Dec 29 | College Football Playoff Semifinal | Clemson

[gkIrish]

I put 50 bucks on a ND/Oklahoma moneyline parlay to win 1200. Would pay for my trip to San Fran so I figure why not. I have no desire to see ND play Bama again.

 

[Irishcop]

Guys I don't know what it is but I'm nervously having a quiet optimism about Saturday. I actually feel like both underdogs are gonna win and I don't know why. I'll take the blame when this totally backfires SMH

That would be awesome. Nd vs OU for the Championship...

 

[irishtrain]

Guys I don't know what it is but I'm nervously having a quiet optimism about Saturday. I actually feel like both underdogs are gonna win and I don't know why. I'll take the blame when this totally backfires SMH

I too have the feeling that both favorites are not going to win--I've been telling buddies one of em is going to lose.

 

[BabyIrish]

Guys I don't know what it is but I'm nervously having a quiet optimism about Saturday. I actually feel like both underdogs are gonna win and I don't know why. I'll take the blame when this totally backfires SMH

Wasn’t it a handful of years ago that OU and Bama squared off against each other in a bowl game and everyone didn’t give OU a chance and OU ran them out of the building? Definitely could see that happening here with no one giving OU a shot on Saturday.

 

[irishtrooper]

I've heard him be complimentary over the years when we are playing well, not just this year.

Everyone on ESPN talks about 2012. It will continue to be talked about until we compete.

This year, I've heard him be far harsher to some SEC teams than ND. And he's pretty much called SEC/Alabama fans stupid when they talked about Kyler Murrary being not good enough to be a top 2 QB on Bama's team.



If you think he's the all time worst, you must not talk to a lot of SEC fans lol... outside of talking about 2012, if you don't mind, give me some examples of ridicule.

You should try to listen/watch more then. I’m sure you feel Cowherd is completely balanced when speaking on ND. I’m not saying he never is complimenting of ND, just that he doesn’t generally give credit when it’s due. He also tends to forget when we beat LSU and compete strongly with GA, yet brings up the difficulties we occasionally endure. He’s obviously going to call out ridiculous things like the SEC people talking trash on Murray, but saying he’s fair to ND is inaccurate. I’m looking forward to having him and his ilk eat their crow and look for excuses as to why they were wrong leading up to this game and all season. I believe ND will play well and win the game. I expect them to be focused and sharp. I expect a creative game plan and the guys to execute. It seems like this is the most depth we’ve had in a generation and that will help. I do believe Clemson has a few more top rated guys, but we have more really good guys. I love the leadership of the upperclassmen and feel that our overall program health is ascending. Saturday can’t come soon enough

 

[Irishize]

Wasn’t it a handful of years ago that OU and Bama squared off against each other in a bowl game and everyone didn’t give OU a chance and OU ran them out of the building? Definitely could see that happening here with no one giving OU a shot on Saturday.

Whatever happened to Trevor Knight?

 

[Irishize]

Guys I don't know what it is but I'm nervously having a quiet optimism about Saturday. I actually feel like both underdogs are gonna win and I don't know why. I'll take the blame when this totally backfires SMH

I had that same feeling six years ago when ND was a -10 (IIRC) underdog to Bama. The closer it got to the game, the more I had convinced myself ND had a chance. Then the game started & like Mike Tyson stated, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”.

 

[Irish YJ]

You should try to listen/watch more then. I’m sure you feel Cowherd is completely balanced when speaking on ND. I’m not saying he never is complimenting of ND, just that he doesn’t generally give credit when it’s due. He also tends to forget when we beat LSU and compete strongly with GA, yet brings up the difficulties we occasionally endure. He’s obviously going to call out ridiculous things like the SEC people talking trash on Murray, but saying he’s fair to ND is inaccurate. I’m looking forward to having him and his ilk eat their crow and look for excuses as to why they were wrong leading up to this game and all season. I believe ND will play well and win the game. I expect them to be focused and sharp. I expect a creative game plan and the guys to execute. It seems like this is the most depth we’ve had in a generation and that will help. I do believe Clemson has a few more top rated guys, but we have more really good guys. I love the leadership of the upperclassmen and feel that our overall program health is ascending. Saturday can’t come soon enough

Cowturd is and idiot. He's a shock jock, which is very different from PF. I listen to PF 2-3 times a week. That's plenty. And I've heard him be plenty complimentary about ND's win over LSU. I remember tuning in the week after just to hear his comments. Same with the UGA game. On the UGA game, he did stress they had true frosh QB, and the UGA team would look very different at the end of the year (that was very true).

I'm a realist. I thought we were overrated and lucky that year in 2012. And that turned out to be true. Like most ND fans, I got caught up in the 12-0 near the end, but was brought back down to earth and I realized my gut was correct. I also recognize the obvious SEC dominance over the last XX years, but believe they are very top heavy and the bottom 80% is gifted unearned reputation.

This year's team is a lot a better than 2012 (PF said the exact same thing). There are still a lot of similarities (competition down, close games). We relied on a lot less luck this year though, we're deeper, talented, and much more well rounded. That said, a look at advanced stats (like Whiskey posted) is very sobering. Not saying we don't have a chance (we absolutely do vs Clemson I think), but I don't buy into the fanboy stuff. I did predict we'd be undefeated going into the USC game though.

 

[Irishize]

Cowturd is and idiot. He's a shock jock, which is very different from PF. I listen to PF 2-3 times a week. That's plenty. And I've heard him be plenty complimentary about ND's win over LSU. I remember tuning in the week after just to hear his comments. Same with the UGA game. On the UGA game, he did stress they had true frosh QB, and the UGA team would look very different at the end of the year (that was very true).

I'm a realist. I thought we were overrated and lucky that year in 2012. And that turned out to be true. Like most ND fans, I got caught up in the 12-0 near the end, but was brought back down to earth and I realized my gut was correct. I also recognize the obvious SEC dominance over the last XX years, but believe they are very top heavy and the bottom 80% is gifted unearned reputation.

This year's team is a lot a better than 2012 (PF said the exact same thing). There are still a lot of similarities (competition down, close games). We relied on a lot less luck this year though, we're deeper, talented, and much more well rounded. That said, a look at advanced stats (like Whiskey posted) is very sobering. Not saying we don't have a chance (we absolutely do vs Clemson I think), but I don't buy into the fanboy stuff. I did predict we'd be undefeated going into the USC game though.

Agreed on Cowherd & ND. It’s funny, most games in ND’s regular season, I simply look at the two rosters & say “ND should win comfortably...but they’ll find a way to keep it close”. This year that was games vs Ball St, Northwestern, Vandy, Pitt, etc. Then, I was pleasantly surprised w/ the whippings the Irish put on Stanford, Syracuse, VT, FSU.

Do teams truly give ND their best shot? I think there’s some truth to that. Would Clemson “play down” to Notre Dame in a bowl game that wasn’t in the CFP? I don’t know. Could Clemson come out flat in the first quarter b/c they’re convinced they will roll ND & are looking ahead to Bama? Yes, I think that is highly likely. That means ND better start off strong which hasn’t been their MO this season.

Just like you YJ, my fandom kicked in leading up to the BCS NC game six years ago & I fell for it hook line & sinker thinking ND could compete. Ugh...I just want to avoid that again. As long as ND is competitive, I’ll be ok w/ either outcome (actually I’d be ecstatic w/ a win!). JUST DON’T GET EMBARRASSED.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Guys I don't know what it is but I'm nervously having a quiet optimism about Saturday. I actually feel like both underdogs are gonna win and I don't know why. I'll take the blame when this totally backfires SMH

I am in this boat. I think ND is getting under-respected and Oklahoma is the type of team that can slay giants on the right day.

I still don't know what we have in Ian Book. He missed the first three games and played hurt at the end. In the middle was some brilliant footballing but I can't help wondering how well Pitt and Northwestern "solved" the Ian Book offense. Because if ND is going to win this game they will do it throwing the football.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Nyles Pinckney, Xavier Thomas & Jordan Williams will have zero problem picking up the slack. If it was last year’s Irish OL, Clemson losing Lawrence would matter more but that slow, unathletic OL ND has this year doesn’t stand a chance in the run game vs Clemson.

Why so much hate for our OL? It's obvious they'll have their hands full but it seems like you already expect them to lay an egg. Do you think they'll be able to hold up at all in pass pro?

I think our OL is pretty athletic but they're young and still learning. Most OL take a couple years to have everything 'click'.

 

[Irish YJ]

Agreed on Cowherd & ND. It’s funny, most games in ND’s regular season, I simply look at the two rosters & say “ND should win comfortably...but they’ll find a way to keep it close”. This year that was games vs Ball St, Northwestern, Vandy, Pitt, etc. Then, I was pleasantly surprised w/ the whippings the Irish put on Stanford, Syracuse, VT, FSU.

Do teams truly give ND their best shot? I think there’s some truth to that. Would Clemson “play down” to Notre Dame in a bowl game that wasn’t in the CFP? I don’t know. Could Clemson come out flat in the first quarter b/c they’re convinced they will roll ND & are looking ahead to Bama? Yes, I think that is highly likely. That means ND better start off strong which hasn’t been their MO this season.

Just like you YJ, my fandom kicked in leading up to the BCS NC game six years ago & I fell for it hook line & sinker thinking ND could compete. Ugh...I just want to avoid that again. As long as ND is competitive, I’ll be ok w/ either outcome (actually I’d be ecstatic w/ a win!). JUST DON’T GET EMBARRASSED.

I absolutely think "some" teams play up to us, but I also think we simply play down to a lot of teams. I don't care how up a team like Ball St plays, ND should crush them with their second team sleep walking.... I think the "all teams play ND like it's their superbowl" is the laziest excuse out there. I can tell you this, we're not Clemson's superbowl...

 

[Irishize]

Why so much hate for our OL? It's obvious they'll have their hands full but it seems like you already expect them to lay an egg. Do you think they'll be able to hold up at all in pass pro?

I think our OL is pretty athletic but they're young and still learning. Most OL take a couple years to have everything 'click'.

It’s not hate. I try to leave emotion out of it but I backslide at times like most fans. I’ll leave it to the experts that analyze ND’s performance & the consensus from them (Driskell, Prister) is Mustipher has actually regressed this season (likely due to the loss of the left side combined w/ the fact that he’s shown on film that he “catches blocks” more times than he truly fires off the ball. Kraemer is good going north/south but he is horribly slow & unathletic when asked to pull & is usually too late to the defender to perform his job. On the positive side, I hope Eichenberg has been able to get closer to 100% & we see better performance on the left side along w/ Banks. I didn’t realize he was playing w/ a bum wheel so knowing he can be at full strength may be a hidden key to the game.

If ND’s rushing attack is somewhere in between the Pitt & FSU performance (2 outliers), the Northwestern game was close to what we can expect as the mean. Even the most Pollyannish fan has to admit that Clemson’s depth & athleticism dwarfs what NW could ever hope to have. I think Irish fans are going to be surpised how much the Clemson DL outperforms all the hype they’ve been given leading up to this matchup.

 

[NDohio]

I really like these two tweets:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another statistical nugget. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> faced 6 offenses that finished in the Top 50 in passing offense. ND's pass efficiency rating on D in those games was 97.84. <br><br>For context, a 97.84 rating over the course of the entire season would rank the defense 2nd nationally.</p>— Bryan Driskell (@BGI_CoachD) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGI_CoachD/status/1077037810987732992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Came across an interesting stat tonight working on a magazine article. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> averaged 190.5 rushing yards per game this season, but against the four Top 50 run defenses it face the Irish averaged 222.5 yards per game on the ground, including 365 vs. FSU and 272 vs. Stanford</p>— Bryan Driskell (@BGI_CoachD) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGI_CoachD/status/1076995501936046086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Irishize]

I absolutely think "some" teams play up to us, but I also think we simply play down to a lot of teams. I don't care how up a team like Ball St plays, ND should crush them with their second team sleep walking.... I think the "all teams play ND like it's their superbowl" is the laziest excuse out there. I can tell you this, we're not Clemson's superbowl...

I agree. Even w/ the offense playing w/ one tied beind its back (insisting on BW working on pass game), it’s hard to argue how bad ND’s offense performed at home vs a MAC cellar dweller.

I also agree that ND plays down to teams more than teams play up to the Irish.

No, ND is not Clemson’s Super Bowl but I’m confident Dabo & Co. has instilled into their players that ND is playing the “no respect” card as witnessed on the first episode of their FB series and that Clemson better not overlook them. So it may not be their Super Bowl, but it’s hard to see ND winning this game on paper. Thankfully, it’s not played on paper.

 

[Irish8248]

Agreed on Cowherd & ND. It’s funny, most games in ND’s regular season, I simply look at the two rosters & say “ND should win comfortably...but they’ll find a way to keep it close”. This year that was games vs Ball St, Northwestern, Vandy, Pitt, etc. Then, I was pleasantly surprised w/ the whippings the Irish put on Stanford, Syracuse, VT, FSU.

Do teams truly give ND their best shot? I think there’s some truth to that. Would Clemson “play down” to Notre Dame in a bowl game that wasn’t in the CFP? I don’t know. Could Clemson come out flat in the first quarter b/c they’re convinced they will roll ND & are looking ahead to Bama? Yes, I think that is highly likely. That means ND better start off strong which hasn’t been their MO this season.

Just like you YJ, my fandom kicked in leading up to the BCS NC game six years ago & I fell for it hook line & sinker thinking ND could compete. Ugh...I just want to avoid that again. As long as ND is competitive, I’ll be ok w/ either outcome (actually I’d be ecstatic w/ a win!). JUST DON’T GET EMBARRASSED.

If you look at that stats that's not even remotely true...

Q1 ... ND 119 -Opp 30
Q2 ... ND 112 - Opp 62
Q3 ... ND 103 - Opp 38
Q4 ... ND 75 - Opp 77

Were entering halftime with an almost a 12 point lead on average. Then were averaging almost a TD onto that lead as we head into the 4th quarter.... based on the numbers above, that means on average we are entering the 4th quarter with a 17 point lead.... we definitely take the slow and steady route to get there but we certainly get there

 

[IrishLax]

Clemson has a truly elite DL and is amazing against the run, and ND's OL has not been able to consistently open up holes this season.

We should throw the ball 50 times in this game and pray it works. If we run the ball more than 15 times we did something horribly wrong.

 

[stlnd01]

I agree. Even w/ the offense playing w/ one tied beind its back (insisting on BW working on pass game), it’s hard to argue how bad ND’s offense performed at home vs a MAC cellar dweller.

I also agree that ND plays down to teams more than teams play up to the Irish.

No, ND is not Clemson’s Super Bowl but I’m confident Dabo & Co. has instilled into their players that ND is playing the “no respect” card as witnessed on the first episode of their FB series and that Clemson better not overlook them. So it may not be their Super Bowl, but it’s hard to see ND winning this game on paper. Thankfully, it’s not played on paper.

I really doubt that either team will lack for focus or intensity. No one’s catching anyone by surprise on Saturday. We’re going to have to straight up outplay them.
I think we can. But much will depend on our ability to slow down their running game and adjust to/cope with their pass rush. I worry more about the latter, as I presume they watched what Pitt did, and they have far superior athletes.

 

[Irishize]

Clemson has a truly elite DL and is amazing against the run, and ND's OL has not been able to consistently open up holes this season.

We should throw the ball 50 times in this game and pray it works. If we run the ball more than 15 times we did something horribly wrong.

I think if your second statement is true, it will mean ND has no choice but to pass b/c they’re down big early. That means more forced throws by Book which means more interceptions. The final result would be an embarrassing blowout. Again, that’s just me...could be 100% wrong but Chip Long knows he has to stick to the run in hopes we keep Clemson off guard.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Clemson has a truly elite DL and is amazing against the run, and ND's OL has not been able to consistently open up holes this season.

We should throw the ball 50 times in this game and pray it works. If we run the ball more than 15 times we did something horribly wrong.

If that's the case, I give us less of a chance to get the W. I'm not saying we have to hand it off 30 times but forget the PA pass if we only plan on running it 3-4/quarter.

It'll be interesting to see how Kelly and Long scheme this thing. I know our OL has had it's difficulties this year but I was hopeful they just needed rest and some more practice together.

I know Clemson's DL presents a huge challenge. Hopefully our DL can present a similar challenge to them.

 

[Irishize]

If you look at that stats that's not even remotely true...

Q1 ... ND 119 -Opp 30
Q2 ... ND 112 - Opp 62
Q3 ... ND 103 - Opp 38
Q4 ... ND 75 - Opp 77

Were entering halftime with an almost a 12 point lead on average. Then were averaging almost a TD onto that lead as we head into the 4th quarter.... based on the numbers above, that means on average we are entering the 4th quarter with a 17 point lead.... we definitely take the slow and steady route to get there but we certainly get there

That’s my mistake then as I thought I read where both Clemson & ND had struggled in first quarter scoring. Thanks for clarifying. Doesn’t make ND’s run game vs Clemson’s DL any better.

 

[NDohio]

Clemson has a truly elite DL and is amazing against the run, and ND's OL has not been able to consistently open up holes this season.

We should throw the ball 50 times in this game and pray it works. If we run the ball more than 15 times we did something horribly wrong.

I am hoping that Jafar is at full strength and we can see more of the two back set resulting in ND running a little more than you are stating here. Having the two back set may give us the opportunity to full them a couple of times. All Dex needs is a little seam...

 

[ulukinatme]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Our Christmas light display has been repurposed to root for <a href="https://twitter.com/NDFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NDFootball</a>. Go Irish! <a href="https://twitter.com/NotreDame?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NotreDame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/NDonNBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NDonNBC</a> <a href="https://t.co/N65Fl9X7Cz">pic.twitter.com/N65Fl9X7Cz</a></p>— Rob Joyce (@RGB_Lights) <a href="https://twitter.com/RGB_Lights/status/1076934831446073345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Irish YJ]

Why so much hate for our OL? It's obvious they'll have their hands full but it seems like you already expect them to lay an egg. Do you think they'll be able to hold up at all in pass pro?

I think our OL is pretty athletic but they're young and still learning. Most OL take a couple years to have everything 'click'.

I don't think it's hate lol. It's just honestly. Take a read here. The stats are pretty ugly. Also a lot of our OL issues have been masked/minimized by Book's quick release, and the short game. It's one of the biggest reasons we don't do well with plays that take longer to develop, and in the deep game in general. As bad as those stats are, they would be a lot worse had we stuck with BW.

It’s not hate. I try to leave emotion out of it but I backslide at times like most fans. I’ll leave it to the experts that analyze ND’s performance & the consensus from them (Driskell, Prister) is Mustipher has actually regressed this season (likely due to the loss of the left side combined w/ the fact that he’s shown on film that he “catches blocks” more times than he truly fires off the ball. Kraemer is good going north/south but he is horribly slow & unathletic when asked to pull & is usually too late to the defender to perform his job. On the positive side, I hope Eichenberg has been able to get closer to 100% & we see better performance on the left side along w/ Banks. I didn’t realize he was playing w/ a bum wheel so knowing he can be at full strength may be a hidden key to the game.

If ND’s rushing attack is somewhere in between the Pitt & FSU performance (2 outliers), the Northwestern game was close to what we can expect as the mean. Even the most Pollyannish fan has to admit that Clemson’s depth & athleticism dwarfs what NW could ever hope to have. I think Irish fans are going to be surpised how much the Clemson DL outperforms all the hype they’ve been given leading up to this matchup.

Not sure they will outperform the hype, but they will damn good. Our OL, if put in a bad position will look very bad.....

I really like these two tweets:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another statistical nugget. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> faced 6 offenses that finished in the Top 50 in passing offense. ND's pass efficiency rating on D in those games was 97.84. <br><br>For context, a 97.84 rating over the course of the entire season would rank the defense 2nd nationally.</p>— Bryan Driskell (@BGI_CoachD) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGI_CoachD/status/1077037810987732992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Came across an interesting stat tonight working on a magazine article. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NotreDame</a> averaged 190.5 rushing yards per game this season, but against the four Top 50 run defenses it face the Irish averaged 222.5 yards per game on the ground, including 365 vs. FSU and 272 vs. Stanford</p>— Bryan Driskell (@BGI_CoachD) <a href="https://twitter.com/BGI_CoachD/status/1076995501936046086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Our DBs are damn good, but the 6 team thing is a little misleading. Only 1/6 was inside the top 25 (Stanford). And we all know the PAC has really sucked this year. UC Davis actually held Costello to a lower QBR/Rating than us as a point of OoC perspective. He didn't rate higher than an 81 in any OoC games.

The rush D stat is the same. Only one team in the top 25 rushing yards per game (#17 Michigan). And in that game, our true RBs had 77 yards. We've had some really good games, but also some stinkers. Clemson is #3 and on another level.

I agree. Even w/ the offense playing w/ one tied beind its back (insisting on BW working on pass game), it’s hard to argue how bad ND’s offense performed at home vs a MAC cellar dweller.

I also agree that ND plays down to teams more than teams play up to the Irish.

No, ND is not Clemson’s Super Bowl but I’m confident Dabo & Co. has instilled into their players that ND is playing the “no respect” card as witnessed on the first episode of their FB series and that Clemson better not overlook them. So it may not be their Super Bowl, but it’s hard to see ND winning this game on paper. Thankfully, it’s not played on paper.

ND definitely loses on paper. If you haven't already, take a look at Whiskey's post from a few days ago. It's a great look (2 articles) looking at the match ups. It's a depressing read, so make sure you have bourbon or scotch on hand . BUT, I think ND can compete. Clemson hasn't really played anyone, and stats don't always tell the truth (even advanced ones). I'm suspect of a lot of things, except their DL lol..

Neither team should play down. But I like the no-respect factor ND is getting. I doubt Dabo will let his kids get big heads, but a coach can't always change mentality.

If you look at that stats that's not even remotely true...

Q1 ... ND 119 -Opp 30
Q2 ... ND 112 - Opp 62
Q3 ... ND 103 - Opp 38
Q4 ... ND 75 - Opp 77

Were entering halftime with an almost a 12 point lead on average. Then were averaging almost a TD onto that lead as we head into the 4th quarter.... based on the numbers above, that means on average we are entering the 4th quarter with a 17 point lead.... we definitely take the slow and steady route to get there but we certainly get there

We have been like 2 different teams this year. In our closer games, we looked like crap in the first half. Especially after the first scripted drive. IMO Long has tried to be a little too cute in the later 1Q and 2Q. Typically in those games he's gone back to what Book does well in the 3Q. It's averaged out, but there's been a tale of two teams if you go back and look at it by game.

Clemson has a truly elite DL and is amazing against the run, and ND's OL has not been able to consistently open up holes this season.

We should throw the ball 50 times in this game and pray it works. If we run the ball more than 15 times we did something horribly wrong.

I agree the game rest on Book's arm, but I do think we'll be able to run via Dex a little more than 15 times IF Book is on fire out of the gate.

I think if your second statement is true, it will mean ND has no choice but to pass b/c they’re down big early. That means more forced throws by Book which means more interceptions. The final result would be an embarrassing blowout. Again, that’s just me...could be 100% wrong but Chip Long knows he has to stick to the run in hopes we keep Clemson off guard.

I don't think it has anything to do with being down at all. It's simply doing what we do best (short passing game) vs what they do worst (their pass D). And doing it from the start till they try to compensate, or hopefully over compensate.

If that's the case, I give us less of a chance to get the W. I'm not saying we have to hand it off 30 times but forget the PA pass if we only plan on running it 3-4/quarter.

It'll be interesting to see how Kelly and Long scheme this thing. I know our OL has had it's difficulties this year but I was hopeful they just needed rest and some more practice together.

I know Clemson's DL presents a huge challenge. Hopefully our DL can present a similar challenge to them.

LAX IMO is spot on. Our best chance is to pass early, pass a bunch, pass it QUICK, spread it out, and pass it short/intermediate (what we know works). If we are successful, Clemson's D will make adjustments and then, we might be successful running and throwing deeper. Attacking their pass D is absolutely the best strategy.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

Did the B sample results come in yet?

 

[Wild Bill]

LAX IMO is spot on. Our best chance is to pass early, pass a bunch, pass it QUICK, spread it out, and pass it short/intermediate (what we know works). If we are successful, Clemson's D will make adjustments and then, we might be successful running and throwing deeper. Attacking their pass D is absolutely the best strategy.

This definitely plays to ND's strengths but Clemson plays aggressive and can shut down the short quick throws. Bentley, South Carolina's QB, lit them up down field, in particular the middle of the field. I'm not sure Book can do the same. He's a different QB.

 

[koonja]

I have a paranoid feeling something is up with Jalen Elliot. I've noticed Studstill featured 3 times in the bowl prep ISD "highlights", and havent seen Elliot at all. And I cant remember Studstill being featured once all season.

Perhaps could have to do with the line.

 

[Circa]

I've said It a few different times on this board and now ESPN Is writing articles about us. We are most every other teams super game. If they beat us It transforms the psychology of not only their team but the national landscape. Tired of everyone not understanding the way everyone that puts the pads and gear on does not see, feel the impact of us being us.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/25610637/clemson-dabo-swinney-byog-game-brought-prominence

 

[fightingirish26]

I have a paranoid feeling something is up with Jalen Elliot. I've noticed Studstill featured 3 times in the bowl prep ISD "highlights", and havent seen Elliot at all. And I cant remember Studstill being featured once all season.

Perhaps could have to do with the line.

jfc go be paranoid somewhere else ffs

 

[ND88]

Michigan - said we'd lose

Vanderbilt - said we'd lose

Stanford - said we'd lose

Virginia Tech - said we'd lose

Syracuse - said we'd lose

Clemson - said we'd lose