Jan 1 | Fiesta Bowl vs Ohio State

[dublinirish]

ND definitely dogged a bullet here getting anybody but Houston is a win. If you play the cougars and beat them them, nobody cares

 

[ThePiombino]

ND definitely dogged a bullet here getting anybody but Houston is a win. If you play the cougars and beat them them, nobody cares

Disagree. Houston doesn't have the dogs on D like OSU does. Both OSU and Houston can score at will against us when firing on all cylinders, but only OSU has the potential to do the same on D.

 

[dublinirish]

Disagree. Houston doesn't have the dogs on D like OSU does. Both OSU and Houston can score at will against us when firing on all cylinders, but only OSU has the potential to do the same on D.

but from an outsider's perspective is a win over Houston seen as a great victory? I think not. Beating OSU would be huge for recruiting

 

[IrishLax]

I'm disappointed because I really wanted to get a NY6 win, and we got (probably by far) the most talented team that didn't make the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Stanford gets a relative cake walk for a Rose Bowl win. And the two shittiest teams get to play each other because of conference tie-ins. Football gods can be a bitch sometimes.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

The bowl game thread last year against LSU was filled with pessimism and fear we would be royally embarrassed. I helped fuel it. Not this time:

-This is the best possible matchup to gauge how close/far we really were this year. Would you really rather slink one out against Houston and Iowa without ever really knowing?

-Ohio State was a sleeping giant that is now fully awake. UFM with a month to prepare. Touchdown underdogs.

-BK has two choices at this point:

1. spend a month figuring out how to beat these guys and put his stamp on the program (first "BCS type" bowl winning coach since Holtz)

Or

2. Spend a month figuring out what NFL team he wants to interview for

These are the games you live for as a coach and player. Nut up or shut up. No excuses. Burn the boats.....

 

[ThePiombino]

The bowl game thread last year against LSU was filled with pessimism and fear we would be royally embarrassed. I helped fuel it. Not this time:

-This is the best possible matchup to gauge how close/far we really were this year. Would you really rather slink one out against Houston and Iowa without ever really knowing?

-Ohio State was a sleeping giant that is now fully awake. UFM with a month to prepare. Touchdown underdogs.

-BK has two choices at this point:

1. spend a month figuring out how to beat these guys and put his stamp on the program (first "BCS type" bowl winning coach since Holtz)

Or

2. Spend a month figuring out what NFL team he wants to interview for

These are the games you live for as a coach and player. Nut up or shut up. No excuses. Burn the boats.....

Last time we did that, we drowned in Clemson.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Worked like a charm against Stanford. Oh wait...

Stanford's QB is much better than tOSU's QB however. If you can't stop EE from running the ball, then it's going to be difficult to beat the Buckeyes.

 

[T Town Tommy]

ND definitely dogged a bullet here getting anybody but Houston is a win. If you play the cougars and beat them them, nobody cares

Disagree. Those Houston LBs are slower than me. OK... maybe not but the Irish would eat up their defense. And while the Cougar offense looked good at times, most of it is predicated on containing their QB running the ball. I think the Irish would win this game by two scores easily.

Now, if the question is as an Irish fan, would you rather play OSU or Houston? That should be pretty easy. It's OSU every time. Little is gained by beating a good G5 team, but beat a perennial powerhouse in OSU. That's one big piece in how you move your program forward.

 

[ThePiombino]

Stanford's QB is much better than tOSU's QB however. If you can't stop EE from running the ball, then it's going to be difficult to beat the Buckeyes.

Maybe as a passer, but Barnett is much more of a threat to pull it down and run than Hogan is, and more effectively at that. Pick your poison really. And not for nothing, but I really don't think any of us have ANY reason to be optimistic that that Barnett wouldn't have a Heisman-like effort passing against us.

 

[ulukinatme]

Last time we did that, we drowned in Clemson.

Why do people keep saying this? The "Burn the Boats" mantra started before Clemson. Don't kill it.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Maybe as a passer, but Barnett is much more of a threat to pull it down and run than Hogan is, and more effectively at that. Pick your poison really. And not for nothing, but I really don't think any of us have ANY reason to be optimistic that that Barnett wouldn't have a Heisman-like effort passing against us.

Agree that the Irish will have to account for Barrett running. But with no WR to stretch the field, I think the Irish can spy enough on him to slow him down. The injury to KVR may hurt the Irish on the corner, but with a month to prepare, I gotta think BK and crew will find ways to slow that down. Haven't caught every Irish game, but my general impression is that the Irish has done a pretty decent job of containing mobile QBs. Is that correct? Thanks.

 

[ThePiombino]

Agree that the Irish will have to account for Barrett running. But with no WR to stretch the field, I think the Irish can spy enough on him to slow him down. The injury to KVR may hurt the Irish on the corner, but with a month to prepare, I gotta think BK and crew will find ways to slow that down. Haven't caught every Irish game, but my general impression is that the Irish has done a pretty decent job of containing mobile QBs. Is that correct? Thanks.

Stanford didn't have anyone to stretch the field either:

Cajuste - 5 receptions, 125 yards, 1 TD

 

[T Town Tommy]

Stanford didn't have anyone to stretch the field either:

Cajuste - 5 receptions, 125 yards, 1 TD

And 35 of that came on the last pass play due to poor spacing on coverage. Barrett isn't close to the passer Hogan is and won't make that pass consistently.

 

[ThePiombino]

And 35 of that came on the last pass play due to poor spacing on coverage. Barrett isn't close to the passer Hogan is and won't make that pass consistently.

Come on, TTT- he was WIDE OPEN. This isn't about how good Barnett is so much as it is about how bad ND's secondary is. Any D1 QB worth his weight will hit that pass 9 times out of 10, most 10/10.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Come on, TTT- he was WIDE OPEN. This isn't about how good Barnett is so much as it is about how bad ND's secondary is. Any D1 QB worth his weight will hit that pass 9 times out of 10, most 10/10.

I agree the Irish secondary will have to play lights out. But I also believe the Irish DL will have to play bigger. Any QB can hurt you if he has time to throw the ball. On the last Stanford pass, I think I would have brought the house after Hogan. They needed 30+ yards to get in FG range. I would have given him 3-4 seconds to throw the ball and that's it. Doesn't matter now but it's hard to dog a secondary if the DL isn't putting the QB on his tail.

 

[ThePiombino]

I agree the Irish secondary will have to play lights out. But I also believe the Irish DL will have to play bigger. Any QB can hurt you if he has time to throw the ball. On the last Stanford pass, I think I would have brought the house after Hogan. They needed 30+ yards to get in FG range. I would have given him 3-4 seconds to throw the ball and that's it. Doesn't matter now but it's hard to dog a secondary if the DL isn't putting the QB on his tail.

Agreed that the DL needs to step up. If they did their job, it would take a ton of pressure off a struggling secondary. Not sure I would have sent the house on the final Stanford play (a la Stanford '14), but I definitely would have maintained a base defense and rushed at least 4. I just don't like the prevent D, especially when a FG is needed to win or tie.

 

[GoldenDomer]

I'm disappointed because I really wanted to get a NY6 win, and we got (probably by far) the most talented team that didn't make the playoffs.

Meanwhile, Stanford gets a relative cake walk for a Rose Bowl win. And the two shittiest teams get to play each other because of conference tie-ins. Football gods can be a bitch sometimes.

Idk if you watched the Big10 Championship, but if that's the Iowa defense that shows up, that aint no cake walk for Stanford.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Idk if you watched the Big10 Championship, but if that's the Iowa defense that shows up, that aint no cake walk for Stanford.

Agreed. I think they would've been easier to scheme against defensively but they would've given us fits. I think we would've had some success running in the 4th quarter.

Doesn't matter, time to beat tOSU!

 

[NDohio]

ND definitely dogged a bullet here getting anybody but Houston is a win. If you play the cougars and beat them them, nobody cares

Disagree. Houston doesn't have the dogs on D like OSU does. Both OSU and Houston can score at will against us when firing on all cylinders, but only OSU has the potential to do the same on D.

Disagree. Those Houston LBs are slower than me. OK... maybe not but the Irish would eat up their defense. And while the Cougar offense looked good at times, most of it is predicated on containing their QB running the ball. I think the Irish would win this game by two scores easily.

Now, if the question is as an Irish fan, would you rather play OSU or Houston? That should be pretty easy. It's OSU every time. Little is gained by beating a good G5 team, but beat a perennial powerhouse in OSU. That's one big piece in how you move your program forward.

I agree with Dublin here. And I don't think the point is on whether we could beat Houston or not, I think the point is would anyone care when we beat Houston.

I am really pumped for this game. I am the only ND fan in my family and circle of friends - everyone else is tOSU. It's going to be glorious after we win this game.

 

[ThePiombino]

I agree with Dublin here. And I don't think the point is on whether we could beat Houston or not, I think the point is would anyone care when we beat Houston.

I am really pumped for this game. I am the only ND fan in my family and circle of friends - everyone else is tOSU. It's going to be glorious after we win this game.

IMO, no one caring when we win >>> everyone caring when we lose. It's not like we'd be playing Houston or Iowa in the Champs Bowl or some other 2nd/3rd tier game. It would be a NY6 game!

 

[ulukinatme]

 

[Irish#1]

I'm not sure why anyone is afraid of this match up. We have elite players just like they do. We have speed and quickness just like they do. I think our QB is better than theirs. Urban Liar has a month to prepare, but so does BK. BK learned a lot from the '12 NCG and will prepare accordingly. It will be a tough game, but I don't see OSU rolling.

 

[NDohio]

IMO, no one caring when we win >>> everyone caring when we lose. It's not like we'd be playing Houston or Iowa in the Champs Bowl or some other 2nd/3rd tier game. It would be a NY6 game!

But I see this opportunity differently than you do. As soon as it was announced I got excited for the opportunity to beat tOSU. They are the only team I have watched as much as I watch ND and I have not been impressed at all. Yes, they are very talented players but their lack of a deep threat, loss of their OC from last year, and lack of playing any quality opponents makes for this to be a tremendous opportunity for ND. You on the other hand immediately went into "crap we are going to get beaten by Urban Meyer" mode.

My outlook on it is that it is way better to beat a tOSU team that has the perception of being great than beating Houston.

 

[JSBusch]

I want to attend this game badly.. flights are awful out of Detroit ($600 +). Anyone else find a better deal from this part of the country? Willing to fly out of another airport that's relatively close.

 

[IrishLion]

Call me Chicken Little, but I think that ND will need to play mistake-free on offense in a shootout to win this game. I think that if ND wins, it will be a 52-49 game or some such score.

Everyone says "stop Elliot" and "Barrett isn't as good as Hogan, so make him beat you."

Well, I have no doubt that we can put a plan in place to stop Elliot. I have great confidence in this after seeing how our defense handled McCaffrey. But even with that plan in place, Elliot is going to find a lane running the outside zone at some point and break a long one, no matter how well you defend him. He's just a special player.

On the flip side, Barrett isn't going to need to play like Hogan, even if we take Elliot away. Hogan had to push the ball down field and let his big guy make plays. Barrett won't need to do that, because we'll be watching Farley and Butler trying to cover Jalin Marshall and Braxton Miller as they run underneath and over the middle. I do not like that matchup.

The last thing is that even if you take away Elliot (which we can do), and even if Farley and Butler show up (which I think they can, but it will be tough for both to have success for the entirety of the game), then you still have to deal with Barrett the athlete... that means stopping the zone-read and spying him. I do not want to see Sheldon Day and Romeo Okwara standing up in a zone blitz or to spy Barrett because our MLB isn't athletic enough to do it on his own... but I fear that this is what will happen. We will do everything right, but Barrett will hurt us because we can't spy him with just one guy.

And so, DeShone is going to need to take charge and answer whenever OSU makes plays. And I think he can do it. OSU's defense is good, but not elite. They chewed Michigan up because Michigan made it easy by trying to pound it straight at them (and even then, Michigan made plays on 3rd down, which is a good sign for us). Bosa and Washington are problems, but I have faith that our OL will be up to the task, and that Brown, Carlisle, Alize, Smythe, Hunter, etc. will find some room to make plays while OSU keys on Fuller. And even if they key on Fuller, I think Vonn Bell makes at least one bone-headed error that results in a looooong Fuller touchdown.

The question is whether or not we turn the ball over. If we don't, I think we win in a shootout. If we do, we will need OSU to help us out with some mistakes of their own. It will also help if we shut Elliot down on his first 5 carries, and Warriner/Hinton decide to forget that he exists just like when they played Sparty.

 

[beryirish]

I wasn't excited to see the matchup against OSU.

1) They can be damn good.
2) Lots of OSU shittalkers in my neck of the woods.

But after reading all the posts here I now absolutely agree.

To be the best you have to beat the best.

BK said that November is where you separate the contenders from the pretenders.

The same holds true in December and January.

GO IRISH!

 

[dublinirish]

Scout.com - College Sports, Football Recruiting, NFL, Fantasy Advice & More Front Page

Buckeyes matchup grabs attention of Irish commits
Recruits took notice when Notre Dame landed Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.

When Notre Dame takes the field against Ohio State on New Year’s Day in the Fiesta Bowl there will be no shortage of anticipation.
Current Irish commitments and one-time targets already took notice of the matchup. Some of them considered scholarship offers from the Buckeyes before making their choice, giving them an even closer connection to the game than others.
Four-star offensive tackles Liam Eichenberg and Tommy Kraemer couldn’t have asked for a more interesting bowl matchup. Both held offers from Ohio State and are Ohio natives.
Eichenberg, who will cap his prep career at the Under Armour All-America Game next month fielded several texts and tweets from friends who are Buckeye fans. Needless to say they weren’t offering good luck.
“They’re just saying ND is gonna get their ass whooped,” Eichenberg said.
Kraemer will turn his attention to the trenches, where Notre Dame will dispatch one of the best offensive lines in the country against perhaps the top defensive prospect in next year’s draft: defensive lineman Joey Bosa.
“I can’t wait for the Ronnie Stanley-Bosa matchup,” Kraemer said. “We’re already figuring out where to go (to watch the game). We’re going to try to keep out the obnoxious OSU fans.”
Notre Dame will play the day after College Football Playoff semifinal games — No. 1 Clemson against No. 4 Oklahoma on one side of the bracket with No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 Michigan State on the other — but figures to be a major television draw anyway with tradition rich programs and rabid fan bases.
Four-star junior tight end Cole Kmet knows all about those things.
Kmet whittled his choices down to Notre Dame or Ohio State before choosing the Irish in October. He visited both programs and grew up watching Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer lead Florida to national championships.
“I think the game could get more views than one of the playoff games,” Kmet said. “It’s gonna be sweet.”
Long snapper John Shannon actually sees the Fiesta Bowl as a playoff game, even if it’s not.
“Going to be a great game,” Shannon said. “Personally, I think (Ohio State) should be a one or two seed in the playoffs and the same with Notre Dame.”
News of the matchup reached just about everyone by Sunday night. Irish Illustrated touched base with other recruits.
“So awesome! Going to be a great game with a crazy atmosphere.” - quarterback commitment Ian Book
“Great matchup. High power teams going at it.” - running back commitment Tony Jones Jr.
“Awesome. (They’re) great competition and it will be a great game.” - wide receiver commitment Kevin Stepherson
“I'm excited. It should be a great game. Both teams have a chip on their shoulder because neither made the Top 4 and it’s still a huge bowl.” - safety commitment Jalen Elliott
“Great game. Growing up I was an Ohio State fan so I definitely wanna watch this game.” - safety target Troy Pride Jr.
“It’s definitely going to be a great game. I think ND proves they aren’t overrated and that they can beat top 10 teams. I’m excited to see if Jarron is able to play in this game as well.” - defensive end commitment Jamir Jones

 

[ThePiombino]

Scout.com - College Sports, Football Recruiting, NFL, Fantasy Advice & More Front Page

HAHA they get it.

 

[Kingbish01]

I live in Ohio, went to Ohio State, will likely go back to Ohio State for grad school (I mean I literally have the app open on a tab haha). Many of my friends are insufferable Buckeye fans. Almost all of my family are big fans; three cousins played sports at Ohio State, two were All-Americans. I just come from a big Buckeye family. Fuck em though go Irish.

Buster, how in the world did you become an ND fan with those Buckeye ties??

 

[beryirish]

Buster, how in the world did you become an ND fan with those Buckeye ties??

Every so often, someone gets it.