Andy

Later, he added, "That's what KC in KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce means, right?"

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.

ND didn't beat any good teams last year and we don't know how good Penn State and Michigan will end up being this year. You can't give a team credit for winning a game early in the season against a highly ranked team if that team ends up having an average year that year. It's just like with Pittsburgh and Michigan last year. Those games looked like big victories and many people continued to mention that Notre Dame beat Michigan when they were ranked #3 in the nation and they beat a ranked Pittsburgh team. Neither of those teams ended up being very good last year so why should ND get credit for beating a good team when said team ends up being no more than an average team. If Penn State finishes the year 5-6, it's obvious that ND's victory over them wasn't actually that impressive. I would argue that Notre Dame's victory over PSU is still pretty impressive even if they finish 5-6, just not as impressive. It doesn't get much more one-sided than 41-3. So, how impressive is Auburn's win over Miss St or LSU's over Arizona? We don't know. What if Arizona finishes 4-7 and Penn State finishes 5-6? Which team's victory was more impressive? That's why it's stupid to start clamoring about strenght of schedule after two [expletive] games! I agree. So tell all the ND haters on this board who crack on the Irish schedule on a weekly basis to put a lid on it, because I don't like debating SOS, as it's not very germane to the situation right now.

ND didn't beat any good teams last year and we don't know how good Penn State and Michigan will end up being this year. You can't give a team credit for winning a game early in the season against a highly ranked team if that team ends up having an average year that year. It's just like with Pittsburgh and Michigan last year. Those games looked like big victories and many people continued to mention that Notre Dame beat Michigan when they were ranked #3 in the nation and they beat a ranked Pittsburgh team. Neither of those teams ended up being very good last year so why should ND get credit for beating a good team when said team ends up being no more than an average team. If Penn State finishes the year 5-6, it's obvious that ND's victory over them wasn't actually that impressive. I would argue that Notre Dame's victory over PSU is still pretty impressive even if they finish 5-6, just not as impressive. It doesn't get much more one-sided than 41-3. 17 I hate garbage-time TDs...if they're scored against my teams :D

ND didn't beat any good teams last year and we don't know how good Penn State and Michigan will end up being this year. You can't give a team credit for winning a game early in the season against a highly ranked team if that team ends up having an average year that year. It's just like with Pittsburgh and Michigan last year. Those games looked like big victories and many people continued to mention that Notre Dame beat Michigan when they were ranked #3 in the nation and they beat a ranked Pittsburgh team. Neither of those teams ended up being very good last year so why should ND get credit for beating a good team when said team ends up being no more than an average team. If Penn State finishes the year 5-6, it's obvious that ND's victory over them wasn't actually that impressive. I would argue that Notre Dame's victory over PSU is still pretty impressive even if they finish 5-6, just not as impressive. It doesn't get much more one-sided than 41-3.

I always, always suck in the early season, then always figure things out and end up slightly above .500 for the season. I don't really get it.

Truth. So many great matchups this week that I slipped right by that one.

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

Arizona keeps me alive in the NSBB Survival League, but barely. The worst feeling in the world is benching someone in fantasy and them having a great day...thanks Donte Stallworth for 141 yards and a TD today.

Sorry, I didn't hear you -- my team logo was in the way! Enjoy it while you can...that's by far the worst Carolina will play all year. (It better be)

Matchups between Top 25 teams ------------------------------------- (11) Michigan at (2) Notre Dame (3:30 pm, NBC) (6) LSU at (3) Auburn (3:30 pm, CBS) (19) Nebraska at (4) USC (8 pm, ABC)* (7) Florida at (13) Tennessee (8 pm, CBS) (18) Clemson at (9) Florida State (7:45 pm, ESPN) (17) Miami at (12) Louisville (3:30 pm, ABC)* (15) Oklahoma at (18) Oregon (3:30 pm, ABC)* (24) Texas Tech at (20) TCU (5:30 pm, CSTV) "Good" Top 25 games -------------------------- Maryland at (5) West Virginia (7:30 pm Thursday, ESPN) Iowa State at (16) Iowa (12 pm, ESPN) Top 25 mismatches ----------------------- Cincinnati at (1) Ohio State (12 pm)* (8) Texas at Rice (6 pm, ESPN2) UAB at (10) Georgia (1 pm) Duke at (14) Virginia Tech (12 pm)* Portland State at (21) California (6 pm) (22) Arizona State at Colorado (7 pm, TBS) Youngstown State at (25) Penn State (3:30 pm, ESPNU) Other Games of interest to NSBB -------------------------------------- Kansas at Toledo (8 pm Friday, ESPN2) Syracuse at Illinois (12 pm, ESPNU) Michigan State at Pittsburgh (12 pm, ESPN2) Marshall at Kansas State (12:30 pm) Ball State at Purdue (1 pm, ESPN360) E. Michigan at Northwestern (2 pm) S. Illinois at Indiana (4 pm) Ole Miss at Kentucky (6 pm) Memphis at East Carolina (7 pm) Wofford at S. Carolina (7 pm)* Buffalo at N. Illinois (7:30 pm) Missouri at New Mexico (8 pm) UC Davis at Montana State (3 pm)

ND 2nd, Auburn 3rd, USC 4th, Texas falls to 8th in the new AP poll per ESPN.com

Delhomme throws another pick (the last one was nullified by roughing the passer). We pretty well suck. The way Tampa's playing Atlanta might run away with the division. 20-6 Falcons.

3-3 in Charlotte after one, Tampa losing 14-0 after a Chris McAllister pick-six.

Well, at least Mabry is batting where he belongs for once.

I get to listen to Carolina on the radio this week :D GO PANTHERS!!!

I hope it's a better week next week after the Cards go to Purdue. If Miami OH can take them to OT then we can beat them. No real Knipp reports tonight, TT, he played significant time though.

I'm going to the Bend for next week's Michigan game. Knowing Michigan's performances in ND Stadium, the Irish could well stomp them too.

QFT

Notre Dame dropped two spots because they very nearly lost that game, not because the margin of victory was small. If they'd been in control of the game most of the way and won by a TD, that would've been different. That is crap and you know it. Notre Dame controlled the entire second half especially on defense, but since they didn't score enough, the pollsters dropped them. And they should correct that by moving them back up to 2 after this one. Why does ND deserve the 2nd spot over other unbeaten teams like Auburn for example? They don't necessarily, but I have a hard time telling you that Auburn, who has played nobody, should be ranked 2nd over ND, who has played a good ACC team on the road, and absolutely plastered a good Big Ten team at home.

I think the Panthers can beat Atlanta without Smith...but he'd better at least be 100 percent for Week 3 in Tampa.

Well, as you all noticed, BSU blows 17-0 and 23-7 leads and loses 24-23 to IU. Hoke elected to punt with about 4 minutes left, 4th and 9 from about our own 45, which I disagreed with since no score can put the game out of reach apart from a TD and 2 pointer. Then, on 4th and 1 with 1:50 left and no timeouts, IU comes out and just tries to draw us offsides, and for the first time that I have ever seen, it works. We jump, and they run out the clock. Heartbreaking. (We also missed a PAT and a FG in the game.) And kudos to all the Hoosiers fans that talked crap to us after the game. You had to come back from down 17 to beat a MAC team by one. Nice work. Edit: I guess it should be noted that Blake Powers got hurt, didn't play, and then Graeme McFarland was pulled after two three-and-outs, and we got schooled by 3rd-stringer Kellen Lewis, who is a very poor man's Vince Young.

Notre Dame dropped two spots because they very nearly lost that game, not because the margin of victory was small. If they'd been in control of the game most of the way and won by a TD, that would've been different. That is crap and you know it. Notre Dame controlled the entire second half especially on defense, but since they didn't score enough, the pollsters dropped them. And they should correct that by moving them back up to 2 after this one.

Rutgers 30-0 at half.

I really don't feel like explaining, AGAIN, that there were a billion factors coming into play into that decision, many of them that weren't even sports-related. But why let facts get in the way of a really good bias? Notre Dame jealousy makes me laugh. School pride from people who didn't go to said school makes me laugh. That's ridiculous. Do you have any idea how many people on this board root for college teams they didn't attend? You might as well say you can't root for the Cubs unless you've tried out for the team. Hey, I'm not saying you can't root for a college you didn't go to. I'm happy when Northwestern wins, as both my parents attended there, and I grew up in Evanston. And I understand when a person has an allegiance to his respective state school. But part of me finds it a bit silly when non-alums get all crazy about a school they didn't attend. And I often wonder if all these non-ND alums would love the Irish so much if ND didn't happen to be really good most of the time. Probably not. But that's cool. We all have different reasons for rooting for sports teams. Picking ones because they're good maybe isn't such a bad idea. Hey, Yankees jerseys are on sale right now, too. Maybe all you fake Domers should get 'em while their hot. :twisted: My dad went to Notre Dame, my mom lived 3 miles from the campus for the first 22 years of her life, and everyone in both extended families roots for Notre Dame. If I wanted to jump on a bandwagon I'd root for Florida State, or Michigan, or another of those teams that have been to about 35 straight bowl games, as opposed to a program that hasn't even won a bowl game in 12 years. I can't speak for every ND fan on here, but I could not have chosen another football team even if I'd wanted to. You might want to learn something about people before you start throwing out accusations like that next time. Just a suggestion.