Carty: No doubt, Ohio State's better than Notre Dame

[Irish Envy]

For the past two weeks or so, faithful reader (and faithful Buckeye fan) Bill Pond has been on me about ranking Notre Dame ahead of Ohio State.

"Notre Dame has beat three teams with a winning record ... while losing to a 5-6 Michigan State on their home field,'' Pond wrote following last Monday's poll update. "The combined won lost records of ND opposition is 56-59.

"Please justify how ND is voted ahead of OSU.''

We went back and forth on that question, but there's no need to bore you with the details since it won't be necessary any more.

With Michigan's regular season complete and the turkey consumed, this weekend offered the first chance to get an extended look at the Irish since their epic loss to Southern California.

And the conclusion was simple: Bill's right, Ohio State's better.

Not heads and tails better, but better.

The Notre Dame defense, which once looked to be improving, has taken a step backward. The ultimate question when comparing two teams is also the simplest: Who do you believe would win on a neutral field?

Coming off the loss to Southern Cal, Notre Dame looked like a team that just kept getting better, while Ohio State's offense was still a bit iffy. Head to head? It looked like the Irish.

Having seen both teams extensively on back-to-back weekends now, Ohio State wins hands down.

The Buckeye defense and Notre Dame offense are both excellent (yes, even with quarterback Brady Quinn's interceptions Saturday), but Ohio State's offense has evolved into a real threat, while Notre Dame's defense remains shaky by elite team standards.

While Mr. Pond's lobbying was successful, that of dozens of angry Penn State fans - too many of whom need to remember that profanity never made a man out of a boy (as an old high school coach used to tell us once upon a time) - was not.

Yes, Louisiana State falls after the Tigers' lackluster win over Arkansas, going from third to fourth on The Ann Arbor News ballot.

But Penn State remains sixth, behind Virginia Tech, LSU and Auburn, in that order.

The reason is, once again, simple: Having seen all four teams multiple times, I'd have to pick Penn State to lose against any of them on a neutral field.
That's no insult. There's no shame in No. 6.

And, besides, these things can change at any time.

Just ask Bill.

Source: MLive.com

 

[jiggafini19]

He might be right....ND's defense against the OSU offense would probably favor the Buckeyes.

But see, the game is played for 60 minutes. Offense, defense and special teams. Weis vs. Tressel would be a great chess match. Troy Smith can't score points if he isn't on the field. To me, I think ND should take the SC approach every game: control the clock and ball. This defense has regressed again. I'm not sure why, but it's alarming. No one will score 34 points in the amount of time SC had the ball. NO ONE.

The days of 31 point losses are gone. ND will adjust and do what they must to win. If it is running, passing, whatever. Encompass intangibles, coaching and the other factors off of the field itself....ND has a chance against anyone.

 

[TexasDomer]

Given how nicked up our defense is right now, especially along the d-line, OSU could exploit us--right now.

In January, with some healing and a lot of tape study, it's a different story.

 

[domerfor life]

Given how nicked up our defense is right now, especially along the d-line, OSU could exploit us--right now.
In January, with some healing and a lot of tape study, it's a different story.

I think that the four games before Stanford, we played teams that struggled to throw the ball downfield (except for BYU maybe). Our defense has been susceptible to the long ball all year long. How many times did you see wide receivers open deep in the BYU and Tennessee game? Exactly. It seems like on deep balls the safeties are always out of position. They're running behind the cornerbacks on most occasions. It's baffling. Of course, on many occasions Stanford's quarterbacks had all day to throw. Our run defense is good, but we need to get more pressure on quarterbacks to help out our secondary. They need all the help they can get.

 

[jiggafini19]

Minter's scheme has the nosey safety up for run support.

If the offense is going to run, let them run. If they can run it down your throat, God bless them. But I HATED getting beat deep.

I would hope that they're not envisioning McNeil and Walls locked up in one on one coverage for four years while the safeties cheat close to the line. Those guys are going to need help, regardless of how good they are. Use the linebackers to support the run. That's why they're there.

You've really got to mix it up and show the QB as many different looks as you can.

 

[bigdon]

He might be right....ND's defense against the OSU offense would probably favor the Buckeyes.
But see, the game is played for 60 minutes. Offense, defense and special teams. Weis vs. Tressel would be a great chess match. Troy Smith can't score points if he isn't on the field. To me, I think ND should take the SC approach every game: control the clock and ball. This defense has regressed again. I'm not sure why, but it's alarming. No one will score 34 points in the amount of time SC had the ball. NO ONE.
The days of 31 point losses are gone. ND will adjust and do what they must to win. If it is running, passing, whatever. Encompass intangibles, coaching and the other factors off of the field itself....ND has a chance against anyone.

This is the time of year when scribes turn to the bowl game matchups and "who will beat who and why". Considering that ND will be in the Fiesta the likely foes are OSU and PSU. Everything I have read says that both of these teams would beat ND. Nothing I have read mentions the coaches!! ND clearly has the advantage there.

I am sure the betting line will favor whomever ND plays ( unless it's Oregon). PSU has the defense but OSU is more balanced, in my opinion. Whoever the opponent is I still like us to be the underdog. Weis will have a month to outcoach them. I go with ND.

 

[BigIrish]

sorry to say it, but OSU scares me more than any other potential opponents. i'm dreading that matchup.

 

[irishnd31]

This is the time of year when scribes turn to the bowl game matchups and "who will beat who and why". Considering that ND will be in the Fiesta the likely foes are OSU and PSU. Everything I have read says that both of these teams would beat ND. Nothing I have read mentions the coaches!! ND clearly has the advantage there.
I am sure the betting line will favor whomever ND plays ( unless it's Oregon). PSU has the defense but OSU is more balanced, in my opinion. Whoever the opponent is I still like us to be the underdog. Weis will have a month to outcoach them. I go with ND.

One month to game plan
One month to get our ailing boys time to heal
One month of critics and other fans stating that we don't belong there (which would motivate our boys)

I REALLY like our chances. GO IRISH!!!!

 

[sblxdoc]

sorry to say it, but OSU scares me more than any other potential opponents. i'm dreading that matchup.

Couldn't agree with you more. Of the teams we could potentially meet up with in the Fiesta, they definitely make me the most nervous. This team is solid and has definitely improved over the year. We have a great offense, but OSU defense is stifling.

 

[domerfor life]

I think Charlie will have them ready. They will be an underdog and they will have everybody giving them reasons for why they should not be there. I bet every "analysts" picks against them. That's alot of ammunition for Charlie to use. Remember how they came out against Pitt? Oh and don't forget that we have one of the best gameplanners in college football. I like our chances against PSU or OSU. It will be tough, but I like our chances.

 

[jiggafini19]

The last time ND had a month to prepare was for Pitt. And that turned out just fine.

The healing process is what is important. The bumps and bruises have over a month to freshen up. And the practice time will be good for the freshmen that haven't played yet.

I doubt ND will get Penn State, but I'd be wary to play those guys. I watched tape of them last night and their defense is awesome. I doubt this will be the draw.

I can't see how the Fiesta could pass over Ohio State. Their defense is good, but I don't think it is as good as the boys from Mount Nittany. Either one is better than Tennessee's D. I have no doubt ND could score on Oregon.

One month to game plan for Weis is huge, no matter who they play.

 

[scooper]

I think we stand a great chance against anOSU. And they stand a great one against us. Their defense would be the best we've played, though losing Carpenter hurts them. And unlike Tennessee, they have some firepower on offense. It's just very inconsistant.

It's a great match-up, really. Easily the biggest ticket after the title game.

 

[domerfor life]

I think we stand a great chance against anOSU. And they stand a great one against us. Their defense would be the best we've played, though losing Carpenter hurts them. And unlike Tennessee, they have some firepower on offense. It's just very inconsistant.
It's a great match-up, really. Easily the biggest ticket after the title game.

Ohio State does have a better defense than Tennessee. Losing Carpenter hurts, but they still have A.J. Hawk.....Yikes! I saw him in a few games, most notably against Texas, and that guy is a playmaker. He's the truth. Their offense is inconsistent. Tressel seems to tighten up a little in big games. He's seems to get more conservative. If we play OSU, we can't bring our safeties up and leave our DB's on an island the whole game. That would not be good. Maybe if Matt Shelton gets the whole month to heal, he'll have almost all of his speed back before the Fiesta Bowl. We need another deep threat. My hope is that they will forget about him and Charlie Weis will call some deep passes his way. I think we've missed that this season. The jump balls are fine, but we've missed Shelton getting open deep.

 

[TexasDomer]

dfl,

I agree with you about having a deep threat. I'm a little concerned that so many of BQ's deep balls were jump balls that required MS and JS to make the adjustment and win based on height advantage, especially when many of the balls were underthrown (at least in the Stanford game).

I prefer the post and deep slant routes that hit the receivers on the run, like JS's first TD the other night. It keeps the safeties back, opening up the running game a bit more, and it makes the LBs have to worry about middle depth.

A month also gives Grimes and Hord more reps and the ability to get into the mix more for the bowl game. They've both got wheels, and Hord gives another tall option.

 

[Aerosmith777]

To me, I think ND should take the SC approach every game: control the clock and ball.

eh, I disagree. I think when you're playing a team that has a vaunted defense which is its strength, and an offense that's main goal is to do just enough to win (which I still think in a close game is all OSU's offense is), you have to take it right to them early and often, and just try to kill the defense's morale early in the game. Its not like when you're talking about trying to keep Leinart and Bush off the field, and your facing a weak defense that you know before the game even begins you'll be able to assert your will against.

OSU's offense has been impresive of late, but if this game were to turn into a shootout, does anyone really think OSU would win? You gotta dance w/ who brung 'ya, as the saying goes, and for most of the season ND's won w/ electrifying offense and big plays/big drives.

I think these teams are very evenly matched, I really can't wait to see it on the field. I'm hoping the players will listen to every ESPN talking head, every hack writer, and every squaking Ducks fan that says they don't belong there between now and Jan. 2, and use it in the game.

 

[Aerosmith777]

I'm a little concerned that so many of BQ's deep balls were jump balls that required MS and JS to make the adjustment and win based on height advantage, especially when many of the balls were underthrown (at least in the Stanford game).
I prefer the post and deep slant routes that hit the receivers on the run, like JS's first TD the other night. It keeps the safeties back, opening up the running game a bit more, and it makes the LBs have to worry about middle depth.

I think that's on purpose though. Brady knows that he's got three targets in Stovall, Samardzija, and Fasano that all go 6'5". I actually think that's a trick charlie's taught him from the pros. If you watch pro QB's like Tom Brady, Peyton, or even my own G-men's Eli Manning these days, when they have an unusually tall target like a Shockey or a Burress or a Larry Fitzgerald, they all like to throw those high fades in the endzone where only their guy can get it and no one else.

While its certainly important to hit open men in stride who have wheels like Stovall and Hord, its nice to have that safety net of great possession recievers to just keep getting you first downs and keep drives going when no one's really "open".

 

[jiggafini19]

eh, I disagree. I think when you're playing a team that has a vaunted defense which is its strength, and an offense that's main goal is to do just enough to win (which I still think in a close game is all OSU's offense is), you have to take it right to them early and often, and just try to kill the defense's morale early in the game. Its not like when you're talking about trying to keep Leinart and Bush off the field, and your facing a weak defense that you know before the game even begins you'll be able to assert your will against.
OSU's offense has been impresive of late, but if this game were to turn into a shootout, does anyone really think OSU would win? You gotta dance w/ who brung 'ya, as the saying goes, and for most of the season ND's won w/ electrifying offense and big plays/big drives.
I think these teams are very evenly matched, I really can't wait to see it on the field. I'm hoping the players will listen to every ESPN talking head, every hack writer, and every squaking Ducks fan that says they don't belong there between now and Jan. 2, and use it in the game.

I would rather the offense keep the ball. ND won't get their 38 ppg average against this Buckeye defensive unit. Troy Smith, Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn aren't Leinert and Bush, but Wooden and Richardson aren't Deion Sanders or Rod Woodson. ND scored 31 points on SC and SC scored 34 with limited time of possession. In that amount of time, can OSU score 34? No.

So keep those superior receivers off of the field.

 

[PantsB]

We'll see in January, won't we.