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Originally Posted by DucksToFiesta However, I want nothing more than to see Oregon embarass Notre Dame on the big stage just as Oregon State has done twice this decade already. |
Don't go holding your breath there, my friend.
Has Notre Dame been embarassed in 2005? Nope. Don't expect it in January either. They are probably two plays from being in the Rose Bowl. Oregon is 30 minutes and 32 points away from that. You know, if SC had beaten ND by 10 or MSU beat ND by 21, there might be a case for those two losses. Fact is, they were damn close. And everyone knows that.
The head coach of this team (heard of him?) has prepared for SUPER BOWLS in a week's time. Now, you're going to give him a month to prepare for a defense? Fess up and admit there is something to be said for that.
Oregon's corners are 5-9 and 5-11. ND's receivers are 6-4 and 6-5. They've been killing people all year.
Now at the same time, Notre Dame's defense is a bend but don't break unit, so I could certainly see the Ducks being able to score some points. I'm not sure, but does Oregon not run a spread offense with 3 WR? Could be an issue for the ND D.
However, this group is very well coached, poised and is the most schematically prepared team on the field any given Saturday. If you're going to use the Oregon State bowls under the last TWO ND coaches as a barometer, please allow me to be your bookie.
You keep bringing up Stanford and Michigan State. Allow me to provide a few lucid thoughts on that. First, Notre Dame lead for that entire game until Stanford took a ONE point lead with 1:55 left. No one panicked, they marched right down the field, scored and then converted a two point play. 8 points in about 60 seconds. The Irish also had several starters leave the field hurt in that game and had players playing hurt. And I can almost guarantee Stanford gave Notre Dame more of a game than they did Oregon. They were playing for bowl eligibility.
Second, was Michigan State pathetic when ND played them? No. See, Sparty tanked after back to back losses to Michigan and Ohio State, probably their two biggest rivals. This was one month after they beat Notre Dame....in overtime....by 3....after leading by 21 in the third quarter.
ND is 9-2. Oregon is 10-1. There are a lot of people out there, computers and humans alike, who feel that two close, 3 point losses have a bit more value and quality to a 32 point loss. No one is bringing up ND losing to SC close....the Oregon folk continue to say their only loss was to the #1 team in the country. Funny, they don't mention the score.
And yes, after 1 and 2 are matched up the other three games, as well as the other 40 that proceed it in December, mean nothing so the suits must sell tickets.
This BCS system was agreed upon by the conferences. You want someone to blame, look at your team. All you had to do was beat SC and you'd be going to Pasadena to play Texas.
Coming to irishenvy.com isn't going to change much in terms of your fate.
This crap is really starting to bore me. We're getting our 23 rd verbal on Monday and have better things to talk about.