What if........?

[Irish Love]

Now that Charlie has shown a weakness in the USC armor, other teams on their schedule will surely pick up on it and use it too. What if USC loses to UCLA and or Cal and they get knocked out of the national championship game? What if ND wins out and goes 9-2 and qualifies for a BCS bowl? With USC and ND being available in the same pool of teams do you think the bowls would be forming a line to see a rematch of what ESPN.com voted the greatest college game in the past 35 years? And just to add to this dream, what if that bowl was located in Phoenix? Anybody understand?

 

[KMac151993]

The 1993 FSU ND game was better then that game, for obvious reasons.

 

[BGIF]

Now that Charlie has shown a weakness in the USC armor, ...

What is that "weakness in the USC armor?

 

[Vince Young]

What is that "weakness in the USC armor?

Throw passes against USC's weak corners to spread 'em out, then pound it inside on the ground. Play ball control on offense. On defense... well, you pray that you can keep 'em under 40 points.

 

[weisfaninmass]

Throw passes against USC's weak corners to spread 'em out, then pound it inside on the ground. Play ball control on offense. On defense... well, you pray that you can keep 'em under 40 points.

ND averaged 2.9 yards per carry --- haven't seen a weakness -- it was just talent against talent and they had Reggie Bush.

 

[jiggafini19]

Try stopping REggie Bush.

Before the game, I said the key was to limit LenDale White. They did that. And Bush went nuts. The guy had 15 carries, over 160 yds and scored 3 times. ND had no answer for him at all. They limited him on special teams. That's it.

UCLA does not have the defense, in my opinion, to beat USC. They're going to have to utilize every opportunity they get and convert it. Not easy. Cal has two losses, so SC could look past them. Ultimately, you never know. SC could lose to either one.

 

[Irish Love]

Come on we can at least maybe hope that one of those 2 teams beats USC. I know it would take alot, but I would love to have a rematch!!! We should of been the one's to beat them. In my eye's we did, but I know not everyone see's it that was. And what about what weis was saying about how Carrols son called a time out, well isn't that a penalty? So say it was, what if we stopped them and all they could do was kick a fieldgoal. Then we go into overtime and win? I really am still heated about that game.

 

[Rip Rap]

The weakness is obvious and everybody knew what it was before we played them. Control the ball for two thirds of the game by shutting down their ground attack and you win. Well, maybe not. But you should.

Now, who can call the plays to ensure that happens on both offense and defense?

 

[Vince Young]

ND averaged 2.9 yards per carry

Yes, but we weren't running to generate yards; that's what the passing game was for.

We pounded the run because it ate up the clock and kept OMG The Bestast Offense Evar off the field.

And even if you're only getting 3 yards a carry, if you run it twice, that leaves you with 3rd and 4. That's an easy 3rd down to convert with the offense we have this year.

USC has weaknesses. Not many, sure, and not ones that are easy to exploit, but that doesn't mean they don't exist at all.

 

[jiggafini19]

Charlie Weis said they wore green because they were playing the game as a bowl game. That said, the bowl game is over. They lost.

Now, it is a new season. They're 0-0 and BYU is their opener. It's a whole new season.

I love this guy.

 

[TomFoolery]

True. The biggest concern (in my opinion), is to play flawlessly- cannot beat yourselves with turnovers, hope to slow down Bush/White/Leinart....Remember, SC plays in the "WAC TEN" & doesn't face aggressive hardnosed eastern teams often. Place them in the ACC, BIG TEN, or SEC, and they would have to pull "rabbits" out of the hat almost every other week to win games!

 

[weisfaninmass]

Yes, but we weren't running to generate yards; that's what the passing game was for.

We pounded the run because it ate up the clock and kept OMG The Bestast Offense Evar off the field.

And even if you're only getting 3 yards a carry, if you run it twice, that leaves you with 3rd and 4. That's an easy 3rd down to convert with the offense we have this year.

USC has weaknesses. Not many, sure, and not ones that are easy to exploit, but that doesn't mean they don't exist at all.

I see the ND offense as the most balanced and complete offense in the country. as a result, the fact that the irish were able to score and the way they ran the offense doens't mean anything for CAL, UCLA etc. I believe that Weis and staff are light years ahead of the other staffs (specifically on offense). I truly believe this. Therefore, I don't see how this carries over to USC's other opponents.

 

[weisfaninmass]

True. The biggest concern (in my opinion), is to play flawlessly- cannot beat yourselves with turnovers, hope to slow down Bush/White/Leinart....Remember, SC plays in the "WAC TEN" & doesn't face aggressive hardnosed eastern teams often. Place them in the ACC, BIG TEN, or SEC, and they would have to pull "rabbits" out of the hat almost every other week to win games!

Pac Ten has been very strong lately.......not sure how you include Big Ten in your argument --- that conference is barely above the Big East this year -- agree w/ SEC and ACC.

 

[jiggafini19]

Pac Ten has been very strong lately.......not sure how you include Big Ten in your argument --- that conference is barely above the Big East this year -- agree w/ SEC and ACC.

After last year's SC defense, there hasn't been anyone out there that can hold down an offense in years. Arizona State has been looking for a secondary for almost ten years. The Washington and Oregon schools have seen their day. SC will have a stranglehold out there for the next decade.

The Big Ten is FAR superior to the Big East. Not even close. Illinois, Purdue and Indiana are the dregs. Everyone else can beat anyone of the others on any given day.

 

[weisfaninmass]

After last year's SC defense, there hasn't been anyone out there that can hold down an offense in years. Arizona State has been looking for a secondary for almost ten years. The Washington and Oregon schools have seen their day. SC will have a stranglehold out there for the next decade.

The Big Ten is FAR superior to the Big East. Not even close. Illinois, Purdue and Indiana are the dregs. Everyone else can beat anyone of the others on any given day.

Jigg, I knew you would jump all over this -- and you a right about Big Ten vs Big East....the point i was trying to make is that the elite of Big Ten don't stack up with the Elite of the ACC (VA tech, Miami, FSU, BC) and SEC (ALA, Aub, GA, FL, LSU) and both confs have solid middle teams. And we can't discount what CAL has done the last 2 years (top 5).

 

[jiggafini19]

Jigg, I knew you would jump all over this -- and you a right about Big Ten vs Big East....the point i was trying to make is that the elite of Big Ten don't stack up with the Elite of the ACC (VA tech, Miami, FSU, BC) and SEC (ALA, Aub, GA, FL, LSU) and both confs have solid middle teams. And we can't discount what CAL has done the last 2 years (top 5).

100% agreed. The ACC got what they wanted. they're tops in everything right now.

The SEC schedules too light, but the talent is there. SPEED.

The Big Ten will end up knocking each other off.

 

[irish9331]

The 1993 FSU ND game was better then that game, for obvious reasons.

Word brother, I still got that on tape and pull it out every once and awhile.