My dear royal subjects of Subway Domer, I must apologize for what seems like the millionth time this season. The posting has been inadequate and I have forsaken the Anti-Preview for two weeks in a row. Two losses I might add. Two program-changing losses.
The lack of quality posts is not because the season has turned a bit sour. There is no such thing as fair-weather when it comes to The Subway Domer. I was there in 2007. I was at every home game in what was perhaps the worst season in Notre Dame history. I went and witnessed it all. I cheered my ass off and after losses to teams like Georgia Tech, Michigan State, U$C, Navy, and Boston College I felt as sick then as I do now.
However, as one gets older and has a growing family, this “hobby” of mine has to take a backseat sometime- especially when it isn’t paying the mortgage. (You know you can help with that right?)
There are two games left. TWO GAMES LEFT. I have tried to make a strong point about this in a few earlier posts, but i have either been too emotional, or too drunk to have that point come across clear for you the reader. Where I have failed, another Jedi strong in the force has made that point very clear. The Biscuit of Her Loyal Sons wrote one of the better posts of the week about this topic. Read it now… ( Enjoy It ).
Are you starting to feel a little better? Good. Now enjoy the Anti-Preview (Senior Edition)…
UConn. The Huskies enter South Bend with a 4-5 record. Not so daunting- but it is the manner of the losses that should concern Irish fans the most. UConn lost those 5 games by a total of 15 points. That’s a field goal a game. The team runs the ball well with a couple of Running backs in Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon. Todman has only one more carry than Dixon and the two have combined for over 1550 yards and 19 touchdowns.
The Huskies have not played great on defense this year, and are definitely not as solid as past years. They do have a tremendous linebacker in Lawrence Wison who is eighth in the country in total tackles. However, this unit is very physical and has played well enough to keep UConn in every game that they have played this year, including the two point loss to an explosive Cincinnati team.
It’s hard telling what kind of emotional state UConn is in at the moment. I’m sure they are still struggling after the tragic murder of teammate, Jasper Howard. As a team, they have honored Howard with tremendous effort and have played to win, rather than just showing up to go through the motions.
Beating UConn will prove to be a tougher task than most will admit.
After giving this week a ton of thought, I drifted towards recruiting and this senior and 5th year senior class. I started thinking about the differences between young men from their senior year in high school and their senior year of college. It’s quite staggering. With that in mind, I present the Drink, Eat, Wear portion of the broadcast in dual vision, which is another way of saying take your pick.
What should you be drinking? You probably weren’t supposed to be drinking in high school. Well, it happens and certainly did happen for many of us. Let us begin:
VS.
The battle has begun. In high school, the elixir of choice was most assuredly something like a nice warm, illegally bought case of Natty Light. It was wonderful in its ability to get minors wasted and not dent the allowance from mom and dad. Later in college, you discover that other beers exist and start experimenting with imports such as the Dutch, Grolsch. It too gets you wasted, but it dents the student loan money that you conveniently pocketed for personal use.
I haven’t had a Grolsch since college, but i have enjoyed many a Natty Light during softball tournaments and in moments of dire straights when paying back those student loans.
Winner: Forever young. Natural Light is the Champ.
What should you be eating? Do men really eat much differently from ages 17-23? No not really, but the menu does increase. Women? Ask one. I’m not sure and I don’t really want to know.
VS.
While young and careless, many a youth filled days were occupied with eating those glorious soft tacos and Chilitos (Now called a Chilli Cheese Burrito… dumb). You could literally walk into Taco Bell with 5 bucks and walk out feeling like you just ate an entire rhinocerous. The skills you learn eating Taco Bell prepares you for the inevitable White Castle phase (which I still think I am addicted to).
As you discover more and more chain “family” restaurants as you get older, it is certain that you start going to Applebees. Although the price is much steeper than Taco Bell, it gives off that hometown bar/restaurant feel that used to be at that location until Applebees bought it and tore it down.
Winner: Forever young and hungry. Taco Bell wipes its ass with Applebees.
What should you be wearing? This category is actually a bit confusing, because it can happen the opposite way as well. I’ll just dip into my own knowledge of the subject.
VS.
I look back at my own days as a senior in high school and remember the totally badass flannel shirts and holy jeans that I used to wear. That shit was comfortable and affordable. Half of my flannel shirt collection was made up of shirts I “borrowed” from my dad or got at a thrift store. Ingenious, really.
Once I evolved in fashion while in college, I trended more towards the preppy look- although not nearly as gay as what the above picture shows. It showed girls that I knew how to take care of myself, and it helped cover the fact that I was miserably broke in college as well.
Winner: There is no winner… there isn’t a loser either. Both looks work in different functions of your life, and as chance would have it- I think I have re-found my grunge look. Marriage and fatherhood.
So as you go tailgating this weekend or even in your own home, follow what you have learned here. I will be chugging Natural Light all day while constantly running to the bathroom after eating a mountain of chilitos, all the while trying to keep my Ralph Lauren eight layer ensemble clean.
Go Seniors! This is a very Senior edition. Here’s hoping they live up to my hype…
Offensive MVP: Without a doubt, Sam Young. am will be starting his 49th consecutive game for Notre Dame on Saturday. That means that he has started every game he has played in with the Fighting Irish since his true freshman year. He is an absolute workhorse.
Sam’s Freshman year was very, very solid. He had a lot of veterans around him on the line and they helped the red-haired giant come into his own a bit. The future looked so very bright.
Sam’s sophomore year was dim and dreary, all the way around. He was forced over to the left side, due to an injury to his right wrist. He wasn’t awful over there, but it still was not a very good fit.
Sam has been the anchor on the right side of the line these past two years and has actually improved as a player. I truly believe that if he had Verducci as a coach for his entire career, he would be a much better player. At any rate, Sam will go as a high draft pick and will probably do quite well in the league as other Irish lineman have done in the recent past.Go get it…
Defensive MVP: John Ryan. Ryan will go down as the guy who took out Charlie Weis. His fall into Weis’s knees were the reason Charlie was on crutches for most of the season and why he had surgery after the season.
Ryan was in constant flux in his career as he was moved around as an OLB and a defensive end. His most natural position was at defensive end, but I don’t think he was ever given the chance to grow into the position as he was moved around so much.
I will always have a soft spot for a defensive lineman with a receding hairline that rivals my own. John is a tough kid from Ohio and has been a productive member of the team and of the University. He deserves this MVP. Go get it…
The Sleeper: Darrin Walls. Since Darrin signed his letter of intent to Notre Dame, the expectations have been astronomical for this cornerback from Pennsylvania. The combo consisting of him and Raeshon McNeil were supposed to ice the pass defense woes that plagued the Irish since the departure of Shane Walton and Vontez Duff.
The hype has not been fulfilled with results. That’s not to say that Darrin has not been a solid corner, but solid play from a corner with very little pizzazz, usually means a lack of big plays that you would have hoped he would have created.
I have Darrin down as a sleeper because of two things; First, he could absolutely make a big play or two against a struggling UConn passing game, and second, he still has a year of eligibility left. The consensus among Irish fans in the preseason was that Walls would probably leave after this year. Now, I think that decision may very much be in the air.
He still has time. Go get it…
Something else to watch: Eric Olsen. Perhaps no other person on the team is as emotionally driven than Eric Olsen. His passion drives him, and his results gets the team right behind him.
I love Eric Olsen. I love the passion in which he plays with and I love how dedicated he is to the school, the team, and to his coach. I can’t wait to see the effort he puts out in his last game in Notre Dame Stadium. It could be epic.
Since making the switch from guard to center, he has flat out dominated. The all out, pissed off style of play is what has been missing at center since Jeff Faine played. It has also, more than likely, moved him up a ton of spots on the NFL draft boards of teams. Versatile, tough, and dedicated. Go get it…
So who’s gonna win? Irish 38-24. Somehow I still think this team is capable of winning a game before the last minute. I think, in some twisted turn of events, the Irish get off to a fast start primarily due to their defense. Once the offense sees that the defense is putting them in a good spot- they light it up. Watch for a big, BIG, game from Clausen who, with two games to go, could still get invited to New York with 9 TD’s and 0 INT’s in these final two games. A big win to send the seniors off right.
