The Back Corner Fade

Note:  Mike Kane is a Notre Dame fan and IrishSportsDaily.com member writing a column from a fan’s perspective for ISD.  

Walking into the Stadium on Saturday for my yearly game in football Mecca, I had a sick feeling in my stomach. You all know the feeling, Navy coming in for their yearly display of disciplined option football run to perfection. Add to that, they always play very well at Notre Dame even with teams that weren’t nearly as talented as this one. Yeah, I was nervous…….for about 7 minutes of game action and could tell that this was going to be an Irish uprising.

It truly was a thing of beauty on both sides of the ball. Forcing Navy into turnovers, taking out the fullback on the first phase of the option, and containing Malcom Perry on defense.  Then, you wanna play man-against our receivers? Cool. Bombs away, Ian. 

I will say I have the utmost respect for Malcom Perry. What a tough kid. He took some serious shots and he kept getting up time after time. 

It was simply a great day all around for the Irish. They play like that the next two weeks against BC and Stanford, we’re looking at 10-2 with a bullet and they’re staring at a date on New Year’s Day.

What else happened this past weekend?

Last week I was singing the praises of P.J.Fleck and his group of wily oarsmen after their huge win over Penn St. A week later and they’re back to reality. Playing in Iowa City is never easy (pink lockers and all) and that program hasn’t been in the position of the hunted since Eisenhower was in office. Still a truly amazing season for the Gophers and Fleck, but this L-piece was coming. Look for them to drill Fitz’s Mildcats this week.

90+ to 45+. That’s the difference in plays run in the Baylor-Oklahoma game. Credit Lincoln Riley, Alex Grinch and the rest of the coaching staff for the adjustments to get off the mat 21 at the break. Jalen Hurts is a man-child and he willed that offense to the win. I highly doubt he’s ever going to be a pro QB, but he’s the type of kid that they’ll find a place for on a roster. I honestly give Baylor’s defense credit by the end of that game. Those poor kids looked like they were ready to collapse from fatigue with the number of plays they had to play in the 2nd half. 

24-24. That dear reader is the overall record of the Michigan State Spartans since Alabama made sweet love to them in the 2015 playoffs. This past weekend they didn’t even bother to put up a fight as Michigan dropped a swift 34 point bomb on them. I’m honestly surprised the MSU brass hasn’t whacked Dantonio yet. No, they’re never going to have the talent that Michigan, OSU, or Penn State has in the Big 10, but there’s no reason they shouldn’t be hovering around 8/9 wins a year in that conference. Calling my shot and saying Cincinnati HC and Adam Sandler clone, Luke Fickell gets that gig.

Scott Frost got an extension?!?! Ooooooo-kay.

Well, I guess after Texas’ latest loss this past week, they’re no longer on the Camping Bowl Classic’s radar. What is going on in Austin? It’s year three in Tom Herman’s reign, they shouldn’t have 4 loses and be skating by Kansas St and Kansas and losing to Iowa St. and TCU. It doesn’t get any easier for the Horns this week with a trip to Waco to play a group of angry Baylor Bears.

So what do we have to look forward this coming weekend? I wish I had more tidings of joy to spread. This week really is a yawner.

So that squeak-job we pulled against Virginia Tech is starting to not look that bad now is it? They’ve been playing outstanding football the last six weeks and they have the bi-polar Pitt Panthers coming in. I like the Hokies. They’ve always played hard-nosed and there’s a distinct possibility I might be cutting tuition checks to them in a year and a half. Do it for Bud Foster, boys. I predict sucky Pitt shows up and the Hokes roll. VT 38-13.

Big one in Columbus this week…..and for the first time this season, as Penn State comes in to play Ohio State. I really wish Penn State would at least put some fear in the machine that is OSU, but I don’t see it. The Nitts have had two real tough ones in a row at Minnesota and then a four-quarter game against a pesky Indiana team. Ohio State has played, what’s the word I’m looking for here……..nobody. When their toughest game was against Cincinnati (I don’t care what their record is they’re nothing but average) you have a well-rested team that’s had a chance to play all the way up to walk-on’s almost every week, it’s recipe for disaster. Ohio St rolls 45-10.

UCLA and USC meet up this week. It’ll be sad to see a half-full Coliseum. Actually, I find it hilarious. 

Aweeeeee yeah!!!!! It’s that week, friends!! The week that Mola Ram waits for all season! It’s the SEC week that they offer the Thanksgiving offering to the Cupcake Gods. Check out this slate of killers: W. Carolina at Bama, Samford at Auburn, UT-Martin at Georgia, ETSU at Vandy (wait, ETSU might win that) Abilene Christian at Mississippi St, and Arkansas at LSU (yes that one might get as ugly as some of these pillow fights.) Way to go SEC, keep complaining ND needs to play 13 games when in they’re in position to make the playoffs. 

And finally we have Senior Day in South Bend. Fredo Corleone, Roger Clinton, Ramon Martinez, Jeb Bush, Billy Carter, Ashley Simpson, the other 2 Supremes, what ever you want to call the Boston College Eagles, they come to town with visions of knocking off the upstart Irish. Before we get to the game, let me just say I’m rooting really hard for Incarnate Word down in Texas to continue to build their program with the hope they get the chops to one day go D1 and make Boston College feel even more irrelevant. I can’t stand these guys and no beat down is bad enough.

Mike, Coach, and The U broke down the game really well on Power Hour and I couldn’t agree more. They don’t have the defense to win this game. A.J. Dillon is a tremendous back and he’ll get his yards, but he isn’t enough to beat Notre Dame. BC will move the ball, but I think the Irish D will force field goals inside the 20 and that’s a death sentence with the sieve of defense that they have. Hammer down, for four quarters, Chip Long. Aim for a half-a-hundy against these punks.

I expect to see a lot of smiling faces from the seniors on the sidelines by the end of the third, and plenty of tears in the eyes as they sing the Alma Mater one last time after the game. ND 45-23.

Beat Fredo!