Every business major on the planet learns somewhere around sophomore year that there are two kinds of people, those with an internal locus of control and those with an external locus of control. If you had my father, you learned this in 2nd grade and if you were a psychology major, you learned this the first day of classes and forgot it later that day.
Anyway, those with an external locus of control believe that forces outside of their personal control do a great deal of contributing to the events that occur in one's life. They're fatalists or at least believe a great deal is some sort of pre-destination. Some of these people are also really paranoid about governments, The Man, and the Illuminati. They don't trust Kentucky Fried Chicken and their 14 addictive herbs and spices, and they think Walt Disney's head is still alive. Those with an internal locus of control tend to think that they personally have a great deal of power over the events that make up their lives, tend to take greater responsibility for things, tend to try and lead other people, and tend to be better at being ass kickers.
So when will the Notre Dame offensive line start taking on an internal locus of ass-kicking control? I'd say 100 starts is as good a time as any.
As spring football winds down, Texas looks strong, Virginia Tech looms as a contender and there's even hope for Notre Dame and Michigan. The reason: their offensive lines.
Offensive-line experience is one of the telltale predictors of success in college football. Last season, eight of the top 10 teams in the final Associated Press poll began the season with at least 65 combined career starts by their offensive linemen, including title-game participants Florida and Oklahoma. Two of 2008's biggest surprises, Utah and Ole Miss, had more than 80 starts of experience, enabling them to improve dramatically on offense. Conversely, Georgia, Missouri and Clemson -- three preseason top-10 teams that disappointed -- were green up front, with fewer than 40 starts each.
Now that the ND OL have 100 combined starts, it seems reasonable that even if they were the recipients of poor coaching, poor training, and poor nutrition, they'd at least have learned enough tricks of gamesmanship along the way to be serviceable, and thus no excuses really exist for any sort of performance that can be marked in the "poor" category.
Then again, as Orson pointed out, one has to wonder whether 100 starts is necessarily a good thing when so many of those starts were bad. Afterall, just 2 games ago, ND played Southern Cal and didn't get a first down until late in the 3rd quarter. So we're going to do the next logical thing: We're going to examine each start of each ND OL and look at how they compare to recent teams with successful seasons that were largely attributed to OL experience. Stay tuned.
We're probably gonna have to put this one under "bad start" for everyone involved.
By OC Domer May 5, 2009 - 12:54 pm
Sounds like quite a project.
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By domer.mq May 5, 2009 - 2:42 pm
OC, I think you’re probably right, but I figure it’ll be worth a few interesting posts. And it’ll certainly be something worth tracking in the season too.
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By The Biscuit May 5, 2009 - 2:47 pm
That picture is wrong in so many ways.
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By Dave May 5, 2009 - 3:49 pm
Gotta have a little respect for JC just looking at that picture. I mean the kid took 2 years of beatings behind that line coming off a high school injury. I predicted 2 years ago this kid would get us to the promise land. I believe he is going to get us there. But football is a team game and in order for him to use Floyd, Tate and Rudolph and the running game it all begins up front. Personally with Olsen, Stewart, Young I am very confident and comfortable. I will be eager to see how Duncan and Wenger do and how Trevor Robinson and Andrew Nuss contribute to the offensive line. If there was ever a year to spark another dynasty era it is this one. Keep in mind this is coming from a Red Sox and Celtics fan who like fellow my ND Alums had to wait through dark days until we triumphed again. GO IRISH This Is Our Year!!!!!!
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By Ted May 5, 2009 - 7:24 pm
With the changes which have taken place in the ND Football Program, I fail to see what looking at the past is going to show. What the past two years do provide is a foundation for the future.
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By VicPaul May 6, 2009 - 12:55 am
I never want to see a ND QB take a beating like that ever again. EVER!!!
Props to Jimmy,. Now lead us to a NC.
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By The Biscuit May 6, 2009 - 11:31 am
Ted, on the oline, they’re the same players. Yes, there have been changes, but that doesnt invalidate the analysis. If your point were used in business, no one would ever do any historical financial analysis (or any analysis). History is a good teacher. We, and Weis, need to know it. Let DomerMQ take us to class and we will all bask in his vainglorious knowledge. (I think I just made up a word).
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By DeepTeaKup May 6, 2009 - 12:21 pm
When do the excuses stop? I’ve been asking the Biscuit that for years, he seems to have a never ending list of them. I’m sure he’s already got some lined up for this year if ND finishes worse than expected, anything less than 10 IMO should be a disappointment.
P.S. Speaking of questions, I’ve always wondered, do you pronounce it “The Biscuit” or “Thee Biscuit”? I hope it’s the latter.
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