So, what are we going to think IF we beat USC?

[SpeedsterX 652]

I mean, we hung with Ohio State. Yea, we laid an egg with Louisville but losing to USC is NOT a given if we play them how we played OSU. So, what are you going to think if we beat them?

[IrishGuy 177]

I don't think we need to think too much about what happens if ND beats USC....

[ND_JACK 321]

3 hours ago, SpeedsterX said:

I mean, we hung with Ohio State. Yea, we laid an egg with Louisville but losing to USC is NOT a given if we play them how we played OSU. So, what are you going to think if we beat them?

I guess it would matter how we beat USC. We probably all agree that USC is beatable with a great offensive of which their QB is their best player. So let’s say Williams gets hurt in their first possession and we squeak out a W. That doesn’t impress me much. But now let’s say Williams doesn’t get hurt. We just physically dominate and crush them. That would IMPRESS me and I would  have to rethink firing the coaching staff…..lol

[InLikeFlynn 261]

I can't say I would be surprised if we beat USC.  I may be off on my thinking, but we now become the slayer instead of the giant.  The pressure is kind of off to win every week since its assumed the playoff is a pretty much unattainable goal at this point.  I would love to beat USC, this team is good enough to do it.  I still really like this team.  it was a bummer against Louisville but I still can't wait to watch them play every Saturday. Go Irish!

[TexasDomer 1,286]

I’ll feel like we’re very talented but inconsistent.  

[Rocketsan 768]

It will reinforce my belief that we routinely play down to our opponents…

I will not be surprised if we win. I will not be surprised if they shame us….

[DamshaBua 48]

Being in So Call, I have seen most of USC's defense. U$C's defense is REALLY bad.

They do have the best player in CFB but quite a bit and than can be enough. 

Losing to them is not a given. In fighting, the adage is styles make fights. Estime is all wrong for them. ND does look worn out and beat up. We'll see.  

[tneun89 978]

Did anyone think ND was going to beat undefeated, #4 Clemson last year, just a few weeks removed from losing to Stanford? This is a much better ND team than last year, and USC is just as beatable as that Clemson team ended up being.

ND under Freeman has been inconsistent. If you think about it, it shouldn't be surprising. Freeman is only in his second season. He is still figuring out how to coach. That's what ND signed up for when they hired him. They knew he would have to learn on the job and expected growing pains.

Brian Kelly had almost 20 years of head coaching experience when he came to ND, including 7 years in D1 at Central Michigan and Cincinnati (then a P5 team). Even with all of his experience, his transition as the head coach of ND took time. It's hard to forget him starting 8-5, 8-5. 

I still have hope for Freeman. It's still early in his tenure. He will get the benefit of the doubt. But he needs this win in the worst way. In past years, the OSU loss would have been considered a positive (think how we felt about ND/BK after FSU in 2014, Clemson in 2015, Georgia in 2019, etc.).But his loss to OSU is definitely not a positive because the coaches simply gave away the win with how they handled the last four minutes. The coaching performance against Duke and Louisville was abysmal, especially on the offensive side. Blame poor OL play, blame very poor WR play, blame injuries, etc. But it's inexcusable for a team as talented as ND with a Top 10 QB in the country to score 6 total TDs in the last 3 games. ND should have put up 30+ on Louisville. Instead, in competitive action, they scored one TD to a walk-on WR. Not good enough. Parker needs to turn it around or he could be one and done.

I don't think USC is very good, especially on defense. I think being at home will help greatly. This team seems completely worn down right now - 8 straight games, including the first one in Ireland, and four straight Top 25 opponents in prime time. They need a bye in the worst way. I have no idea if ND can put up 30+ points against the Trojans - they should be able to since every other USC opponent has been able to. But I have no faith in the offense right now. Parker and the offensive coaches all need to up their game - the OL has been bad the last two games, the WRs have been nonexistent, the RBs have been ineffective in short yardage and in blitz pickup, and even Hartman played terribly against Louisville. But this is a getable defense - it's the right opponent to turn things around heading into the bye week.

The Playoffs are out, but ND can still get to a NY6 bowl game with a win this weekend because the last four games are all very winnable.

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

This team can absolutely beat USC.  They should/could have beaten OSU.  We know our Irish offense can put up points.  And we know our Irish defense can be very stifling.  The offense needs to wake the frig up and just do what every other USC opponent has done to them.  The defense just has to get a few more stops than the USC defense.  I think our boys can do it.  The playoffs are gone, but this season is not over.  A very good bowl game for all of our draft eligible players to sit out of can still happen lol.

[Baldy 1,225]

5 hours ago, NYGoldenDomer said:

This team can absolutely beat USC.  They should/could have beaten OSU.  We know our Irish offense can put up points.  And we know our Irish defense can be very stifling.  The offense needs to wake the frig up and just do what every other USC opponent has done to them.  The defense just has to get a few more stops than the USC defense.  I think our boys can do it.  The playoffs are gone, but this season is not over.  A very good bowl game for all of our draft eligible players to sit out of can still happen lol.

This is great, and 100% what I believe should/will happen! Well said!

Go Irish!!! 🍀🏈

[IrishGuy 177]

14 hours ago, NYGoldenDomer said:

This team can absolutely beat USC.  They should/could have beaten OSU.  We know our Irish offense can put up points.  And we know our Irish defense can be very stifling.  The offense needs to wake the frig up and just do what every other USC opponent has done to them.  The defense just has to get a few more stops than the USC defense.  I think our boys can do it.  The playoffs are gone, but this season is not over.  A very good bowl game for all of our draft eligible players to sit out of can still happen lol.

Are you sure you have been watching THIS year's games?  The offense has been pretty bad the last 3 weeks (and getting worse each game) and the defense has been decent, but faaaaaar from stifling.

The questions are really around whether U$C's defense is bad enough that ND will be able to run the ball against a D keyed on stopping the run and whether ND's D can actually get to Williams this year (and can suddenly learn how to tackle and stay awake for the entire game).

I have seen enough to say that ND will not win a shootout. If ND is going to win, it will be by shortening the game with run heavy sustained drives and not letting Williams win the Heisman with highlights from this game alone (like last year).

[NYGoldenDomer 2,046]

10 hours ago, IrishGuy said:

Are you sure you have been watching THIS year's games?  The offense has been pretty bad the last 3 weeks (and getting worse each game) and the defense has been decent, but faaaaaar from stifling.

The questions are really around whether U$C's defense is bad enough that ND will be able to run the ball against a D keyed on stopping the run and whether ND's D can actually get to Williams this year (and can suddenly learn how to tackle and stay awake for the entire game).

I have seen enough to say that ND will not win a shootout. If ND is going to win, it will be by shortening the game with run heavy sustained drives and not letting Williams win the Heisman with highlights from this game alone (like last year).

You know what?  That's what I am doing wrong.  I'm watching games from 1993.  Shit.  

Its my hope that, even though the Duke game should have, the Louisville game forces Freeman and staff to have a real gut check.  They can't let this season get away from them.  Could the opposite happen?  Sure.  The kids know their playoff hopes are gone.  Maybe they let whatever it is the coaches are preaching in one ear and out the other.  Hopefully, they have enough pride to want to still play for a big payday in a NY6 bowl.  You're guess is as good as mine.  From the games I have watched this season, this team is good enough to beat everyone on their schedule.  They hung with OSU, they should have beat OSU.  The offense that showed up in the first 4 games of the season, and the defense that has shown up in every game this season, is good enough to beat USC.  They just have the execute better than they have in the past two games.

[Baldy 1,225]

12 hours ago, IrishGuy said:

Are you sure you have been watching THIS year's games?  The offense has been pretty bad the last 3 weeks (and getting worse each game) and the defense has been decent, but faaaaaar from stifling.

The questions are really around whether U$C's defense is bad enough that ND will be able to run the ball against a D keyed on stopping the run and whether ND's D can actually get to Williams this year (and can suddenly learn how to tackle and stay awake for the entire game).

I have seen enough to say that ND will not win a shootout. If ND is going to win, it will be by shortening the game with run heavy sustained drives and not letting Williams win the Heisman with highlights from this game alone (like last year).

I was thinking this exact same! Take a page out of the Navy handbook, by a greater TOP, and scoring on every drive.

As for the defense, and controlling Williams, I feel Jaylen Sneed needs to be more involved in playing QB spy and contain. Marist has been doing this I think, but he’s too slow, and Sneed is much faster! This could be a big test for Sneed, so I say let him loose and just play!

[tneun89 978]

3 hours ago, Baldy said:

I was thinking this exact same! Take a page out of the Navy handbook, by a greater TOP, and scoring on every drive.

As for the defense, and controlling Williams, I feel Jaylen Sneed needs to be more involved in playing QB spy and contain. Marist has been doing this I think, but he’s too slow, and Sneed is much faster! This could be a big test for Sneed, so I say let him loose and jsut play!

I like the idea of spying Caleb - he killed ND last year with scrambles and off-script throws. However, I'd put Kiser in there as the spy. By all accounts, he's the fastest (via testing) LB on the team, even faster than Marist and Sneed. I also think he's a really smart player and sure tackler. He needs more PT going forward.

[Joey D.... 32]

If ND wins this week, I’d think the following:

Where was this game plan last week on third down

Balanced offense, and those downfield passes off play action were awesome

The coaches actually do know it’s a bad idea to rotate the interior lineman in a mid season top 25 matchup. Oline play was dominant 

Tackling in the middle of the field was great

Greta job on not beating themselves with unnecessary penalties, dropped passes, and blown coverages 

What a great game for special teams

[ND_JACK 321]

31 minutes ago, Joey D.... said:

If ND wins this week, I’d think the following:

Where was this game plan last week on third down

Balanced offense, and those downfield passes off play action were awesome

The coaches actually do know it’s a bad idea to rotate the interior lineman in a mid season top 25 matchup. Oline play was dominant 

Tackling in the middle of the field was great

Greta job on not beating themselves with unnecessary penalties, dropped passes, and blown coverages 

What a great game for special teams

I agree with you in that we need a balance offense and use the RPO more, which I have seen very little of this year. I am not sure why guys think we can consistently run the ball with 9 men in the box. STOP drinking the kool-aide guys our offense line is NOT that good that we can be one-dimensional team. You can be one dimensional against Navy, Tennessee St., or central Michigan sure not the big boys…...not USC.

[Baldy 1,225]

2 hours ago, tneun89 said:

I like the idea of spying Caleb - he killed ND last year with scrambles and off-script throws. However, I'd put Kiser in there as the spy. By all accounts, he's the fastest (via testing) LB on the team, even faster than Marist and Sneed. I also think he's a really smart player and sure tackler. He needs more PT going forward.

Yeah, that is true, so I agree!

[TexasDomer 1,286]

I’m going to think “at least Julian Okwara didn’t have to dress like a condom”

 

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/lions-wr-amon-ra-st-brown-has-to-dress-like-notre-dame-leprechaun-after-usc-loses-211200773.html

[Baldy 1,225]

1 hour ago, TexasDomer said:

I’m going to think “at least Julian Okwara didn’t have to dress like a condom”

 

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/lions-wr-amon-ra-st-brown-has-to-dress-like-notre-dame-leprechaun-after-usc-loses-211200773.html

I saw this earlier, and just love it! 😝

Brady Quinn and Matt Leinart had a similar bet, so on Big Noon Saturday this weekend, Leinart will be dressed up in the Leprechaun outfit too!

My wife and I are going to record it so we can just laugh and laugh! 😂 It’s going to be oh so glorious! 🤣

[Baldy 1,225]

For everyone’s enjoyment! 😝🤘🏼🍀🏈😂🤣