Sep 28 | Oklahoma

[gkIrish]

I'm cautiously optimistic about this game. We are flawed but I just don't think Oklahoma is that good.

ND 30
OU 23

I'll probably be in the gameday chat second half

 

[IrishLax]

I said earlier I think Oklahoma rolls... and I'm sticking to that. It might be a close score at the end, but I think they control the game.

I chalked this game up to a W at the beginning of the year but the secondary has taken a large step back and the power running game I expected to see couldn't even move the ball against Purdue. I expect ND to come out and try to establish the run and if that can't get going (and there is no reason to expect that it will) for us to really struggle putting points on the board. On D, we're simply not design well to stop a quick-pass spread team that has a battering ram QB that can pick up 3rd and short. Oklahoma's running game doesn't scare me at all, but I don't see how we get off the field on 3rd down or how we stop the Sooners in the red zone.

Hopefully we've got a good game plan and cause some turnovers and pull out the W. But I'm skeptical. These next 3 games 100% determine our season... if we win all 3 then we likely run the table into Stanford and who cares if we lose that game @Palo Alto. If we lose all 3... hello 7-5.

 

[BGIF]

One for the Record Books - UND.COM - University of Notre Dame Official Athletic Site

Notre Dame's 7-0 upset of Oklahoma's historic 47-game win streak is still one for the ages.

 

[irishff1014]

I am sticking with my prediction of 31-13 OU. We can't convert on short 3rd downs. And our defense fails to get key stops. I hope for a much better outcome though. I hate predicting against ND but this game had been a bad vibe all week long.(I did this last year against OU and we won maybe I can get lucky again)

 

[ND NYC]

damn you and your logic Lax

p.s. i feel (and have felt) the same way

BUT

i also have a feeling of a wild, entertaining high scoring game, that we win in the final minutes.

so im gonna go with that.

 

[NDdomer2]

beautiful here today

 

[Patulski]

I am sticking with my prediction of 31-13 OU. We can't convert on short 3rd downs.

I don't know about short 3rd downs, but our 3rd down conversion percentage ranking is higher than Oklahoma's.

 

[Kak7304]

Almost Reesdozer time.

 

[gkIrish]

I just hope we don't go full meltdown if we get beat by 2 touchdowns

 

[IrishLax]

I don't know about short 3rd downs, but our 3rd down conversion percentage ranking is higher than Oklahoma's.

Oklahoma was awful before they benched Knight.

 

[RyCo1983]

I just hope we don't go full meltdown if we get beat by 2 touchdowns

You serious?
The board will go full meltdown if we win by a last second field goal. Let alone a blowout loss. It's what we do!

 

[Patulski]

Oklahoma was awful before they benched Knight.

It makes you wonder though that the OU coaches didn't see that Knight was so terrible and the Belldozer better. The Belldozer has a perfect opportunity to claim a permanent hold on the position: On the road in his first start.

It's not such an easy task for many first start QB's to deal with the crowd and have to coordinate the offense with hand signals and with a silent count. We'll see how he does. People will say the Belldozer has played on the road before, but he was a package QB not running the full offense. Should be interesting.

 

[irish o'phile]

I was looking at last years stats in the MSU and Purdue games and ND didn't rush well in either of those games either. ND only averaged 1.4 yards a carry against Purdue and the game was very close. ND only averaged 3.6 against MSU.

Obviously, the defense was the key. The 2013 defense looked somewhat better in the second half vs Purdue and during the entire MSU game. Maybe things will turn ther corner this week for the offense. It would seem that the O-Line is more talented than it has shown and it has to get better at some point.

My prediction: ND 5332883 Oklahoma -3

 

[gkIrish]

You serious?
The board will go full meltdown if we win by a last second field goal. Let alone a blowout loss. It's what we do!

I don't mind frustration or even "mini" meltdowns. I just think there are still a lot of fans that don't realize we aren't that good and *might* be in for a rude awakening.

 

[IrishLax]

It makes you wonder though that the OU coaches didn't see that Knight was so terrible and the Belldozer better. The Belldozer has a perfect opportunity to claim a permanent hold on the position: On the road in his first start.

It's not such an easy task for many first start QB's to deal with the crowd and have to coordinate the offense with hand signals and with a silent count. We'll see how he does. People will say the Belldozer has played on the road before, but he was a package QB not running the full offense. Should be interesting.

Yeah, I totally get that. I kept thinking "why the hell didn't Bell win the starting job to begin with?" Then someone told me that they were trying to put in some trendy read-option thing with Knight and it just didn't work... so then they reverted to their typical spread with Bell. Maybe Knight was just more prototypical for that style of offense.

 

[RyCo1983]

I don't mind frustration or even "mini" meltdowns. I just think there are still a lot of fans that don't realize we aren't that good and *might* be in for a rude awakening.

Gotcha...yeah...there are quite a few of those floating around.

I'm no blind homer or apologist...

But I do think this team will certainly look a lot better as the season wears on.

 

[Patulski]

Yeah, I totally get that. I kept thinking "why the hell didn't Bell win the starting job to begin with?" Then someone told me that they were trying to put in some trendy read-option thing with Knight and it just didn't work... so then they reverted to their typical spread with Bell. Maybe Knight was just more prototypical for that style of offense.

Maybe so. Still, the coaching staff had 3 years to see Bell , while Knight is a redshirt freshman. To dump the offense and sit a guy with 3 years in the program says something about what they thought of him. Maybe they miscalculated. It happens. We'll see.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

I still believe this team can do enough to win.
They've been playing up and down to the competition for years, so why would today be different?

I think we win 34-31.

 

[Cackalacky]

Just thought y'all should know N. Illinois is kicking the crap out of Purdue.

 

[IrishLax]

Just thought y'all should know N. Illinois is kicking the crap out of Purdue.

The two primary reasons why I'm convinced this team is not very good is:
1. The entire Purdue game.
2. The Michigan game relative to their absolute crap performances against UCONN and Akron.

Unless there are remarkable improvements on O and D we shouldn't expect to beat Oklahoma, ASU, USC, or Stanford. Need more inventive offense, better execution on D. If those don't change expect the same crap all year. And with reports of us trying conservative ball control run the ball offense for this game, I don't think the coaches get it.

 

[Bluto]

The two primary reasons why I'm convinced this team is not very good is:
1. The entire Purdue game.
2. The Michigan game relative to their absolute crap performances against UCONN and Akron.

Unless there are remarkable improvements on O and D we shouldn't expect to beat Oklahoma, ASU, USC, or Stanford. Need more inventive offense, better execution on D. If those don't change expect the same crap all year. And with reports of us trying conservative ball control run the ball offense for this game, I don't think the coaches get it.

NIU is lighting up Purdue with play action and misdirection. Also, looks like Henry just got benched for sucking. I'm inclined to agree with what Patulski wrote about Kelly kinda looking to next year in terms of the offense and just riding this one out.

 

[FearTheBeard]

but you guys are underestimating purdue....theyre actually a pretty good team

 

[Rizzophil]

Let's keep the boards clean fellas. It's going to be a rough game.

 

[Jebediah Springfield]

The two primary reasons why I'm convinced this team is not very good is:
1. The entire Purdue game.
2. The Michigan game relative to their absolute crap performances against UCONN and Akron.

Unless there are remarkable improvements on O and D we shouldn't expect to beat Oklahoma, ASU, USC, or Stanford. Need more inventive offense, better execution on D. If those don't change expect the same crap all year. And with reports of us trying conservative ball control run the ball offense for this game, I don't think the coaches get it.

 

[woolybug25]

The whole "X team is beating Y team and we almost lost to X team, so it's obvious we will lose to A, B and C teams" is beyond silly.

If that was even a remotely rational way of predicting success, then we wouldn't have better than 6-6 any of the last three years.

Why don't we just play the games first, shall we?

 

[aubeirish]

The whole "X team is beating Y team and we almost lost to X team, so it's obvious we will lose to A, B and C teams" is beyond silly.

If that was even a remotely rational way of predicting success, then we wouldn't have better than 6-6 any of the last three years.

Why don't we just play the games first, shall we?

Yea, if that worked I would be much more successful at gambling. I'm not very good.

 

[TheChosen1]

JJ Stankevitz‏@JJStankevitz

Notre Dame's depth chart lists 4 RB starters: Atkinson, Carlisle, McDaniel, Folston. Greg Bryant not on it. Collinsworth/Farley start at S.

 

[irishff1014]

JJ Stankevitz‏@JJStankevitz

Surprise Surprise

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I think most of the recent statements on this thread go to what Knute Rockne said about rearranging prejudices, what was that?

Strap 'em on and have fun this afternoon. I will see you all some time after the game. Oohrah!




Téigh Gaeilge, buille Sooners!

 

[IrishMoore1]

We're going to get blown out by Oklahoma. Last year I was very confident we could win. This year, however, after watching ND play the first 4 games, it's pretty clear we are the inferior team going into this. The D just isn't good this year.