Next Week

[ACamp1900]

is huge... big statement game for us there.

Should be a great game too, two youngest teams in the country that actually have a shot at becoming something down the road... should be a great game

odd fact is a close loss may be the best outcome long term for ND, the last thing they want is to run through nine plus wins, go to the BCS and get SMOKED again....

 

[Brown]

It never made much sense to me why anybody would have a problem getting to a prestigious bowl if it meant "getting smoked"

I think anytime a team wants to grow they need to be exposed to the best talent in the country. If we lose by 100 pts in the sugar bowl, it would only make the team that much stronger/hungry the following season.

 

[jakerbluegold]

I don't know, not sure what to expect from here?

 

[ACamp1900]

It never made much sense to me why anybody would have a problem getting to a prestigious bowl if it meant "getting smoked"

I think anytime a team wants to grow they need to be exposed to the best talent in the country. If we lose by 100 pts in the sugar bowl, it would only make the team that much stronger/hungry the following season.

Did wonders for a ND team one Reggie bush push away from the title game to get smoked in the Fiesta Bowl.... they sure came out on fire the next season didn't they????


End the bowl losing streak period. exlamation point!

who cares what bowl as long as they win it, and right now this team isn't beating another BCS bowl team....

once we end the bolw losing streak, THEN let's go back and face the big boys.....

that's my thoughts.

 

[SouthernIrish]

i cannot STAND the thought of another blow out loss in a big bowl. Gator Bowl against West Virginia!

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

All or nothing for me. Go to BCS with the hope of a win, then get blown out, is better than settling for a trivial win at a trivial bowl.

I think one reason ND has not won the smaller bowl games is because they know they are not "playing for it all", exams are over, and it is time to party in this nice hotel we are staying at.

 

[jakerbluegold]

We must win a bowl game! People don't respect a program that can't win a bowl game. I enjoy watching my favorite team win in the post-season as well.

 

[Brown]

Did wonders for a ND team one Reggie bush push away from the title game to get smoked in the Fiesta Bowl.... they sure came out on fire the next season didn't they????


End the bowl losing streak period. exlamation point!

who cares what bowl as long as they win it, and right now this team isn't beating another BCS bowl team....

once we end the bolw losing streak, THEN let's go back and face the big boys.....

that's my thoughts.

Out of the 100 or so years organized college football has been around, you cite one team, and that somehow validates your point?

LOL @ the notion of settling for some mediocre bowl to end the "bowl losing streak", as a way to re establish the programs pride.

I would take 100 straight losses annually in a BCS bowl (or whatever the championship equivalent is in the future) over 100 wins in some meaningless mid-level bowl game against mid level competition.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

Out of the 100 or so years organized college football has been around, you cite one team, and that somehow validates your point?

LOL @ the notion of settling for some mediocre bowl to end the "bowl losing streak", as a way to re establish the programs pride.

I would take 100 straight losses annually in a BCS bowl (or whatever the championship equivalent is in the future) over 100 wins in some meaningless mid-level bowl game against mid level competition.

2,000,000,000,000% with you on this one.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

It never made much sense to me why anybody would have a problem getting to a prestigious bowl if it meant "getting smoked"

I think anytime a team wants to grow they need to be exposed to the best talent in the country. If we lose by 100 pts in the sugar bowl, it would only make the team that much stronger/hungry the following season.

I agree for the most part, but during the season, the team should only be exposed to the "perceived best" 4 or 5 times a year. Not every game of the week, like ND has done for too long. One can only take everyone's best shot for so long.

Boxers take months or years off from taking on the next challenger. ND has been trying to do it every week.

 

[NDMontana]

I agree for the most part, but during the season, the team should only be exposed to the "perceived best" 4 or 5 times a year. Not every game of the week, like ND has done for too long. One can only take everyone's best shot for so long.

Boxers take months or years off from taking on the next challenger. ND has been trying to do it every week.

I'm with ACamp on this one....lets just win a bowl game. I'm not in the mood to see ND get smoked in another BCS game. I believe that it will start affecting recruiting at some point and I would like to see ND end the season with a win.

I think it's a moot point anyhow because I think we could beat USC....but we won't. I think we'll probably get blown out and that will take care of any BCS talk. Sometimes losing big game after big game starts to beat a program down. Ohio State is a case in point, IMO. Va Tech were players in the BCS bowls a while back and they kept getting beat down....where are they now? Kansas State was a good program not so long ago too but they kept losing Big 12 Title games and bowl games and have now faded into mediocrity.

This season is about progress (so far so good) and learning how to win (so far so good). Topping that off with a bowl game victory would be a very nice feeling. The more we go to BCS games and get blown out, the less likely it becomes that we get the necessary votes (in the rankings) to compete for those games.

As far as only playing the best competition in the country 4-5 times a year....good news.....we're only facing that ONCE a year now.

 

[WaveDomer]

odd fact is a close loss may be the best outcome long term for ND, the last thing they want is to run through nine plus wins, go to the BCS and get SMOKED again....

I understand wanting to win a bowl game. However, you just have to go out and play the games to win. Play every game to win and see where that puts you at the end of the year. Again, I get the sentiment and I kinda know you're not thinking this way, but the team needs to just play to win instead of worrying that winning too much might mean we play a really tough opponent in a bowl game. Worrying about getting blown out in the BCS falls under one of those "good problems to have."

 

[WaveDomer]

Seriously

Seriously

If the BCS calls, does Weis say, "No thanks. We're thinking Liberty Bowl this year. Appreciate the call though."

 

[Dizzyphil]

Regardless of what we think, or want for that matter, we all are very well aware that if ND gets an invite to a big BCS bowl, they are going to take it. It is a matter of money to the college. I couldn't agree more with some here that want a 'Deserved' bowl game and play a more equally matched team. Does anyone here know if CW gets a bonus for a BCS bowl over a non-BCS?? That would also be an influence to go to a BCS.

Dizzy

 

[NDMontana]

If the BCS calls, does Weis say, "No thanks. We're thinking Liberty Bowl this year. Appreciate the call though."

Was that comment made? Did anybody say that? No.

Do I want ND to win every game from here on out? Of course. But I don't want to see ND in a BCS game because, to this point, I don't think we belong there. I don't think it's going to be an issue anyway-our strength of schedule and probable loss against USC is not going to bode well for us.

As far as your actual question: Why not....Lou Holtz told the Hula Bowl no. Said they didn't deserve to play in a bowl game.

 

[WaveDomer]

Was that comment made? Did anybody say that? No.

No, that comment was not made, but I never said it was made. The discussion started with the suggestion that a close loss might be the best thing for ND to avoid getting blown out in a BCS bowl. My point is that we shouldn't worry about that. The actual best thing to do is to win every game and play hard. If we play out the season and we are in a place where we get called for a BCS bowl, then we go and play a BCS bowl. My comment about the phone call was a joking way of saying this is sort of ridiculous thing to worry about right now. Worrying about getting blown out is not the attitude to have.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

As far as your actual question: Why not....Lou Holtz told the Hula Bowl no. Said they didn't deserve to play in a bowl game.

Well, at least for the first time tonight, I agree with you.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

No, that comment was not made, but I never said it was made. The discussion started with the suggestion that a close loss might be the best thing for ND to avoid getting blown out in a BCS bowl. My point is that we shouldn't worry about that. The actual best thing to do is to win every game and play hard. If we play out the season and we are in a place where we get called for a BCS bowl, then we go and play a BCS bowl. My comment about the phone call was a joking way of saying this is sort of ridiculous thing to worry about right now. Worrying about getting blown out is not the attitude to have.

Agree

 

[coachjohnson]

I think the Carolina game will be a good game. Carolina is a pretty good team and they beat a ranked opponent even though I don't really think that UConn is that good. I feel that Carolina can't play like they did tonight 2 weeks in a row. I think it will be close next week and we'll win.

 

[phork]

I see us winning out, and either getting hamboned by Pete McPete, or winning a very close flukey game. In which case we will be slotted into a BCS spot.
Gator Bowl please.

 

[domerfor life]

Carolina is going to gave Notre Dame fits. There are athletes everywhere. The only reason they're not undefeated is because the starting QB got hurt against VaTech. This is going to be a good game with the winner making an appearance in the polls. Should be fun. Of course the Heels will be pumped.

 

[IrishAlum1997]

I think we can all agree that the BCS talk should be extremely hypothetical until we see the effort on the field next Saturday. We are playing an athletic and confident team on their turf, we are going to have to see if our boys can 'crank it up' in that environment. I think that will be the game where we can really start talking about how Jimmy is on his way to being 'the man,' and that this team is on its way to being back. Stunned-ford and P-U have abhorrent defenses, and although I tend to agree with all of the comments that everyone else has made about Jimmy settling in, he was awful close to 2 picks last week, and another one was dropped by a Stanford player today.

Early prediction- ND 35 UNC 28 Notre Dame enters the poll at #21 after the victory.

 

[kmoose]

I think the Carolina game will be a good game. Carolina is a pretty good team and they beat a ranked opponent even though I don't really think that UConn is that good. I feel that Carolina can't play like they did tonight 2 weeks in a row. I think it will be close next week and we'll win.

NC had played Rutgers, Va. Tech, Miami, and UConn, in the last 4 weeks. They beat Rutgers, Miami, and UConn, and lost by 3 to Va. Tech. Now, maybe these 4 teams are like ND; teams with good names having a rough patch. Or maybe NC is really playing that well, week in and week out.

 

[wahoo]

Beating butch's team would be sweet for me after having to endure his stupid decisions with the Browns but this will be a tough game for the young Irish. I'd like to see ND jump out to a early lead and help deflate the crowd. At the beginning of the year I thought ND would have a hard time winning this game but they are starting to make a believer out of me. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO IRISH!

 

[kmoose]

I think we can all agree that the BCS talk should be extremely hypothetical until we see the effort on the field next Saturday. We are playing an athletic and confident team on their turf, we are going to have to see if our boys can 'crank it up' in that environment. I think that will be the game where we can really start talking about how Jimmy is on his way to being 'the man,' and that this team is on its way to being back.

No offense, '97, but ND still only averaged 3.1 yards per carry today. They're not going "to be back", or anywhere near it, until they find a way to run the ball consistently, and well.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

No offense, '97, but ND still only averaged 3.1 yards per carry today. They're not going "to be back", or anywhere near it, until they find a way to run the ball consistently, and well.

So far, they have run well enough to win.

 

[kmoose]

So far, they have run well enough to win.

In order to "be back", they are going to have to be able to play with the big boys. USC, tOSU, Georgia, Oklahoma. They would all KILL this team, running the ball the way ND does.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

In order to "be back", they are going to have to be able to play with the big boys. USC, tOSU, Georgia, Oklahoma. They would all KILL this team, running the ball the way ND does.

They are "back". They are PLAYING football. They have played the "big boys" every week so far. They play like a team. Jimmy is unbelievable. I hope he can stay humble and hungry. Never seen a QB at ND like him. Allen is unbelievable. Tate...

And so freegin young.

 

[kmoose]

They have played the "big boys" every week so far.

Are you serious? 1-4 San Diego State, 2-3 Michigan, 2-3 Purdue, and 3-3 Stanford are "big boys" to you? C'mon!

 

[IrishRamMan10]

Camper is a smart ass man. As much as i love ND football i want them to go 9-3 at best. We do not deserve a BCS birth.