows Manti Te’o, but how bout Kapron Lewis-Moore, Roby Toma, Tyler Eifert, Braxton Cave, Zach Martin, Zeke Motta, Theo Riddick, and the list goes on and on. These men stuck it out in South Bend when they could’ve rolled out to an easier school academically, an easier place to get wins or BCS appearances, but the stayed and have left their mark on the University of Notre Dame and the hearts of Irish fans everywhere. We will look back and say this was the Senior class that led the Irish back to national prominence. So I’ll simply say Thank You Seniors!
As I wrap up today I’d like to leave a video the University of Notre Dame has put together about Manti Te’o. http://youtu.be/n7UxpYMNd5w
Follow me on Twitter @C_K_42
Enough’s Enough and its Time for a change in West Lafayette
Different day, same ol’ story for Danny Hope(less) and the Purdue Boilermakers. The Boilers were a sexy early season pick to win the Big Ten or at least make it to the Big Ten Title game in Indianapolis. The Boilers played undefeated and #4 in the country Notre Dame down to the wire in South Bend. After that game I remember our podcast as Thad and I both had Purdue pegged as Title Game front runner. The toughest part of the schedule was what was highlighted by not just us but every national media outlet. Games after the ND game were Michigan, Wisconsin, and then at Ohio State. Michigan and Wisconsin had stumbled and with Purdue’s talent especially on defense we thought this was laid out for Hope and Co. to roll into the Title Game.
Now if you will flash forward to today with me, the Boilers have just suffered another beat down. This most recent beating was at the hands of the most polarizing team in college sports this season the Penn State Nittany Lions. Bill O’Brian is the National Coach of the Year and it’s not even close. If you are Rip Van Winkle then I understand why you wouldn’t know why O’Brian is going to win this award. But we all know what’s gone on in Happy Valley, and we won’t rehash that here today. The Nittany Lions rolled into Ross-Aide Stadium and whipped the helpless Boilers to every loose ball, every tough yard, every which way that you can be beaten the Nittany Lions did just that. The week prior to that was an embarrassing thrashing at the hands of a weak Minnesota squad. Behind the arm of freshman QB Phillip Nelson the Golden Gophers fell behind 7-0 before rolling off an incredible 41 straight points the Boilers scored a couple TD’s late but it was already over. The week before was an absolute heart wrenching loss to Ohio St. in Columbus. It looked like with two minutes to go that Purdue might just notch a win to really feel good about. Then the wheels fell off and the Buckeyes snatched the victory from the Boilers. Wisconsin hammered the Boilers the week prior to that on Homecoming 38-14 and Michigan behind Denard Robinson’s monster day beat the Boilers 44-13.
Danny Hope can see the handwriting on the wall and hear the firing squad oiling up their riffles. The Boilers I believe have quit not only on Danny Hope and his coaching staff but also on each other. I feel bad for the seniors who have laid it out on the line for four years only to have to suffer a slow and painful death every Saturday afternoon. The Boilers also know that the recruits that they have worked hard to secure this season are starting to wain on those commitments. A highly touted JC player has decommitted and you have to wonder if Terre Haute’s own Danny Etling will stay committed WHEN Danny Hope is let go. The recruiting trail has been very good to Kevin Wilson and the Hoosiers in recent weeks and some have wondered out loud if Etling might find his way to B-Town instead of West Lafayette? Hope is all but done at Purdue and he knows it, the students know it, and the players know it. Now Boiler fans have to adjust themselves and start looking at potential candidates to replace this current regime when it’s let go. I personally would look hard at Bobby Petrino, Trent Miles (ISU’s Head Football Coach), Notre Dame defensive coordinator Bob Diaco, among others throughout D1 and D2. I’m going to go out on a limb and tell you Bobby Petrino will be the new head man in West Lafayette in a month or so, when this happens you can all say you heard it hear first!
Like what you hear? hit me up on Twitter @C_K_42 or @indysportscrew
Ugly, Lucky, and Still Unbeaten in South Bend
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish did just that last night in defeating upstart Pitt in triple OT. They fought like crazy to stay undefeated and in doing so they still have a shot at playing for a National Title on January 7th.
Everett Golson celebrates after the game winning TD in triple OT Saturday night
It was a perfect storm in South Bend yesterday; emotional let down after a huge win in Norman, a Pitt team dealing with some off field issues, an underdog knowing this was their Super Bowl, and the Irish defense playing the worst game of the season. The Irish had heard from everyone all week how great they are. How after the win at Oklahoma they were beyond a doubt back and better then ever. In hearing and seeing “how great” they are, the Irish forgot to show the same respect to this weeks opponent as it did last week. The unit I felt showed this lackadaisical attitude was the defense, especially early on as Ray Graham racked up a 50+ yard run on the Panthers opening play. The Irish gave up 144 yards on the ground which is by far the most all season. They looked a step slow all afternoon, especially when Pitt got the ball out on the edges. Graham had a big TD run in the first half after he popped it outside and ran away from the Irish defenders. A chink in the defensive armor? A fluke? Just a flat out lack of respect for Pitt and their senior leaders? I believe all of those are 100% true of the Irish effort yesterday, but like any great team the other unit picked them up.
Golson dives for the 2 point conversion at the end of regulation Saturday at ND
The Irish Offense was slow out of the gates. Golson got benched, Rees was worse then Golson, the Offense turned it over 3 times, and some how, some way the Irish offense answered the call when they were most needed. With under a minute to go in the 3rd quarter Notre Dame was staring an 8-1 record directly in the face. The Panthers had just made a FG to make it 20-6 and Notre Dame hadn’t scored in 23 and a half minutes. Not exactly setting the offensive world on fire. But then Everett Golson brought the Irish down the field for a big TD pass to TJ Jones and suddenly it was 20-12 after a missed PAT. Then some sketchy Pitt play calling and another Irish possession which ended when Golson under threw a potential TD pass to Troy Niklas and it was intercepted in the end zone and I for one thought the game was over. But then some more suspect play calling on Pitt’s end and the youngster from Myrtle Beach got the ball back and this time he started by dropping a beautiful deep ball into Davaris Daniels lap, then he found Theo Riddick for a 5 yd touchdown on the next snap. Then the 2 point try and young Mr. Golson rolled right and found a crease and lunged for the goal line and a 20-20 tie and overtime was on its way. Golson made play after play on the last few drives for Brian Kelly and crew, yes he threw the pick in the end zone but the D stepped up and got him another chance.
The Panthers of Pitt had a golden opportunity to wreck the dream season and ruin my weekend but somehow, some way they just couldn’t do it. In the 2nd OT when Cierre Wood could’ve given the Irish a 7 point lead he fumbled on his dive into the end zone and Pitt recovered. All the Panthers had to do was kick a FG and it was bye, bye dream season. And hello the ghost of David Gordon, whose that you might ask yourself. He was the kicker for Boston College in 1993 who beat the Irish on a kick from 41 yards out and destroyed the National Title season I thought I was witnessing (Yes, that was the last time I cried watching a sporting event). Kevin Harper a 5th year senior kicker for Pitt had to knock through a 33 yarder and he could be mentioned in the same sentence as David Gordon. But we won’t be looking back 15, 20, 25 years from now talking about Martin’s dagger from 33 yards out. He pushed it wide right, the snap was bad and thus threw his timing off just enough to afford the Irish another shot. I was watching from a cigar shop in Decatur IL, and when Martin missed I looked to my buddy and said “Jesus loves me, yes I know!” The Panthers did respond with a Martin FG of 44 yards just moments later to give them a 26-23 lead.
But young Everett Golson looked poised to not only end the game at hand but the game of musical quarterbacks! Golson grabbed the QB job by the throat and in my mind isn’t going to allow Rees another shot. But with his 2nd down completion to Riddick for 11 yards he cemented his spot as ND’s #1 guy and moments later Golson touted the rock across the goal line for the game ending score and Notre Dame Stadium went nuts and the Irish faithful cheered and let out a gasp in disbelief that the Irish had survived this scariest of post Halloween ghouls!
The Irish have found their man to play under center and he has finally gotten my nod of approval. I know that doesn’t mean anything to him but to me and the rest of Notre Dame Nation Everett Golson was finally able to deliver us from evil when Manti Te’o and the defense just couldn’t!
This isn’t going to help them in style points for the BCS or some human pollsters but when you look at the result it will only say WIN. So if this Irish squad makes it’s way to Miami for the Title Game this will be the game we look back on and say they had no business winning, but somehow did! Great teams every year win games like this and this years ND team is no different. Ugly yes, scary yes, but most importantly it is a WIN! Winning UGLY is still winning and an ugly win beats an exciting loss any day!
Like what I have to say check me out on Twitter @C_K_42
Mission Possible: Irish in Drivers Seat for National Title Shot
Is this a dream? Am I really seeing this incredible story unfold like it is? That is what I’ve been asking myself over the last few hours as my Victory hangover has subsided. No, this isn’t a dream and yes, I am really seeing the Irish write the script to their own BCS Title Movie. Over the last few weeks many College Football pundits have told us why Notre Dame isn’t title worthy. Why the once “toughest” schedule looks relatively easy. It would’ve been easy for all of them to be able to look into our TV sets this week and say to us “I knew Notre Dame was overrated” but unfortunately for them the Irish don’t care what you think!
Te’o introduces himself to Oklahoma QB Landry Jones
As we head down the back stretch of this college football season the blue and gold sit among the elite of the game. Both in the polls and the ever important BCS computer rankings. The Irish have continued to improve week after week. The defense last night used the bend but don’t break mentality. They did give up a lot of yards through the air, as Landry Jones tossed for 356 yards. But most of those yards came between the 20′s and once the Sooners were inside the red-zone that is where their drives went to die! An offense that was coming in averaging 45 points a game, close to 200 rushing yards a game, and striking fear into opposing defenses. Then you look at what ND did to Oklahoma on Saturday night and you should realize this is an elite defensive unit! Led by Heisman Trophy front runner Manti Te’o held Oklahoma to 1 touchdown and 2 FG’s, stifled the running game to just 15 yards on 24 carries. If you were wondering that breaks down to .6 yards per carry. I’m not a math genius but that’s pretty good. The Irish front seven didn’t dominate like they had before by living in the Sooner backfield, but the Irish front seven tackled everything that moved Saturday night. The Oklahoma receivers did have a nice day but they didn’t have any breath taking TD’s or long runs. The Irish defense is fantastic at tackling, they always seem to be in the right position, they break you down and fly to the ball and smack you right in the chest. It’s a beautiful sight to see if you’re a football fan. The Irish defensive unit is led in the booth by Bob Diaco and to be honest if he’s not a D1 head coach within the next 3 years I’ll be shocked. Just look at what he’s done in a short three years with the Domers.
The man who stole the show last night was Everett Golson, the kid was 13/25 for 177 yards. He didn’t throw for 400 and 4 TD’s but he didn’t turn it over and he looked every bit the guy Brian Kelly has said he is all season. The pass that sold me on EG was on 2nd and 2 after the Sooners had just tied the game. Golson unleashed a beauty of a deep ball to Chris Brown (not that Chris Brown). Brown is a kid the Irish have tried to get in the game plan for weeks and he showed up big time on that drive. Then to cap off his coming out party he ran in a TD to put the Irish up for good in Norman. All in all Everett Golson looks to have nailed down the starting job in South Bend, and the D dominates week after week.
So in the next 4 weeks the Irish have lesser teams in their way with battles with Pitt, Boston College (always scary, remember 1993!), Wake Forest, and then USC on Thanksgiving weekend. For the first time since that 1993 team beat Florida State the Irish are a legit title contender and if they run the table from here on out it’s going to be hard for anyone to keep them from Miami and the National Title Game. Alabama is amazing, Oregon is stupid athletic, Kansas State is solid and has Optimus Klein, and Notre Dame has something 2 of the 3 don’t have- HISTORY! Is it fair that if ND is there with Oregon or K State they get in because they are ND? No it’s not fair but…..I Don’t CARE!!!!! If ND is in the discussion for the title game they will get there. I’m not saying crazy things can’t happen but I’d be stunned if they don’t handle the next three teams and then battle USC for a shot at a title.
If I’m really dreaming and this season is a figment of my imagination, please do me a favor and don’t wake me up till Tuesday, January 8th. That is the day after the National Title game and if this is a dream, it’s going to be a happy one! National Championship Style!!
If you like what I have to say hit me up on Twitter or Facebook
Storming into Norman: Notre Dame – Oklahoma Preview
As I’m sure you already know the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are heading to Norman, Oklahoma to take on the Sooners. In this trip to Norman the Fighting Irish have something major to play for. That something is a shot at a National Title! I want to remind you that in the season preview for the Irish I had them 7-0 going into this game, don’t believe me check this link. I know a lot of that was love for the Irish but now I look like a modern day Nostradamus. This is without a doubt the stiffest test this Irish team will have faced. It’s not ND’s fault that the Big Ten as a whole has been a pretty major disappointment. The Irish have beaten over hyped Purdue, Michigan State, and Michigan. They’ve also beaten a bad Navy team, a rebuilding Miami, and had nail biters with Stanford and BYU.
This is the measuring stick game for Brian Kelly, not just for his team but for him as a coach. The history of 3rd year coaches at ND and winning National Titles is a pretty nice list, and I’m 100% sure Coach Kelly would love to notch his name next to Rockne, Ara, and Lou. Coach Kelly had explosive offenses at previous stops at Central Michigan and Cincinnati. This version of Coach Kelly’s offense is still searching for it’s QB and neither Tommy Rees or Everett Golson has shown the ability to grab the job and not let go. If Golson the Red-shirt Freshman is going to take a strangle hold on the job why not pick Saturday night under the bright lights of Norman to do so? I have wanted Golson to have a huge game since week 1 but he has seemed to be determined to take 2 steps forward and 3 steps back. As well as he played at MSU is as poor as he played at home against Michigan. If Golson wants a chance to continue to start beyond this season he better start making plays and not turning it over. Lets not forget Gunner Kiel is on the bench and Top 100 dual threat recruit Malike Zaire is on his way.
OKLAHOMA
The Sooners are led by Landry Jones and his 26th ranked passing game and 5th in scoring offense. Jones is no doubt the best QB the Irish will have faced to this point and in turn the ND front 7 is the best Boomer Sooner will have faced. This is shaping up to being an old fashioned great offense vs great defense. Jones however isn’t going to make you pay with his legs if a play breaks down. Landry doesn’t have a positive rushing play all season! Jones who has been playing his position better then almost anybody in the country as of late is brimming with swagger. However as we’ve seen in the past if he is sacked/pressured early he can get happy feet and start forcing bad throws and turnovers usually follow. If the front 7 gets after Landry early and often it will bode well for the young Irish secondary. However, if Jones can sit back and survey the field like a young Bryson Raney he will pick the Irish secondary apart and we will be in for a long, long day!
The Sooner Defense has been playing lights out as of late too. If the Irish can’t run the ball and set up some play action it can be expected that the Irish D will be leaned on to try and win another one for Kelly and company.
Player to Watch:
Blake Bell: Backup QB on paper but really he is a distant love child of Jerome Bettis and William “Refrigerator” Perry. He is almost an ATM inside the 5 yard line. That’s an “automatic touchdown maker.” Oklahoma is the #2 ranked red zone offense, while ND is the #2 ranked red zone defense. So inside the scoring area you imagine the nastiness that will be going on among the fronts of both teams. This could be an old fashioned slug fest, especially inside the 20′s.
Prediction Time:
I’ve been right when picking the Irish games thus far and I know this is the toughest team to date. That being said I foresee the Irish rolling into Norman and playing another tough game. This game won’t be a beautifully written poem, it will be like a ROUGH draft. It will be rough because both teams are going to slam into each other time after time, after time.
With 1:24 to go in the ball game and Notre Dame trailing 17-12 after 4 Kyle Brindza FG’s and 2 Golson picks the embattled QB will take the Irish down the field and facing 4th down from the Oklahoma 13 yard line Golson will scramble and get outside of the Sooner containment. As the clock continues to tick down Golson will dive head first at the goal line and as the cloud of dust settles in Norman, Everett will be laying with the nose of the ball over the goal line and giving the Irish a 19-17 win in Norman and sending College Football’s Media into a full on frenzy and the bandwagon will continue to add new members!!! Get your seat early though, it’s starting to fill up!
Like what you hear follow me on Twitter or Facebook
I Drank the Boilermaker Kool-Aide and my hopes for them DIED!
I was amoung many who praised the Boilers during the preseason and expected them to grab onto the Leaders Division and run to Indy with it. Man I was as wrong as Kris Humphries thinking a Kardashian would marry for love!! Not only did Purdue look awful Saturday at Ross-Ade but made us all wonder why we thought they would look any different.
Denard Robinson reaches for a TD early in Saturday’s win at Purdue
I watched every second of the Boilers nailbiter against Notre Dame and thought Purdue is legit. Apparantly the Boilers weren’t as too legit to quit as I thought, it looked like they quit Saturday afternoon. Denard “Shoelace” Robinson had a bye week to think about his disaster in South Bend in which he alone had 5 turnovers. Denard had looked awful in the 2 games agaisnt ranked teams this season, and going into Saturday I thought Purdue was a win away from the top 25. Boy was I wrong about Danny Hope’s squad, I don’t know if they just came out flat and will respond this Saturday or if they’ll get dominated by Wisconsin. As we discussed on the Podcast last week the blueprint for beating Michigan was out there for Hope and Purdue. Beat up Denard, contain him, make him throw, and WIN THE GAME. But Purdue continualy lost contain on the edges, allowed “Shoelace” outside all afternoon and then when the D sucked up toward the line of scrimmage Denard tossed lollipops over the Boiler Secondary for big chunks of yards and a TD. Robinson’s final stat line was 8/16 for 105 yards and 1 TD, rushed the ball 24 times for 235 yards. He single handedly dominated Purdue and most in attendence left Ross-Ade by early in the 4th quarter. In the process on Saturday Denard Robinson became the Big Ten’s All Time rusher for a quarterback, surpassing IU’s Antwaan Randle-El.
Caleb TerBush during Saturday’s Loss to Michigan
For Purdue it’s back to the drawing board and hopefully they draw up a masterpiece for the Wisconsin game coming up on Saturday. If the Boilers lay another egg they will miss the chance to win the Leaders Division and a chance to win the Big Ten Title. Caleb TerBush had an ok afternoon and Robert Marve also returned and I for one won’t be shocked if Marve is starting at QB when Wisconsin comes to town on Saturday.
Like what I have to say? Follow me on Twitter @C_K_42 or @IndySportsCrew
