From The Cheap Seats
*That was a fun game. There is no way around that. The game lacked a rhythm, the replays were too numerous and Mark D'Antonio's scowls were plentiful. Objectively, the MSU-ND game was probably not a great game to watch, but I am far from objective. The night was filled with excitement, nervousness and then finally the gleeful acceptance that this team is different from last year's in every way that counts. This team might lose more regular season games this year, but no loss will be chalked up to a lack of preparation and effort by the coaches for a physically-lacking group of football players. I believe that I can speak for most ND fans when I say that last year we waited each game for our fate; if the opponent wasn't good enough to beat the Irish, the Irish would beat themselves. Those waiting for this ND team to beat itself might be waiting a long time. Now it is the opponent's fans taking solace in the fact that despite being dominated on the scoreboard, their team out-gained Notre Dame in total yards. Thank goodness!
*I don't buy into the Transitive Property of College Football, but I was downright giddy watching Boston College take Clemson deep into the game (despite the deceptive final score of 34-7) and seeing Georgia destroy Mississippi State. Each was an eye-opener before kickoff that maybe this version of the Irish is better than I thought. In fact, if things go well this week and the Irish beat Miami (Ohio) and Florida State goes to 0-3, Notre Dame just might find itself in front of the Seminoles in next week's Coaches Poll. I know the polls have never meant less, but seriously?
*Last week I wrote that I will no longer be calling for personnel changes because I don't know enough about the nuances of the game in order to do so. I was wrong. I will be the only one brave enough to do so, but I am calling for a change at defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. His defense surrendered a 26.5-yard-average on QB sneaks. Unacceptable. In all seriousness, that was literally a heads up play by MSU's QB Brian Lewerke on the first sneak to look up and see nobody in position to tackle him if he broke through the line. Yes, I realize the incredible hire that Mike Elko is. I love it even more that he is such an intelligent man who appears to be a teacher above all else.
*I am going to go ahead and once again become an island unto myself on this stance, but I am calling for a Notre Dame player for serious consideration for the Heisman Trophy. He will never win it, but I keep hearing from fans and pundits alike about Lamar Jackson, Josh Rosen or any other number of players being "the best player in America." Arguments can be made for many, many guys. I have no doubt about that. Play-in, play-out, who is the best football player in college football today? I can't state that I offer this name knowing how he stacks up to every other player, but I think that Quenton Nelson has to be as good as any other player in the game today. He gets beaten and misses assignments, but he almost has to due to sheer number of opportunities. If a running back had to carry the ball every single offensive snap, a receiver catch it every play or a QB throw it every play, more blemishes would show. So. There it is. Nelson for Hesiman!
*I am intrigued by Chase Claypool.
*Brandon Wimbush was handled very well this week it would appear. He could have been nose-to-nose with a crisis of confidence after the BC game. Genuine concern about his ability to pass the ball in game circumstances was perfectly legitimate. Everybody knows that he is capable of throwing the ball accurately. Nobody questioned his physical ability to do so. It appeared that he was steering the ball and completely unsure of himself. Between the way he was handled in practice and within the game plan, it looks to me that his confidence is returning and he could now be on the upward trajectory to being a special QB that most observers of his play projected. Phew. I would hate to have to "Cheap Seat"-fire Thomas, Tommy Tom Rees.
*I know that he might not have played if the game were still very tight until the end, but what a luxury it is to have Deon McIntosh as a FOURTH running back. He took the load off a couple of guys who were dinged. That rest hopefully was enough for these guys. I would like to see the top three backs ready to work for the North Carolina game in order to stay sharp before the bye.
*Speaking of the bye and the team coming to South Bend the week following the bye, USC has not been spectacular in September, but they have held serve. Nothing has changed in my view of this game; ND has to play a disciplined, fundamentally sound game to beat USC, but the Trojans are and have always been "gettable." The hype machine for Sam Darnold in the off-season elevated the perception of the rest of his team. They are very, very good. They are not Alabama.
*Please, please please football gods do not allow this National Anthem nonsense to become an issue in college football. Saturdays with blinders on to the "real world" are too precious to yield to this stuff.
*Dear Baker Mayfield: Shhhhhh. You were playing a team that lost at home to Liberty. Lincoln Riley needs to get him under control because when his play speaks for him, he is eloquent and moving. When his mouth does, well...not so much.
*Speaking of nobody asked me, allow me to weigh in on the James Franklin/Mike Francessa hullabaloo. Franklin was absolutely calling timeout to ice the kicker. Up 56-0, Franklin calling timeout on its face is the wrong move and is bush league. However, what about kicking the field goal in the first place? That is a move that has nothing to do with the outcome of the game. The only goal there is to end the shutout. A field goal is just about adding points for the winning team of a blowout. It is not "running up the score" runining the ball on 4th-and-5 from the opponents 20-yard-line even if it results in a TD. Kicking the field goal there is running up the score, as counter-intuitive as that might be. Trying to score a touchdown is different in that situation. The opposing coach made it about the shutout. That was the only thing on the line at that point. Neither coach is in the right, but as every great debater will argue, the other guy started it!
*Notre Dame as a 23-point favorite? I am not a gambler but I look at lines for fun and/or to make myself feel better about Notre Dame (weird, I know, but I do gauge Vegas sometimes like I do frequent flyers when the plane I am on experiences turbulence; if they're calm, I'm calm). When was the last time this happened? I know Miami is of Ohio and not of Florida, but still that seems high but does reflect the fact that this team does blow out weaker opponents.
*Step one of "do no harm" for the special teams has been accomplished. This is the week whereby the special teams needs to find the next level and produce a TD or two that will render this game a blowout sooner than it otherwise might be in order to get some players quality playing time, or turn a scarily close game into a more comfortable win. Brian Polian, you're the next contestant on, "This year's Notre Dame team is different from last year's."
*The pick-six by Julian Love was an easy play. No big deal. Every cornerback makes that play. True. But for many years, the defense was never sound enough fundamentally to put the cornerback in position to make said play. Great signs abound!
*The bad news is that it looks like Alize Mack needs every part of this year and next in order to become the player his physical attributes suggest he can be. The good new is that it looks like Alize Mack needs every part of this year and next...
*Finally, Go Irish! Beat Miami (OH).