We've been there. We know what happens when bad hires are made, especially after bad hires.
Coach RichRod was a bad hire. Years of horrible to mediocre football. NCAA violations. Drama left and right.
If this year goes South, RR is gone and Michigan is in for a world of hurt. RR has to be fighting with some sense of desperation, which makes him a dangerous opponent.
And last week, UM came out and looked really, really good. Dangerous? Maybe. But we've seen this before with last year's 4-0 start and latest-savior-now-benched-Forcier; turns out it was a facade, a charade if you will. The Skunkbears playing like champions? Nah, they just hadn't really played anyone (and yes thats right, I'm counting our team last year as not really playing anyone given our fold down the stretch). Maybe UCONN is legit this year. Maybe they'll be middling Big East. We don't know yet. (to be fair, we dont know yet what we have in ND, but that's not really my point here). Point is, it's a bit early for all the UM hype. I mean, they still suck.
On Saturday, Notre Dame has a chance to win a game. To win a game against our Enemy. That's great and all. But at the same time, Notre Dame has a chance to put some serious pain on Michigan. To put some serious pain on our Enemy. Not the team, but the Program.
ND does some Skunkbear Stomping, and all of a sudden the question marks are back. RR isn't the guy, he's lost the team, Week 1 was a fluke, UCONN isn't all that good, whatever... And given the last few years and the blatant weaknesses of this UM team? I'm betting you'll see another fold. Then RR will be gone, a search will be on, and there will be a few more years of transition while ND steadily rises under Coach Brian Kelly.
Fantasy? Maybe. Possible? Definitely.
C'mon boys, let's pay UM back with a crushing win this Saturday that breaks this team, but also breaks this Program for a few more years. Put them back in their places. Take over our rightful place at the top with Best Winning %. Take back our Pride in this ongoing battle.
Kill the Skunkbears! Go Irish!
By Trey September 8, 2010 - 3:18 pm
Now THIS is more like it, biz!! Kinda brought a tear to my eye reading this unbridled hatred for everything Michigan. No more quaking in our boots about a FLUKE PERFORMANCE IN WEEK ONE!!!!!
I was thinking about this today,and i think I know why I have absolutely no fear of this gm where all these other ND blogs are trying to temper their enthusiasm by fooling themselves that Shoelaceless is a heisman candidate… This skunkbear team is inthe EXACT same position we were the last two years. They go into every game, they see every matchup, and the HOPE things will go their way. Just like us in 2007, IF clausen was the real deal we couldve beaten mich. IF our defebse could hold up we could beat SC.IF we can slow down Pitt’s RB. No longer is that concern on the side of the Irish and it is completely on tge shoulders of the Skunks.
IF Shoelacess is really that fast and elusive, IF he can make the throws when he needs to, IF the 2dary can slow down Floyd AND Rudolph AND TJ AND Wood AND Allen then they MIGHT make it a close gm and pull it out.
I love this and I cant wait to finally DESTROY a player’s über hype and heisman hopes instead of making them. We are due for a serious ass whooping that WE dish out!!!
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By Brendan September 8, 2010 - 3:31 pm
Trey, man, I love the optimism but I think you are kidding yourself if you think it’s this mismatched.
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By Trey September 8, 2010 - 3:38 pm
Brendan, Im open to a different opinion. But like I said, the only advantage ive seen anyone claim that mich has is Shoelaceless vs our LBs. But that’s only IF Manti isnt playing at the top of his gm and IF we cant contain again.
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By The Biscuit September 8, 2010 - 3:55 pm
This isn’t to say that I think this will be a cakewalk. I think we pull out a close win. But that speaks more to our not quite being there, than UM being there.
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By Brendan September 8, 2010 - 4:03 pm
Anyone else see the statistic that in his first two years at UM, RR is 1-7 on the road and winless on natural grass?
I hope the fact that this is his first road start shakes up Robinson and he makes costly throwing errors, but I’m bracing for the worst.
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By The Biscuit September 8, 2010 - 6:32 pm
Thats pretty natural I think – the bracing for the worst, B – we’ve been burned too many times now not to know better.
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By Fenian Fox September 8, 2010 - 10:06 pm
I remember breaking Michigan’s heart in 93. They left the stadium crying and it was the first game of the season. It would be nice to do something similar.
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By JM September 9, 2010 - 10:42 am
Don’t forget that UM wasn’t exactly a stellar team when they were beating us 38-0, or something close to that, so the fact that we aren’t an NC contender shouldn’t stop us from stomping them. When we win, we never win by that much, and I believe we don’t for two reasons: (1) years ago when we were good or decent doesn’t count because neither of these teams scored that much; (2) since we installed our pass-first offense with Weis, we have never had a killer instinct. I want to see this be the game where crazy breaks don’t go UM’s way; where we don’t freak out when we make a mistake or they get a break; and where we stay on the gas pedal to the end of the 4th. With a close ND win, UM will still have the same hope we had last year after our close loss — I want Kelly to make a statement in this game, and I want UM’s AD to feel the need to make a statement after the game.
Personally, I think every ND football player should read the letter to UM that BGS wrote in 2005 (recently reposted here or on Rakes) to remind them that this is not a rivalry built on respect – it is a battle of bitter enemies where there are no moral victories. There is only life and death, and Saturday is the day that Michigan dies!
…you can tell me about my rose-colored glasses on Sunday; I’m not taking them off before then.
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By One Foot Down | Notre Dame Really Needs to Beat Michigan September 10, 2010 - 10:00 am
[...] the Biscuit mentioned over at Her Loyal Sons a couple days ago, Notre Dame has the opportunity to not only defeat its enemy, but inflict some serious damage and [...]
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