The OFFICIAL Notre Dame thread

[SoCal Pinstriper]

Yanks1976 hit it right on the head. Its simply about playing up to your talent level and capabilities.

On balance, I think that ND is playing to the level of its talent. You have a lot of elite talent on offense, and very little talent at all on defense (one of the worst tackling teams in recent memory) . That is exactly how they play.

[dabomb2045]

Same old story with this program. Talk all you want about talent on offense.....but unless we can recruit a damn defense it just wont matter. I mean when is the last time we had a real good defense? Its been FOREVER.

[dabomb2045]

Thank the lord for Jimmy Clausen. That is all.

[Yanks1976]

Thank the lord for Jimmy Clausen. That is all.

On the season...

100/148, 68%
1,544 yards
12 Tds/2 Ints
10.4 YPA


Not bad.

[yankeesAZ]

I mean when is the last time we had a real good defense?

When the likes of Chris Zorich, Ned Bolcar, Frank Stams, and Michael Stonebreaker played for them.

[Yanks1976]

Who knows if this story is true...it probably isn't, but I laughed. Booze plus rivalry equals awesome.

http://www.ndnation.com/boards/showp...=206016;d=this

One of these days we will once again have both programs on the same trajectory at the same time. This 11 in a row without a loss for us followed almost immediately by 7 in a row for USC is getting old.

[dabomb2045]

Who knows if this story is true...it probably isn't, but I laughed. Booze plus rivalry equals awesome.

http://www.ndnation.com/boards/showp...=206016;d=this

One of these days we will once again have both programs on the same trajectory at the same time. This 11 in a row without a loss for us followed almost immediately by 7 in a row for USC is getting old.

Whats your feeling on this game? I'd like to think we have a chance....but I just dont trust Weis coaching up this team in a big game.

[NDBoston]

I'm going to the game Saturday and we're having a massive tailgate.

I've been leaving this game in the 3rd quarter the last 3 years. Let's hope this year is better so I won't be drinking to forget.

[Yanks1976]

Whats your feeling on this game? I'd like to think we have a chance....but I just dont trust Weis coaching up this team in a big game.

I think we can win. The problem is, in order for that to happen the defense actually has to step up to a level they really haven't approached this season (save Nevada, which I am not counting). They cannot miss tackles (or tackle in a way that the ball carrier falls forward 5 yards), the DL needs to get some sort of pressure on its own and the run absolutely must be contained (since I dont think we can completely stop it because their line is huge and they have about 87 AA RBs). They are going to get at least 24-28 points, but we cannot let it get above that.

Our OL has to hold its own to a point where SC needs to blitz to get pressure. Their LBs and DBs are good and fast enough so that if they can just sit in coverage and Jimmy is still getting pressure, we're screwed. If Jimmy can get time (and thereby require SC to bring more on the rush) we will be able to move the ball I think. I'd have been a hell of a lot more confident with Floyd because I honestly still don't see how a team can adequately cover Floyd, Tate and Rudolph. With Floyd out, it is definitely possible for a team like SC to handle our passing game...especially if Allen and Hughes struggle. If Allen and Hughes are able to move the ball, that should open up something for Tate and Rudolph...in that situation...we can put up enough points to win.

I want to believe. I don't think we will be blown out. I could see us winning 28-24/35-31. Weis is going all in on this game. It is an absolutely huge recruiting weekend. There are 4 5 star recruits at this game this weekend (Seantrel Henderson, Lamarcus Joyner, Kyle Prater, and Chris Martin). We are going against USC on (I think) 2 of the 4 (and God only knows what Martin is thinking). Prater is there I am sure as a SC commit, but even still, this is huge. We better not get embarrassed.

[Yanks1976]

Clausen's performance this weekend is going to be absolutely huge in how he winds up being perceived. People are starting to notice, but a flop will bring back the criticism.

http://www.cbssports.com/columns/story/12353023

[Yanks1976]

I thought this was a pretty decent preview for the game tomorrow...obviously from a ND perspective though.

http://www.rakesofmallow.com/2009/10...ern-california

[NDBoston]

Alumni sucks!! Go Big Red!

[Yanks1976]

It's USC Gameday. Go Irish!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VafBdSU6A90

[dabomb2045]

1) Our offensive line is overrated and a joke

2) The defense is even a bigger joke--actually just flat out embarassing.

Fire Weis!

[dabomb2045]

And.....we still suck. I dont wanna hear anything about "we played them close! the talent gap is shrinking!". Whatever. A loss is a loss. Weis still after five years does not have a big win here.

[yankeesAZ]

1) Our offensive line is overrated and a joke

2) The defense is even a bigger joke--actually just flat out embarassing.

Fire Weis!

Agreed. It's time for Weis to go. "Moral Victories" don't count.

[yankeesAZ]

Who should be the next ND head coach?

Gruden? Shanahan?

Another college coach?

[CanoForPresident]

Beating USC this year will be a "big win". It will happen C for P.

Clausen and Tate should both go pro after this year. Clausen would be the first QB taken (and again, as long as ND doesn't completely ................ the bed from here on out, he should win the Heisman), and Tate's stock is about as high as it can get.

[The Yankee Captain]

Clausen and Tate should both go pro after this year. Clausen would be the first QB taken (and again, as long as ND doesn't completely ................ the bed from here on out, he should win the Heisman), and Tate's stock is about as high as it can get.

Congrats. I hope they stay. They'll be close to unstoppable on offense with Floyd, Tate and Claussen. Defense will be a year older, most guys will be back. ND lost this game in the trenches. USC was in Claussen's face all day while rushing only 4. ND did fine against the run on defense, but had to get more pressure on Barkley. Disappointed to say the least.

[dabomb2045]

Congrats. I hope they stay. They'll be close to unstoppable on offense with Floyd, Tate and Claussen. Defense will be a year older, most guys will be back. ND lost this game in the trenches. USC was in Claussen's face all day while rushing only 4. ND did fine against the run on defense, but had to get more pressure on Barkley. Disappointed to say the least.

Our defense sucks. Weis hasnt proven he can recruit top defensive talent. Clausen and Tate should def go pro after this season--no reason at all for them to stay just to put up stats on another mediocre team.

[The Yankee Captain]

Our defense sucks. Weis hasnt proven he can recruit top defensive talent. Clausen and Tate should def go pro after this season--no reason at all for them to stay just to put up stats on another mediocre team.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[dabomb2045]

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

You disagree that our defense is national championship caliber? Where's the big time defensive talent? Oh yeah...thats right. Its not here.

Talk about offense all you want. One-dimensional teams dont win.

[The Yankee Captain]

You disagree that our defense is national championship caliber? Where's the big time defensive talent? Oh yeah...thats right. Its not here.

Talk about offense all you want. One-dimensional teams dont win.

Obviously our defense isn't National Title caliber right now. I'm disappointed in the game yesterday, frustrated. They are very young and inexperienced on defense. If these young guys can progress who knows? Teo, Fleming, Lewis-Moore, Blanton will be around awhile. There's other guys on the roster who can be impact players as well. They have to finish strong this year so they can finish strong in recruiting. Hearing good things from the recruiting visits for yesterdays game. Tai-ler Jones WR/DB from Georgia committed after initialy committing to Stanford. His dad played for ND so not that surprised.

[dabomb2045]

Obviously our defense isn't National Title caliber right now. I'm disappointed in the game yesterday, frustrated. They are very young and inexperienced on defense. If these young guys can progress who knows? Teo, Fleming, Lewis-Moore, Blanton will be around awhile. There's other guys on the roster who can be impact players as well. They have to finish strong this year so they can finish strong in recruiting. Hearing good things from the recruiting visits for yesterdays game. Tai-ler Jones WR/DB from Georgia committed after initialy committing to Stanford. His dad played for ND so not that surprised.

And what happens if Clausen and Tate leave after this year? Then we have to hear Weis talking about another "rebuilding" year. Assuming he's still around.

[The Yankee Captain]

And what happens if Clausen and Tate leave after this year? Then we have to hear Weis talking about another "rebuilding" year. Assuming he's still around.

Slow down dabomb. Dayne Crist was one of the top QB's in the country out of CA and will be fine as Jimmy's replacement. He's 6'4", 235 lbs and has 3 yars of eligibility left after this year (he didn't play at all in 2008 for ND). He came in for a few series against Purdue. Hopefully he'll play some more this year if we can ever get a decent lead. I'm not worried about the QB position. As long as Weis is there I don't think we'll ever have to worry about having a QB.

Who knows if Tate leaves? If he does Floyd will be back. Rudolph at TE. We have other WR's ready to step up. (Shaq Evans, John Goodman, Deion Walker, and whoever else they sign this year. They're still in on some stud WR's.) All the RB's minus James Aldridge will be back. I'm more concerned about OL. Need some young guys to step up and hit the recruiting hard. Both tackles were bad yesterday.