Welcome to the Anti-Preview for Notre Dame versus Wake Forest. Friends, I'm not going to beat around the bush on this one. My internet provider has chosen the path of darkness and has put me in the dark with there crappy customer service. So… this may be a little brief due to the lateness of the hour.
Hopefully, it still packs a punch.
The Irish are 10-0, #3 in the BCS, and it's Senior Day. Among the seniors to play in their final game are Manti Te'o, Braxston Cave, Tyler Eifert, Kapron Lewis-Moore, Theo Riddick, and more. This game is important on many levels as it is a MUST win for the Irish to get to the next step in the season on the path to a National Championship.
So let us break the bloody spirits of those that stand in the way…
Wake Forest
There's no kind way to say this, so I'll just go ahead and say it… Wake Forest is not a good football team. However, they are 5-5 and are at least still playing for a bowl bid with two games remaining.
Wake has problems. On offense the Demon Deacons are ranked 114th in rushing offense and 88th in passing offense which leads them to their 108th ranking in scoring. Wake Forest quarterback Tanner Price is actually a pretty decent quarterback, but his offensive line is awful which leads to an ineffective rushing attack and constantly throwing under pressure.
Defensively, Wake Forest is ranked 63rd in rush defense, 98th in pass defense and is allowing over 28 points per game which ranks 72nd in the country.
They have holes everywhere, and just being in a position to go to a bowl game is a testament to how good of a coach Jim Grobe really is.
What Should You Be Drinking?
Hey gents and ladies, this is an ACC game- so we getting all fancy and shit.
Chambord Royale
1 oz. Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
1 oz. Vodka
2 oz. Cranberry Juice
2 oz. Pineapple Juice
Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
What Should You Be Eating?
We're going to keep this southern. Not real fancy, but it still resonates with the ACC crowd.
Low Country Boil
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®), or to taste
5 pounds new potatoes
3 (16 ounce) packages cooked kielbasa sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed
5 pounds whole crab, broken into pieces
4 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1. Heat a large pot of water over an outdoor cooker, or medium-high heat indoors. Add Old Bay Seasoning to taste, and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, and sausage, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the corn and crab; cook for another 5 minutes, then add the shrimp when everything else is almost done, and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes.
2. Drain off the water and pour the contents out onto a picnic table covered with newspaper. Grab a paper plate and a beer and enjoy!
Irish Stew
With this being Senior Day and all, there has been a collected effort by several organizations to honor Manti Te'o by wearing leis to the game Saturday. I am strongly against this. Now, if you want to wear a lei to honor Manti, I think that's great, but for groups to organize an event similar to the Michigan game on Senior Day- well I just think it's a little disrespectful to the rest of the senior class, and I don't believe that Manti would really even want this.
So… an individual choice is cool, but the effort by groups is not. Just like my individual effort to show this Te'o video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=n7UxpYMNd5w
Tweeter
We humbly submit Brian Hardin, who is unfazed by our Disney Princess chatter. He'll join us soon enough:
#NotreDame hasn't allowed a TD drive of 60+ yards in 87 straight opportunities. Irish have given up 1 such drive in '12. NCAA average is 21.
— Brian Hardin (@NDHardin) November 15, 2012
.@dennisdoddcbs does my job better than me, providing facts showing #NotreDame is closer to #2 than fans & voters think cbssports.com/collegefootbal…
— Brian Hardin (@NDHardin) November 15, 2012
Manti Te'o. Best player on arguably the best defense in the country. Leader of No. 3 team in nation. Season highlights: youtube.com/watch?v=n7UxpY…
— Brian Hardin (@NDHardin) November 16, 2012
Offensive MVP
Cierre Wood. For all of the talk about Wood's lack of carries this year, he has been very productive and is averaging over 6 yards per carry. Wake Forest is just the type of team that Wood can carve up with ease. Even if he only gets 10-12 carries… I'll lay down a thousand pennies that says he gets over 100 yards and a couple of scores. Piggy bank that shit.
Defensive MVP
Manti Te'o. This is not a sentimental choice. I have a hunch that Diaco will turn Te'o loose a bit more this week. Call it Heisman padding, or whatever you like- the man is going to break some shit. Smelling a sack or two to go along with the typical Te'o tackles and maybe even another turnover. He leaves ND Stadium a LEGEND.
Something Else To Watch For
I want to see how badly Brian Kelly wants to make this game look embarrassing. Will he allow Notre Dame to run up the score in a game where style points won't easily be given from voters laughing about the matchup? People talk about "stepping on throats" in a game like this, but I'm looking for something a bit more graphic- like the curb stomping in the movie American History X. Gruesome.
At The End Of The Day
I think this game gets a little ugly- but in a good way. We all might start wondering when Louis Nix is coming in at fullback to block for Manti Te'o at running back. It won't happen, but that's the type of shit you think about during an ass whooping. IRISH win 38-0 and handle their business. Cheers!
