Notre Dame - Penn State - A Conversation between the Gridiron Goddess and one of her Harem
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(Also posted at www.gridirongoddess.net)
Your Gridiron Goddess says: Though I grew up in a family with ties to the University of Notre Dame and many older cousins over the years tried to indoctrinate me into the fold of the Irish, my heart has always bled cardinal and gold and so I packed my bags and moved into my dorm at USC and never looked back. That said, the intense respect between USC and Notre Dame for the types of schools they each are and rich tradition of football and their rivalry they share has done more over the years to earn my respect and admiration.
That is, until they fired Tyrone Willingham to hire Charlie Weis.
Harem Member Marcus says: As one who practically grew up in the Coliseum at USC games, I’ve enjoyed a lifelong disdain of Notre Dame. But given the extreme impatience of big time college fan bases and the fickleness of recruits these days, ND’s decision to fire Willingham was a no-brainer – the program simply wasn’t moving forward, and there was no beacon of potential on the horizon. But today, after last week’s drubbing at home courtesy of then-unranked Georgia Tech, the Irish may find themselves in the same hole. Weis grossly mishandled the preseason QB situation, and it seems he’s still figuring out the college game. Three years to recruit talent and a mere 3 points at home to Tech? Ouch!
Your Gridiron Goddess says: Well looks like our disdain of ND and Weis is going to smack of homerism to many who read our little tête-à-tête here, M. But screw it. What is truly homerism is ND’s firing of Willingham to hire Weis. What-Have-You-Done-For-Me-Lately-Weis is an apt nickname for this non-performer who has shown he can win with Willingham’s recruits but now that the era of Weis recruits has begun, what do we have? Oh, that’s right a 33-3 LOSS at home—what was that again, Notre Dame fans? Just the worst opening game loss in the history of the Notre Dame football program. So what does Weis do in preparation for the big weekend showdown with JoePa’s Nittany Lions? He hands the QB reins to freshman Jimmy Clausen of California’s Oaks Christian High School.
What did Jimmy do in the off season folks?
He had surgery on his throwing arm.
' 'Harem Member Marcus says: Yes, it’s hard to envision anything but a grim night for the true frosh QB & co. The Irish are 17-point ‘dogs – I think that’s low. JoePa is going to blitz Clausen all night, and the Nit Lions have the secondary to blanket Clausen’s receivers. The kid’s in for a rough one – in front of 100,000 Lion fans fired up about last year’s South Bend humiliation. Still worse for N.D., can their D that gave up 33 at home keep PSU’s 2 nd year QB Anthony Morelli – who was sharp last week – from connecting downfield all night long?
ND fans, drink your twelve pack before kickoff! '''''''
Your Gridiron Goddess says : I must apologize, I am momentarily distracted by the arrival of my Bacon Salt and find myself wandering around looking for something to baconize… I agree M, The Nittany Lions are gonna hang 20+ points on Neutered Dame and hand them their second lopsided loss of the 2 week old season. I can’t legally advocate betting here, of course, but I’d take Penn State plus the spread in a heart beat if it were, you know, legal. The thing that gets my goat—well besides the sour look on his face and gigantic belly (I never said I wasn’t a shallow Gridiron Goddess people), is Weis’s arrogance. Brady Quinn essentially fell apart last year. Oh sure, that description is a stretch even by my standards, but compared to the season he was expected to have coming off 2005’s 9-3 season. Some of his strength, his power seemed lacking last season, and his ego seemed to have grown out of proportion to his completed pass percentage. Heh heh. What has Weis accomplished with Willingham’s recruits? A 9-3 2005 Season and a 10-2 2006 Season. Given the 33-3 loss to start the 2007 campaign, what’s to say Willingham wouldn’t have had the same success given time for his offense to mature and get used to his style?
Weis, like the team he coaches is Overrated.
Harem Member Marcus says: Agree with your point that Willingham may have had a 10-2 ’06 as well, but as I said, given where the program was in 04 most any big time program would have fired him. Looking at ND’s sked this year, it’s possible they’ll finish 4-8. Other factors aside, they likely would not fire Weis as that would crystallize the program as floundering and recruits will go elsewhere. But if he can’t finish in the Top 25 in ’08, Weis will go the way of Tyrone and when we think of ND football we’ll be reminded of the adage, “Hey, anybody can have a bad… century.” Prediction: Penn St. 45, ND 13 – 10 of the 13 being trash time
Your Gridiron Goddess says : I’m with you on that prediction Marcus. I feel like Morelli’s going to have a break out game against the holey – not Holy – ND defense. The cat’s out of the bag ND faithful, the world now knows what the Trojans have known for years – you have no ability to stop the run, no pass defense and offenses can simply blow right by you. I think it is possible they will finish 3-9 even, but I’m gonna go with 5-7, which would equal Willingham’s record at UDub last year. And is worse than the 6-6 record Willingham had at ND in 2004 when he was fired.
-Your Gridiron Goddess (and Harem Member Marcus, tho he has skillfully avoided my camera for over a year now)
