College Football - Week of 9/9

[CaliforniaRaisin]

Plus, most importantly Nicholson went to my high school and I've hung out with him. So there's that.

 

Probably why he isn't starting.

[TruffleShuffle]

Other teams "running up the score" today:

 

*#4 Auburn's starting QB Brandon Cox throws a TD pass with 1:45 to go in the 3rd quarter, putting the Tigers up 31 on Mississippi State.

 

*#7 Florida's starting QB Chris Leak throws a TD pass with 8:32 to go in the 4th quarter, putting the Gators up 42 on Central Florida.

 

*#8 LSU's starting QB Jamarcus Russell throws a 29-yard TD pass with 5:05 to go in the 3rd quarter, putting the Tigers up 38 on Arizona.

 

*#21 Nebraska's starting QB Zac Taylor throws for TWO TD's in the third quarter, putting Nebraska up 35 and 42 points respectively over Nicholl's State.

 

Do we want to discuss all of these, or single out Notre Dame as "classless?" We were not up as much as these teams and played a much higher caliber of opponent. Did all of these teams run up the score and therefore are all of these programs classless? Opinions please, especially from the anti-ND crowd.

 

Uh, how about I didn't watch any of these games? Unlike you, I didn't pore through the other top 25 games looking for other examples of running the scores up. I was talking about the game that I actually watched. But, here's how I feel about the games above:

 

 

* Auburn - not running the score up. They were only up 3 scores with more than a quarter to play, their starters should be in and they should still be throwing the ball

 

*Florida - running the score up - no reason to be throwing the ball with starters and a 35 point lead in the 4th quarter

 

*LSU - not running the score up, more than 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter

 

*Nebraska - the first one isn't a problem; the second one is a questionable, but there was more than half of the third quarter left. I have a bigger problem with still having the starting QB in the game, throwing the ball for the rest of the third quarter with a 42 point lead against a clearly outmatched opponent.

 

 

I guess the problem I have with the fake punt is that it's a move used to give a team a spark when it's struggling, or to catch the other side off guard in a close game. I don't know that I've ever seen a fake punt from a team with a 24 point lead. To me, I think it just screams of Weis stroking his ego. And, I think it would've been smarter to save the fake punt for the Michigan game if it's close. There's no way the Wolverines will be caught off-guard now.

 

The other factor is, does a team need to get its starters some work? Penn State had many new offensive lineman and a new QB, which is why those guys were left in for so long. Did Quinn, Samardzija and Walker really need the extra experience in the 4th quarter yesterday? Not so much.

[Andy]

Lou ran a fake punt once in 1992 with his Irish ahead of BC 37-0. The next year...well...

 

Dude, ND plays the hardest schedule in the nation. Plus god loves them. they deserve to be #2.

Considering ND has played the hardest schedule in the country - BY FAR - out of any top 25 team, being sarcastic about their schedule is going to fall on deaf ears. Find some other way to express your ND hatred, please.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Lou ran a fake punt once in 1992 with his Irish ahead of BC 37-0. The next year...well...

 

Dude, ND plays the hardest schedule in the nation. Plus god loves them. they deserve to be #2.

Considering ND has played the hardest schedule in the country - BY FAR - out of any top 25 team, being sarcastic about their schedule is going to fall on deaf ears. Find some other way to express your ND hatred, please.

 

It's two games into the season. It's a little early to determine strength of schedule. We really don't know the level of the teams played other than opinions and last year's performance.

[soccer10k]

Congrats to Texas and Ohio State for scheduling this game at this point in the season.

 

Not sure it was really all that wise though. One team's national title hopes are sure to be seriously harmed tonight.

 

That and Notre Dame: nobody plays a tougher early season schedule year after year. Cudos.

 

If you are going to schedule a game against a good opponent, it's better to do it early in the year than late in the year because you have time to bounce back and recover from your loss. With the way the polls are, you know other teams are going to lose and will drop behind you.

[TruffleShuffle]

Lou ran a fake punt once in 1992 with his Irish ahead of BC 37-0. The next year...well...

 

Dude, ND plays the hardest schedule in the nation. Plus god loves them. they deserve to be #2.

Considering ND has played the hardest schedule in the country - BY FAR - out of any top 25 team, being sarcastic about their schedule is going to fall on deaf ears. Find some other way to express your ND hatred, please.

 

It's two games into the season. It's a little early to determine strength of schedule. We really don't know the level of the teams played other than opinions and last year's performance.

 

Yeah, especially since conference teams generally play weaker teams before they head into their tougher in-conference schedule. There's no reason for ND to play an easier schedule early in the year because they aren't in a conference.

[Mark_R]

ND has played Ga. Tech on the road and PSU at home. That is tougher than NIU at home and Texas on the road??

 

Gotta love the ND bias.

[SouthSideRyan]

*#4 Auburn's starting QB Brandon Cox throws a TD pass with 1:45 to go in the 3rd quarter, putting the Tigers up 31 on Mississippi State.

 

 

* Auburn - not running the score up. They were only up 3 scores with more than a quarter to play, their starters should be in and they should still be throwing the ball

 

But ND up 3 scores. with 6:30 left, CLASSLESS.

 

*#8 LSU's starting QB Jamarcus Russell throws a 29-yard TD pass with 5:05 to go in the 3rd quarter, putting the Tigers up 38 on Arizona.

 

*LSU - not running the score up, more than 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter

 

ND up by 7 points less against a better opponent with an extra minute and change on the clock, CLASSLESS.

[SouthSideRyan]

Plus, most importantly Nicholson went to my high school and I've hung out with him. So there's that.

 

Probably why he isn't starting.

 

"When asked why redshirt sophomore Dan Nicholson hasn't been starting for the NIU football team, Coach Joe Novak responded with an outrageous story involving Nicholson, public nudity, urine soaked sheets, a burnt down house, and an unknown, strikingly gorgeous, second party. The Northern Illinois dean of discipline is investigating the matter."

[TruffleShuffle]

*#4 Auburn's starting QB Brandon Cox throws a TD pass with 1:45 to go in the 3rd quarter, putting the Tigers up 31 on Mississippi State.

 

 

* Auburn - not running the score up. They were only up 3 scores with more than a quarter to play, their starters should be in and they should still be throwing the ball

 

But ND up 3 scores. with 6:30 left, CLASSLESS.

 

*#8 LSU's starting QB Jamarcus Russell throws a 29-yard TD pass with 5:05 to go in the 3rd quarter, putting the Tigers up 38 on Arizona.

 

*LSU - not running the score up, more than 5 minutes left in the 3rd quarter

 

I'll repeat what someone said before - FAKE PUNT. Nobody said that Notre Dame scoring a TD there was shoddy sportsmanship; what they had a problem with was the use of a fake punt there.

 

 

You people who don't have a problem with running up the score, I'm not sure why you're even debating this. If you're OK with a team continuing to pile on, then just leave it at that. I don't like it, you're fine with it, so we'll agree to disagree.

 

ND up by 7 points less against a better opponent with an extra minute and change on the clock, CLASSLESS.

[TruffleShuffle]

I'll repeat what someone said before - FAKE PUNT. Nobody said that Notre Dame scoring a TD there was shoddy sportsmanship; what they had a problem with was the use of a fake punt there.

 

 

You people who don't have a problem with running up the score, I'm not sure why you're even debating this. If you're OK with a team continuing to pile on, then just leave it at that. I don't like it, you're fine with it, so we'll agree to disagree.

 

And honestly, I don't really care enough about ND to bash just jump on them for any reason. I just don't like when one team tries to show up the other by running up the score, and I'm glad that I don't root for a team that does it.

[SouthSideRyan]

I don't like running up the score, I just fail to see why it matters how you're trying to score in a game that is still in doubt. And for me 3 possessions with 6 minutes and change left in the 3rd quarter is a game that is still in doubt.

[hawkeyecub]

Not seeing much with Iowa this year Pedro. That's all they can offer up against a ballclub that lost 10 straight games? How are the Hawkeyes going to stay within, say, 10 points of the powerhouses in the Big 10?

 

I'm looking at those games against Ohio State and Michigan and thinking........dead meat.

 

They'll be OK if the defense can improve week-to-week. They've lost 6 really good linemen/linebackers in the past 2 seasons and are very young there. Today was definitely ugly, and I don't expect it to be the norm. They've struggled like crazy in September for the past few seasons for whatever reason and turned it on when it mattered. They'll have a really good run if they beat Iowa State next week.

 

The defense is fine. We threw 4 interceptions on Saturday and the defense only allowed 13 points. Granted, Syracuse's offense is horrible, but the defense was solid this week.

It's pretty simple, we need Tate or we need Manson to get more comfortable. Syracuse was putting 8 and at times even 9 men in the box on Saturday to stop the run and force us to air it out.

[SouthSideRyan]

Was Tate's injury just a one week thing, or is it something that's going to linger?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

Was Tate's injury just a one week thing, or is it something that's going to linger?

 

They're saying day-to-day, and last I heard he will be practicing this week.

[Andy]

I don't like running up the score, I just fail to see why it matters how you're trying to score in a game that is still in doubt. And for me 3 possessions with 6 minutes and change left in the 3rd quarter is a game that is still in doubt.

Yes, 27-3 may look like a bunch, but a couple of fluke TDs and 2-pointers and it's a one-possession game. Not that I would have called a fake punt, but I don't think it was "classless". But like everything else ND does, it's blown out of proportion.

[adamb0719]

I don't like running up the score, I just fail to see why it matters how you're trying to score in a game that is still in doubt. And for me 3 possessions with 6 minutes and change left in the 3rd quarter is a game that is still in doubt.

Yes, 27-3 may look like a bunch, but a couple of fluke TDs and 2-pointers and it's a one-possession game. Not that I would have called a fake punt, but I don't think it was "classless". But like everything else ND does, it's blown out of proportion.

 

I think if JoePa says it was the right move, and clinched the game, then that should be enough to show that it is not as big of a deal as some are making it.

 

I will say when Ty did it to Stanford a few years ago that was classless. But that was in the 4th when up by around 40.

[hawkeyecub]

Was Tate's injury just a one week thing, or is it something that's going to linger?

 

I don't think anyone knows at this point. Apparently it's been lingering for a while and got worse this week. Rest is really the only cure so it's pretty likely that it will linger throughout the year.

[sethuel1]

I don't have a problem with the fake punt.

[adamb0719]

I don't have a problem with the fake punt.

 

 

And from what I have read online, not many people do. I really don't think it was an attempt to run up the score, but rather an attempt to insure the win. Weis has always played aggressively, and this is just another example of that.

[CuseCubFan69]

Tough loss....how many times can you do the same thing and get the same results? I will never understand why you wouldn't open up the offense on the one and try to get a yard that way. It's not like Syracuse even has a deep threat to begin with. Great job by Iowa stuffing the run and my hats off to them. I also think that Ferentz has a lot of class.

 

Not bad for the worst team in the Big East against one of the best in the Big Ten.