Tag: Notre Dame

  • College Football Season is Here

    All summer I’ve waited for college football. With the NBA and NHL completely irrelevant to me, both Phil and Tiger non-competitive on the PGA Tour, and MLB failing to find a storyline to draw me in, it’s been quite a sports draught since the end of the World Cup. In truth, I stop caring for the World Cup when the United States was eliminated.

    Back to football.

    This is a turning point year for the team college football teams I am most vested in.

    San Diego State University

    I’m not a native fan. But SDSU is a couple blocks from my house and for less than $200 I was able to get season tickets on the 50 yard line. (This year I moved back about 5 rows for a better view)

    With second-year coach Brady Hoke settling in the Aztecs were noticeably better last year. There is a tremendous amount of talent in high school football in Southern California and Hoke knows that if he can put a winning team on the field, establish some tradition, and get a couple players drafted high he can pull a lot more talent from the area. So I was excited to see that Hoke has added a couple of traditions for this year. Before they open against Nicholls State tomorrow players will make the “Warrior Walk” from the bus to the stadium. It’s not much, but it is a step towards creating a football feel around town.

    With a veteran QB in Ryan Lindley and star WR Vincent Brown… it will be clear that the Aztecs can move the ball. The question will be if they can hold teams under 20 points.

    My prediction: They will go 7-5, but will include one showcase victory against either BYU, Utah, or TCU.

    University of Notre Dame

    Photo by Ryan Greenberg via Flick (Creative Commons)

    Growing up near the campus has secured me as a life-long fan. And as a life-long fan it has been a tough decade. As much as I liked Charlie Weis and was sad to see him let go I think everyone knew he had given up and didn’t have any solutions to get the Irish back to prominence.

    In came Brian Kelly. A proven winner at every level of college football yet desiring the one thing that has alluded him– a BCS Championship. He seems to have figured out what both Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis missed, that winning and losing is only half the battle in South Bend. More than just winning and losing, the head football coach in the ambassador of the county’s largest employer. It’s a very big deal that the locals like coach Kelly.

    Two categories separated Notre Dame from a BCS bowl appearance last year. Their pass defense was horrid. And their red zone TD percentage was embarrassing. As I’ve kept tabs on the news stories it has become clear that these were points of emphasis for the new coach. Let’s hope they can get in the top 50 in both of these categories.

    Coach Kelly’s offensive scheme doesn’t really depend on talent at every position. He’s always lacked talent and found ways to win. It’s a fast-paced style that will confuse most of their early opponents. Even if Dayne Crist is mediocre as a starting quarterback, TE Kyle Rudolph and WR Michael Floyd are NFL quality and will score a lot of points. The key to the offense working is preventing the defense from loading up outside the box and slowing down the pass game by successfully running the ball and controlling the clock. It concerns me that the Irish are weak at RB.

    Another concern about Notre Dame this year is their lack of away games. While Notre Dame is an amazing place to play college football, it is actually a tough place for the Irish to win because of the national TV coverage. They only go on the road to play Michigan State, Boston College, and USC. In recent years they have gotten pounded at those stadiums. Their only hope for those games is at USC. With fewer professional athletes on the field USC’s offense was fine last night, but giving up 36 points to Hawaii shows they are a joke. The tradition lately has been that first-year coaches win 10 games. But I think Kelly is on more of a Lou Holtz trajectory than a Tyrone Willingham one. With a new QB and a completely new system, I see the Irish struggling early and often. (Unless the pace just outsmarts people)

    My prediciton: They go 8-4 and advance to a the Gator Bowl to play Cincinnati. I think they start off their first 5 games 2-3 but rally later with a schedule that includes Navy, Army, Tulsa, and Western Michigan. I do think they beat Michigan and USC– which makes him a winner in South Bend no matter what.

    USC sidenote: Anyone give Kiffin more than 2 years? That dude’s mouth would make Bob Knight blush. And how many more weeks until the NCAA reveals that Pete Carroll is under investigation? I have a feeling they have the death penalty coming.

  • Notre Dame vs. Stanford

    Last night Kristen and I went to the game between Notre Dame and Stanford with my cousin and fellow Irish fanatic, Trent.

    It was a fun game with lots of points scored, lots of exciting plays, and a few times we thought, “they are going to pull away and win for sure.”

    That isn’t the way it worked out and it isn’t the way the whole season has worked out. A month ago they were looking at a BCS bowl bid and Jimmy Clausen was being mentioned as a Heismen candidate. Now it looks like Weis will be fired today, Clausen will likely leave for the NFL, and my favorite team will be back to rebuilding.

    We have become the Cubs.

    I have three requests for Notre Dame:

    1. Hire an experienced head coach.
    2. Join a conference. The Big 10 seems likely, but any conference will do.
    3. Tell NBC to go away. Nothing good has happened as the result of being on National TV. No Heismen’s. No National Championships. Nothing.

    There is always next year. I know that. But I really wanted them to win last night!

  • Notre Dame Recap

    Heading into the big game at the Big House (the only week I cheer against Michigan football) the Fighting Irish looked pretty solid. Lots of offense, lots of defense, and an entire 4th quarter played by 2nd and 3rd stringers.

    I found this video on YouTube. Also pretty solid:

  • Congrats to Notre Dame

    On December 24th Notre Dame Football brought home their first bowl victory since January 1st, 1994. After checking the record books… I was a senior at Clay High School in South Bend the last time the won a bowl game.

    It was an impressive waxing of an offensive heavy Hawaii team. This team of freshmen and sophomore players gave a glimmer of hope for next season. Jimmy Clausen was unstoppable. He had 300 yards  and 3 TDs in the first half. At Notre Dame that is unheard of. Without touching the ball in the 4th quarter he finished the day with 5 TD passes and 401 yards. Of course, it’s worth mentioning that Hawaii’s pass defense ranked 118 out of 119 Division 1 teams.

    For fans, there were some reasons to be excited about this game.

    #1 Not a word about the Charlie Weis death watch. With this win, you won’t hear that again until their first loss of the 2009 season.

    #2 The team had fun. In Weis’s early years he relished in having his team wound tight and nervous. I think we finally are seeing a new philosophy breaking in. These are college kids in Hawaii so let them have fun!

    #3 Jimmy Clausen proved he wasn’t Ron Paulus. (Notre Dame’s Quarterback coach) Like Paulus, Clausen was highly recruited and everyone assumed he was the next Joe Montana. Paulus was extremely talented but never lived up to the hype. Clausen finally showcased his talents in a big way. Now we need to know if he can do that next year at Michigan or at home against USC?

    #4 They broke the losing streak. Sure, it was against lowly Hawaii. But the Warriors were favored to win in their home stadium. Notre Dame not only won but they completely dominated this game. This is a great lead in to 2009. And when they get to a big bowl next year they won’t have the record over their heads.

    #5 It was clear they needed to get better in the secondary. The defensive front four and linebackers are very solid for next year. They’ve long struggled to have a decent secondary… maybe it’s time to convert some tall offensive players?

    #6 I love how exciting the special teams have been. Blocked punts, long kickoff returns, ridiculous speed returning punts. Let’s hope Weis keeps putting first string players out there on special teams.

    #7 Keep Weis in the box. Just like Lou Holtz was a better coach without the headset on, Charlie Weis is a better play caller from the press box.

    #8 The tide is turning in South Bend on Charlie Weis. I’ve heard that Weis is doing some things in the area to endear himself to the locals. The Bend is still a small town… if you don’t manage the politics the politics will manage you.

    #9 Great for recruiting. I’ll presume that some high school kids, sitting in their living rooms, could envision themselves having fun at a bowl game and scoring lots of touchdowns for Notre Dame. Playing on Christmas eve had few advantages… but being the only game on during a terrible TV night was one big one.

    #10 I think the coaching staff should stick with the Rick Warren costumes. Hawaiian shirts at the opener against Nevada?

    Bonus: Looking at the 2009 schedule two things pop out. First, they have a favorable schedule. Second, until October 31st they don’t go more than 4 hours from home.

  • Don’t Fire Charlie Weis

    I just read Pat Forde’s latest attack on Notre Dame. All season long, he’s called the players names, the coach names, even the fans names. Now he thinks that his pens will fell Charlie Weis. I hope that doesn’t happen.

    Here are some reasons why:

    1. The team is young. I have watched most of the games this year and I think it’s a joke that when they win the commentators talk about how young the team is, when they lose they talk about how horrible a coach Charlie Weis is. Most of the offensive starters are freshmen and sophomores. That means that next year they will be a year stronger, smarter, and more hungry to beat teams who humiliated them.

    2. It won’t stop the cycle of change. The first two years under Weis he was dealt a perfect hand by his predessesor. Let’s say they fire Weis and hire somebody else… of course that guy will look great for the next two year as Weis’ young players will mature and begin to win. But that just means in 4 years we will be right back in this same spot, firing a coach.

    3. 12 non-conference games makes it impossible to win a national championship. It’s now been 20 years since Lou Holtz, Tim Brown, Tony Rice and Rhagib Ismael brought a championship to South Bend. 1993 proved why the Irish need to be in a conference. (Beating #1 Florida State, then losing to unranked Boston College.) Join the Big 10 and give them 2 divisions with a championship game like the SEC or join the Big East and beat up on South Florida every year. Heck, start your own conference!

    4. Ditch the NBC deal. Pundits like Forde think buying out Weis’ $30 million contract is doable. Why not go all the way and dump NBC? Since the deal in 1990 they haven’t won a national championship. In fact, only 1993 and 2005 have they been in remote contention.Think about it, for most of the teams on their schedule this is their biggest game of the year. If you are a player at BYU or North Carolina you are only likely to get on National TV in front of every NFL scout is when you play Notre Dame. Unlike every other major football powerhouse, every Notre Dame game is a big deal. For teams like San Diego State it is their Super Bowl. No wonder the Irish struggle.

    5. Academically, the Irish are strong. For 5 years we had to listen to Bob Davie whine about the academic requirements of Notre Dame. With more than 90% of football players earning college degrees, Weis has proven that he can maintain a program of academic excellence while still recruiting solid players.

    I hate to sound like a Cubs fan, but I think the next 2 years are going to prove the Weis is building a program that Irish fans will be proud of for years to come.

    Let’s just hope that the President of Notre Dame and the new athletic director don’t listen to ESPN.

  • Giving Thanks


    My family isn’t one that will likely go around the table and share what they are thankful for. But that doesn’t mean I am lacking gratitude this Thanksgiving. Here’s a few things I’m especially thankful for.

    #1 I am thankful for my red hot smokin’ wife, who is a stone cold fox, and two kids, Walker and Texas Ranger. (Oh wait, that’s Ricky Bobby…) I am thankful for Kristen, Megan, and Paul. They bring immense, intense, wild, fight-club-worthy joy to my life.
    #2 I am thankful for all things San Diego. From our neighborhood, to our new church family, to my friends at YS, to the beachy goodness, to all things Mexican food and sushi.
    #3 I am thankful for getting to invest in the lives of so many youth workers around the globe. Marko expressed this much better than I could, check out this video.
    #4 I am thankful for Youtube, who just started offering widescreen video and all the fun I will have with that.
    #5 I am thankful for Steve and all my friends at Apple Computer, I’m glad I finally saw the light.
    #6 I am thankful for Snickers. Dang they are good.
    #7 I am thankful for Facebook and all of the old friends I’ve reconnected with.
    #8 I am thankful for Andy Marin. I praise God that He has raised up a man willing to stand in front of 5,000+ people and proclaim himself, “The gayest straight man in America.” I’m happy to call him a friend and I join him in praying that the church would continue to love the GLBT community.
    #9 I’m thankful for Free Speech, that I don’t have to worry about getting sued if I call someone’s ideas stupid.
    #10 I am thankful the thousands of “mmm’s” I heard at NYWC this fall as speaker’s spoke truth into leaders lives.
    #11 I am thankful for the genius feature on iTunes.
    #12 I am thankful for the Chargers, Irish, Wolverines, Spartans, and any other sports team I care about in 2008 sucking so I could concentrate on other things.
    #13 I am thankful for the dress code at YS.
    #14 I am thankful for horchata.
    #15 I am thankful for pretty things, like Gmail’s new themes, sunsets at Ocean Beach, and odd wildlife in our backyard.
    #16 I am thankful for Wii Fit as there is nothing quite like watching your 5 year old do yoga.
    #17 I am thankful for former students. They encourage me, join my crazy conversations, challenge me, and inspire me to keep going as I watch them stumble towards faith.
    #18 I am thankful for a lot of things, big and small this year.

    How about you, what are you thankful for?

  • College Football Check-in

    Here’s a mid-season check-in of my favorite teams.

    #1 Notre Dame For a team that barely won 3 games last year, I’m please with their progress. I actually think some fans expected the Irish to win 8-9 games based on their week schedule. Essentially, they have beaten the team’s on their schedule that they were supposed to while gotten beat by ranked opponenents. With Syracuse and USC left on their schedule I think they will end up 7-5 before getting waxed in a bowl game. Some have said Charlie Weis is on the hot seat, I don’t see it that way at all. This is a rebuilding process, his team is very young. Now if they are 8-4 next year or less… I can see dumping him.

    #2 Michigan State I’ve watched a couple of their games and been quite impressed. They have climbed to #15 in the polls and if they can manage squeak past Penn State and Michigan pulls off the upset of the millenium, they would be rose bowl bound. Most importantly, they didn’t collapse after the Michigan game. Kudos to State for finally figuring out how to play a whole season.

    #3 Michigan Back in September I said it would be a down year and boy has it lived up to that hype. At 3-8 they have often been stunningly bad. I also said that they would have a chance to beat Ohio State. As long as the bus brings the Buckeyes to the correct stadium on Saturday morning I don’t see Michigan having a chance. That said, it’s a rivalry game and anything is possible. No, I take that back. Michigan has as good a chance of beating Ohio State as Jennifer Graham does in getting re-elected in 2010.

    #4 San Diego State At 1-10 it is tough to find anything good to say about the Aztecs. Sadly, I never made it to one of their games either. When they played Notre Dame I thought they may have a chance to be .500. I must have been on crack that day. The good news is that I may be able to enroll in the grad school and walk on for the Aztecs. Sure, I’ve never played high school football. But I’m pretty good at NCAA 2008 for the Wii.

  • Is Notre Dame any good?

    As a lifelong fan of the Irish, two weeks into the season I am left with this question. “How good are they?” In week one they looked “2007 bad” while in week two they looked like “2005 lucky.”

    Of course, there is irony galore. Just when the nation and especially Irish fans began to look on Charlie Weis as an idiot instead of genius… he gets whacked and will now attain hero status. For those who missed it, here’s what happened to him.

    If they keep up the enthusiasm, and the quarterback continues leading the team to relax and have fun… it could be a great year. Have you seen their schedule? Winning 8-9 games shouldn’t be too tough.

    Not a Notre Dame fan? Or can’t understand why I would be? Here’s a cool video.

  • My favorite football teams

    College football gets into full swing today. Technically, it started last week yet it wasn’t a full schedule. I thought it was good to clarify just who I get excited about in college football for this season.

    #1 Notre Dame (I grew up about a mile from the campus, been to a ton of games, love me some Fighting Irish.)

    #2 Michigan State (Not sure why I like them, but I enjoy watching the Spartans. I think they can have a decent year.)

    #3 Michigan (This is a rebuilding year for them. I don’t expect them to be above .500 as the new coach wasn’t left with a lot of talent. But I still like watching them. The crazy thing is that it doesn’t matter how bad they are, they still have a shot against Ohio State.)

    #4 San Diego State (I know they aren’t good this year, but they are the closest D-1 team to us. They play about 3 miles from our house.

  • Notre Dame is a Lock for the Big Dance

    notre dame logoAs a Notre Dame fan there hasn’t been a lot to be excited about for football. But with the basketball team things are looking great. At 21-5, Mike Brey and his Irish team have pretty much sealed the deal for getting into the group of 64 for March Madness.

    I’ve watched them in about 4 games this year. In each they have been in control, working together, and are always displaying great sportsmanship.

    The hope is that they make it to the Sweet 16 or beyond. It’s awful fun to have something to cheer about out of South Bend.