9/10: (0-1) Notre Dame @ (1-0) Michigan...1st night game ever at The Big House

• dwccrew

  

  Tobias Fünke;892835 wrote:Players back or not I still don't think I could confidently say Ohio State would win that game.

  I don't think you can confidently say that in a lot of OSU games this season (the same could be said about ND IMO), however, I would pick OSU at this point. It doesn't matter though, they won't play each other unless they somehow get matched up in a bowl which is not very likely.
• Tiernan

  Lets see what happens btwn Boise St and Toledo before we close the books on the Rockets. They might not be that bad of a team.
• ts1227

  

  Tiernan;892885 wrote:Lets see what happens btwn Boise St and Toledo before we close the books on the Rockets. They might not be that bad of a team.

  
  They should win the MAC West, if not the conference, but one could argue that the Sun Belt is better than the MAC anymore too.
• vball10set

  sjmvsfscs08;892165 wrote:I don't think Notre Dame could win against Ohio State if they turned the ball over as frequently as they have. But then again with Bauserman at the helm I'd bet on the Irish for the hell of it.
  
  But why the hell are we having this discussion?

  lol--okay Toby, did you sell this username, or are you just trying to mess with people?
• se-alum

  

  Brian Kelly making excuses about the schedule. Yeah, the same schedule Notre Dame has complete control over.
  
  "Ohio State is playing Toledo. Teams are playing easy games early on in the schedule. We don't get that luxury"
• killer_ewok

  

  se-alum;893071 wrote:Brian Kelly making excuses about the schedule. Yeah, the same schedule Notre Dame has complete control over.
  
  "Ohio State is playing Toledo. Teams are playing easy games early on in the schedule. We don't get that luxury"

  
  He said that?
• karen lotz

  

  The Notre Dame coach said a tough early season schedule has only made the mistakes more difficult to overcome. “We’ve made so many mistakes against two pretty tough teams coming out,” Kelly said. “Again, as you see the schedule, Ohio State is playing Toledo. I mean, teams are playing easy games early on in the schedule. We don’t get that luxury. We have to go play in front of 115,000 [at Michigan Stadium]. Those mistakes are more glaring against opponents that are physically pretty good, as well.
  
  “I believe that we’re going to be a good football team. We won’t be until we clean up the little things that keep popping up on Saturdays.”
  

  That is the full quote.
• dwccrew

  

  killer_ewok;893076 wrote:He said that?

  Brian Kelly proving with that comment what I already thought about him. Granted Toledo, in terms of historical prestige, is no Michigan; but Toledo is on the same level as Michigan this season. I don't even think Toledo is on the same level as Notre Dame, but they are as Michigan and S. Florida. ND lost to 2 inferior teams and Kelly needs to just admit that and move forward and worry about MSU.
• karen lotz

  

  dwccrew;893085 wrote:I don't even think Toledo is on the same level as Notre Dame, but they are as Michigan and S. Florida

  Come on man. I thought you used to be a somewhat decent poster. Michigan and South Florida are far from world beaters, but they aren't MAC teams either.
• dwccrew

  

  karen lotz;893089 wrote:Come on man. I thought you used to be a somewhat decent poster. Michigan and South Florida are far from world beaters, but they aren't MAC teams either.

  I'm not saying they are MAC teams, I am saying one particular team from the MAC is on the same level THIS season. I actually think Toledo is a really good team (and not because of their performance against OSU). As the season plays out I may be proven wrong and if I am, I would have no problem eating crow about it. Let's wait to see how the season plays out. Toledo is not as bad as many believe.
• killer_ewok

  

  I agree TO AN EXTENT with Kelly but he should not have said it. Furthermore, self inflicted mistakes/turnovers have been the big issue for ND moreso than who the opponents have been.
• dwccrew

  

  killer_ewok;893096 wrote:I agree TO AN EXTENT with Kelly but he should not have said it. Furthermore, self inflicted mistakes/turnovers have been the big issue for ND moreso than who the opponents have been.

  Absolutely. ND has beaten ND in their last 2 games. They played to inferior opponents and still managed to lose the games. As I said in another thread, I think Kelly hasn't had his troops mentally prepared. What else can you blame so many redzone turnovers on in, not 1, but 2 games?
  
  And now with that comment, it sounds like he is making excuses moreso than taking the blame and getting ready for next week.
• se-alum

  

  karen lotz;893089 wrote:Come on man. I thought you used to be a somewhat decent poster. Michigan and South Florida are far from world beaters, but they aren't MAC teams either.

  Toledo has recently beat Michigan, and it's not like Michigan has gotten great. Their defense is still bad, and their offense is pretty decent. It seems like you're discounting Toledo just because they play in the MAC. They're a good, experienced football team. Hopefully they play well against Boise and shut everyone the hell up!
• dat dude

  Can't say I'm too surprised by the comment. Kelly is now 8-7 as the head coach at ND, despite ND having recruiting classes ranked #2, #21, #14 and #10 over the past four years. He is understandably getting defensive, as the pressure will continue to build. I don't think it's possible to have a worse start to 2011 for ND.
  
  I do, however, think he will right the ship and finish with 8 or 9 wins.
• vball10set

  dwccrew;893091 wrote:I'm not saying they are MAC teams, I am saying one particular team from the MAC is on the same level THIS season. I actually think Toledo is a really good team (and not because of their performance against OSU). As the season plays out I may be proven wrong and if I am, I would have no problem eating crow about it. Let's wait to see how the season plays out. Toledo is not as bad as many believe.

  There's an excellent chance that you will be proven right, but as you said, let's let the season play out. I also think USF will have a good season as well.
• karen lotz

  

  se-alum;893111 wrote:Toledo has recently beat Michigan, and it's not like Michigan has gotten great. Their defense is still bad, and their offense is pretty decent. It seems like you're discounting Toledo just because they play in the MAC. They're a good, experienced football team. Hopefully they play well against Boise and shut everyone the hell up!

  Link to where I said Michigan was great? I'm not discounting Toledo, I know they are a good MAC team. It seems like you are overhyping Toledo because they hung with and had a very good chance at beating OSU. (don't really think that at all, just showing how its easy to spin stuff.)
• enigmaax

  se-alum;893111 wrote:They're a good, experienced football team.

  What do they return from the team that got beat by 35+ points three times last year to go along with a loss to 3-9 Wyoming?
• vball10set

  enigmaax;893134 wrote:What do they return from the team that got beat by 35+ points three times last year to go along with a loss to 3-9 Wyoming?

  A whole lot of guys with another year of experience, but it remains to be seen how that works out..I just hope they represent well Friday night.
• se-alum

  

  karen lotz;893124 wrote:Link to where I said Michigan was great? I'm not discounting Toledo, I know they are a good MAC team. It seems like you are overhyping Toledo because they hung with and had a very good chance at beating OSU. (don't really think that at all, just showing how its easy to spin stuff.)

  I never said you thought Michigan was great. I'm overhyping Toledo because I think they can play with UM or South Florida?
  
  I also think Notre Dame is better than UM and USF, they just haven't been able to get out of their own way to start the season.
• enigmaax

  vball10set;893176 wrote:A whole lot of guys with another year of experience, but it remains to be seen how that works out..I just hope they represent well Friday night.

  Great, another year of experience for guys who almost won the MAC. I just don't get where all of a sudden Toledo is "good" in the general sense of the word. I hope they do well against Boise State, as well (hope they win - it is no secret how I feel about Boise's schedule so any game they lose to stop the national title talk is fine with me). I just don't understand at this point how they've suddenly come out of nowhere (even going back to being "one of the two schools some said could beat Boise" that was posted somewhere on here).
  

  dwccrew;893091 wrote:I'm not saying they are MAC teams, I am saying one particular team from the MAC is on the same level THIS season. I actually think Toledo is a really good team (and not because of their performance against OSU). As the season plays out I may be proven wrong and if I am, I would have no problem eating crow about it. Let's wait to see how the season plays out. Toledo is not as bad as many believe.

  I agree with you regarding Kelly's comments. He is right in that ND didn't have as much room for error, but so what - they still made the errors. Not sure why he went there with the schedule.
  
  And while I pointed out Toledo's results from last year, I'm not saying you are wrong...I just don't understand on what you're basing the opinion that they are suddenly a "good" team (not just a "good MAC team") if it isn't on how they performed against OSU. I mean, I get that they return a lot of people or whatever, but those people didn't do very well outside the MAC last year. Admittedly, I know little about them, so I'm curious why you have this hunch about them (other than the pretty good game they played on Saturday).
• se-alum

  

  Saw this on twitter and thought it was funny, as well as accurate.
  
  "Denard Robinson completed 80% of his jump balls against Notre Dame, and 37% of his "normal" passes."
• FatHobbit

  

  se-alum;893257 wrote:Saw this on twitter and thought it was funny, as well as accurate.
  
  "Denard Robinson completed 80% of his jump balls against Notre Dame, and 37% of his "normal" passes."

  He was 11/24 with 3 interceptions. That's terrible!
• karen lotz

  

  Herbie sure loved his "intentional" back shoulder fade.
• vball10set

  ^^^I lol'd at that comment....he just heaved it up and hoped his guy caught it...unfortunately, they did
• WebFire

  My thoughts:
  
  1. Kelly isn't wrong, but I wouldn't have said it. Sounds too much like an excuse.
  2. It doesn't surprise me that Toledo played OSU close. Toledo is good.
  3. Toledo could beat Notre Dame.
  4. Notre Dame could beat Toledo.
  5. Toledo could beat Michigan.
  6. Michigan could beat Toledo.
  7. Toledo beat Michigan when they had a 3-9 season. Not really comparable to beating any of the aforementioned teams today.
  8. Toledo sucked when they beat Michigan. Not really comparable to beating any of the aforementioned teams today.
  9. Denard Robinson did not have a good game. He threw too many jump balls. Luckily the receivers played well and bailed him out. I expect Denard to improve as the season goes. He can throw, he's done it before. But that game had no rhythm. The play calling was mystical.
  10. ND would be 2-0 if they'd quit turning the ball over.