Week 2: ND vs UM Predictions

[NDMontana]

The defense didn't let up to many plays that led to 2 and short. They also didn't allow to many plays to stretch the outside for 5 or 6 yards. We gave up a total of 254 yards, 1 touchdown that was well covered they just made the play and we swarmed well to the ball for the most part.


WTF does everyone have to be negative on the team as a whole? Be mad at Jonas and Jonas only. You can be disappointed in the play of some of the guys but hell, its football. Jonas is the only one that committed an issue that is addressed the very first time you step on a football field. HOLD ONTO THE BALL! I understand fumbles also happen but when you are on the 1 yard line going in ... I can't think of a better time in a game to make sure you secure the ball first and foremost. PERIOD!

Now can we all please just put our ****ing glasses back on and get ready for Mich????

Frankly, I think Gray's fumble was the least troubling part of the game. He was giving great effort, the play probably should have been dead and the USF defender ripped that ball. The personal fouls by players who lost their composure because their coach lost his composure was much more troubling.

 

[Rhode Irish]

Frankly, I think Gray's fumble was the least troubling part of the game. He was giving great effort, the play probably should have been dead and the USF defender ripped that ball. The personal fouls by players who lost their composure because their coach lost his composure was much more troubling.

Really? This is what you attribute those personal fouls to? I find that to be an absurd notion.

 

[BurningRiver]

If I were Hoke I would cast the pro style attack to the side for a week and get Denard in the shotgun early in often, running whenever the hell he wants to. Last week we showed that we can stop runs up the middle but don't have much speed on the edges. Denard in space would absolutely kill us.

Am I the only one who would LOVE to see Ishaq get a lot of PT this week? Isn't he supposed to have great speed for a linebacker? I would love to see Ishaq and Lynch get a ton of PT against Denard.

Still think we win in the end but I don't think it'll be a blowout. Tommy Rees should absolutely torch that secondary if he can make good decisions.

 

[NDMontana]

Really? This is what you attribute those personal fouls to? I find that to be an absurd notion.

Really? You find it hard to believe that when your leader is suffering a near nervous break down or throwing a fit in the middle of a game that the players don't feed off that? You ever played the game? How about officiated? Let me tell you that in high school and college, when coaches I played for lost it, so did we as players. When I officiated, the second coaches started freaking, so did players. I called way more personal fouls on teams when coaches lost control. When coaches started griping about calls or non-calls, players got way more whiney.

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

ND 27 UM 20

Some bullet points on what I'd like to see to get the W:

- Dan Fox on the bench. BJ took him out of his shoes a few times. Denard will plain snap his ankles.

- Someone step up behind Cierre or the coaches give GAIII or Cam a role. Cierre needs a breather and the running game can't afford that much of a fall off when he's not in there. Riddick? (I haven't given up on him at WR but we need him where he can be explosive).

- ^ Or see Gray have a bruising game.

- Theo not fumble a punt. BK already said he's not taking him off that duty.. Thanks for the 4-5 heart stalls a week.

- TURK!! Get your foot out of your *** dude.. Those punts will be a major reason for the downfall of this season if they continue.

- Toma, where was Toma during Theo's problems? The kid has hands, he has skills.. He moves chains.

- Tommy... Tommy as the starting QB but with a running game. Everyone on the USF team knew he was throwing the ball on pretty much every play and he was still completing 70%. Give him a running game and a "start".. not a, "please save us Tommy" opportunity. I think if he has a running game his interception numbers will go down. But, he must show that he can make the right decision and if its not there to throw the ball away. If not we're going to see another panic move by BK.

Let's hope the weather holds up this time and these guys get serious. No more bullshit penalties, drops, fumbles or terrible reads. Play some damn confident football.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

Really? You find it hard to believe that when your leader is suffering a near nervous break down or throwing a fit in the middle of a game that the players don't feed off that? You ever played the game? How about officiated? Let me tell you that in high school and college, when coaches I played for lost it, so did we as players. When I officiated, the second coaches started freaking, so did players. I called way more personal fouls on teams when coaches lost control. When coaches started griping about calls or non-calls, players got way more whiney.

I don't think BK's rage contributed to Harrison Smith grabbing a kids face-mask, or hitting players out of bounds. BK got irate as the errors kept piling up, and rightfully so. So, Cinci players can handle his anger, and ND players can't? There comes a point when accountability has to fall on the individual making the error, and not blamed on some outside variable. And not just in football, everyone in this world seems to have an excuse to why they aren't living up to par, and our culture permits it. If you can't handle being yelled at, then go join the chorus team. I am tired of hearing this b.s. from every angle...it always someone elses fault in today's world, whether it be race, religion, too much/too little parental love, yelled at, ADD..etc. The day football becomes "politically correct" is the day we know we are in real trouble.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

If a receiver can step up and be the clear #2 guy, then ND can easily win this game. I think Theo bounces back, and puts up a solid 60 minute effort.

 

[Rhode Irish]

Really? You find it hard to believe that when your leader is suffering a near nervous break down or throwing a fit in the middle of a game that the players don't feed off that? You ever played the game? How about officiated? Let me tell you that in high school and college, when coaches I played for lost it, so did we as players. When I officiated, the second coaches started freaking, so did players. I called way more personal fouls on teams when coaches lost control. When coaches started griping about calls or non-calls, players got way more whiney.

Yes, I find it hard to believe. I have played for coaches that yelled. If it had any effect at all (and it usually didn't), it caused us to focus more. The fact that you called more personal fouls on players when their coaches lost it speaks to your ineptitude as an official due to your inability to maintain objectivity when your delicate sensibilities were offended by a coach yelling.

It is up to the players to maintain composure. The coach yelling is part of football. I believe it has 0% impact on whether players take a boneheaded penalty.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

ND 27 UM 20

Some bullet points on what I'd like to see to get the W:

- Dan Fox on the bench. BJ took him out of his shoes a few times. Denard will plain snap his ankles.

- Someone step up behind Cierre or the coaches give GAIII or Cam a role. Cierre needs a breather and the running game can't afford that much of a fall off when he's not in there. Riddick? (I haven't given up on him at WR but we need him where he can be explosive).

- ^ Or see Gray have a bruising game.

- Theo not fumble a punt. BK already said he's not taking him off that duty.. Thanks for the 4-5 heart stalls a week.

- TURK!! Get your foot out of your *** dude.. Those punts will be a major reason for the downfall of this season if they continue.

- Toma, where was Toma during Theo's problems? The kid has hands, he has skills.. He moves chains.

- Tommy... Tommy as the starting QB but with a running game. Everyone on the USF team knew he was throwing the ball on pretty much every play and he was still completing 70%. Give him a running game and a "start".. not a, "please save us Tommy" opportunity. I think if he has a running game his interception numbers will go down. But, he must show that he can make the right decision and if its not there to throw the ball away. If not we're going to see another panic move by BK.

Let's hope the weather holds up this time and these guys get serious. No more bullshit penalties, drops, fumbles or terrible reads. Play some damn confident football.

Good call. Where was Toma?

 

[NDMontana]

I don't think BK's rage contributed to Harrison Smith grabbing a kids face-mask, or hitting players out of bounds. BK got irate as the errors kept piling up, and rightfully so. So, Cinci players can handle his anger, and ND players can't? There comes a point when accountability has to fall on the individual making the error, and not blamed on some outside variable. And not just in football, everyone in this world seems to have an excuse to why they aren't living up to par, and our culture permits it. If you can't handle being yelled at, then go join the chorus team. I am tired of hearing this b.s. from every angle...it always someone elses fault in today's world, whether it be race, religion, too much/too little parental love, yelled at, ADD..etc. The day football becomes "politically correct" is the day we know we are in real trouble.

Yeah, I abaolutely think that the way Coach K conducted himself on the sidelines contributed to those personal fouls. Football is an emotional game. While players ultimately make reads and decisions, emotion from the coaching staff is a huge input to how they will play and react. That is why coaches make pregame and halftime speeches, it's a reason why in a close game you sometimes see coaches call time out and tell their guys to calm down. It's why you hear players being complimented for being a calming presence in the huddle.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

Yeah, I abaolutely think that the way Coach K conducted himself on the sidelines contributed to those personal fouls. Football is an emotional game. While players ultimately make reads and decisions, emotion from the coaching staff is a huge input to how they will play and react. That is why coaches make pregame and halftime speeches, it's a reason why in a close game you sometimes see coaches call time out and tell their guys to calm down. It's why you hear players being complimented for being a calming presence in the huddle.

I guess we'll agree to disagree then. Hopefully we won't have to have this argument again, and the player execute in the future.

 

[ChiefSecond]

ughh if coach kelly yelling made them commit personals then we have some serious mental midgets on this team that won't win six games...

PREDICTION: Rees - 300yds, 3TDs (2 go to Eifert, 1 to floyd)
Wood - 120yds rushing, 2TDs

38-13 ..michigan pounding the rock is not gonna work. Robinson is going to need to make plays with his arm and feet...and it's not going to happen nearly enough for him in his second game of hoke's offense.

 

[GreatGolson]

go read "Moneyball" by Micheal Lewis

THIS

 

[NDMontana]

I guess we'll agree to disagree then. Hopefully we won't have to have this argument again, and the player execute in the future.

Hopefully they execute better and Coach K finds a happy medium for channeling emotion. I did not like Weis because if his "I'm the same way win or lose" m.o. I think it's fine to get on a guy but you have to know when you're point is made and it is time to say "you got it? Now go play like the player you are."
Plus, like I thought during the game, everytime a play doesn't work it might have been the player's fault but it might have been the play call. He said that himself yesterday when discussing the QB evaluation. He said that he and the staff needed have to look at game film and determine if it was as bad as they thought or if it was the play call. That's what you need to think of during the game, too.

 

[NDMontana]

THIS

Read when it came out. It is about baseball not football and it doesn't make you intelligent to talk about book that was printed eight years ago like it is a guideline for all things because it is being made into a movie. Bball and football are very, very different.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

Hopefully they execute better and Coach K finds a happy medium for channeling emotion. I did not like Weis because if his "I'm the same way win or lose" m.o. I think it's fine to get on a guy but you have to know when you're point is made and it is time to say "you got it? Now go play like the player you are."
Plus, like I thought during the game, everytime a play doesn't work it might have been the player's fault but it might have been the play call. He said that himself yesterday when discussing the QB evaluation. He said that he and the staff needed have to look at game film and determine if it was as bad as they thought or if it was the play call. That's what you need to think of during the game, too.

Fair enough. Oh well, lets just hope that Michigan gets clownstomped. Maybe the team bought into their hype, and this loss sent them plummeting back to reality. Better lose early then late. But, if we see the same slop this weekend, I am going to have a lot of questions/concerns.

 

[Rhode Irish]

Read when it came out. It is about baseball not football and it doesn't make you intelligent to talk about book that was printed eight years ago like it is a guideline for all things because it is being made into a movie. Bball and football are very, very different.

Not only that, but the "lessons" of Moneyball are not in any way applicable in the way the poster was suggesting. Moneyball is about how an enterprise can benefit from identifying undervalued commodities, not valuing guys that look unathletic over guys that look athletic. If anyone read that book and got that out of it they need to consider giving up reading.

 

[GreatGolson]

all im saying is that the "eye test" shouldnt be the standard when judging talent

 

[NDMontana]

Not only that, but the "lessons" of Moneyball are not in any way applicable in the way the poster was suggesting. Moneyball is about how an enterprise can benefit from identifying undervalued commodities, not valuing guys that look unathletic over guys that look athletic. If anyone read that book and got that out of it they need to consider giving up reading.

Well, I'm ready to move on. I'll let the pundits talk all week--and they're being harsh. Ran to the store and found that Mad Dog Radio and ESPN were talking about ND and Coach Kelly. Needless to say the talk show hosts were ripping Kelly and lots of callers, who claimed to be ND fans, were calling into say fire Kelly and go hire Skip Holtz before he gets swallowed up. It's ridiculous!
I expect Coach K will be more composed in the future and that the players will concentrate and stop beating themselves.
We are all ready to move on.

 

[GreatGolson]

and if i was trying to come off as smart i would have posted the simplest stat there is for determening our qb, their win % as a starter. i dont care if it was our D stepping up last year. tommy wins ballgames. he's not Cam Newton or Andrew Luck, but he is undefeated as a starter, and thats worth a lot in college football.

 

[NDMontana]

and if i was trying to come off as smart i would have posted the simplest stat there is for determening our qb, their win % as a starter. i dont care if it was our D stepping up last year. tommy wins ballgames. he's not Cam Newton or Andrew Luck, but he is undefeated as a starter, and thats worth a lot in college football.

Matt Lovecchio.

 

[GreatGolson]

we went to a BCS game that year didnt we?

 

[NDMontana]

we went to a BCS game that year didnt we?

Want to talk about that game and the succeeding season?

 

[NDOM]

Michigan 42 ND 24

 

[calvegas04]

ND 35 um 27

 

[blue in ohio]

South Florida is better than Michigan. Notre Dame cannot possibly make so many unforced errors again.

ND 34 / MICH 16

South Florida is better? Really? Who are you kidding? Last years bad Michigan team routed the league champ UConn on day one. You remember that? This surely isn't a world beater of a Michigan team but does have better talent than the team you just lost to at home. Denard went 9/13 and rushed for about 50 yards on 5 possessions the other day playing slightly more than half a game. What is going to be tough this year for you guys is that Denard doesn't have to do it all himself so just stopping him won't be enough. I hope your defense spends the game keying him so Toussant and Shaw can run wild. I predict this will be a high scoring game because still neither defense is that good. 42-38 either way. Who the better team is will mean nothing as usual. Usually the better team loses. I give us the edge since you guys are favored and the favored team usually loses. Maybe Lou can pick you to win then I know it's in the bag.

 

[blue in ohio]

ughh if coach kelly yelling made them commit personals then we have some serious mental midgets on this team that won't win six games...

PREDICTION: Rees - 300yds, 3TDs (2 go to Eifert, 1 to floyd)
Wood - 120yds rushing, 2TDs

38-13 ..michigan pounding the rock is not gonna work. Robinson is going to need to make plays with his arm and feet...and it's not going to happen nearly enough for him in his second game of hoke's offense.

Dude seriously? This is virtually the same Michigan team that you couldn't beat last year and now you are going to blow them out? Your qb is the same guy you blamed for not beating Michigan last year and now you think this will be a blow out ND win? Keep thinking that and you will get the bad Karma and turn the ball over as many times as we need as your little man syndrome of a coach goes a bomb on the sideline. Rub the grotto all you want and it won't help,lol.

 

[BurningRiver]

Dude seriously? This is virtually the same Michigan team that you couldn't beat last year and now you are going to blow them out? Your qb is the same guy you blamed for not beating Michigan last year and now you think this will be a blow out ND win? Keep thinking that and you will get the bad Karma and turn the ball over as many times as we need as your little man syndrome of a coach goes a bomb on the sideline. Rub the grotto all you want and it won't help,lol.

Focusing more on the part about last years game, I disagree. First of all, you and I both know it's a totally different game and ND most likely wins if crist doesn't go half blind and miss the entire first half. Now you guys won fair and square, and I'm not trying to take that from you, but last year ND was a better team than Michigan. By no means am I saying notre dame played like world beaters last year, but neither did Michigan and I think last years ND team beats last years UM team 6-7 times out of 10.

That being said, both of these teams are not even close to the same teams as they were week 2 last year, in fact each team is improved. So I wouldn't use the "you guys couldn't beat us last year so we should win this year" becaus both teams are completely different teams. Notre dame's D is ten times better now than it was at this point a year ago and the offense is better with Rees in than with crist.

But whatever. It'll be a good game and it could go either way

 

[phork]

If I were Hoke I would cast the pro style attack to the side for a week and get Denard in the shotgun early in often, running whenever the hell he wants to. Last week we showed that we can stop runs up the middle but don't have much speed on the edges. Denard in space would absolutely kill us.

Am I the only one who would LOVE to see Ishaq get a lot of PT this week? Isn't he supposed to have great speed for a linebacker? I would love to see Ishaq and Lynch get a ton of PT against Denard.

Still think we win in the end but I don't think it'll be a blowout. Tommy Rees should absolutely torch that secondary if he can make good decisions.

Denard out of the shotgun 26 times. Under center 12 times.

South Florida is better? Really? Who are you kidding? Last years bad Michigan team routed the league champ UConn on day one. You remember that? This surely isn't a world beater of a Michigan team but does have better talent than the team you just lost to at home. Denard went 9/13 and rushed for about 50 yards on 5 possessions the other day playing slightly more than half a game. What is going to be tough this year for you guys is that Denard doesn't have to do it all himself so just stopping him won't be enough. I hope your defense spends the game keying him so Toussant and Shaw can run wild. I predict this will be a high scoring game because still neither defense is that good. 42-38 either way. Who the better team is will mean nothing as usual. Usually the better team loses. I give us the edge since you guys are favored and the favored team usually loses. Maybe Lou can pick you to win then I know it's in the bag.

Our defense isn't that good? We held USF to 250 yards total, 1 TD and 3 FGs. Most in fact were because we shot ourselves in the foot.

 

[blue in ohio]

I think it will be a good game but there's no way it will be a ND blow out. Last year ND had it's chance to stop Michigan and Michigan went right down the field and scored. I don't see a blow out either way. More like a shoot out.