Excuse me if I’m a bit stunned about what happened Saturday in South Bend.
Sure, it’s been years since Notre Dame has been, well, Notre Dame, the most storied program in college pigskin. And, yes, the current student body doesn’t know the difference between Knute Rockne and Nuke LaLoosh. Not to mention that the beleauguered new regime of Brian Kelly has had a heretofore not so auspicious start, what with the loss to Tulsa at home the week after a student assistant died due to the coach’s negligence.
But still, storming the field after a W over . . . Utah?
Gimme a break here.
Not that it even matters that the Utes apparently were overrated and not worthy of a spot in the Top 25.
We’re talking Notre Dame here. Win one for the Gipper. The Subway alums. Johnny Lattner on the cover of “Time.” The 4 Horsemen. Whereas Utah has a singular — as in one and only one — historic pigskin moment, that bowl W over Bama a couple years ago.
They stormed the field in South Bend? Yes, Irish fans, it is time to give up your delusion of superiority and join the Big East in football.
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TCU has a close one against a really ready to play San Diego State squad.
Oregon has a close one against a really ready to play Cal squad.
So, how come the Horned Frogs are being questioned way more than the Ducks?
I tell you why. Because the big boys of college football have brainwashed us into thinking SEC, Pac10, Big Ten, etc = Good. And that Mountain West, C-USA = Less Good. No amount of Big East mediocrity can shake us from that jaundiced view of the sport.
Yes, you know where this going. Let ‘em settle it on the field. In a playoff.
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Those Louisville Cardinal fans who have been mumbling and grumbling about the QBing while pointing your fingers down Knoxville way, understand this. Former future U of L superstar Matt Simms is now on the bench. Seems as if he was simply filling in while frosh Tyler Bray was learning the system.
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It is certainly poetic that the University of Indiana bookended its 20-83 loss to Wisconsin Saturday at Camp Randall with hoops Ws over Florida Gulf Coast (Whatever that is?) and Wright State.
If ever there was a school that will never be a factor in football, it’s the Hoosiers. Run, John, run, nothwithstanding.
As for the Badgers, well, their win didn’t cause the carnage that ensued after Georgia Tech’s Ramblin’ Wreck savaged Cumberland 222-0 in 1916. But I’m sure there was some brew quaffed and cheese eaten in honor of the dismantlement.
Then again, as best as my research can reveal, Cumberland didn’t sign a Cody Zeller the week of their game.
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That Steve Spurrier retiring to play 18 daily at Augusta National rumor that I’ve been fostering for years is now on hold.
At least until after Auburn throttles the Gamecocks in the SEC title game.
– Seedy K
3 Comments
Dear asshole,
Congrats on doing the research when posting. Firstly it is widely acknowledged that ND Seniors go on to the field after the final home game. Secondly, it has been well published that ND had suffered a tragedy within the past few weeks. Finally, ND was expected to get smoked in this game.
To continue on, if you watch the game, the students didn’t come on to the field until after the game had well ended and then were beckoned by the team. The win had nothing to do with beating a ranked team, but instead putting forth the most dominating performance as the underdog ND has done over the past 10 years. It was a celebration for the seniors who had suffered more losses than any other Notre Dame class, that they went out on top with a win. So please next time you go about talking about “how far ND has fallen” or “ND should join the Big East” please get some perspective.
Mr. Kaplan does have perspective, and it’s the same shared by most who know anything about college football: Notre Dame is currently irrelevant.
Say what you want, it just is…
Seedy and the second commenter nailed it.
ND is a shell of its former self, with the program’s best days way behind it.