ND vs. BC

[irishfan1122]

Looking at BC and the #'s, they seem to be quite similar to ND at this point in the season. Same records, winning/losing the same types of games. BC did have a win against Va Tech, so take that however you would like. BC is well coached, but they don't strike me as the most skilled team when they take the field. Obviously, BC lost a lot last year, but they have serviceable parts this year. Ichabod Crane is prone to mistakes, as his stats show, and they don't have the greatest running game in the world. Pretty sure the stats will tell it all.


Stats are as follows

Rushing: 59th
Passing: 91st
Total Offense: 82nd
Scoring Offense: 46th

Defensive:

Rushing: 19th
Passing: 14th
Total Defense: 10th
Scoring Defense: 27th

Conclusion, moral of the story, tale of the tape, in between the numbers:

THEY (BC) CAN PLAY DEFENSE.

Discuss.......

 

[KAPLAN]

This will be the biggest test of the year. How bad do we want it? We have more talent but have to play in control. Right now I am not sure about this game. They are a 3.5 point favoritie.

 

[PADOMERNUT]

Guys I dont think I am overreacting when I say this is the biggest game of Charlie Weis's college coaching career to date, and I think he knows it. This would NOT be the signature win the program needs, BC just isnt good enough for that. But it would be a quality win. A win against a team from a BCS conference with a winning record on the road.

This is such a swing game. We can still have a successful season. 8-4 and a likely spot in the Gator Bowl is nice progress. If they can win a bowl game and get a 9th win a season after losing 9 games is quite a turnaround, and with the talent we would have coming back, things would look good.

But a loss to BC and all of a sudden this team may go in the tank, and a 6-6 season becomes more likely. And really, how much progress is that. 6 wins makes us bowl eligilble, and we would go to a bowl b/c we would fill a stadium, but imagine if we lost and finished 6-7. Two straight losing seasons and I dont know if Charlie keeps his job.

Notice that I did not make any predictions. I know this is all speculation, alot of if's and but's. I am just trying to stress the importance of this game for the program.

That being said I think we beat BC. We have more talent, and right now I think these kid's want it more. I think we come back strong after last week and finally put to bed the argument that we cant beat a decent team on the road.

We turn the corner on Saturday!!

 

[KAPLAN]

Guys I dont think I am overreacting when I say this is the biggest game of Charlie Weis's college coaching career to date, and I think he knows it. This would NOT be the signature win the program needs, BC just isnt good enough for that. But it would be a quality win. A win against a team from a BCS conference with a winning record on the road.

This is such a swing game. We can still have a successful season. 8-4 and a likely spot in the Gator Bowl is nice progress. If they can win a bowl game and get a 9th win a season after losing 9 games is quite a turnaround, and with the talent we would have coming back, things would look good.

But a loss to BC and all of a sudden this team may go in the tank, and a 6-6 season becomes more likely. And really, how much progress is that. 6 wins makes us bowl eligilble, and we would go to a bowl b/c we would fill a stadium, but imagine if we lost and finished 6-7. Two straight losing seasons and I dont know if Charlie keeps his job.

Notice that I did not make any predictions. I know this is all speculation, alot of if's and but's. I am just trying to stress the importance of this game for the program.

That being said I think we beat BC. We have more talent, and right now I think these kid's want it more. I think we come back strong after last week and finally put to bed the argument that we cant beat a decent team on the road.

We turn the corner on Saturday!!

I do not see us at 6-6, Syracuse and Navy should be gimmies but you never know. 8-4 is my prediction and a Gator Bowl win.

 

[phork]

Until I see 6 Ws I won't get excited for the post season. We should be at worst 7-1 right now.
Frankly we need to not care about how feelings are hurt when we run the score up. Check USC vs. UW. Think poodle gave a rats ass?

 

[ACamp1900]

This will be the biggest test of the year. How bad do we want it? We have more talent but have to play in control. Right now I am not sure about this game. They are a 3.5 point favoritie.

We have had more talent than just about every team we have played outside of USC, and Michigan over the last three years...

 

[KAPLAN]

We have had more talent than just about every team we have played outside of USC, and Michigan over the last three years...

No way, last year we were lacking at just about every posiiton every game. We had zero playmakers.

 

[goirish90]

Well we are a very very young team hell we have mainly soph and freshman starting with a junior or senior here and there i think we have alot to look foward to just need to work on playing a full 4 quaters of football and not letting up whats so ever

 

[goldandblue]

We have had more talent than just about every team we have played outside of USC, and Michigan over the last three years...

Serious??

 

[JeremyND07]

Until I see 6 Ws I won't get excited for the post season. We should be at worst 7-1 right now.
Frankly we need to not care about how feelings are hurt when we run the score up. Check USC vs. UW. Think poodle gave a rats ass?

I totally agree....I am from Ohio so I see Tressel do the same stuff. Get a lead and get conservative! We should be puttng up Texas Tech type of numbers 40+ points EVERY game!!! The coaches need to figure out what we are doing on offense and stick with it. If I see the I-formation anywhere but goaline before 4 min in the forth I am done watching ND for the year. It is way to frustrating!!!!!!

 

[Irish Rogue]

I totally agree....I am from Ohio so I see Tressel do the same stuff. Get a lead and get conservative! We should be puttng up Texas Tech type of numbers 40+ points EVERY game!!! The coaches need to figure out what we are doing on offense and stick with it. If I see the I-formation anywhere but goaline before 4 min in the forth I am done watching ND for the year. It is way to frustrating!!!!!!

Due to the national schedule ND plays, 40+ seems like a stretch, Tech plays a weaker schedule.

 

[phork]

Huh? Weaker? They dropped 39 on Texas, the #1 team in the country at the time, 63 on Kansas, a BCS team last year, 43 on A&M, 58 on KState.

Certainly no weaker or stronger than our schedule. Lets examine our schedule.

SDSU - Should have hung a half century on them.
UM - Again, UM handed us this game I still believe that. Regardless another half dollar on them.
MSU - Should have won this game. I don't believe MSU is as good as people think they are. The PSU game will tell the tale.
Purdue - More points.
Stanford - Again, more points should have been dropped on them.
UNC - Should have won that game going away.
UW - Another half century here.
Pitt - Same as UNC

Cannot let off the gas, period.

 

[bernbabybern820]

Huh? Weaker? They dropped 39 on Texas, the #1 team in the country at the time, 63 on Kansas, a BCS team last year, 43 on A&M, 58 on KState.

Certainly no weaker or stronger than our schedule. Lets examine our schedule.

SDSU - Should have hung a half century on them.
UM - Again, UM handed us this game I still believe that. Regardless another half dollar on them.
MSU - Should have won this game. I don't believe MSU is as good as people think they are. The PSU game will tell the tale.
Purdue - More points.
Stanford - Again, more points should have been dropped on them.
UNC - Should have won that game going away.
UW - Another half century here.
Pitt - Same as UNC

Cannot let off the gas, period.

What record did you predict ND to have before the season started?

 

[ACamp1900]

No way, last year we were lacking at just about every posiiton every game. We had zero playmakers.

Serious??

absolutely, no matter how young they were they still had more talent... I understand the inexperience hurt us and while it is an excuse it IS a legit one, BUT we have had more talent that just about 80 percent of the teams we have played since Charlie took over easy.. young or not we should have NEVER lost to Pitt, Navy, Air Force, GT and inexperince not withstanding the games we lost big should not have been that bad... not pointing fingers at our boys or coaches just saying

 

[phork]

What record did you predict ND to have before the season started?

I predicted, although not on this board, they would be no worse than 10-2 with the schedule that we have, probably 9-3. I am also calling for some heads to roll if we do not go 11-1 or better next year.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

... I am also calling for some heads to roll if we do not go 11-1 or better next year.

Is that what you meant?

 

[phork]

More.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

More.

That's what she said.

Sorry. I will sign out now.

 

[midwestguy]

Due to the national schedule ND plays, 40+ seems like a stretch, Tech plays a weaker schedule.

This is factually incorrect. Texas Tech play/played 5 ranked teams (3 of which were/will be top 10 teams) plus a possible Conference Championship. ND plays one ranked team. Texas Tech will have a much higher strength of schedule when the season ends.

 

[irish4ever]

It looks like a high pct. for rain this w/e for the game. That's not good for the Irish passing attack. This could be another one of those frustrating games IF the Irish are unable to get a ground game going, plus unable to stop the BC running attack.