Must be 2020.

In the midst of all of this, Notre Dame had a weird game against Syracuse that looked oddly familiar. We’ve arrived at the point in which annoying games are wins by 20+ points and the only thing left ahead for the Irish is to add to their hardware collection.

2020 may suck, but the football is good and talking about it is still a joy.

Podcast

Twitch VoD

The post HLS Recap: Hardware Focused appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

So Shane and I decided to play a little game of Contenders and Pretenders around the nation in the wake of this week to see who might just have a legitimate shot and who is just hanging around because the Playoff Committee are required to fill out 21 more teams outside the top 4.

Finally, we take a gleeful look at Notre Dame’s victory in Chapel Hill, basking in the glory and confidence that this team shows week after week.

Podcast

(There is no Twitch VoD because my streaming software refused to load. So we did this the old fashioned way!)

The post HLS Recap: Kicking Around Playoff Contenders and Pretenders appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

So strap yourselves in for an extremely long post to get all the thoughts in my head that would’ve been shared on the podcast, out and available for internet consumption.

Dabo

Speaking of things getting cancelled within a few hours of going live, let’s go ahead and talk about this Clemson/Florida State postponement thing. In a week where 18 games were either cancelled or postponed, this one took top billing, not just because of the last-minute nature, but because Dabo won’t shut up about it.

We’ve beaten the “Dabo is bad, actually” drum for a while on the pod. Will Leitch tried to tell everyone last August, but too many media folks dismissed it and Notre Dame fans joining the chorus painted as having sour grapes for the Cotton Bowl loss.

Nah, we just know an asshole when we see one.

In Chapter 342384190273 of this story, Dabo spews this bullshit:

It’s a good time to remind everyone that the positive COVID test that made FSU back out came from a Clemson player that travelled with the team. This player had symptoms during the week and, once he initially tested negative, was out practicing with the team, still symptomatic.

It’s also a good time to remind you that FSU had a COVID scare of their own with head coach Mike Norvell testing positive at the beginning of the season.

Clemson had a scare of their own with sure-fire-first-pick Trevor Lawrence getting knocked out due to COVID. You would think that would make them sympathetic to another team wanting to tap the breaks and reschedule in December.

You would also be wrong because, in their biggest game of the season, with their star QB sidelined, Brent Venables was sporting what South Park eloquently coined as a chin-diaper every time the damn camera was on him:

Needless to say, I understand why Florida State would be nervous. Dabo’s reaction confirms they the right choice.

FSU chickening out due to fear of humiliation is a hilarious proposition considering what’s already happened to them season:

• Lost to 2-5 Georgia Tech at home
• Humiliated by rival Miami by 42 points
• Struggled against not-even-close-to-a-FCS-power Jacksonville State for three quarters and trailed at the half.
• Notre Dame easily wins 42-26
• Oh, hey, an upset win against North Carolina. Good job!
• Followed by losing to Louisville by 32. OOPS!
• Oh shit, Pitt: 41-17
• Lost to NC State 38-22

Hot take: they could probably take losing again to one of the best teams in the nation.

Hotter take: they literally had nothing to lose. You win, and holy crap, season highlight! You lose? Oh well, 2-7 now, season still sucks!

But let’s just say for fun that FSU was scared. That doesn’t hold water either because the game would, logically, be played on December 12, much like Notre Dame’s make-up with Wake Forest. Yet, the only person on record against this is Dabo.

Dabo’s protest of rescheduling amounts to holding the rematch hostage, saying FSU either needs to reimburse Clemson for travel costs, pay for a return trip, or come to Death Valley.

Another friendly reminder, Clemson has a football facility worth $55 million and features a plunge pool that can fit 60 people, a sand volleyball court, a whiffle ball bark, a nine-hole miniature golf course, barber shop, shoe shine, nap room, a basketball court, fire pit, basketball course, bowling alley, pool tables, arcade, golf simulator, ping pong tables, and a fuckin’ slide. Dabo is also on a 10-year, $93 million contract.

Before anyone says Clemson or Dabo is actually concerned athletic budgets in These Trying Times and “had” to cut track and field (to save an estimated $2 million a year), I call bullshit. Dabo, nor Clemson, is actually concerned about the Dabo-cited $300K cost of the wasted trip. That’s pocket change in the grand scheme of things.

There’s a reason Dabo is using “forfeit” language in his screed. He doesn’t want to play this game. Why? Because that removes a bye week before the ACC Championship, one that Notre Dame won’t get as they are playing Wake Forest.

Like screaming at refs in Notre Dame stadium after his team commits a clear DPI, Dabo tries to bully his way into a competitive advantage. That’s all this is and that’s his highest priority.

It’s why a symptomatic player was practicing with the team in the first place. Test was negative, go bring your own guts, and get out there. It’s why the player travelled with the team, only to be pulled at the last possible moment. It’s why Dabo screamed at FSU on Sunday, calling them cowards, failing to bring their own guts when Clemson brought their own COVID instead.

Here’s the thing: I actually have no issue with Dabo for fighting so hard for a competitive advantage. What irks me is how Dabo continuously goes about these things. The finger points elsewhere and his performative angers follows. Then, a week later, he’ll “aw shucks” it, quote a Bible verse, and hope the media surrounding him returns to their regularly scheduled worship of him and the false idol that he’s built in South Carolina.

In a just world, the ACC comes out with a statement tomorrow saying that Clemson plays FSU in Tallahassee on 12/12 or Dabo can go pound sand and Notre Dame will have a different opponent on 12/19. If 2020 has proven anything, it’s that the world is decidedly unjust. This won’t happen.

However, 2020 has also proven that anything can and will happen, especially in college football. Pitt stands on deck, super-weapon at the ready, fully charged and unused.

Fire away, Panthers. FOR JUSTICE!

Recap

In writing this, I’m reminded of why I prefer podcasting at times to writing. Loads easier (for me at least) to talk for an hour with Shane than writing this all down. But hey, stuff happened, and we should at least talk about it*!

*Translation: please don’t go and keep reading.

Big Ten

Northwestern is 5-0 and completely in the driver’s seat in the Big Ten West thanks to their 17-7 victory over Wisconsin. Their shortened season concludes with Michigan State, Minnesota, and Illinois. While anything can happen, I’m finding it hard to see how Northwestern doesn’t end up 8-0 and facing off against Ohio State.

Worst case, they can still lose one of their remaining games and still have the head-to-head over Wisconsin (who, if they miss one more game are out of Big Ten title contention anyways per conference rules). 2020 is incredibly weird and perhaps “five turnovers by the Badgers” should’ve been on the bingo cards.

Speaking of weird, Indiana, despite their 42-35 loss to Ohio State, absolutely has some voodoo magic going on. That other-worldly logic of taking them on the spread was incredibly sound as they somehow hexed Justin Fields into 3 INTs and sacked him five times.

It was a hell of a game–even if Indiana continued to make strange blood sacrifices by shooting themselves in the foot repeatedly. Dropped passes and four turnovers should’ve doomed the Hoosiers, but they kept this a fight until the end, nearly clawing back even though they started the fourth down 42-21.

Speaking off…Ohio State’s secondary…y’all okay over there? I mean, I kinda hope you aren’t since every ESPN color commentator had ND/tOSU in the playoffs on Saturday. But um…yikes!

In schadenfreude, Penn State got hilariously plastered by Iowa, dropping to 0-5. They trailed at the half 24-7 and then managed to give up 10 unanswered in the forth–just a solid losing effort.

Nebraska is probably re-thinking their playing football stance after getting beat by 2-3 Illinois at home. Scott Frost also threw his players under the bus, citing a lack of juice. Things seem not fun in Lincoln.

And of course, there is Michigan, who benefitted by Rutgers still being Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in a 48-42 triple OT thriller. Rutgers absolutely should’ve won this game, but I’m not even mad. The entire game was hilariously stupid and I kept giggling thinking how Michigan fans must feel that Coach Michigan Man Jesus is struggling to beat Rutgers in year six.

Big XII

Oklahoma reestablished some form of Big XII dominance at home during Bedlam in a 41-13 win. However, it was also a game in which Spencer Sanders got sidelined for the majority of the game and Chubba Hubbard was used with caution due to injury. Despite all that, OU didn’t pull away until the fourth. If the Cowboys had an offensive pulse, it would’ve been a Red River headache all over again.

Thanks to this game and an Iowa State victory, the Cyclones sit atop the conference with a 6-1 conference record while everyone else is a two-loss conference team. Hilariously, I think OU is in second place over Texas because they have one more win than them, and thus a higher winning percentage, because Texas/Kansas got the axe this week.

I want to live in a world in which Tom Herman’s Jayhawks problem re-emerges, but this time it’s because they didn’t play at all. That’s art.

Pac-12

Three weeks in and I still have no feel for this conference.

Oregon held off UCLA 38-35 and I still can’t tell if UCLA is starting to turn a corner with Chip Kelly or if Oregon is just suspect as all hell. Reminder: the Ducks dealt with a Wazzu headache for quite a while before pulling away last week.

The Washington Huskies still look solid, but they have only played Oregon State and Arizona, hardly good measuring sticks. With the Apple Cup is already cancelled for this week, the Huskies tried to grant all our wishes by scheduling BYU, but BYU backed out (more on that later). Eventually they will have to play Oregon, so I guess that will be for all the marbles in the North and we might actually know who might be good in this division.

As for the South–Southern Cal maybe figured some things out? They didn’t need a ridiculous fourth quarter tip-drill to stay alive this time and nine second half points kept Utah at bay. I was expecting more from Utah, which was folly considering it was their first game off of multiple COVID cancellations (and this one wasn’t looking great for most of the week).

A decent chunk of this conference could be looking at playing five games this season total. I have no idea how that plays with the playoff committee, but I guess we will see on Tuesday.

SEC

Alabama and Florida are really, really good. Vanderbilt got a brief moment in the sun before Florida boat-raced them and Kentucky received no such grace. Sim to end of season on this one. These two need to battle it out and it’ll be great (and seriously how in the hell did the Aggies beat Florida?!).

Meanwhile, Mississippi State, down loads of scholarship players due to COVID and “fuck Mike Leach–I’m out”, put a scare into Georgia. Clanga’s effort was solid, but there’s a definite “Happy learned how to put–uh oh!” moment when J.T. Daniels finally got to go under center with a stellar 28/38, 401 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT effort. That feeling, however, is dashed by the face that Mississippi State outrushed Georgia.

With 22 yards. Because Georgia had 8.

The SEC is turning into the Big XII land of shootouts with better talent. I’m very much here for it, but I’m not sure I’m going to get used to it this season.

ACC

The biggest ACC news is above in the “main segment”, but it’s worth noting that half the scheduled games for Saturday didn’t happen. That left the ACC with only one conference game on Saturday and two all weekend.

In that Saturday conference tilt, Virginia Tech went from nearly beating Miami to just getting blasted by Pitt by a 33-point margin. This is the third loss in a row for the Hokies and now (an apparently big mad) Clemson team is next. I absolutely didn’t see the Justin Fuente era playing out like this, but um…he might be over his head here.

The only other ACC “highlight” was NC State blocking a game winning field goal attempt to deliver Liberty’s first loss of the season. Guess third time was a charm for the conference.

I’m sitting here giggling to myself that Liberty lost because someone else came in between them and a score because my mind is perpetually in the gutter.

Group of Five

UCF gave Cincinnati everything they could handle in just a banger of a game that ended with a 36-33 comeback win for the Bearcats. Cincy had only given up 20 points once this season when they let off the gas against Austin Peay in week one. That stellar defense coughing up 33 was something I didn’t see coming.

That being said, Cincy won it’s only real clunker to date. With Tulsa raking up the wins and moving into the top 25, there’s a realistic chance the Bearcats can lay claim to three top-25 wins this season (Army, SMU earlier this season). I’m still not sure it will be enough for playoff consideration, but damn, they are trying.

BYU is still murdering opponents, but they still haven’t had a real test yet outside of maybe Boise State. As I mentioned earlier, Washington was willing to give them said test, but BYU said no. The reason seems to depend on who is asked as one source said BYU was waiting to see how the playoff committee treated their current resume and another saying that BYU was just concerned Washington would toss BYU to the side if another Pac-12 school could play and wanted an immediate contract locked and signed.

Whatever the reason, this seems like a massive misstep by BYU. I don’t buy that Washington would easily replace them with a Pac-12 school. They are trying to boost their resume too and the other Pac-12 options aren’t moving that needle right now like BYU could.

The playoff committee ranking doesn’t make sense either. BYU’s resume is junk compared to Cincinnati’s (Coastal Carolina, still undefeated, is going to have a similar problem). So why not take the boost? You can’t just tweet out any time, any place and then start tossing weird qualifiers on it. What’s the committee going to think about that when the news leaks?

It’s all extremely dumb of the Cougars. Take the game and stop being stupid. You’re not landing in a New Year’s Six bowl without it.

Sign Off

Yes, I’m aware posts don’t require sign offs like a podcast, but this section nevertheless will remain because, quite frankly, it’s past midnight, I have work tomorrow, and have no further creative ideas for how to end this post.

That all being said, I hope you enjoyed. Eddie and I are still planning to bring you picks live on Twitch Turkey Day Eve (or on Thanksgiving for those using the podcast medium). Shane and I will return at the close of Thanksgiving weekend to recap Notre Dame at North Carolina.

Until then, “enjoy” the sim that we already ran for that game or come swing by and chat with us in our Discord server and/or hit up our TeePublic store as the traditional shopping holidays will see 35% off everything.

Enjoy your holiday and stay safe! Go Irish. Beat COVID. Beat Tarheels. Have a good one.

The post HLS Recap (Text Edition): Dabo’s the Worst appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Not only have Shane and I seen or normal recording schedule go haywire, but I was in rare form in terms of podcasting screwups. Thankfully, this medium allows for edits to make the product sound much less clusterfucky; however, I felt like every loyal listener to the show deserved some insight into just how off the rails I went during recording in the form of a cold open.

I can promise the first 30 seconds of the show is absolutely gold. The other two hours are for you to judge.

Yes, we weighed in at two hours because this episode. Due to my schedule going full bonkers, I made the executive decision to combine both of our weekly episodes into one. So, we have a Friday Roundup woven into an HLS Audio Recap, released on Thursday. Follow that? Good.

Look, in the end, we saved you an hour by cramming two 90-minute episodes into one, somewhat tightly produced two hour package. Included in said package is a full recap of week 8, complete with shocking upsets and a team (and coach) that should be on your radar. Spliced in are some of the usual headlines that we would include in the Roundup (and links that we discuss are below), plus a little bonus decision regarding votes of confidence and coaches salaries.

And, as always, we close out with Eddie with weekly picks. Don’t look now, but there was one combined loss between the two of us. Watch out 50%, here we come.

The Roundup

Happy Valley: This week’s home of upsets and tear gas. The celebration after Franklin’s first ever win against a ranked opponent got ever so slightly out of hand.

Tom Herman may have taken an ugly loss, but dude is still gonna get paid. Houston is doing what they can to prevent their coach from departing.

This link is NSFW. 2 Fullbacks 1 TD.

Even in a convincing win, Harbaugh will go full Harbaugh. A bad spot, that had no effect on the outcome of the game, became the “worst call that [he’s] ever seen”.

I’m sure Stanford’s offense is fixed now. On Tuesday, Shaw announced that Keller Chryst would be Stanford’s new starting QB.

I sure hope no one was dumb enough to pick UCLA as the Pac 12 champ. Jim Mora has finally disclosed that Josh Rosen, after not playing since October 8, has a bad nerve in his throwing shoulder that will keep him out indefinitely.

BYU wins the award for the dumbest play call of all time. 4th and 19, on your own 5 in the first half? Perfect time for a fake punt that’s a run. Somehow, Boise didn’t score after that which tells you all you need to know about this game.

For everyone hoping for a BK firing at the end of this season, here’s your dreaded voted of confidence from Jack Swarbrick.

USA Today has released their annual coaching salary rankings. They have Bob Diaco making more money than Brian Kelly which is almost guaranteed to be 100% wrong; however, it is still worth taking a look at some things like just how much of a slimy shell game Michigan played to get Harbaugh’s 2016 salary listed at $9 million.

The post Roundup in your (HLS Audio Week 8) Recap appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Golson to Brown
Golson to Koyack

It only took two TDs for Notre Dame to top Stanford. Brown’s TD allowed us all to breathe going into the half and Koyack’s catch, on a 4th and 11 no less, sent us into jubilation.

Turnovers

Golson’s Fumble
Golson’s INT

Golson struggled once again in protecting that ball. The fumble was once again a result of him holding the ball waaaaaay too far out from his body. The INT was a result of Golson trying to force a play that wasn’t there.

The good news? Golson learned his lesson, at least with fumbling, on his 33-yard run:

Screencap via @SupermanTDJesus

There was no way in hell he was going to lose the ball again. Thank you, Golson.

Botched Holds

Hunter Smith on FG Attempt #1
Hunter Smith on FG Attempt #2

I have never written about #99 here at HLS and I never should when your one job is to hold the football for Brindza. You could almost excuse the first botch as the ran was coming down pretty hard. The second one though? In his own head.

Thankfully, Hunter discovered the wonder of gloves, incredible devices that help you catch and hold a ball, and allowed Brindza to get to attempt one FG without craziness. Third time’s a charm!

Instances of Shaw whining like a baby.

2012: The Phantom Whistle
2014: The Band Playing Music

We all thought there was no way Shaw could ever top complaining about his whole team hearing a whistle that didn’t exist, but lo and behold, he got into the ears of the (terrible) Pac 12 ref crew. His issue was that the band played a little bit too long, so ND got a warning and Stanford basically got a free timeout.

Much like his phantom whistle complaint, the band issue accomplished nothing but allowing us to hate the guy more. Also, the band got the last laugh:

Via SBNation with a h/t to our friends at One Foot Down

THE DRUM MAJOR HAS BETTER HANDS THAN TY MONTGOMERY!

Gigantic Upsets

Arizona def #2 Oregon 31-24
#11 Ole Miss def #3 Alabama 23-17

We should have known this entire week of college football was going to be insane when Oregon fell to Arizona on Thursday night. There were certainly more upsets than the ones listed above (#4 OU, #6 Texas A&M, #8 UCLA,#16 USC, #17 Wisconsin, and #18 BYU), but Oregon and Alabama were by far the biggest shocks of the week.

If you had an undefeated record, you were in serious danger. Florida State had to be thanking their lucky stars they were playing Wake Forest. Somehow, Notre Dame joined the Seminoles in the select group of six undefeated teams still standing.

The lesson learned here? If Katy Perry picks against you, be afraid. BE VERY AFRAID:

/dead pic.twitter.com/pzaIz9cAVw

— Isaac (@WorldofIsaac) October 4, 2014

Rival Losses

Rutgers def Michigan 26-24
Arizona State def #16 Southern Cal 38-34

Michigan continued their downward spiral by failing to beat yet another Power 5 opponent. This time, it was well-established B1G powerhouse newcomer Rutgers. I’m sure when Michigan saw that they would welcome Rutgers and Maryland to the B1G, they weren’t aware that they’d be the welcome mat.

Southern Cal, however, probably had the more satisfying upset because, let’s be honest, we don’t expect Michigan to win anymore at this point. The Trojans came into this game without giving up a single passing TD. They surrendered 5 in this game with the final one occurring because of the worst Hail Mary defense that I have ever seen.

Via @cjzero

Thumbs on a Happy Guy

#DORK pic.twitter.com/coFPPMPk09

— HLS_SupermanTDJesus (@SupermanTDJesus) October 4, 2014

The post CFB Week 6: A Tale of Two… appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Let’s finish this sucker strong.

As a reminder, all members of the IBG will send a single question and we will all answer of them on our sites, with the exception of our own query. So be sure to visit all the other IBG members to see their answers throughout the day.

My Question: BYU and Stanford are somewhat similar offensively: a strong rushing attack paired with a quarterback that can go mobile. Does the defense’s performance, injuries and all, against BYU make you feel any better going up against Stanford or are we facing a totally different beast in the Cardinal? 

Answers will be linked as posts go live

NDNation warns Stanford is much better than BYU, but there is hope.

Strong & True

Inside the Irish

UHND.com says a similar performance should land us a victory.

Frank Vitovitch (UNHD.com): It’s been a long time since Notre Dame has won a game it has been as big of an underdog in as they are this weekend.  Where would this game rank in your mind in terms of upsets for Notre Dame and when was the last time you went into a game thinking Notre Dame had no chance and they walked home with the victory.   As a bonus, would a win over Stanford this weekend be Brian Kelly’s signature win up until this point in his tenure at Notre Dame?

Honestly, I don’t think it would be overly shocking. Stanford has been far from untouchable this season. The loss to Utah looked like the exception to the rule, but falling to a resurgent Southern Cal was completely unexpected.

They will be a tough test for sure and easily one of the better teams we face all season, but I think that the initial lines that I’ve seen are very much over-valuing Stanford. If I could compare it to anything, it’s how I felt when I saw the initial line for ND at OU. I knew OU would be a very tough win to pull out, but I felt like the Irish did have a chance with the way they were playing. The result: the Irish did what I deemed “double cover” as they won by the same amount of points that OU was originally favored by.

As far as I game in which I thought the Irish had no chance of winning and they won — I think any such game that I was sure the Irish would lose, they lost. Perhaps 2011 Utah might be the closest to fitting that description though. After losing to Tulsa and Navy back-to-back I definitely wasn’t expecting much and the Irish pulled the game out.

As far as a signature win, for me it’s going to be hard to top last year’s win against the Sooners in Norman. That was the game that supposedly would expose Notre Dame, but the opposite happened. With Stanford, they’ve already taken a couple of lumps. This isn’t David vs Goliath.

Aaron Horvath (Strong & True): If someone would have told you that Tommy Rees would leave Notre Dame with 7,000+ yards and most likely 60+ touchdowns when he committed out of high school, most people would call that person crazy. Needless to say, he has surprised many. What are your thoughts on what Rees has been able to accomplish during his tenure at Notre Dame and what other Irish senior went above and beyond your expectations during his time at Notre Dame?

Forgive me if it seems like I’m mailing in this answer, but I think I’ve already put together a good response to this question last week. Simply put, Tommy has done a fine job and I’m glad that the students gave him his proper credit this past weekend. This program is likely struggling mightily if Tommy doesn’t put together the seasons that he has.

As far as another senior exceeding expectations, I’m going with T.J. Jones. Prior to his junior year, I wondered if he’d ever be able to figure it out. In 2012, he had a very solid year and went neck and neck with Tyler Eifert as far as stats are concerned. This season though, he is the unquestioned “go to” guy that will find a way to make a play, especially after the catch. Quite a long way from having a ball bounce off his helmet in 2011.

Mike Coffey (NDNation): Which of ND’s strengths do you believe has the greatest chance of getting ND the win on Saturday, and which of ND’s weaknesses do you fear might keep it from happening?

RUN THE DAMN BALL!

I’m serious on this one. I know it may come as a shock to some people that have read some of my previous posts these past couple of weeks. The main point I have made in those posts is that I think the line of thinking that Notre Dame is a crazy pass happy offense is a bit misguided nor do I think there is some “magic number” of rushes that the Irish need to win.

The simple fact though is that I do understand that this team performs at its best when they establish the run as a legitimate threat which opens up deep play action strikes and the passing games as a whole. Note that I said the rushing game needs to be established. Running into a brick wall over and over again means Stanford has won that battle and Tommy will have to find a way to win. I’m not saying that Tommy can’t do that; however, there is no question in my mind that the easier path to victory is a solid rushing attack.

The biggest weakness that scares me is our lack of depth in the front seven and what that can mean to the rushing defense (hence the question I posed to the group). Stanford will be the most physical team that we’ve faced all season and I am terrified that they can wear the line down and begin to look unstoppable by the end of the game. On top of that Hogan can hurt you with his feet as well and I worry about this depleted unit’s ability to spy properly (just take a look at some of BYU’s bigger plays on scrambles).

Keith Arnold (Inside the Irish): You’ve got your choice of bowl game locations and opponents. Put yourself in Jack Swarbrick’s shoes: Give me the ideal opponent and location.

This means I can be in fantasy land right?

In that case, give me the Cotton Bowl vs. SEC in my own backyard. This season that SEC team is slated to be Texas A&M and I think every Notre Dame fan would be lying if they didn’t want to take some slight Heisman vengeance on Johnny Football and just knocking him down a peg or two in general. Plus, an Irish/Aggie matchup would be more combined tradition that you could ever ask for in a game and the surrounding events.

Oh, and believe me, the Aggies can tailgate. That could probably be one of the most epic tailgating scenes in college football if those two worlds collide on neutral ground.

In general, if I’m still in fantasy land and have my picks of bowl tie-ins, I’m looking for every possible SEC match-up for two reasons. First, because those matchups just simply don’t happen in our schedule, making it the big hole from a conference and even recruiting perspective. People think ND can’t hang with SEC (thanks, BCS championship…) and I’d love to put that to the test every year we aren’t in the playoffs (or this year, the BCS picture). Secondly, such a matchup would be in the south/southeast area which ND would most certainly love to have a game annually, but again, the schedule doesn’t always allow for (hence the reason for the Shamrock Series in Jerry World).

Sure, the new ACC away games will help, but it still feels like a big void. I want to butt heads with the SEC every year.

The post IBG in the Trees appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

After a week off, it’s time to break down BYU and take a look forward to Stanford. Oh, and you should now be able to find the HLS Podcast on iTunes by searching for “Her Loyal Podcast”!

It takes a few hours for iTunes to update it’s feed so you can check out the episode now in the below embedded player or later when iTunes pushes it into their feed. Either way, enjoy!

The post Her Loyal Podcast – Episode 6 appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Yesterday, against BYU, the Irish offered up a complete performance, whether tribute to themselves as seniors or as apology for last game’s clanger against Pitt is for them alone to know. It was also perfectly balanced, on the production end, as forty-seven rushing attempts and twenty-eight passing attempts turned out 235 yards in each column for a total 570 yards. And, it was perfect, too, as seniors shared the highlight reels with underclassmen Jarron Jones, Jaylon Smith, and Sheldon Day.

It was imperfect, though, if you believe, as I do, that the term “home-field advantage” should begin, at least, with the actual field itself. Yesterday, amid the romance of swirling snow and the dying of a blue November light, chunks of turf gave way to stymie TJ Jones and stifle runs by Folston and Atkinson. The 2013 BYU game should be remembered for many reasons. The deplorable turf should be one of them.

Notre Dame’s defense, maligned for reasons valid and not this year, played certainly well enough. They contained BYU’s quarterback, Tayson Hill, when they needed to, and held the BYU offense to 13 points, one touchdown and two field-goals, spread over the first and third quarters. In critical spot after critical spot in the fourth quarter and with the contest very much in the balance, the Irish front four were as stout as they were in any magic moment in the 2012 season of magical moments. They shattered Hill’s pocket on BYU’s final possession. Stephon Tuitt , who harried the BYU line all game, notched his sixth sack on the season by fighting through the Cougars’ left tackle and causing a six yard loss from the Notre Dame forty yard line with three minutes left. Sophomore Jarron Jones blocked what should have been a gimme field goal. Senior Austin Collinsworth picked up a timely interception.

Jaylon Smith, who wore Danny Spond’s number in his honor, was bright future in a snow globe as he continued to show why he electrified the recruiting services not that long ago. He blocked a pass and picked up three solo tackles, being everywhere at once. That he failed to sack Tayson Hill is probably less due to Smith’s inexperience than it is to Hill’s ability to run. It bears noting that Hill ran for 101 yards in Notre Dame while Johnny Football only managed fifty-four yards in Baton Rouge.

The touchdowns, perhaps due to the turf, the snow, the dark of night, or Notre Dame, all came in the first quarter. Tommy Rees, in his final home appearance, connected for sixty-one yards to Davaris Daniels, who then stunned fourteen year old girls around the country by breaking out a Hunger Games 2 salute or something. That’s what the kids on Twitter said. Daniels appeared to be Tommy’s target du jour, but TJ Jones, also for the last time on the auld sod, collected a couple of long passes, the first of which was a thirty yard toss that set up a short touchdown run by Tarean Folston. From that point, it was Kyle Brindza’s day (or night) (however you classify a game played out under the lights in the pitch dark) and he responded by connecting twice from twenty-six yards and once from eleven hundred and six, with storm force winds in his face and icicles hanging from his facemask.

The Irish ran the ball well, despite the field conditions. Folston and Atkinson gashed the Cougars for long gains, with Atkinson specifically turning out a noteworthy and uncharacteristically tough run. Cam McDaniel had 117 yards on the day and was only denied a long run for a touchdown by his lack of break-away speed. That any of this, or Tommy’s day, was done against a very well-regarded defensive unit is credit to Zack Martin and the Irish offensive line, who are playing as well as any in the country.

As time expired along with their final appearance, emotions took over. For Schwenke and Fox, Shembo and Tuitt and Rees, this was the final singing of Notre Dame, Our Mother and for the fans, the last time to chant their names. That the crowd chose to sing for Tommy and whether they meant fond farewell or good riddance or some combination of the two is for them, individually, alone to know.

The post Snap Judgment: BYU appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

I threw out an idea. It wasn’t hated. So here we go.

I took inspiration from the roots of the IBG. Previously, there was a host blog that would come up with five questions and every other ND blog under the sun would answer. The issue though was that one blog ended up playing gatekeeper and the results were quite mixed depending on who was hosting. That led Subway to doing the pairings to try and get more voices heard in a more consistent manner; however, that can led to more of an isolation rather than a true roundtable discussion.

So I’m mixing the best of both worlds here. All five members of the IBG have submitted questions and we will answer them on our own sites. After all, people visit and are loyal to each of our sites for various reasons, but at the heart of it, you are there because you want the opinions of that person(s). So now at HLS, you’ll get our voice, but answering the questions from all other IBG members. As for my question, instead of answering it, I will include links to each IBG post as it goes live, keeping the intent of traffic sharing and promotion that is also at the heart of the IBG.

I think it’ll be a good change and hopefully the retired godfather of the IBG approves.

Without further ado, let’s get to it.

NDtex, Her Loyal Sons: Tommy Rees has very quietly put up some rather impressive passing numbers. His 22 TDs and 8 INTs are surprisingly not far off from Heisman candidate QBs such as Jameis Winston (24 TD, 6 INT), Johnny Manziel (26 TD, 8 INT), and Marcus Mariota (20 TD, 0 INT). While “Rees for Heisman” is an obvious stretch, especially since he isn’t a dual threat like the previously mentioned QBs, I’d wager tied 8th in the nation for TD passes is a lot more than most Notre Dame fans were expecting. Should we all be making a much bigger deal about this or should we wait and see how he ends the season?

Posts will be directly linked as they go live:

NDNation says it’s a big deal

Inside the Irish sees a lot of Tony Pike in Rees

Strong and True (UND.com) doesn’t think Tommy is getting the credit he deserves

UHND.com isn’t surprised with Tommy’s numbers

Frank Vitovitch, UHND.com: Tarean Folston broke out in a big way against Navy last week with 140 yards.  How big of a role do you think the freshman back will play in the final three games and what level of production are you expecting from him down the stretch after his break through performance last weekend?

If Folston doesn’t have a major role, I’m going to be seriously disappointed.

We saw some flashes of this brilliance against Air Force as well and, even though these are lesser opponents, the difference between the runs that he makes as opposed to George Atkinson III, Amir Carlisle, or even Cam McDaniel is simply staggering. I really think Folston and Cam are the one-two punch that the Irish have been trying to find all year. Cam will get the tough yards, but Folston can be the feature back that is also a homerun threat.

Further considering that BYU and Stanford have some pretty stout rushing defenses, it will be even more vital that the Irish have their best backs in. Leaving Folston on the bench would be a serious mistake that will force the Irish to go one-dimensional and completely lean on Tommy Rees. Even though he’s had a solid season, that simply isn’t a plan for success.

Mike Coffey, NDNation: Lots of comments after the game concerned the poor condition of the turf in Notre Dame Stadium and what can/should be done about it.  One of our number has contended the BYU game on November 23^rd will be the last with the current grass in the Stadium.  What kind of a playing surface do you believe the Stadium should have and why?

I want a playing surface that isn’t awful. I don’t care if it’s grass, turf, or some kind of future-space-age surface that we’ve never even heard of before.

The condition of the field has been simply horrid. And, at this point, I don’t think we can point fingers at the groundskeepers who I’m sure are doing everything in their power to get the sod to work. There is probably other environmental factors at play that is making this so difficult and Notre Dame could very well be fighting a losing battle trying to stick with a natural playing surface. Just take a look at Soldier Field in Chicago, they are having similar frustrating issues.

Now, I’d prefer grass if at all possible because I just think it looks better, but if what we’ve continuously seen year in and year out is going to be the result than to hell with it.

I know a lot of people want the turfmaster system like what Green Bay has and I’ve been on board with that; however, getting that system to work means a lot more than just installing a special blend of natural/synthetic grass. At some point, the costs of such a project seem like a rather ridiculous waste of money, personally.

I also realize a lot of people have pointed to Michigan State’s stadium, citing the use of a modular tray system. The truth is that the modular system was replaced completely in 2011 after U2 performed (and footed the bill for the new turf). In that article, the company that Sparty bought their sod from is the exact same vendor that supplies Soldier Field. They didn’t get some kind of special turf so it stands to reason that East Lansing is fortunate enough to simply have better growing conditions for turf whether it is the soil, water table, sunlight, or some other combination of growing factors.

I know a lot of people love the grass and think proponents of field turf are trying to destroy the tradition of Notre Dame Stadium. We aren’t, we are being practical, and I say we because I’m now convinced at this point that grass simply isn’t a long term solution for the House Rock Built. With players getting bigger, stronger, faster, and football moving to a style of play that uses the entire the field on a more consistent basis, I think the surface of ND Stadium has taken more abuse than it ever did before and it’s showing.

We got a way to make grass work? Fine, let’s see it. We can’t make it work? Fine, bring in the field turf. Just fix it.

Aaron Horvath, Strong and True (UND.com):Due to the immense amount of injuries during the past few weeks to the Irish defense, do you think that playing both option teams on our schedule in back to back weeks was a good idea? And… Due to the thin defensive depth chart, what player who saw little playing time in the first nine games will breakout in the final three?

I don’t think playing Navy and Air Force back-to-back is an awful idea; however, doing it in the middle of the season when your team is already banged up is a recipe for disaster. Had the first two games of the season led off with the option teams, I think the damage would’ve been lessened a bit.

Now, with that all being said, I hope we never do it again because I simply don’t like the risk. It isn’t that I think cut blocks are inherently evil because every team, including ND runs plays that include them. However, Navy and Air Force are throwing these blocks every single down. The chances of something bad happening will just naturally increase.

As far as someone to step up in carnage, I am hoping it’s Max Redfield. Yes, I’m well aware his particular position isn’t facing the severe depth issues that the front seven are; however, with the front seven hurting, the secondary is going to have to step up. Quite frankly, our safety play has lacked a lot to be desired and something has to change there. I’m hoping Redfield has been able to get up to speed to make an impact because this defense could surely use some safety help at this point.

Keith Arnold, Inside the Irish: With the defense so beaten up, is winning out still possible? Would you prefer a lopsided match-up in a BCS bowl or a potential bowl win and possible 11-win season? Would the offseason narrative be better if ND won a second-tier bowl or lost a BCS bowl?

Winning out is definitely still possible. It will be harder for sure if we can’t get healthy, but I don’t think injuries alone will make me rule this out as a possibility.

As far as my opinions on what bowl scenario is better and the resulting narrative, my stance is simple. If we lose a BCS bowl or win a second tier bowl, the narrative will remain the same for decades: ND went 0-for-the BCS era. So with that in mind, what do you have to lose?

Give me the BCS berth any day of the week. I don’t care about how potentially lopsided the matchup supposedly or actually will be. I think it is simply stupid to try and lower the bar because we think the chances of winning are better. That’s like saying we should’ve hoped we wouldn’t get in the title game so we could get a more favorable game against a lesser BCS opponent. That makes zero sense to me.

Besides, “sure” losses in the BCS have had some surprising results. Just ask Florida how their “easy” BCS matchup against Louisville turned out.

The post Irish Blogger Gathering: Let’s Shake This Thing Up appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

But then you look at the other side of the coin and you realize that Sparty’s offense is objectively one of the worst things to ever grace a football field. Ignoring Youngstown State (which you should because wins against FCS teams should never count), Michigan State has scored a grand total of two offensive touchdowns — one in each game to be specific.

Yes, the mighty Spartans could only muster a single touchdown against two 0-3 teams who have both lost to FCS teams (corollary to ignoring FCS wins: losses should never be ignored — see: Michigan/Appalachian State). Further, only one of those teams, South Florida, is actually in a BCS conference. Yes, The American is a weird shadow of it’s former Big East self that is basically now Louisville and whoever’s left, but I guess that still counts.

Needless to say, this isn’t exactly a version of the Spartans that I’m overly fearful of.

But on the other hand, Notre Dame isn’t exactly Xerxes’ feared Persian army in this story either. Our defensive line of Immortals aren’t exactly turning in the kind of performances that we all expected. Plus, that line could very well come into this game short-handed. To be fair though, the entire line isn’t solely to blame for the defensive woes as both the linebacking corps and secondary haven’t exactly stepped up in the absence of Manti Te’o and Zeke Motta.

The offense has had it’s own brand of struggles as well and shockingly enough Tommy Rees hasn’t been the cause, but the running game that we were so excited to see. Despite the five very talented backs and a veteran line, the rushing game still has yet to find it’s stride.

Despite the fact that Notre Dame walks into this game a favorite, but with some glaring issues. Still though, there should be no reason that the Irish will fall to a team who can’t mount any offense and simply relies on an impenetrable defense…

…wait, hold on a second…

/revisits history of Sparta

/remembers the Phalanx was a legitimately terrifying thing

Crap…

Well, uh…good news is that history says we eventually win!

…after quite a bit of pain and suffering.

Stock up on the booze.

The Roundup

I guess this makes Mack Brown a dead man coaching. I figured the Saban to Texas rumors would eventually start, but not this soon. But fear not ‘Bama fans, Saban is just too damn old to go anywhere else. His word is his bond, just ask LSU and the Miami Dolphins.

Bo Pelini wants to get fired. And not just for the two year old f-bomb tirade (NSFW audio within) aimed at the media and fans that Nebraska had to address, but getting into a war of words with Tommie Frazier. There’s a solid way to get the fanbase behind you — go after one of their all-time favorites!

A new form of Clemsoning? Uppercut sucker punches to the face.

The Irish will be facing one of their own. Transfer Chris Badger went to BYU to be with his sick mother after his Mormon mission. The NCAA granted his hardship waiver this week.

Remember, Notre Dame is a serious, historical rival of Michigan. Which is why the week after their thrilling victory against the Irish, Michigan athletics paid for a skywriter to put “GO BLUE” prominently in the sky…of East Lansing…right before the Spartans played Youngstown State.

Speaking of Michigan…while this actually happened at Grand Valley State, we have a new entry in the “Pure Michigan” category. Have fun unseeing this (videos within probably NSFW).

Welcome to the Frekbass Hall of Shame, Trojans. Embarrassing yourself on the football field clearly isn’t enough:

[youtube id=”5a3INbzhp00″]

Put These Games on Your Radar

Not going to lie, most of this week will be rather dull.

Utah State @ USC, 3:30pm ET, ABC/ESPN2/WatchESPN – Utah State is no slouch so feel free to hold out hope for another weekly dose of Trojan schadenfreude.

#23 Arizona State @ #5 Stanford, 7:00pm, FOX – This game should be a great measuring stick for both teams and give us a decent idea of what we are in for in the future.

Auburn @ #6 LSU, 7:45pm, ESPN/WatchESPN – Auburn isn’t that great, but their offense under Malzan might just make this game interesting enough to justify some attention.

Predictions

Irish Elvis is your winner once again giving him 2 points to my 1.

Note for this week: I was slammed at work and forgot to ask for predictions. I will edit in as I get them.

Tex

Much like ancient history, I have the sinking feeling the Irish will struggle far too much before finally pulling off the victory.

ND 17 – Sparty 10

Biscuit

Via:

There will be no flag-planting for MSU. With the loss of their entire offense (Bell) and the lack of a clear answer at QB, MSU will rely on a pretty legit defense (despite the loss of Gholston). So you’ll have 2 really solid defenses lining up, and 2 less-great offenses. But ND has an edge in defensive talent with the stellar front line, and an edge on offense due to skill positions and experience at QB. MSU always comes out gunning for the Irish, and this one is Home where, for some reason, the Spartans always play better. I think this will be a nail-biter, as we can’t always play great. ND eeks it out though….

ND Wins 17-14

 So up in the air. One Dancer. But we should win this game.

Bayou Irish

Notre Dame 20

Michigan State 12

Here’s how it happens: our lines show up. Not that they’ve been terrible, but Saturday they click. Where Sparty has pushed around the garbage it has faced to date, the Irish O-line rise to the occasion and hold their blocks just long enough to turn two yard runs into three and a half yard runs and, as the day drags on, to turn GAIII and CMcD loose altogether. Expect a lot of trickeration involving Amir and TJ, too.

On D, the Irish have spent this week getting right with Jesus. And by “Jesus,” I mean the coaching staff’s ass-kicking shoes. Sparty’s inexperienced QB is going to see the eyes of Nix and Shembo and Tuitt and he’s going to do something stupid and the crowd, yes, the fearsome Irish twelfth man, will get in his head to the tune of three turnovers and a shit ton of Macklemore on repeat.

Expect more competency from Tommy who will run his consecutive streak of 300 yard plus passing games to four. While I am comfortable with an Irish W tomorrow, I think the score could actually be a lot higher if my thoughts on the lines play out.

Twibby

Irish 20, Sparty 14

Irish Elvis

1st Quarter: Start Fast
Our opponents still do this better. ND trails 10-0 early.

2nd Quarter: Attention to Detail
RBs finally see the running lanes in front of them. ND leads 14-10 at half.

3rd Quarter: Effort & Enthusiasm
One hundred Internet points to any Irish player involving the MSU Band in TD celebrations.

4th Quarter: Finish Strong
ND defense still has lots of question marks, but Sparta puckers.

The Beer

This Saturday kicks off Oktoberfest so it’s time to bust out the Märzen-style brews.

My personal local favorite is the Shiner variety, but as I will be travelling up to South Bend this weekend, I am going to be on the lookout for Yuengling’s entry into the Oktoberfest market as I have heard nothing but good things about it to this point.

The post Friday Roundup: The “THIS IS…Sparta?” Edition appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.