Welcome to the Irish Blogger Gathering on Subway Domer. It's Thanksgiving, USC week, and the Irish are #1 in the country. Let's finish this.
The Biscuit from Her Loyal Sons joins me today. Be sure to check out Inside the Irish for my responses, and Strong & True for more IBG action.
Here we go…
As if there was any doubt, the media (mainstream & bloggers) have been criticizing and berating the Irish as if they were a real member of the Big East. Is ND deserving of all of this scorn & do you think the tune will be different after 12-0.
Of course Notre Dame doesn't deserve the scorn, but it's 100% expected, and at least partially self-inflicted. There are 3 main reasons for it. First, Notre Dame is Notre Dame. That obviously can't be blamed on anyone in particular, and we as fans/alums like that reason. So, that's just how it is. Second, the team squeaked by some really mediocre to bad competition this season. Had the boys figured out a way to win convincingly (not even a blowout, just a nice solid W) against Pitt and BYU, things would be much different right now. So that's on the team. And finally, this program has been mediocre for a long time. There's a ton of blame to throw around for this one, but it's a fact: Oregon gets the benefit of the doubt because they're Oregon. Bama, because they're Bama. K-State because…well, that brings us back to reason #1. Regardless, the ND brand has been materially weakened over the past decade and change, and this is the result.
Give me 5 reasons you hate Southern Cal. You may explain yoself.
1. OJ. Murders spouse. Steals stuff.
2. Reggie Bush. Takes $ and houses, cheats by pushing.
3. Leinart. Gets pushed by Bush. Plays good against ND, sucks forever afterwards.
4. Kiffin. Next to the word Tool in the dictionary.
5. Deflated Balls. Enough Said.
Tell me how you see this game unfolding and then tell me how ND Nation (people not website) reacts.
The first half won't be pretty for Notre Dame, at least compared to the expectations that Irish fans have built up over the past week. I'd expect a bit of a slugfest, and I expect it to be a game that features a lead that's <7 at the half, and it's no guarantee that ND will have that lead.
In the 2nd half, ND's defense will begin to wear down USC, and all of their offensive production (which wouldnt have been much in the first half anyway) is gone. ND, as per usual, starts to feel the groove in the 2nd half as EG gets comfortable, and the running game gets moving behind a very fit offensive line. ND pulls away, wins by 10.
The fans will be thrilled, because how it happens doesn't matter at all at this point. Style points mean nothing. Dominance Shmominance. Just Win Baby has never been more relevant. Sitting atop the footbaw universe means all the Irish have to do is win. By 1, Triple OT, by 1 inch again, would be just fine. If it's a W, we're in Miami, and that's all that will ultimately matter to this fan base. Just Win.
