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.

After witnessing a game that WE WILL NEVER MENTION AGAIN, this was quite a nice bounce-back for the Irish. The offense got right and Clark Lea put together another defensive masterpiece.

Meanwhile, the Big Ten officially started their season, meaning Shane and I give some initial thoughts to the madness that included an improbable Indiana upset and a Rutgers win. Also featured this week: another ref bailout for Auburn, Florida State still real bad, Alabama still real good, and…*checks notes*…Clemson might have a Dino Babers problem?

Podcast

Twitch VoD

The post HLS Recap: Superweapon Malfunction 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.

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved a now well known document declaring independence from the British Crown. While we celebrate our independence this day to commemorate that act, it’s easy to forget that July 4, 1776 was only words on a piece of paper. General Conrwallis didn’t surrender until October 19, 1781. The Revolutionary War itself started in April of 1775 well before the Declaration of Independence was even drafted.

So why celebrate the date a piece of paper was signed?

The Declaration of Independence was a line in the sand, the point of no return. There would be no more skirmishes and scattered battles, all out war and the full force of the British Crown would be upon them. Should they fail, their signatures would become proof of their treason.

It was all or nothing and likely had a hint of insanity. Colonists were going up against the best military in the world at that time. They were woefully outgunned and under-trained. July 4, 1776 could have easily have been a declaration of suicide.

Instead, the American spirit was born. We may joke today about ‘MURICA, participate in complete overzealous jingoism with a certain sense of irony (tweets during the World Cup are a perfect example), but there was nothing more ‘MURICA than the Continental Congress signing a document that was a middle finger to the Crown.

So yes, this day is worthy of celebration, even over-the-top celebrations. We remember the cost paid to birth the nation, but we also remember the spirit born in 1776.

So kick back, relax, fire up the grill, and shoot off fireworks so big that England can see them. Why? AMERICA, that’s why.

The Roundup

Michigan took multiple losses during the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. They lost 31-14 to Kansas state, but also finished in the red on the balance sheet too.

It’s the B1Gest, saddest kickoff party of all time. Rutgers hosted something called the R B1G Party. It was about as pathetic as you’d expect.

Hello. Dorial Green-Beckham has found shelter as a Sooner.

And now, your moment of Nix… From our friends at One Foot Down

#ThingsTimHowardCouldSave pic.twitter.com/womqWRaP4H

— One Foot Down (@OneFootDown) July 2, 2014

The Booze

Because the American spirit also includes a spirit of cooperation, even if it crosses some enemy boundaries that we’ve created within our borders, we are going to with a suggestion made by our #HLSRecapMaddness champion, @ramzy. He details the recipe for a beverage dubbed the Liber-tea over at Eleven Warriors so be sure to visit over there for the recipe.

It contains bourbon and sweet tea (well, probably “sweet” for my southern taste buds, I may have to up the sugar on my attempt) so I’m not sure how you can’t be completely sold on this idea.

The post Friday Roundup: The “Independence” Edition appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Against the 117th-ranked passing defense in the country, Tommy Rees ended his Notre Dame career with a competent performance. Completing 27 of forty-seven passing attempts, Rees threw for 319 yards and no interceptions. Frustratingly, he also threw no touchdowns, a symptom of Notre Dame’s red-zone woes on the day. From the opening drive to the final whistle, the Irish were able to move the ball at will between the Twenties, only to see their efforts founder. Had Kyle Brindza not turned in a fine five-for-six day, Notre Dame’s inability to get over the goal line could have been fatal.

As the seniors walked away from the game for the final time, Brian Kelly’s post game comments indicated that the Pinstripe Bowl was both finale and prelude. The pace of the offense, he said, is where he wants the Irish to be. His goal was ninety plays, and he got ninety plays. It was a balanced attack, too, with 47 passes and 43 runs. Cam McDaniel and Tarean Folston each carried the ball seventeen times, McDaniel for 80 yards and Folston for 73 yards and one touchdown. Though Rutgers’ battled the Irish well for the most part, but they were undone by overthrows, underthrows and three Chase Dodd interceptions.

The hiring of Brian Van Gorder away from the New York Jets is an interesting move by Notre Dame. It reunites Kelly and Van Gorder, who worked together at Grand Valley State from 1989 to 1991. Van Gorder, 54, has a considerable amount of NFL and SEC experience, with stints at Georgia and Auburn, Jacksonville, Atlanta and the New York Jets. He was the Falcons’ Defensive Coordinator from 2008 to 2011 and won the Frank Broyles Award with the third-best defense in the country at Georgia in 2003. Notre Dame’s previous DC, Bob Diaco, won the same award in 2012, a season in which Van Gorder’s Auburn defense was ranked 81st in the nation.

Another item that bears noting on the day, the win against Rutgers, when coupled with Michigan’s disaster of a performance against K-State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, gives Notre Dame the best winning percentage in college football. The Irish now have a winning percentage of 0.7333, while the Wolverines can only show 0.73244. My, my, Michigan men, what five years can do to a program, right? It will be curious to hear Brady Hoke’s response, once he empties his mouth of all those yummy wings.

So that’s it, loyal readers. Another season, done and dusted. In the words of Coach Kelly, a good season “that could have been great.”

Your game day experience here:

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

Chris Carlin
image credit: scarletknights.com

Merry Christmas, loyal readers! Wherever you are today, we here at HerLoyalSons wish you and yours a happy and healthy holiday. To our servicemen and -women around the world, thank you for your service and your sacrifice. We hope the DFAC turkey was tasty.

Here on the bayou, in the Crescent City, Papa Noel has come and gone. Mrs Bayou and Bayou Fille are combing dolls’ hair in the shadow of the Christmas tree and yours truly is typing on the porch, the rumble of the streetcar a lonely, fading carol in the near distance.  The Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers is just days away now, and we’ve got a real Christmas treat for you, loyal readers. Today, we present an interview with “The Voice of the Scarlet Knights,” Chris Carlin.

Chris is in his tenth season as the play-by-play announcer for Rutgers football and basketball. You can hear his talents on WOR (710 AM) and WCTC (1450 AM). When he’s not calling the games in Piscataway, you can find him co-hosting the New York Mets’ pre- and post-game shows, alongside 1986 World Series (sorry @phillykelly) LEGEND Bobby Ojeda. Chris also co-hosts “Beer Money!” and “Loudmouths” on the SNY network.

A graduate of Hobart College and a lifelong resident of the Garden State, Chis wears his passions on his sleeve, notably taking New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to task over his (mis-) handling of recent scandal within the State University’s athletics department. It was a pleasure and a privilege to speak with Chris over email on the occasion of the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did.

My questions are in bold. Chris’s answers appear in regular type.

1.) Chris, it’s great to finally speak with you again. You and I went to high school together, graduating from Oratory Catholic Prep in 1990. Since then, you’ve gone on to the big time in sports media and are the voice of Scarlet Knight football and basketball. With your unique perspective, please give us your take on the team the Notre Dame Fighting Irish will be facing in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl on December 28?

You too man, it’s been too long. It’s been a bit of a transition year for Rutgers. From last year’s team, an alltime high 7 players were drafted and 15 total players went on to the NFL, including the entire starting secondary. That means 19 first or second year players have been playing significant roles, so there have been some growing pains along the way. Making a bowl game for the 8th time in 9 years has been an accomplishment, and certainly playing Notre Dame in their own backyard is an exciting proposition.  

2.) Both teams are dealing with notable absences in their coaching staffs, albeit for different reasons. How have the Rutgers players dealt with the losses of Defensive Coordinator Dave Cohen, Quarterbacks Coach Rob Spence, and O-line Coach Damian Wroblewski? How has Head Coach Kyle Flood handled things since the season ended on a rough note, going 1-3 in the last four?  

Coach Flood was very straight with the players about the situation when he made the changes. Rarely in college football do staffs stay intact from year to year,  for obviously different reasons. Players seem to have handled the transition pretty well. Getting the win over South Florida in the season finale definitely gave this group a boost of confidence. 

3.) Rutgers and Notre Dame shared a common opponent this season: Temple. We beat them early , 28-6 in our season opener.  You beat them relatively late, 23-20 on November Second. What did you make of the Owls this season and are there any takeaways from either game that you can apply to the Pinstripe Bowl?

It’s interesting — Temple got better as the season went along, specifically on offense, when they shifted to true freshman P.J. Walker at quarterback. Walker threw 20 TD’s and just 8 INT’s, so it definitely looks like they’ve found their QB of the future. They came close so many times down the stretch of the season, including against Central Florida, when the Knights needed one of the highlight catches of the entire season by J.J. Worton. It’s hard to say that there’s much to be taken from the game, because I get the sense that all three teams are at much different junctures than when they met.

4.) Both Notre Dame and Rutgers have dealt with quarterback issues this season. Ours has played out across the national media and, if you believe Sports Illustrated, the narrative is being written as a redemption song with Everett Golson starting under center next year. Tell our loyal readers, please, about Rutgers’ quarterback issues this season and who the Irish will be facing on the 28th?

Gary Nova was the starter at the beginning of the year after a strong spring, and played very well early in the year. As the season went along, turnovers became an issue, and Coach Flood decided to turn to senior Chas (pronounced ‘Chase’) Dodd against Connecticut. Chas had 26 career games, including 16 starts, under his belt, so experience wasn’t an issue. He’s protected the football well, and is capable of making all the throws. He’s been a luxury to have as a backup, and his presence hasn’t changed the focus of the offense: wanting to run the football. 

5.) Let’s talk recruiting and realignment. Rutgers has the same position with its recruits that, frankly, didn’t work so well for Notre Dame under Charlie Weis: “if you’re looking, we’re looking.” With the Scarlet Knights experiencing the loss of number of recruits recently, what’s your take on the state of the incoming class?

I can’t claim to be a recruiting expert, but I’ll say this: I think too much is made of commits & decommits before Signing Day actually comes. Case and point: Janarion Grant was a very late commit last year, and he was 2nd Team All AAC as a returner this year. Rutgers has had plenty of recruiting success over the last 13 years, and plenty of decommits along the way. They’ve landed the 5-star guys who have been fantastic, and some that didn’t pan out. Ray Rice was only a 3-star recruit, and Jason & Devin McCourty were just 2-star recruits, to name just a few. Translation: it’s such an inexact science, you can’t really judge classes for a while anyway.   

6.) Rutgers makes the move to the Big Tweleven in 2014 and will play some teams very familiar to Irish fans and to yours truly in particular: Navy, Michigan, Michigan State, and Tulane. Looking into your crystal ball, where do you see the Scarlet Knights falling within the East Division?

Hard to say. They’re going to be competitive early. Are they going to beat Ohio State in Columbus next year? Yeah, that won’t be easy. I definitely think they’ll compete. This season didn’t go exactly as they would’ve wanted, but I think there’s been plenty of growth along the way to prepare them for the move. There’s no doubt there’s a huge buzz about the move, especially with the likes of Penn State, Michigan, and Wisconsin coming to Piscataway next year. 

7.) In addition to your duties behind the mic for Rutgers, you’re also the co-host of the New York Mets pre- and post-game shows, along with Bobby Ojeda, and “Beer Money!” and “Loudmouths” on the SNY network. For the ND fans making the trip up to the Bronx for the game, where should they grab a beer or a meal before or after the game? For those making the trip but looking to watch inside a sports’ bar, where should they make camp?

As far as a beer before the game, they’ve gotta go to Stan’s, an institution near Yankee Stadium on River Avenue. It is THE meeting place before Yankee games. Stripped to the bones, simple place. In the city, Lansdowne Road is a favorite of mine — 10th Avenue at 44th Street. Excellent food, and plenty of big screen TV’s, plus they don’t pressure you — they respect milking of the beer while watching the game. They know you’ll be there for 3 1/2 hours. Lastly — a Notre Dame bar is Mustang Harry’s  — 7th Avenue at 30th Street next to Madison Square Garden. Solid place and friendly territory for Irish fans. 

8.) True story: Mrs Irish and I wound up in New Jersey after Hurricane Katrina and eventually rented an apartment in Skyline Towers in downtown New Brunswick. New Brunswick is one of the best restaurant towns in New Jersey and it’s where Mario Batali got his start, so I’d like to ask a two-part question: whether it’s a grease truck or The Frog and The Peach, what’s your favorite place to eat in New Brunswick (or Piscataway)? And since Batali’s a Rutgers grad, who’s your favorite alum to interview?

The grease trucks are legendary, but have been moved around town because of property issues with the University. Here’s the original — http://www.ruhungrynj.net/. Brother Jimmy’s opened up in New Brunswick last year, and has been the home to ‘The Kyle Flood Radio Show’ since. The McCourty’s & Shaun O’Hara are involved with ownership. Harvest Moon and Old Man Rafferty’s never disappoint, and for something a little more formal, Catherine Lombardi & Steakhouse 85 are excellent.  James Gandolfini use to be a fixture at games over the past 13 years, and he’s sit in the stands with a Rutgers jersey on with his son and college roommates, very incognito. He was terrific to the fans, but never wanted to be interviewed. He just wanted to come to enjoy the games. When Greg Schiano first took the job in 2000, some of Gandolfini’s friends were excited and he shot commercials with Schiano for Rutgers Football. It was at the height of ‘The Sopranos,’ so it really made an impact. Here’s the first one, back in 2001: 

There are plenty of Rutgers grads in show business, but Gandolfini was the most visible to the fanbase 

9.) Final question. Our editor-in-chief, Tex, is a HUGE wrestling fan. Very few people know that our high school had its own professional wrestling circuit, and you and I squared off in a number of television title and championship bouts. We also watched some of the earliest Wrestlemanias on pay-per-view back in the day when cable t.v. meant you had a box with a cable attached to your t.v. set. So, I need to know, do you still follow wrestling and if you do, what story arcs have captivated your attention this year?

Admittedly, I haven’t followed with it, because I’m watching every possible other sporting event known to man just to keep up with work. I really loved it back then, and we’ll reminisce at work about Mr. Perfect and the Ultimate Warrior. If the Hart Foundation was still around, rest assured, I’d still be watching. As for my wrestling career, it ended with our ‘Loser Leave Town’ match junior year. I was hoping to retain the Intercontinental Championship belt and take it back to Parts Unknown, but alas, it was not meant to be after your partner hit me with a chair when Referee Earl Hebner’s back was turned. 

There you have it, loyal readers. Go Irish, beat Rutgers, and Merry Christmas, y’all.

The post Talking Irish: An Interview with Chris Carlin, The Voice of The Scarlet Knights appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Even though Kelly had mentioned that the team would prefer to play in a warmer climate, he said in his presser on Sunday that the Pinstripe offer was simply one the team couldn’t refuse:

When you’re dealing with our guys, it’s bowl packages, right? It’s just been a very attractive bowl package for our guys. I don’t want to get into the details because I think we’d like to probably keep that amongst ourselves.

But when I was standing here in front of this big screen, I put up the Power Point, I went from talking about the Pinstripe Bowl, had my guys’ attention. They came out of their chairs when I showed them the bowl package. I didn’t get that popular in a very short period of time. They were very excited about the things they were going to get from the bowl package.

After Kelly’s presser, senior receiver T.J. Jones gave a little insight into the package that got them so excited:

Receiver TJ Jones said the bowl package included a Playstation 4, a bowl ring and “a lot of clothes and hats.” He said a trip to Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center were other selling points for the trip.

Other warm weather destinations such as the Poinsettia Bowl and the Hawaii Bowl were considered: however, Northern Illinois’ final loss of the season took that off the table. As for the Hawaii Bowl, travel concerns were the main issue. With finals ending at ND on December 20, the team would have to leave on December 21 and miss many of the events surrounding the Christmas Eve game.

In short, if the end goal was to try and reward the team, it seems that was accomplished.

While the team will surely enjoy New York City during the holidays and get some great bowl swag, the game itself leaves much to be desired from a fan perspective. The matchup against Rutgers is one of the most lopsided of the entire bowl season. Take any rating match up that you’d like and the game simply looks horrid on paper: 8-4 vs 6-6, #19 vs #98 (FEI rank), #25 vs #103 (Sagarin), #26 vs #82 (BCS), etc.

Unfortunately, this is what happens when Notre Dame has no bowl tie-ins and misses the BCS. As rumors of playoffs swirled, no one wanted to lock ND tie-ins to any contracts, leaving the Irish in no-man’s land for postseason play.

While I am not overly thrilled about the potential matchup, I will always be happy to take another Notre Dame football game in, even one that isn’t that great. Further, from a program building perspective, I will always welcome the chance for the Irish to get more practices under their belt, especially the younger players. Every rep is valuable both in practice and in the game.

One player that will also be finding himself in the role of a fan will be Louis Nix III. Big Lou signed with an agent and as such, he is now a professional, meaning his time as a student athlete for ND is done. This means that he is no longer a member of the team, meaning he gets no bowl swag, no free trip, and he cannot even attend bowl practices (unless he is brought in as a guest, which happens often). I have a feeling though that the future first-rounder will easily be able to afford his own swag quite easily as well and paying his way out there should he chose.

While this move was certainly expected, Nix couldn’t officially leave ND without doing something else that is made of pure Irish Chocolate awesome. As the early NFL games were under way, Nix left a little gift in South Quad:

Just dropped off a duffle bag of my old issued gear to South quad. #Enjoy #OneThingPerPerson pic.twitter.com/CWurU6W5hj

— lOUIS NIX III (@1irishchocolate) December 8, 2013

And, yes, people did partake in the gift-giving:

https://twitter.com/spence_fence/status/409785198763446273

Even fans that didn’t get to the bag in time got a little something, but who knows, there could be more to come:

@MGolicJR57 Golic I have something special for the ND students

— lOUIS NIX III (@1irishchocolate) December 8, 2013

Needless to say, the departure of Nix will leave some huge shoes to fill in not just talent, but personality. He is truly one of a kind and is going to be one hell of an addition to an NFL locker room.

Best of luck Lou, you are already missed.

The post Notre Dame to Pinstripe Bowl, Louis Nix to NFL appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Another thing I like to do to pass the time is read. And, seeing as how my thoughts turned to our first foe of the season, I did a little reading about Temple. Here’s what I learned:

Image Credit: Temple

We’re going to win this game. While Temple, 4-7 last season, is a program that’s probably moving in the right direction under first-year coach Matt Rhule (if you consider a move from the MAC to the Big East “the right direction”), they don’t have the talent, the size, or the speed to keep up with the Irish on August 31. USAToday recently (June 15) ranked the Owls 88th in their preseason countdown and predicted “four clear losses” on their 2013 schedule: Louisville, Cincinatti, Rutgers, and Notre Dame. For what it’s worth, I agree. At least insofar as that statement includes the Irish.

In the days before Crazy Train, the upstarts (Tulsa) and the hardworking (Navy) fared well in The House That Rock Built. No more. When the Owls silently fly into South Bend, they will have to contend with a retooled offensive line, a two-QB system (stop it), Louis Nix, III, and Stephon Tuitt. Apparently, what happened is that Temple’s number three quarterback, Connor Reilly, so impressed Coach Rhule in their Spring game, that he vaulted to the top of the depth chart. Evidently, the old starter, a senior named Chris Coyer, is a “run-first” QB and that’s not what Coach Rhule wants going forward. I wonder if Messers. Nix, Tuitt, et al. had anything to do with that. Run first! And your name isn’t Everett Golson? Please.

According to sources, Temple’s biggest issues for the coming season are its defense, and Rutgers. Man, they don’t like Rutgers. In case you didn’t know (and you didn’t), Rutgers considers Temple to be inferior, less good, you know, morons. Like Purdue. But if Tommy Rees can get the ball down field, and against Temple’s D-line and secondary, he should, Temple’s got no one who can hang with TJ Jones or Davaris Daniels.

Here’s how we lose: play like we did against USF in 2011. Barring injury or arrest, our two-deep should manhandle the Owls. But if Turnover Tommy gets under center…

Some other tidbits about Temple you might not have known: their APR is 963, their GSR is 66, and their FGR is 57. If you don’t know what that means, click here. Temple is in Philadelphia, where everyone thinks this is the best sandwich in town. Or this. But really, this is. Oh, and Bill Cosby played football there. And, if you clicked the Temple link earlier, you no doubt saw that you can buy two season tickets for $150. Suffice it to say, no Temple games make this list.

The post Indiana Kelly and the Temple of Doom appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

I may not be one of those “damn Catholics” that he referred to and I don’t particularly put much stock into his opinions about Notre Dame either. I’m not offended by his comments — my actual reaction is probably the furthest from. What does boggle my mind though is how a university president can’t seem to figure out when to keep his mouth shut.

Of course, we’ve also experienced the other side of the coin. Eddie Vanderdoes has been doing a fantastic job of saying nothing, only releasing a statement that there will be statement in the future. While he and his family complain that fan speculation has moved too far from the actual truth of the situation, they’ve done absolutely nothing to quell it.

Compare that to Everett Golson who cleared the air the next day after news of his dismissal was public. He didn’t reveal every last detail about the situation, but he did enough to answer the big questions and kill any remaining wild speculation. He screwed up academically in some fashion, he knows it’s on him, and he’s going to work towards coming back to his home under the Dome.

But then we come back to Gordon Gee and his big mouth.

He bashed Catholics while his prized football coach isn’t just Catholic, but named after a pope, coached at Notre Dame, and even flirted with the idea of taking his “dream job” in South Bend. His Athletic Director, Gene Smith, is a Notre Dame alumnus.

And it doesn’t stop there either. He bashed the SEC for not being able to read and write, despite the fact that he gave a commencement address at LSU’s health sciences center and his own daughter is an assistant professor at LSU as well. I guess he spoke to no one and his own daughter is contributing to the academic decline of the SEC…or something.

Then to top it all off, he took a shot at his own conference commissioner. Now, I believe Delany is a money-grabbing idiot that has watered down his own conference, but you would think that one of his own would be just a little bit more delicate with his criticism.

Gee, How can you be this dumb?

I can understand an 18 year-old kid and his family not knowing how to play the PR game effectively, but a university president failing to do so — repeatedly — is both hilarious and sad.

The Roundup

Don’t feel too bad Ohio State, you could be Rutgers. There’s definitely a difference between saying something stupid and doing something that is simply beyond dumb…and wasting $70,000 to do it.

Speaking of doing dumb things, anyone remember Chris Martin? I guess there is just no way Weis can ever successfully recruit that guy. Way to blow a second chance.

Feel free to just disappear anytime, Paterno family. They have filed a lawsuit with the NCAA to not just overturn the sanctions, but also receive monetary damages as well. Seriously, just go away, please.

And now your moment of zen. Les Miles rappelling down a building because why not.

The Beer

Sometimes I pick a beer based on what’s in my fridge. Sometimes, it’s what I find in a store. Other times, I Google just to see if something exists to make a joke with the theme.

Today is one of those weeks.

The post Friday Roundup: The “Learning When To Speak” Edition appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.