Ahh… yes, the Anti-Preview. Things have been just a little bit better than normal this week. The food is tastier, the jokes are funnier, and the wives/girlfriends/that girl you are stalking look hotter than ever. That’s what a Notre dame victory does for its fanbase.
The Irish are now 1-2 and getting votes in the polls. After giving away the first two games of the season, Notre Dame finally got out of its own way a little bit and proved to the country that this was still a very, very good football team.
Can the Irish use that win as the jumping point to make a huge run for the rest of the regular season? Yes, they can- but will they? That is the fun and the stress we all feel for this season. However, to continue the march, Notre Dame must go on the road and take on…
PITT. The Panthers are 2-1, but it might be one of the worst 2-1 records in the country. After a convincing win over Buffalo, 35-16, the Pitt Panthers went up against a ferocious bear… Maine. Pitt eventually beat the Black Bears of Maine 35-29, but Maine had 7 sacks against Pitt.
The game against Iowa things got even worse. Pitt held a 27-10 lead in the 4th quarter- and then allowed 3 straight TD’s by Iowa and lost 31-27.
There has been a lot of sloppy, sloppy play by Pitt. Aside from the massive amount of sacks given up (already in the teens), their pass defense is ranked 119th in the country. Honestly, I think there is a ton of room for improvement for Pitt, and Notre Dame has been sloppy enough on their own end to help the Panthers out.
What should I be drinking? With a NOON kickoff and the possibility of a lot of QB hits, there is only one drink on my mind…
Bloody Mary
- 2 oz. vodka (use Grey Goose or Belvedere)
- 3 oz. tomato juice
- 1/2 oz. lemon juice
- 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 2 drops Tabasco sauce
- salt
- black pepper
Shake all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and strain into a highball glass over crushed ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge, a toothpick full of green olives, and a celery stalk.
You should do yourself a favor and BE SURE TO NOT USE A PREMIX. Also, this is one mix drink that using top quality vodka is an absolute (not Absolut) must.
What should I be eating? Again, it’s a NOON kickoff. You have your Bloody Mary (probably your 3rd) in hand. Make some breakfast!
Gameday Breakfast
You should include most of the following:
- Eggs ( I prefer them over easy)
- Toast
- Bacon
- Grits
- Fresh fruit
- Bacon
- Sausage
- 6 oz. sirloin
- Pancakes
- Waffles
- Hollandaise Sauce
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Bacon
- Hash Browns
Seriously. Get up early and really hit this thing up. A big breakfast is probably the greatest meal ever invented by God himself. Everyone’s favorite breakfast is a little different than the next guys. Go wild. If you want something decadent and mind blowing… give a listen to Paula (Also add bacon):
Irish Stew: If you haven’t noticed already, THIS IS A NOON KICKOFF AGAINST A TEAM NOT NAMED NAVY. You are going to have to readjust your normal Saturday. You already have this huge breakfast to make and you might be flat out wasted from the Bloody Mary’s while doing it. There is some “good news” to all of this (aside from the badass breakfast and delicious Bloody Mary’s).
If you have a wife, or girlfriend, or dog, or whatever that is blowing you shit on any given Saturday in the fall. Now is the time. The slate for college football is pretty bad Saturday. This is the day where you can watch our beloved irish kick ass and keep your loved ones happy. These things go a long way on the “kiss ass” point scale.
Go ahead.
What scares the shit out of me? I have these horrible visions of guys like Palko in my head. Pitt has played poorly this season, but they still have some players. Sunseri could get hot and he has a true game-breaking WR in Devin Street. Todd Graham is a good coach. Notre Dame is suspect in the turnover category. It’s on the road. It’s a noon kickoff (duh). Ray Graham is a damn fine running back.
There are scenarios that have me looking for my blankie and a bottle of cheap Canadian whiskey. What scares me the most is: Notre Dame. Can the Irish truly move forward and lay Pitt an ass beating, or will we struggle with turnovers and inconsistent play?
Offensive MVP: Michael Floyd. Floyd was last weeks pick, and he is this weeks pick. Pitt has the 119th ranked pass defense in the NCAA. Floyd didn’t have his best game in terms of statistics last week with 6 catches for 84 yards and zero touchdowns, but he was still “The Guy.”
He has to be just sweating and drooling over this Pitt defense. Tommy Rees has to look at other receivers more often to help keep the defense honest in covering Floyd. Ad that to a running game that is getting pretty damn good. Now you have the recipe for mismatches (although anyone trying to cover Floyd is a mismatch).
Floyd could be looking at a huge day. How huge? How does 10+ catches for 180 yards and 3 TD’s sound? Sounds good huh? Maybe it will only be around 140 yards and 2 TD. Either way, look for some swagbrag from Floyd.
Defensive MVP: Manti Te’o. Is it just me, or has Te’o been awfully quiet so far this season? Te’o is leading the team in tackles with 31 and he also has 2 TFL and a sack- but it’s just quiet.
I mean no disrespect to the big fella, but where’s the forced fumbles? Where’s the spleen-killing hits? Got a pick anywhere?
He’s about to go off. Look for a lot of tackles Saturday per usual, but also watch Te’o make some of those game-changing moments early with a big hit to force a fumble, or a INT that he rumbles down the sideline for a sixer. It’s going to happen.
Something else to watch for on Saturday: Punt returns. I have a sneaky suspicion that Pitt is going to be punting the ball quite a bit. Someone- ANYONE, just needs to catch that motherfucker. I am past any hope of having any type of decent punt return yardage. I just want someone to catch the damn thing.
I guarantee you Pitt won’t see this again:
At the end of the day… Notre Dame doesn’t have to bring the house to get pressure on Sunseri. The defensive line rotation will do that themselves. Notre Dame will own the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and in turn will control the game. IRISH WIN 38-13. Notre Dame is ready to take off like the team they were supposed to be in week one. Bye, bye Pitt.
