T1B

First of all, as a PSU fan, I think it's important to completely set aside last Saturday's results. The PSU homer boards are careening out of control with expectations of shutout shellackings of ND and UM.

PSU faced one of 1-A's worst teams last Saturday, and achieved a 59-0 score. Hidden in that result were some pretty shaky moments with the OL and the RBs. Maybe I'm a fool, but I expect PSU's OL to be able to handle a little stunting and the like from a team like FIU - even in the opener. No such luck. Morelli looked ok, but I think he still has a long way to go before he can be relied upon.

ND seems like a young team, but they experienced an important humbling - so they have that going for them. I think it's assured that they'll take more from that loss than they would have in blowing out a cupcake 59-0. The loss to GT will make them a better team, and that starts this weekend.

Weis can handily outcoach PSU's staff, in my opinion. PSU's offensive staff is basically awful. PSU's defensive staff is a whole lot better, but they have definitely shown some weaknesses - last's years ND game being one example, and also the Illinois game comes to mind.

ND will have a chance to utilize a gameplan against PSU. I expect Weis to attack the seams with Carlson the TE until he is shown that it isn't there. PSU will try to establish a vanilla running attack for a quarter or so, but fail, IMO. I think it's pretty clear that Morelli will have to be able to succeed with his arm first, in order for the running game to have a chance.

I expect that the crowd will become a factor in this game. Happy Valley will be thumping.

PSU 23
ND 20

i was real tempted in the pick'em to take ND and the points....

i expect PSU to win, but i understand about the homer board careen.

Jsc810 wrote:ND has QB problems

Perhaps. Nobody knows how Clausen will play for 4 quarters.

Lock of the week with that 17.5 line.

ND will respond, but lose a close one.

PSU 20 ND 16

PSUFAN wrote:Happy Valley will be thumping.

I hope so. I'm looking forward to seeing that place off the hook in HD, for the first time, this Saturday.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:

Jsc810 wrote:ND has QB problems

Perhaps. Nobody knows how Clausen will play for 4 quarters.

They'll be better as a team...he was the best of the three QBs that did play. Too bad for him, his first start has to be on the road and against a superior opponent. ND won't get smacked around every week like they did last week but I'm leaning towards taking the under on the 7 wins I had predicted for them.

PSU, I really think ND will have a difficult time scoring much at all. PSU's D is so freaking fast. One of the best secondaries in the B10 (perhaps country), one of the best LB corps in the country, and some speedy beasts on the D-line.

Couple that with a true fresh starting at QB (Claussen) and I think ND will have a hard time scoring more than 10 pts. offensively. I really do.

My fear is that the D coaches will not capitalize upon PSU's speed, especially in the 2ndary. No reason there shouldn't be significant man-on-man coverage vs. ND's average WR's allowing for hell to broken loose on ND's line/QB.

I understand how homer boards work, and if things had turned out the other way last week, it would be the same way on the ND homer boards. Notwithstanding the advent of the interwebs and the resulting homer boards, however, you still have to play the game on the field, which is a good thing for ND.

Going to Clausen was the right move. He's the QB with the greatest long-term upside. But it could mean some short-term growing pains.

Carlson is arguably the best TE in the country, and a strong TE can be a tremendous asset to a team with an inexperienced QB. We also have quality depth at the TE position. So we have to get the TE more involved in the passing game, maybe even go to a double-tight formation on occasion. We also have to establish a running game to keep the pass pressure off the QB and O-Line. We have five running backs all deserving of playing time, and each with a different style. Perhaps a return to the tailback-by-committee approach favored by Holtz is in order, to try to keep the defense off-balance.

We took a hard sock in the chops last week, and some of the ND teams in the relatively recent past would have rolled over and died after that. The Penn State game now becomes a statement game for us as a result. How we respond after that loss will set the tone for the rest of the season, and may even have carryover into the next few seasons as well. Winning would be nice. At a minimum, avoiding another blowout loss is essential.

I wish this were more than a home-and-home series, and in fact I think ND-Penn State had the potential to turn into a nice rivalry, but it ended prematurely when Penn State joined the Big Ten. Given the scheduling parameters the Big Ten has placed on ND, as well as the fact that ND has long-term deals and traditional rivalries with Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue, sadly it doesn't appear that this series can ever be anything more than the occasional home-and-home in years when there are five Saturdays in September.

I think ND responds with a much-improved effort this week, but we're not strong enough to win the game outright. Penn State 27, Notre Dame 20.

Jsc810 wrote:

Terry in Crapchester wrote:I wish this were more than a home-and-home series, and in fact I think ND-Penn State had the potential to turn into a nice rivalry, but it ended prematurely when Penn State joined the Big Ten. Given the scheduling parameters the Big Ten has placed on ND, as well as the fact that ND has long-term deals and traditional rivalries with Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue, sadly it doesn't appear that this series can ever be anything more than the occasional home-and-home in years when there are five Saturdays in September.

Gosh, didn't ND have an opportunity to join the Big 10?

So we can get put in the same division with Wisconsin and Minnesota, and in the opposite division from Penn State? No thanks, pass.

(That's not the only reason why we won't join the Big Ten, I just mentioned that to show that joining the Big Ten won't get us an annual matchup with Penn State.)

PSU 31
ND 13

T REX wrote:PSU 31
ND 13

Kiss of death.

No, THIS is the kiss of Death:



Come on, LJ - was the hottie sorority closed for the evening?

Wrong thread, wrong forum, but if we're doing DrunkAthlete pics...

aha - two pancakes this time...

Word has it Zibby stomped on a GT player's leg...is that true?

Look-alike thread:

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=157&f=13 ... 5&t=938566

Best look-alike comparison ever, from that:

bwaaahahahaha

T REX wrote:PSU 31
ND 13

Not bad.....how many points has the genius scored so far this year????

T REX wrote:

T REX wrote:PSU 31
ND 13

Not bad.....how many points has the genius scored so far this year????

How'd that rib removal go?

Hmmmm...not ONE offensive TD yet this year????

Yeah...real genius....

I'll give Clausen credit. He weathered the storm very well. He got smacked around, and kept his head up.

This is a rebuilding year for ND, regardless of what Charlie says.

I thought Clausen looked pretty damn good for his age. He had some great footwork and you could tell he 'felt' the pocket around him.

It's early but so far he hasn't disappointed.

his age is 20.... hes not a 17-18 yr old freshman, he is 20 years old... I was taking finals at USC when I turned 18.
John David Booty is a 5th year senior, but is only 2 years older than Clausen who is a true freshman

SoCalTrjn wrote:his age is 20.... hes not a 17-18 yr old freshman, he is 20 years old... I was taking finals at USC when I turned 18.
John David Booty is a 5th year senior, but is only 2 years older than Clausen who is a true freshman

He just turned 20, same as any kid with an early birthday who went to prep school. Booty will turn 23 sometime soon.

How old's Desmond Reed? He has to be about 28 by now.

January is an early Birthday, Booty went to a Christian school (just like Clausen) and in his 5th year at college he is just 2 years older than Clausen who is in his first. Aaron Corp who also went to a Christian school just turned 18 but was in the same graduation class as Clausen.
Jimmy was held back 2 years so he would be more physically and mentally mature than the High School kids he would be playing against so he would be able to look better. It worked ND Nation think hes some kind fo super kid when he was really just a college sophomore playing High School Football last year
Reed is 23 and as a Redshirt SR he would have been 18 as a freshman in college, not 20

Clausen was held back one year. The equivlant of a kid attendind prep school.

Do the math. High School seniors graduate when they are 18. An early birthday (scholastically speaking) would make a kid 18 early in their senior year. Clausen turned 19 in September of '06.

He's the age of a redshirt freshman. Isn't Reed in his 6th year? Or is that the mensa Chauncey Washington?

Booty is 2 years older because he skipped his senior year of High School.

Has that 5 star Corp learned to throw to his team and not the defense?

Killian wrote:Clausen was held back one year. The equivlant of a kid attendind prep school.

he went to a christian school, call it a prep if you like but his school was no different than Orange Lu or Evangel, even so he is a year older than Mark Tyler and Marshall Jones who went to the same school as Clausen.

Killian wrote:Do the math. High School seniors graduate when they are 18. An early birthday (scholastically speaking) would make a kid 18 early in their senior year. Clausen turned 19 in September of '06.

The age cut off date for 1st grade is to be 6 years old by Dec 15th of that school year, an early Birthday would be late December or the early months of the celendar year (Jan-Feb). With a Dec 11th Bday I turned 17 my Senior year of HS and turned 18 after finals my first semester of college. With Clausens birthday he would have turned 17 before his senior year and 18 at the start of college, he turned 20, he was held back 2 years, or started 1st grade as an 8 year old

Killian wrote:He's the age of a redshirt freshman. Isn't Reed in his 6th year? Or is that the mensa Chauncey Washington?

Washington is in his 5th year, Herschel dennis is in his 6th year, if Reed is in his 6th year he is still only 3 years older than Clausen

Killian wrote:Booty is 2 years older because he skipped his senior year of High School.

Doing the Math, Booty in his 5th year of college plus leaving HS a year early would have him 4 years older than Clausen. hes only 2, Jimmy was held back 2 years

Agree with Dave and Meds about Clausen. If you remember his older brother starting for Tenn, the Clausen on Saturday weathered the storm damn well, in a surreal environment. And he looked better than his older brother, imo.

Btw, RACK PSUFans for that white-out effect. I tried to explain this to my dad in advance, and I don't think he "got" it, until he actually saw it.

How the hell do you throw a pass amid that sea of disorientation? Rack it.

I was just happy not to lose by 50.

Hoping we can salvage like a 13-13 tie against Michigan

Jimmy Medalions wrote:I thought Clausen looked pretty damn good for his age lack of experience playing D1 college football (i.e. zero). He had some great footwork and you could tell he 'felt' the pocket around him.

It's early but so far he hasn't disappointed.

FTFM

So Cal, if you're going to bitch about Clausen then please explain this:
Taj Gibson U$C basketball. Class: Soph DOB 6-24-1985
So last year during basketball season he was 21 year old freshman. Now he's a 22 year old Soph.
Doesn't that make him a hell of a lot older than Clausen?
Why is it ok for him to be older than the coach but not Jimmy?

Spin coming in 5.....4......3......2.......1......

Laxplayer wrote:So Cal, if you're going to bitch about Clausen then please explain this:
Taj Gibson U$C basketball. Class: Soph DOB 6-24-1985
So last year during basketball season he was 21 year old freshman. Now he's a 22 year old Soph.
Doesn't that make him a hell of a lot older than Clausen?
Why is it ok for him to be older than the coach but not Jimmy?

Spin coming in 5.....4......3......2.......1......

You're counting backwards and doing it successfully.

I suggest you have at least two more beers.

^^^^^^^^^^
Haven't had a beer in a while....tried on a suit for broadcasting and it didn't fit so old Laxy boy needs to shed a few.......
Martini's have fewer calories.

Laxplayer wrote:^^^^^^^^^^
Haven't had a beer in a while....tried on a suit for broadcasting and it didn't fit so old Laxy boy needs to shed a few.......
Martini's have fewer calories.

Oh hell then what are you waiting for.

Make me one too...dirty.

Don't make me drive up there and bring the shaker......

GreginPG wrote:

Laxplayer wrote:^^^^^^^^^^
Haven't had a beer in a while....tried on a suit for broadcasting and it didn't fit so old Laxy boy needs to shed a few.......
Martini's have fewer calories.

Oh hell then what are you waiting for.

Make me one too...dirty.

Sanchez?

The Seer wrote:

GreginPG wrote:

Laxplayer wrote:^^^^^^^^^^
Haven't had a beer in a while....tried on a suit for broadcasting and it didn't fit so old Laxy boy needs to shed a few.......
Martini's have fewer calories.

Oh hell then what are you waiting for.

Make me one too...dirty.

Sanchez?

Umm, no. HELL NO!

My younger sister was on the sidelines taking pictures for a class:

http://picasaweb.google.com/khudojnika/ ... sNotreDame

PSUFAN wrote:My younger sister was on the sidelines taking pictures for a class:

http://picasaweb.google.com/khudojnika/ ... sNotreDame

She needs to take more classes.

I guess you didn't like the pics?