Well look at how successful they have been. Some might say that's becuase they play the creampuffs, but can you seriouusly sit there and blame them? If you are Nebraska and have the reputation a noteriety they have, they gain aboslutely nothing and risk everything by scheduling a Miami in Non-conference. I would love to see them and K-state play tougher schedules, but the problem lies with college football, not with them. They are taking the paths of least resistance, call them pussies for it, but it's the smartest thing to do.
So I take it you'll all be cheering the Wolverines on to victory this weekend then? I grew up near South Bend, and decided the first day I lived there that I didn't like Domers. It's not easy to find a group of people a Michigan grad can dare call 'arrogant', since we're pretty darn arrogant ourselves, but they succeeded. For years, my favorite teams were Michigan and whoever was playing Notre Dame. Oddly enough, though, I find myself hoping Tyrone Willingham succeeds. He's a class guy, a good man, and it's nice to see minorities getting a shot at the big time.
I go along with that, but with Notre Dame it's always qualified. They play a tough schedule, maybe the toughest year after year. Very few patsies, except maybe USC from time to time (heh heh, take that, Auria!) They get first crack at all the best high-schoolers, so winning is expected. Kind of like the rich kid who inherited zillions. You're not surprised if he does well, and get a guilty pleasure when he hits skid row.
ND signed the NBC contract to start in the 1991 season, originally for 5 years. The contract is for home games, and has been renewed twice. Because of their popularity (pro and anti), every ND game finds its way to some sort of network, ABC, ESPN, CBS has the Navy game this year. I've never been pro-ND but I'm not a hater either, in fact I like Willingham as a coach. Since in grew up in MA, I want to see BC kick their asses into the turf every year though. BTW, if ND eventually goes to the Big Ten, that frees up a hoop membership for.......Penn State, who belongs in the Big East anyway.
No one's mentioned it, but Notre Dame has been having recruiting difficulties for a while now. ND sends fewer players to the NFL than Miami, Florida, Florida State, etc. But Tyrone Willingham is giving them renewed credibility, and things might improve. As for why Notre Dame is popular enough to get a National TV Contract, has it occured to you that the second largest ethnic group in the country is the Irish? I can't speak for all Irish-Americans, but I do love ND. On the other hand, a lot of Irish love the Kennedys and I hate them. I also root for BC because, along with ND, they're the only Catholic schools in Division 1A.
ND are a fake 2-0 so far. No offensive touchdowns in two games against a flash-in-the-pan (Maryland -- boy, Bill Friedgen should have taken a better job when he had the chance) and a never-was (Purdue) merits a Top 25 placement? Yeah, and Penn State's a legit Top 25 after beating Central Michigan, too. They'll get their heads handed to them by Michigan on Saturday.
i bet so... notre dame has not shown a lick of offense against purdue and maryland...although i hate michigan their defense is 10 times better than purdue's and maryland's combined, that is for sure... you think they are going to score an offensive touchdown and win? keep those eyes closed and the dreams coming... michigan - 35 & notre dame - 10
What I mean is No pro football team is on every week. No college team is on every week either, but one--Notre Dame. Puh leez. Who made this average team the god of football and they get precedence OVER ALL other teams. Get them off my TV screen. According to NBC: "2 divisions" in American Football: 1) 28 NFL teams and 300 Div I NCAA teams 2) Notre Dame I represent Joe Average fan a.k.a. Soccer-6-Shooter
hey...HEY! USC's fallen from the ranks of the elite, but they'll be back. This is the year. (Of course, I said that last year, and the year before that...)
You're right, they're on national TV every week. They also have a widespread and wealthy alumni that tunes in. Hence, it's financially sensible to broadcast their games every week. If nobody watched, they wouldn't do it. Still, with football on ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN1 and 2, Fox Sports Net, and umpteen other channels, it's not like we don't have a choice.
Too bad you couldn't remember who my team is, you could have had the easiest slamdunk in history. Hint: we go to the belly of the beast on Oct. 12 to silence the trojan band.
what? a team that has not scored a single offensive touchdown is going to score 41 points on one of the better defenses in the country? put the crack pipe down slowly...
^&*(@#$%$^$^#@%&!!! Unfortunately (for me), he is referring to the 1993 disaster of disasters when BC defeated #1 Notre Dame on a last-second FG by the aforementioned David Gordon. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to throw up. Or at least pour lemon juice in a cut (after an MLT sandwich of course). I hate Pete Bercich (who was two steps behind Pete Mitchell all game long), and I despise Lou Holtz. The only time he did anything well was because of Barry Alvarez (D Co-ordinator of the '88 championship team). I will NOT argue this point. For the record, my over/under on Metroflip chiming in with 41-39 was two pages. I had the under, so I clearly lost. Oh, Fidlerre, two things : 1) I'm sorry you had to take down those goals 2) I just realized where you were posting from, I now understand why you equate scum with Michigan automatically. However to metroflip ND is scum. (In truth, everyone is scum to someone. But I digress) Back on topic. Notre dame has had dry spells before (see : Faust, Gerry) and have come back to some semblance of respectability. I believe they will do so again. Sorry ND haters, Willingham seems to be the real deal, and he knows how to maximize his talent, unlike a certain Mr. Davie, who for a head coach was a fine Defensive Co-ordinator. ND recruited talent, but Davie mis-managed it. Now with Ty, ND will have the top 5 recruiting classes on a yearly basis, and will be back near the top of the mountain soon enough. As for TV coverage, most networks realize that ND (especially when they are doing well) is a huge ratings draw because not only do you have ND fans tuning in, you also have people like Metroflip tuning in as well. Sorry to go on so long, I best be going now, --Tom PS, prediction : ND goes 8-4 this year and it only gets better. However this week, as much as it pains me ; Muck Fichigan 23, Fighting Irish 17
What is also great is the week before, ND beats Charlie Ward's FSU in the "Game of the Century" FSU loses their first game, and ND is undefeated going into Senior Day. From what a Jew from Brooklyn tells me, David Gordon is Jewish...HA! It was awesome to see that with all the trash talking ND had done by already seeing themselves in the Nat'l championship game, they overlooked us and Tom Coughlin's pro-style offense and we thumped them in their crib on the last day of the season as they were wishing their departing seniors well. And this all began when ND ran on a 4th and 15 punt situation in South Bend the year before when both teams were ranked 7th (Scum) and 8th (BC). Notre Whore, gotta hate her. We then were 8-2. We were on the cover of SI, but then we lose to West Va at home on their 10-0 run to the Sugar Bowl the day after Thanksgiving . The score was 20-14 and we fumbled, IIRC, 3 times in the red zone and handed the Mountaineers their 11-0 season and Big East championship. SI covers suck. But we killed Virginia in the Carquest Bowl 31-13 and Jacksonville took Coughlin away from us. Only time I check NBC for ND football is when we travel to the cesspool that is South Bend.
The wishbone wasn't archaic in the 1970's. Texas won NC's in 1969 and 1970 running the bone every play. Oklahoma won multiple NC's running the bone in the '70's and '80's. The bone was only invented in about '64, I think.
The wishbone was invented by Emory Bellard at the U of T in 1968. It was archaic by the early to mid 1980's. The University of Miami proved this against OU on more than one occasion in the 1980's and thereafter.
Re: ^&*(@#$%$^$^#@%&!!! 1. yea i was disappinted when i got the e-mail from kirch media...how they ever found the clips is beyond me...they must have been surfing bigsoccer. 2. my bad. i was confused...michigan is indeed scum here in c-bus
Actually BAMA played a pro style offense until the early 70's when they switched to a wishbone to copy the success of Texas et al.
You're absolutely right, but it is "UT", not "U of T". I thought you were talking about Tennessee there for a minute. Until I remembered that Bellard was an assistant to Royal. Didn't OU win the NC in '85 or '86?
The Big East schools did not want to share the basketball $$$ with Penn State but were more than willing to join a football only conference to ride on Penn State's coat-tails. Penn State rightly told Pitt et al to go ************ themselves. BTW - Penn State Men's-Ball made the sweet 16 in 2001 - their best showing in the modern era so we don't always completely suck in B-Ball.
His name is Ralph Friedgen & Penn State beat Central Florida. Other than that you got all your facts right. Penn State plays Nebraska on Saturday. Frankly I think we'll get blown out.