And we’re back with another edition of the IBG thanks to a sudden slackening of my work schedule, at least for this week.
This week’s edition of the IBG is hosted by the founder himself, Subway Domer.
1. Notre Dame routinely gets blasted by the media and other fans for scheduling Navy every year. It gets especially out of control when Notre Dame decides they want a portion- or all of the Commander in Chief trophy when they put either Air Force and/or Army on the schedule. Would you like to see this series continue or blown up? Why? If the series was forced to end, who would you replace them with that isn’t on Notre Dame’s schedule in the next decade. Bonus points if you come up with someone other than Alabama or Texas.
I would certainly like to see the Navy series continue ad infinitum. That said, the football landscape is getting very interesting, what with BYU going independent, Texas making clear signals to either going independent soon or becoming such a silver-back among conference peers that delineating them from conference affiliation or independence will all simply be a matter of nomenclature. And that new, very interesting, and very fun turbulence may well continue to spread among other programs in the coming years. And if ND needs to get creative with some of the dogmas of football season scheduling, then the first bit of dogma I’m willing to relent would be the Navy game. Not because I see them as expendable, but I see them as renewable. Put them off for a year here or there if that means we can fit in a newly-independent Wisconsin.
Hey, laugh it up now. Just you wait.
2. Before 2007 (and even still) Navy was treated like the neighbor kid with a terminally ill disease that does charity work and plays basketball against you in the driveway, by the media and fans when it came to their game against the Irish. Personally, if I was a Navy player, I would be pissed at the lack of respect given because of all of the “respect” given. Know what I mean? Seriously… answer that poorly phrased question. (I’m a pirate not a wordsmith).
I know exactly what you’re saying. Watching Weis try to be “classy,” by handling Navy with kid gloves and silver spoons was just the extreme, and (hopefully) final straw that broke that camel’s back. It had been getting progressively worse since Holtz last spoke of fearing the University of Navy. At least Holtz had the sense to make it clear, publicly, that Navy was worthy of a game plan. By the time Weis faced Navy for a final time, I have to think at least the Navy players thought it was a bit too saccharine to have ND football players try to stand and sing Navy’s fight song with them. I dunno. Had it been me, I’d get ticked by it and want to destroy any such opposition. And if I see ND do that again this season, I’m going to flip out.
3. It seems like the injury bug has really hit the Irish this year. We’re not talking about leg amputations or eyes popping out of the socket, but there is a trend of frontline players getting injured. Bad luck, or is this staff pushing the envelope with some of the players? Navy is skilled in the dirty tactics art of the chop block. Do you have any special concerns this week in terms of injuries?
I think some of it may be the result of “stress testing” on Irish bodies that, aside from the last 9 months, haven’t been properly forged. That happens. It sucks, but that happens. As with much of Kelly’s system, I suspect the physical conditioning aspect is something that’s non-negotiable. It’ll pay off in the long run, when guys who were raised in that system are 4th and 5th year guys who had a redshirt year under their belt, but for now, some of the guys may be getting asked to jump directly in the shark tank from the kiddie pool. Then again, in what season has Armando Allen or Mike Floyd ever gotten through without a fairly significant injury? Some people never catch the flu. Others never pull a muscle. I’m neither of these sorts of people, and apparently neither are Armando or Mike.
BONUS: Give me your prediction for this weekend. Good. If Notre Dame continues to win, when (homonyms) will they creep back into the top 25?
Prediction: Either there will be rage on the field, displayed by the Irish who are finally loosed upon a weaker foe and allowed to prey upon them like a lion on a lamb, or there will be rage in the stands, as I personally go fully nuclear and explode at the sight of Navy winning a 3rd out of the last 4 meetings. And rest assured, if that happens, I’ll blame it on the ND students. Because that’s all I’ve got left.
Notre Dame – 35 : Navy – 10 (If only for the sake of the children.)
As to the last part of your question, if ND gets to 9-3, I don’t see any way they aren’t in the top 25. But if they lose even one more game at an point, I wont really begrudge any pollsters for leaving them out. I myself am a bit worn on that entire “rank them because they’re ND” thing. And 8-4 is a failed season at Notre Dame, no matter the context.
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tjak
Wow, I thought I had a good vocabulary, but I had to look nomenclature up.
The Biscuit
good job, you used two of your 3 SAT words in one sentence!
“becoming such a silver-back among conference peers that delineating them from conference affiliation or independence will all simply be a matter of nomenclature.”
jdb
Do you know what a chop block is? It is what Notre Dame was penalized for, toward the end of the Pittsburgh game last year. If you are trying to mention a skill of the Midshipmen, perhaps you mean the “cut block?”
A cut block is legal, practiced by screen teams and option teams in particular. A chop block is illegal, and no team is foolish enough to attempt to get away with it- the penalty is enforced and ends drives.
domer.mq
I think you question about chop blocking is aimed at Subway Domer, so maybe ask him on his site, but…
The difference between a chop block and cut block can be, and often is, in practice, a fine line. Particularly among Navy’s OL. But you go ahead and insist that Navy would never do it. That’s fine. I think a lot of people would just love to let the little guys go ahead and do whatever it is they need to do to win.
Trey
A chop block is defined as any combination of a high-low or low-high block that is always illegal. It is very clear the difference between that and a cut block which is simply a low block towards the front of a player’s body.
Trey
..mq, i think youre referrin to the fine line between a CRACK back and a cut block. There can be legal and illegal cracks and, your right, can be an iffy call at times.
Illegal crack: player more than 7 yards away from the ball on the line that initiates a block below the wais. Back towards LOS or any block below waist that occurs outside of the crack zone(15 yds downfield and or outside tackles)
domer_mq
Nope. I’m referring to the multiple times a game when I see a Navy guy chop a DL’s legs down while that DL is already engaged with a tackle. It’s an illegal chop. But they hide it with the play design, or it’s just not seen and the guard gets away with it b/c he’s in a muck and there’s nobody else for him to hit b/c of whatever the defense is doing.
NWohioND
“And 8-4 is a failed season at Notre Dame, no matter the context.”…I don’t agree with that for this year…the last couple years with experience and talent, yes, but this year with many new starters and new regime…I think 8-4 is a hell of a start…could it have been 9 or 10 wins? Absolutely considering blown games against UM (sucks!) and MSU…but failed? I don’t see it that way…
domer.mq
This is a debate I get into all the time. Summary: In the history books, when the final people of time look back and seek humanities successes and failures, they’ll look at any ND season with more than 3 losses as a failure. Anything with more than 1 loss a disappointment. Anything less than an undefeated season and a national championship as something to improve upon.
Standards are important. They’re part of what helps ND survive down times like the last decade.
SDI
Agree. 4 losses is subpar, but under the circumstances I would be happy to give BK a pass.
Pat
Yes, standards are important, but so is context. In Kelly’s first season, if we go 8-4, especially in a year in which we’ve seen marked progress, instead of going in reverse like we’ve seen in past seasons (where the wins are bunched in the front, losses in the back), I think that would be a successful year.
TLNDMA
The ‘Navy’ doth protest too much, me thinks.
Walt
I agree with you that anything less than 9-3 is a failure. However, I think ND will be ranked again before the end of the season. If they beat Utah (who will be in the top 5 if they get past TCU), ND will/better be 7-3 and I think the win over a top 5 team will get them back in the Top 25 at that point.
domer_mq
If ND were to beat Utah, I’d truly be shocked. It would be a stunning achievement. ND hasn’t shown the capability to do something like that in nearly 4 seasons of football now.
SDI
This is an interesting question. What was the last really great win by the Irish? I think Utah is still a little bit unproven given their schedule, but agree it would be a huge win, maybe the biggest since the Holtz era. Did Bob Weisingham ever beat an end of the year, legit, top 10 team?
Walt
I agree with you guys…it really is a long shot. A few things that will help the Irish, though: the game is at ND and the Irish have a bye week before the game. Meanwhile, Utah plays Air Force and TCU (probably their two toughest MWC games) the weeks before ND. If the Irish are going to get a Top 5 or 10 win, now is the time.
I also agree with DannyD, below: let’s beat Navy first.
DannyD
Beat Navy before we look ahead to Utah.
canuck75
Did anyone else watch Oregon last night? Incredible speed of getting plays off. I think that is somewhat what kelly has in mind for us eventually. However, it almost seems that rather than the QB decide what to do after deciding what coverage is being used, Oregon is going so fast that the D doesnt have time to set up.I would like to try this Oregon approach some day.
Bill '86
Just finished watching the thrashing that Navy dished out today. Sad. They outplayed ND in most every aspect. Navy is of course not a bad team and a loss to them is not necessarily a total disgrace IF AND ONLY IF ND is competitive and putting forth their best effort which certainly was not the case today. The sloppy play and lethargical demeaner is remenisint of the Weis and prior eras when the players seemed to think that just because they have a gold helmut on they have arrived and the other team should bow down. For example, the 4th and goal on the first drive was digraceful. By how much does the ND offensive line outweigh the Navy defensive line? Nuf said. Kelly needs to sit the glory hounds and put the players on the field that want to be there and has he has pointed out will play all 60 minutes at maximum effort.
JimbearNj
35-10? It was almost that for Navy. Navy is a good team and will go bowling for the eighth straight year. The streak is dead as are the days of Holtz running it up like in 1994.