<p>What are everyones thoughts on this game..im unfortunately feeling another big loss, is anyone more optimistic?</p>
<p>There will be a touchdown.</p>
<p>That is for sure.</p>
<p>I'm looking forward to a great game. I think our defense will surprise some people, and keep the game close.</p>
<p>If our oline gives jimmy any protection time... we should be able to put some points on the board.</p>
<p>Its gonna be close...and I hope we are on the winning side</p>
<p>Its gonna be tough though.... but I say </p>
<p>21 nd - 20 psu</p>
<p>Darrin Walls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>special teams mistakes.... they kill momentum</p>
<p>Duncan isn't playing well</p>
<p>i quote myself: "If ND makes this touchdown in 9 seconds, i'm applying early action."</p>
<p>It aint over till it's over 2nd half always the best</p>
<p>this is just painful to watch.</p>
<p>Tim, you should get in EA, just from your enthusiasm! We're midway through the fourth quarter, and it ain't pretty... One benefit of being an alumna of the Gerry Faust era is the ability to find something else to do once the Irish really start sucking it up. It is still an amazing university, even if the football sucks...as it has this week and last.</p>
<p>Thing is, you don't rebuild in a game. You grow incrementally. I'm still not all that impressed with Jimmy Claussen's throwing ability--though he hasn't had many chances. He has impressed me with poise; a lot of smart play. I just can't tell if he's too slow on his release, playing not to screw up, or if he simply doesn't have any options... Brady Quinn threw for 297 yards against Purdue in his first start. Then again, he probably had people to throw it to, and a front line that could actually do something...</p>
<p>Ah, Irish football at its worst. I'll bet it's going to be tough for Claussen, his first loss EVER as a starting quarterback. We will soon find what he is made of...as we will the rest of the team. And Charlie Weis is about to learn what it is like to lose the first two games in a row of a season...we'll soon find out what he is made of.</p>
<p>It's easy to be on a roll when you are winning. The true mark of character is what you do after you've been knocked down a few times.</p>
<p>Time will tell...</p>
<p>I hear husband swearing in the other room. I take it that it just keeps gettin' uglier.</p>
<p>Through adversity comes growth.</p>
<p>Brady Quinn's first front line was worse than this one. He was sacked an unbelievable amount of times his freshman year. That said, the offense/offensive play calling isn't giving Jimmy anything to work with.</p>
<p>I agree with a lot of things you said DD.</p>
<p>Claussen, imo, looks great. You have to realize... he is playing in front of 110,00 people for his first FIRST GAME! He's been sacked 6 times, and most of the time thats because of the Oline. However, at times there is a pocket to step into and yet Jimmy runs around the edge. The telecast is really starting to bother me, I just turned my TV on mute because I cant stand these announcers. </p>
<p>This season is not over. Over the next few week we will see those Irish band wagoners jump off.... which I have no problem with. We are in week 2!!! We have plenty of time to improve and start playing like 1 unit.</p>
<p>Theres one thing to be happy about though</p>
<p>How awesome is the Armando Allen and Jimmy Clausen combo going to be in the next few years?!<br>
The future is bright, guys..... lets not jump on our team yet</p>
<p>Like L Houltz says.... "You gotta believe"</p>
<p>After a few of those dropped passes, I'm beginning to wonder if the reason Weis has called it so conservatively isn't because he doesn't trust Claussen, it's that he doesn't trust the guys he's throwing to. Smarjdza would have caught those last few...</p>
<p>God love you, Tim. It isn't just the Irish Bandwagoners, though, that will be trash-talking the Irish. You ought to read the Observer. I'll bet the little dwebe that's writing that stuff can't throw the ball as far as I can--and I'm a 45 year-old woman. </p>
<p>Irish football, like business, comes in cycles. We're just at a down point right now. </p>
<p>We won't stay there.</p>
<p>Speaking of Lou, he used his big backs to wear down on opposing defenses. Where was James Aldridge for those big-back situations? Weis doesn't look the same as he has the first two years. He hasn't been seen screaming on the sideline once (he looks like Ty now, no emotion) and the play calling is looking worse than the first two years.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the more emotion that Charlie shows, the more likely it is that he'll have a heart attack on the sideline.</p>
<p>Is that really what is keeping him? It didn't stop him the last two years. But if that's the case then it's alright. It just gives me horrible flashbacks to getting beat by 31 points and then the TV turns to Ty's face and it didn't look like he cared.</p>
<p>Charlie Weis isn't Ty! Honestly, it isn't THAT bad...</p>
<p>Fact is, everybody has been saying leading into the season that it's going to be a rebuilding year for the Irish, even if Charlie won't concede that. (He knows it better than anyone, actually.) It's always great to hope, but let's face it. The people who said that the Irish would go 7-5 at best know what they are talking about (my '09 son, who minors in Irish football, has been warning us all summer long about this.) Many of these people were the ones who are also thinking ND could be national championship caliber by 2010, when these hapless freshmen and sophs are battle-hardened juniors and seniors.</p>
<p>The reason they call it "getting schooled" is, hopefully, you learn something.</p>
<p>My guess is that if these were NFL-caliber juniors and seniors performing like that out on the field, Weis would be blowing a gasket. But it's a bunch of freshmen and sophomores. What purpose would it serve for Weis to jump down their throats for being inexperienced? </p>
<p>As per the play-calling, Penn State is known as Linebacker U. Their secondary had us covered exceptionally well; this is something they are known for. Put that together with a freshman quarterback in his first start, a bunch of freshmen and sophomores on the line and in the skill positions, and you've got a recipe to shut down the offense. One thing I did take from this game is that Clausen is incredibly poised. He made some great decisions that prevented some huge losses. And his quarterback rating for this game will be deceiving. Very few of his incompletions were overthrown or underthrown. Nearly all of them were either potentially-catchable-but-miffed or intentionally thrown out of bounds to prevent a sack. He is amazingly poised and accurate for a freshman. I have no doubt his supporting cast will grown into the task. You've got to remember that Clausen started up there in January, spending the entire spring season learning that offense and running the plays. Most of these other freshmen didn't start till summer training. </p>
<p>The one game I've been able to make it to since graduation was the 1987 matchup against USC at home. It was a rebuilding year for USC, still recovering from their NCAA probation and television blackout of earlier in the decade. It wasn't the Game of the Century, or even the Game of the Year. We scalped out tickets to get in out on the parking lot for ten bucks apiece. There wasn't all that much excitement in beating USC, because it was expected. The very next year, ND and USC played in southern Cal the last game of the season--I'm pretty sure it was #1 vs. #2. That, of course, was the year ND won it all.</p>
<p>Bottom line is that rebuilding is rebuilding. USC went through it because of NCAA sanctions. We are going through it because Ty Willingham was a second-rate coach who didn't work all that hard. We are now seeing precisely why Mr. Willingham was fired, and not a minute too soon. With 19 commitments already in hand, Weis is en route to assembling what it currently rated the #1 recruiting class in college football.</p>
<p>There is no comparison whatsoever between Ty and Charlie!</p>
<p>Absolutely correct. The reason we have to through these pains is because Ty was too busy out on the golf course instead of recruiting. He nearly left the cupboard bare with his last two classes.</p>
<p>These other teams can get their licks in while they can, but if recruiting continues to go like it is we will be very tough to beat in a couple years.</p>
<p>I'm not saying Weis is Ty. I'm saying his emotional state these past two games reminds my of when Ty was at ND.</p>
<p>Are you saying the play calling wasn't bad? Because it was. And the offensive line coach Latina needs to be awakened. Sam Young should be on the left side of the line and Duncan should not be out there. Also, when the offensive line is folding, you can't put out the small back that relies on holes to make gains. James should have seen a lot more carries.</p>
<p>Jimmy looked awesome, we can already see the difference made by Corwin Brown, and we saw the wide receivers show some great moves, but this team isn't living up to its potential, even in a "rebuilding" year. Btw, I see the potential as 7-8 wins, but if we play like this every game, we will probably only win 5.</p>
<p>But DD, you're right, and I thank God every day for the firing of Willingham and the hiring of Charlie. He will eventually build an awesome team.</p>
<p>Right On Ddjones--I have been saying for some time that we are now seeing the results of Ty Willingham! But, I am not looking to blame anyone--Go Irish!! And, as much as we all love football, my 85 yr old aunt who knows nothing about football, but has become quite the ND fan because of son in school there, has reminded all of us that "ND after all places much more emphasis on academics than sports, unlike some schools. It is a top 20 school academically!" We are living on those words this year with regard to football. Hang in there Notre Dame--we are still behind you 110%!!!!</p>