Why do I say that? Well, I took the time out of our interviews to give a little pop quiz to the players.
1. Name one of the Four Horseman
2. Last Notre Dame player to win the Heisman
3. Quarterback of the 1988 national championship team
4. Who was the coach of the Irish in the 1920s.
The only one that the players got, after thinking, was Tim Brown 1987 Heisman winner. None of the players had any idea who are what the four horsemen are. Now that's just unacceptable to me as a journalist to not know who the four horseman are.
I mean, it's perhaps the greatest lede in sports journalism history courtesy of Grantland Rice of the New York Herald-Tribune after an Irish destruction of Army at the Polo grounds in 1924. Who wouldn't know this? (I jest, no one I know can name them).
“Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below."
Now, the story goes that an Notre Dame official immediately liked the story and got the four horsemen to pose.
Now. That was the golden age of journalism and sports writing, and I don't think they will be writing as poetically about Charlie Weiss and Notre Dame Saturday.
The Huskies are going there to play a football game and the mystique? It mean's nothing on the field.
When told that Notre Dame last won the national title in 1988, Jordan Todman smiled -- "I wasn't even born yet."
WOW. Let that sink in college football fans. It's been that long.
The Irish are a storied program, but as the Huskies go into Saturday mystique and aura aren't what they have to battle. It's Jimmy Claussen and Co. UConn will face, not the mystique.
UConn coach Randy Edsall told a nice story about how he used to wake up Sunday mornings and watch the Notre Dame game on delay with it's fast forward for time. That doesn't happen anymore. the Irish, like everyone else, are on TV a lot. There are so many college football games that I don't think it carries the same fear factor. The tradition is still there, but I think that's all that Notre Dame brings to the table. It doesn't provide an edge because with TV everyone sees South Bend. They all know what it looks like.
So, when you hear sports media obsessing over Notre Dame, and fans obsessing over Nootre Dame, that has little effect on the game. Players today don't know Notre Dame as I do, and I am only 32. It's been 21 years since the Irish were national champs.
UConn doesn't have to play that Notre Dame on Saturday, it has to play the current one -- a struggling unit that has one of the best offenses in college football. A good team, but hardly invincible.
Okay, let's move on.
*Jordan Todman is now listed ahead of Andre Dixon at running back. Todman has played terrific the last three weeks and Dixon hasn't been as productive. What's most impressive about Todman is he is showing he can run inside. Dixon will get carries to spell Todman, but the Huskies have made a point to get this explosive and productive player the ball. With Robbie Frey out and Meme Wylie available, but haven't played in a month, the third running back is --- Little Nicky Williams. Williams is a WR and PR, but the true frosh has also worked at running back. If need be, Anthony Sherman can also carry the ball. There is no need to burn a Martin Hypolite redshirt.
*Zach Frazer was the guest at the podium today. Of course, he talked about his departure from Notre Dame. The biggest thing was he had three QB coaches in less than a year. David Cutcliffe recruited him and then left the program. Cutcliffe is now at Duke. In the spring of his first year, Ron Powlus was his third coach. They never quite clicked, as did Frazer with Charlie Weis. He left on amicable terms from the program and still has good friends out there.
*What's up with the defense? Too many big plays of course. That will be the key this week. Scott Lutrus can't really explain it. This defense was great earlier in the year, but has collapsed. The secondary is young, but the baptism under fire will continue this week.
*Bowl game implications: Everyone dodges this but the Huskies need to go at least 2-1 to make a bowl. If one of those games is against Notre Dame they would put themselves in almost perfect position to grab a spot at home with a win against Syracuse.
Here's why. The Irish can take the Gator Bowl away from Big East No. 2. If the Irish lose to UConn they would be 6-5 heading into a game at No. 14 Stanford. If the Irish are 7-5, the Gator Bowl would likely take a Big East No. 2 -- looking like Pitt or Cincinnati over the Irish. At 7-5, the Irish aren't likely to get the Gator Bowl according to reports. 8-4? They are going to the Gator.
How does that affect UConn? There figures to be 6 teams in the Big East Bowl eligible. If the Gator takes BE No. 2 then that would open up a spot for a potential 6-6 UConn team.
Here's a breakdown.
BCS: Cincy
Gator: Pittsburgh.
Meineke: Rutgers
Papajohns: West Virginia
International: USF
St Pete: UConn
Obviously, we can quibble with who goes where. But, put Notre Dame into the Gator, and that moves BE No. 2 down.
BCS: Cincy
Gator: ND
Meineke: Pitt
Papajohns: West Virgnia
International: USF
St Pete: Rutgers
That puts a 6-6 UConn team in the at large pool. They are not assured a bowl at 6-6. Surely, one may open, but it's too early yet. Also, a 7-5 Sun Belt or CUSA team gets a bowl before any 6-6 team (a bad rule).
Easiest thing for UConn to do is win its final three to go 7-5. But, a win over Notre Dame would put them in a strong position for a bowl bid at 6-6.
The dominoes will start to fall this week in the bowl picture.
Gotta pay the bills for now.
4 comments:
The St. Petersburg Bowl would be a major problem since UConn has final exams on the day of the game.
John
Unless there is some rule against it. I think Gator is going with a 7-5 Notre Dame no matter what. even if Pitt beats Cincy and the second place Big East team is 11-1. They made that very clear last year until Syuracuse beat the Irish and helped leave them at 6-6 an ineligible for the Gator. It's all about the money and fans at that point. I also think it doesn't help but Gator Bowl Chairman is ND Alum.
Rick C
I am going by what I read out of Jacksonville. Gator said in the article they may not take a 7-5 Notre dame if say Cincinnati is 11-1 or Pitt is 10-2.
That's all I am saying. If 7-5 ND gets the Gator over those two RANKED teams, that would be an embarrassment.
As far as St. Pete, Huskies could take final exams another day and make them up. That's not hard to do. I know they don't like the date of St. Pete, but the options are St. Pete, Papajohns or back to Toronto.
I am not sure UConn would want to go back to Toronto,
Charlie Weiss saw this coming weeks ago, and already has feelers out there with NFL teams for the offensive coordinator position. You just cant win 6 games a year at Notre Dame and expect to keep your job. I think Gruden or Stoops would fit ND quite well.
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