From The Cheap Seats
*My thoughts and prayers to everybody in Houston and Florida trying to put things back together in the wake of these absolutely catastrophic storms. I hope that sports can bring some measure of needed distraction in the coming days.
*God Bless America. My sincere thanks to all first responders and their families. Never Forget. We as a country mark the 16th Anniversary of the attacks on 9/11, and I want to share the following story that some might not know about as sports and real life intersect with this weekend's match-up against Boston College in Boston. http://nypost.com/2016/08/28/911-survivors-we-were-saved-by-the-man-with-the-red-bandanna/
*Saturday night simply didn't feel good on so many levels. As the broadcast opened, even though I had ample anecdotal evidence that this would in fact happen, the visual of the "Sea of red" really bothered me. I felt sad for the players. I felt sad for the Notre Dame fans who showed up to a neutral site game at Notre Dame Stadium. I felt sad for the Irish Alumni who poured their heart and souls into creating everything that makes Notre Dame such a special place. I felt anger for the powers-that-be who allowed this to happen through greed and shortsighted focus on the almighty dollar. As Mike Frank made the case for in his latest Frank Commentary, Saturday night's fan mix is a result of the absurd tickets prices and the night games that make it less attractive to the older fans and those with young families. With its previous obsession with the sellout streak, this is the "sell out" that the administration will need to face in the coming years.
*As long as I am being serious and/or negative for a few minutes, I think that it is time to call for a shakeup within the offensive line. I was absolutely 100 percent on board with what looked like the natural of move of Mike McGlinchey from right tackle to left tackle. It is time to get him back to right tackle. I know this will create a void at left tackle, but perhaps the Robert Hainsey/Tommy Kraemer platoon moves inside to right guard and Alex Bars take over at left tackle. Perhaps Liam Eichenberg can get into the mix at left tackle. The lack of good play simply has to be addressed. It is not about want to. It is not about passion. It is not about lack of heart. Mike McGlinchey is a Notre Dame man through-and-through. He is a stand-up guy who will take the blame. I want him to have huge success. I just don't see it happening at his current position.
*What is going on with this offense as a whole? The coaching that the players have received to this point under the largely new staff has to come into question. It appears that the defense spent the off-season splitting time between changing themselves physically and ramping up their fundamentals. Man does that show! The offense looks like they are hoping for glorious results of training their bodies and seemingly forgetting to improve at their craft of collectively moving the ball forward. That is harsh. I realize that and Georgia is going to make many offenses look pedestrian this year. Will they make many offenses look unenthusiastic and, frankly, lost and confused? I doubt it. That part lies on the shoulders of the coaches and the players.
*Last negative (I hope), is Brian Kelly and the Notre Dame staff fighting too hard upstream with the wide receivers? For whatever reasons, the position group from two-hand touch in backyards across America all the way through the NFL has become defined by "diva" status. I am never advocating for people to act like jerks with no repercussions, but at some point, being a really talented, impactful wide receiver has to be given extra consideration among the "traits" that get you onto the playing surface.
*I am not on board with those Notre Dame fans assuming losses to both USC and Stanford based on the 20-19 loss to Georgia. That collection of Georgia defensive players in the front-seven is as good as you CAN see in college football. USC is talented, but their defense is not in the same class as Georgia's. Stanford's blowout of Rice should rank up there with ND's blowout of Temple as a predictor of future results.
*Mike Frank nailed this point in a podcast a few weeks ago. ND does not schedule a road to the playoffs. ND's relative chances of making the playoffs this year is not germane to this point. I fully expect Brandon Wimbush to be an excellent QB for Notre Dame. Playing Georgia in game two is just not a great idea. I am not in to ducking anybody, but that is a tough task in week two of the season. By way of example, I can comfortably argue that Notre Dame has shown more as a football team in going 1-1 so far in the season than Michigan State has in going 2-0. But guess which squad gets to bask in the (perhaps false) confidence of being undefeated for two weeks before they welcome the Irish? 2-0 teams in college play with far more confidence than do 1-1 teams, irrespective of opponents to-date. I wonder how ND would start a season if Georgia is replaced with a Pittsburgh or the like in place of a Georgia/Michigan type team.
*I have no reason to be so down after a one-point loss to Georgia after the Irish went 4-8. But thanks to the defense, the Irish let a very winnable game against a team that I think will challenge Alabama in December in Atlanta slip through their hands. Also, if ND went down to kick a field goal on that last possession, i would be having my ring sized for the National Championship. I am as steady as she goes...
*The defense? Wow. This can't be understated in my view. That defense played as inspired a football game as I can remember an Irish defense playing since the Holtz days. Every player had a plan and the green light to play fast and loose. The fundamentals largely remained intact despite the speed at which they played on Saturday night. What a sight that was!
*Justin Yoon, you are a mentally tough young man who improved dramatically between games one and two. Congratulations to that young man in almost single-footedly carrying the offense on an otherwise tough night.
*There are more reasons for Dexter Williams to touch the ball on offense than there are reasons for him not to touch the ball on offense. This is a very strange development again within the offensive rooms.
*The defensive line was criticized and questioned throughout the off-season for very good reason. Kudos to Mike Elston and the players in doing more than their fair share in helping the Irish have an opportunity to succeed.
*I know that this has been a largely negative article, but I am actually optimistic about the Irish going forward this season. I have to believe the offense is experiencing some growing pains as the coaches start to learn each other and then the players learn about the coaches. I am pleasantly surprised that offense is chasing the defense in terms of productivity. The offense has too many weapons not to get figured out.
*Alize Mack is baffling me. I have no answers. He looks to be suffering from a complete lack of confidence.
*I say Notre Dame enters the USC contest at 5-1. Please respond to this thread with your predictions.
*Nice debut for Deshone Kizer yesterday .
*We did not lose by one possession, we lost by one point, so that's good, right? I think. I understand Brian Kelly's stance on that post-game rant as much as his explanation of Kevin Stepherson's status.
*Speaking of Brian Kelly's words, I don't trust them but I also don't care about them. 10-2 this year or he needs to go. it has boiled down to that to me. I they lose two more games in fluky fashion, then my stance is that the team should be ahead by more so as not be susceptible to last-minute flukes.
*I loathe the Boston College fan base. I think the college does a very good job overall of producing decent human beings, but I hate the fans. I am still bummed about the loss to Georgia, but I am starting to build my excitement about the Irish taking out some anger and frustration on the Eagles. I also like the early kickoffs, although 3:30 is probably preferred to high noon. Am I the only one who doesn't like night games at Notre Dame? Give me the 1:30 kickoff any day!
*I love Notre Dame. Go Irish!