• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

Game Thread Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State 34, Notre Dame 20 (final)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
I posted a Michigan preview that was pretty well received on JJhuddle...so I figured I would post here witha preview of the Fiesta Bowl matchup.


Who: Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. Ohio State Buckeyes
Where: Tempe, Arizona
When: January 2nd, 2006, 5 P.M.
Line: OSU -6

Here it is folks...the matchup we've been waiting for for a while. This is the Midwest's national championship....two of the most storied programs in all of College football, meeting for only the 5th time with the series tied at 2-2. CHarlie Weis has resurrected what was a fading program...and Tressel has continued his tendency of getting his teams to play good football. Both teams enter this game with identical 9-2 records, both share a common win over the WOlverines of Michigan. So, without further ado...here weeeee goooo


Key Players for OSU


QB Troy Smith, Jr,6-1 215, 130-209 14 tds, 4 ints, 123 carries for 545 yards, 11 tds. Smith has proven from about midseason on that he is the real deal as a quarterback. A dual threat QB, he is capabale of making great things happen with his feet. As each week goes, Smith finds another part of his game to improve on.

WR-Santonio Holmes-JR, 5'11 190, 48 catches 853 yds, 10 tds. Holmes is one of the top 5 wideouts in the country. His stats aren't gaudy but this fast, precise route runner can get open and get separation. With his emergence on special teams, kicking off has become much more of a burden.

WR-Ted Ginn Jr, So, 6'0 170. 43 catches, 636 yards, 3 touchdowns. The lightning quick sophomore despite having a slump season still has to be considered one of the most dangerous players in football. With all the hype that was poured on the young man from the end of last season through spring ball he was doomed to underachieve. He will be a player to watch out for obviously due to his world class speed, and ability to accelerate very quickly.

The LB crew-Yes I lumped Schlegel, Hawk (and possibly though doubtful Carpenter) into one group, because they are one giant player who can move around the field and makes a ton of great plays. Hawk is a top 10 or top 5 pick in April, and Carp was projected to possibly go higher, but will most likely go in the 1st round, despite the broken leg he suffered in Ann Arbor. Hawk has mid 4.4 speed and will find a way to be in on or around evrry play on defense just about.

CB-Ashton Youboty, Jr, 6-1 188. Youboty has shown some major chinks in his potential NFL draft pick armor this season. He has shown that he is a great run stopper as a CB but in coverage he has been beaten alot. However being 6-1 he is tall for your average corner and will most likely be guarding the Shark all game long, and he has to bring his a game or the Shark could have a feeding frenzy.

Other players to watch for on the OSU side-Tony Gonzalez, great 3rd option who makes big plays. RB-Antonio Pittman-1st 1000 yd rusher since Clarett is coming into his own as a rb.


Key PLayers for the Irish

QB Brady Quinn, Jr, 6'4 232 pounds. 263-405 3633 yds, 32 tds 7 picks. The brother of AJ Hawk's girlfriend is the real deal as a passer. Quinn has shown cinsistent improvement every season and will be the first four year starter as a QB in ND history. He owns many of the ND career passing records...and will own them all before his career is over. If Quinn is given time to throw...he could punish the OSU secondary all game long. A big target who has great field vision.

WR Jeff Samardzija-6-5 220 JR, 72 catches 1215 yards, 15 tds. The Shark and Stovall (preview coming up) are a great compliment to the duo at OSU. It is not a far stretch to say that 4 of the top 10 (ability wise) wideouts could be seen in this game. Ginn's stats are less but on ability alone tese 4 are very, very good. The shark is a very big target with very very good hands. This guy makes all of the catches, and takes some from other people because hes such a big wideout. If Youboty and the OSU secondary can't capture the shark...theyre just chum in the water.

WR Maurice Stovall-6-5 220,JR 60 catches, 1023 yds 11 tds.-The 2nd part of the Irish's outstanding WR duo provides yet ANOTHER big target for Quinn. When teams gear up to stop Smardzija....Stovall sees big plays and vice versa. A team with two wideouts at 6-5 is a very dangerous one, as these two have combined for 26 of Quinns 37 TDs.

The Notre Dame OL-One of the top groups in the country. If these guys have a good game, shut down Kudla and the OSU DL off QUinn a ND victory is nearly assured.

DE-Victor Abiamiri-6'4 265-Jr. I couldn't dig up stats on ABiamiri. However he is a tough pass rusher and will be a challenge for Sims, Boone and Barton to deal with. Especially for Boone, the freshman.

Other players to watch for ND-Matt Sheltont-big play maker who is over shadowed by the Shark and Stovall. RB Darius Walker-1100 yard rusher. SS-Chinedum Ndukwe..a big safety who brings the wood everytime he steps on the field.


Keys to Victory for OSU

1.As with the Michigan game, Troy Smith must play lights out. He must make plays with his feet and his arm. He was the reason OSU beat Michigan, and will be the reason OSU beats ND.

2.Pressure Brady QUinn. The OSU defense must generate pressure with their creative blitzing schemes and rattle Quinn...if Quinn has time Quin can beat any team in the country.

3.Cover the ND wideouts. Smardzija and Stovall are huge. If Youboty, Everett, Jenkins and any other DBs OSU puts out there don't shut these guys down..OSUs tendency to go into the soft zone will hurt them.


Keys for a Notre Dame Victory (Note these are essentially the same as the OSU keys to win.)

1. Use the Oline to the advantage. The OSU defensive line has been playing better lately, and Kudla can get pressure on the end. The ND OL needs to step it up to a level they haven't been at this season to win.

2.Shut down Antonio Pittman and Troy Smith. If these guys establish a running game, then it will open up Troy Smith throwing the ball, which has been playing lights out lately. If they can shut down the OSU rushing attack, and force OSU to go four or five wide all game....it could spell trouble for the OSU offense.

3.Negate the OSU special teams. On kickoffs, I don't care if you kick it out of bounds everytime..taking the ball on the 35 is better than Holmes or Ginn touching the ball. On Punts kick the ball high or out of bounds. Holmes and Ginn are the reason OSU has been putting up a lot of points. They put them in a position to do nearly everytime they touch the ball.

This game is about as even as they come. I think the line right now is a little too much. OSU by 6 or 6.5 is too much i think. OSU can win just as easily as Notre Dame could. However for the sake of argument i will post what I predict the score to be.

OSU 34, Notre Dame 28. Quinn gets two tds per half but it isnt enough. OSU continues the offensive momentum they had throughout the last 5 weeks of the season. This will be a great game by all. Good Luck to both teams, on an injury free game most of all.

(And Notre Dame fans forgive us good OSU fans who don't talk trash without a base of facts to go on)

-Joe Hall
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
it'll be a mixed bag. There are some who hate UM so rabidly that they can do nothing but root against them. There are many however who despise the team but want the big ten to do well in bowl games, to increase the respect for the conference.
wells said:
Ive heard otherwise, but being it nevadabuck his source(s) are probably more reliable than mine.
Click to expand...
looks like you're right, it's not as solid as nevada predicted... he'll sneak out there on kick coverage if he has to
 
Upvote 0
Football Captains' Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Teleconference
<HR style="COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=1><!-- / icon and title --><!-- message -->Irish captains Brady Quinn and Brandon Hoyte talk about the Jan. 2, 2006, matchup with Ohio State.

Q. Can you both just talk about how exciting it is to officially get the word?

Brandon Hoyte: I think it's definitely exciting. It just feels really fortunate because we as a team realize where we came from and where we are now, and I think it's just something that you've got to definitely hold onto and use that as motivation.

Brady Quinn: For me it's one of those situations where we had an idea that that's where we were going to be going. We weren't exactly sure where we would be playing, but it's an ideal situation for me playing a Bowl game out there, the Fiesta Bowl, and against a team I always grew up watching, basically in their backyard.

Q. Explain how that will obviously give you a lot of attention, but especially for you in your home town. Does that add a little bit to the whole thing?

Brady Quinn: Definitely. I'd be lying if it didn't. Growing up all those years watching them, even rooting for them I think gives you a little extra added excitement about this particular match up.

Q. And just last year when you got the Bowl bid, a lot of things happened right afterwards. What's the difference between right now going in knowing how you're playing and just the situation?

Brandon Hoyte: I smile a lot more. I think for me as a fifth year senior and for our fifth year seniors or guys with no eligibility left, it gives us a chance to go on top and feel we've put a mark on the Notre Dame program to leave it in the right hands.

Q. I had a question for Brandon on that same note. You came here in the fall of 2001 on the heels of Notre Dame getting blown out in the Fiesta Bowl on national television, so how important is it for you to leave a really strong positive legacy for not only the guys who are staying but for the kids who are coming in, high school seniors who might be watching Notre Dame on TV?

Brandon Hoyte: Personally I feel I owe it to the guys that have come before me, guys who I played with and guys who I might not have had the opportunity to meet who played Notre Dame football, but most importantly the guys on this team because those are the individuals who have seen the ups and downs of this program. All we did was work harder and do things the right way. I think it's only fair to go out and play the hardest ball that I can.

Q. For both guys, have you had a chance to see Ohio State play this year on television, and what are your impressions of them?

Brady Quinn: I've had a couple opportunities. I obviously want to pay attention to the defensive side of the ball. But looking at the defense, I think they're all around pretty solid. They've got speed, size. They should be physical, and knowing a lot of those players, I know what they're capable of and the different things that they bring to the table. Offensively obviously we've got a tough match up, but I think it's something that we're going to be looking forward to.

Q. Brandon, did you get a chance to see them at all?

Brandon Hoyte: Most definitely. The one thing you notice from the offensive standpoint is they just have athletes. Toward the end of the season they're passing game really came on, and they got a lot of guys that you put the ball in their hands, they can do a lot of great things. So I think as a defense you look at that and you pay respect to it and you just get ready for it.

Q. I was curious if either of you two were aware as the days got closer before you jumped into the top six if you heard, "do they really deserve to be in the BCS," if you heard that and what you thought about that?

Brady Quinn: That was something that after we beat Stanford, making us BCS eligible, a lot of people, commentators, you'd hear say this or that about whether or not we were worthy of a BCS bid. But obviously things worked out to where we ended up being one of those teams that gave us an automatic bid. We're where we should be, and everything is going to work out in the end.

Q. Brady, coming from the Columbus area, are there guys on the Ohio State team that you know, that you played against at the high school level?

Brady Quinn: There are a couple guys we played against at the high school level through scrimmages and different ways. AJ Hawk and Nick Mangold are two players that my team played against in the fifth grade, and I think they played for the Centerville team and they actually beat us 13 7 in the championship. It dates back even that far.

Q. I guess being from that area, how would you describe kind of the nature of Notre Dame and Ohio State? Not necessarily a rivalry but something a lot of fans like to talk about.

Brady Quinn: I think both schools are rich in tradition, so it's one of those things where they love to see two teams that play similar styles of football, physical, hard mouthed, nasty football, and that's part of, I guess, the rivalry, if you want to throw that in there, of these two schools.

Q. Brady, going a little bit off topic if you don't mind, talk about post season awards after the season is over. Can you talk a little bit about when you first started hearing your name pop up as a Heisman candidate and what your thoughts are on the whole thing?

Brady Quinn: Really it's an honor to even be placed among some of the nation's top players, especially with Reggie Bush, (Matt) Leinart who is a past winner and Vince Young and all the things they're capable of doing. That's all something that, like I said, really just something that my team has allowed me to be able to be a possibility for.

Obviously the offensive line is doing a great job this year, our wide receivers making big plays and big catches, and Darius (Walker) having the run game to open things up for the passing game and even protecting, as well; really those things have been what has allowed me to be at this point and up for those types of awards.

Q. Was there a certain point when you first heard your name? I was under the impression you were on the Heisman watch list, but was there a time when your name started popping up where you were like, wow, people are starting to notice?

Brady Quinn: I don't know if it was a certain point in time. It was one of those things where I was going to try to go out every day and get better and better and hopefully perform that way in games. At the end of the year those things would end up coming up if I performed the way I wanted to.

Q. And one of the things last year was when you had big games a lot of times (the team) didn't do so well. This year you performed well in big games for Notre Dame. Was it something that you learned, or what was the difference between last year's big games and this year's big games?

Brady Quinn: I don't know, I think it's just been a different style of offense, a different philosophy. It's one of those things where sometimes this past season we used the passing game with the running game and those sorts of things. Coach Weis put a lot of different pressure on my shoulders and on the offense to kind of make certain things happen, and in doing so there are different game patterns. Some weeks would call for a big passing game, and we have a lot of talent at the wide receiver position, so that was something we wanted to try to utilize, and it's allowed for good, physical games.

Q. You mentioned the pressure. The success of this year is going to put a lot of pressure on next year's team. That's just the way of Notre Dame, and Coach Holtz talked about it the other night. What does that mean for you next year going in with the focus of a Heisman favorite with guys that are ...

Brady Quinn: It's so far ahead right now. I really haven't given it much thought. We're still focusing on Ohio State, if anything, now. I think when that time comes, hopefully that pressure would have mounted to we'll be putting that toward working harder and doing the things that we need to get us to a point where we're playing on January 4th and not January 2nd next year.

Q. Brady, how heavily recruited were you by Ohio State, and when it came down to it how much interest did you have in considering them?

Brady Quinn: If I hadn't come to Notre Dame, Ohio State would have most likely been my second choice. Looking back over the recruiting process after I committed to Notre Dame, Ohio State kind of still recruited me all the way up through even after they won the National Championship, they were still trying to get me to take an official visit. At that point I realized their interest was true where maybe some other schools had kind of dropped off or maybe they just respected the verbal commitment, but obviously I realized the desire they had and I realized the opportunity it would have been to play at such a school, but if it wouldn't have been here, it quite possibly could have been Ohio State.

Q. Was that a difficult decision? You said you were a fan as a kid growing up. Was that a difficult decision to turn your back on the team that you followed growing up?

Brady Quinn: Somewhat, especially when you have people in town that would love to see that scenario, growing up watching them, someone who played in that area and had gone to the Ohio State camp for a long time; a lot of people wanted to see that scenario play out. Really when it came down to it, it wasn't the right fit for me.

Q. Can you name one or two deciding factors why you chose Notre Dame?

Brady Quinn: You know, it's hard because when I first came here there was a certain feeling that I got when I stepped on campus and when I kind of walked around campus and went through the stadium and different parts of Notre Dame. I really got a feeling that this is where I saw myself the next four or five years. That's really what it came down to.

Q. Brandon, how aware are you of the bowl streak Notre Dame is on and is that something Coach Weis has talked about with you guys?

Brandon Hoyte: I think it's something that's a motivational factor, and just to be able to for me personally, just to go out there and leave this program where it should be and make sure that Notre Dame stays on top through my tenure, I think that's important.

Q. Brady, as far as the Bowl streak, seven straight for Notre Dame?

Brady Quinn: That's something that obviously needs to end. It's been going on far too long. You know that we've been working towards that as one of our goals, ending that streak.

Q. I want to just ask, obviously talking about post season awards, there's been a little bit of chatter towards the ends of the season that Brady Quinn is making Maurice Stovall and Jeff Samardzija look good while Maurice Stovall and Jeff Samardzija are making Brady Quinn look good. How gratifying has it been to see your two targets come into their own this year and all three of you are getting post season award talk?

Brady Quinn: It's great to see all the hard work those two have done, especially with Maurice. In his case a lot of people looked at him as maybe having underachieved in some circumstances, but since Coach Weis has been here, he's done everything he's asked. You start to see him slowly come alive and really just turn it on throughout the season and do the things that he was capable of. The strides he's made and the things he's done for this team are really remarkable when you look back at them.

Q. Are either of you tempted to look back and think about the possibility that was really there to be 11 0 with the two losses by five, six points, or is it totally looking forward and not looking back?

Brandon Hoyte: Do you want the political answer or the true answer (laughter)? It's something that you can't not think about, you know, but at the same time, that can show you how good this team really is. And the fortunate thing for us is we all believe that we're one of the top teams in the country and we can play with anybody, and we've shown that, and therefore that in itself, that helps us move forward toward this Bowl game.

Q. Was there a point during the season that you realized you could be a BCS team because obviously at the beginning of the year people weren't very high on you guys?

Brandon Hoyte: The thing is people weren't, but we were. That might sound cocky and arrogant and it is, but I think that's the bottom line. I think a lot of people doubted us, and from day one when Coach Weis got here, everyone got on the same page and no one doubted. We just worked hard, and we're just really fortunate that things are paying off.

Q. Sitting here right now, was this the scenario that you saw before the season?

Brandon Hoyte: Yes (laughing).

Q. Brandon, you talked about going out, the fifth year guys kind of putting a stamp on things. Do you kind of look at this as like the signature game?

Brandon Hoyte: Without a doubt. It's mainly because you've put - like one thing Coach always says is you always pay in advance, and we worked and we sweated during the summer and the springtime in order that we can play well during the season, and now we've positioned ourselves in a spot where we have the opportunity to play in a big time BCS Bowl. This is what we've worked up the whole season to get done, and it's time for us to get it done.

Q. Brady, when you were growing up over there did you go to a lot of games at Ohio State, and could you talk about how big a fans or how passionate they are about Ohio State football over there?

Brady Quinn: When I was growing up I went to a good amount of games every season. It kind of decreased as I got older and started playing high school football. It was crazy because you'd hear if they had one loss or two losses in the season it just wasn't ever good enough for their fans. They're extremely passionate about football there and the Buckeyes winning a National Championship every year.

It's funny because it's almost like here where they don't talk about conference championships very much, they talk about two things, beating Michigan every year and winning the National Championship. That's kind of similar goals with us; every year you look at winning the National Championship, not really the conference. It always seems to be our goal.

Q. I just wondered if you could talk on the match ups in this game. A lot of people are going to talk about Notre Dame's offense against Ohio State, their strong defense.

Brady Quinn: When you break down their front seven, they've got great forward linemen, I think they're pretty athletic for their size and can move around for the most part. Their linebacking corps speaks for itself. They're ranked up there with the top or the best of them, I should say. As far as when you look at the secondary I think they're pretty solid all around, as well. Really it's the type of match up that we would like, playing against tough defense that poses a big challenge for us.

Q. Brady, did you attend the Notre Dame Ohio State game in '95 in Columbus?

Brady Quinn: No, I actually didn't.

Q. Do you remember those games at all?

Brady Quinn: I do. Obviously at that point in time, my being a Notre Dame fan really came on, so being a Notre Dame fan in Columbus during those times was hard, especially two years back to back like that.

Q. I wonder if either of you could talk about whether you watched any of the games yesterday and how much interest you had because you probably were going to be in a BCS game. Were you watching them from that perspective?

Brandon Hoyte: I was watching them for more pleasure, not having to play yesterday. It's cool because yesterday we just got to sit back and be a fan, and that's something that when you're playing college ball you don't get a chance to do a lot. I just sat back, had some chips with my parents and watched the game.

Q. Brady, just wondering if it surprises you, looking through the years, these programs have only met four times. Considering they're bordering space, just wondering if that surprises you and if it'll be fun to play two Midwest teams that never play each other, to be a part of that?

Brady Quinn: Looking at the past history of this rivalry, it's kind of weird to think that they're so close and such rich programs that they wouldn't play more, have some sort of deal where they'd meet every so often. But obviously it's going to be a fun game for me, especially playing these guys, the chance to have one of those rare opportunities to play Ohio State.

Source: UND.com
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
 
Upvote 0
DBB's Statistical Breakdown - Fiesta Style

Since mid-season, I've broken down each game based on:
  1. Defensively, how far does a team hold their opponent's below their offensive averages.
  2. Offensively, how far does a team exceed their opponent's defensive averages.
I call these numbers the "Differential Defense" and "Differential Offense" respectively.

In order to factor out a team's affect on their opponents averages, I compare each team's production vs. their opponent's output in all other games, factoring out the head-head matchup. This is especially important for this game, as the ND offense and the OSU defense drastically affected their opponents' season averages.

Once I have the differential numbers, I've combined each team's average offense/defense with the other team's differential defense/offense to come up with predictions for the game.

This is how it breaks down for the Fiesta Bowl.

Predictions for OHIO STATE

Yardage

Ohio State Average Offense______404.64 yards
_______________________________minus_____
Notre Dame Holds Opponents______23.59 yards below their average
So, OSU's expected yardage is___381.05 yards


-alternatively-


Notre Dame Average Defense_____376.91 yards
_______________________________plus______
OSU exceeds opponents avg. by___20.66 yards per game
So, OSU's expected yardage is___397.57 yards



Points

Ohio State Average Offense______32.55 points
______________________________minus_____
Notre Dame Holds Opponents______5.34_points below their average
So, OSU's expected point total is_27.21 points


-alternatively-


Notre Dame Average Defense______23.64 points
_______________________________plus_______
OSU exceeds opponents avg. by____7.68 points per game
So, OSU's expected point total is__31.32 points



So the predictions for OSU are:
  1. 381 yards and 27 points, and
  2. 398 yards and 31 points
For what it's worth, over the course of the season, OSU exceeded prediction one (whatever prediction one happened to be for that game) by an average of 70 yards and 12 points; and exceeded prediction two (whatever it happened to be) by an average of 23 yards and 4 points. This is indicative of OSU having improved on offense faster than our opponents were improving on defense, and to a lesser extent, on OSU having played a tougher schedule than opponents. While we played a tougher schedule than did Notre Dame, I expect that both teams will play at their highest level in the upcoming game. No correction is in order IMHO.



Predictions for Notre Dame

Yardage

Notre Dame Average Offense_____489.09 yards
_______________________________minus_____
Ohio State Holds Opponents______171.93 yards below their average
So, ND's expected yardage is_____317.16 yards


-alternatively-


Ohio State Average Defense_____275.27 yards
______________________________plus______
ND exceeds opponents avg. by___120.77 yards per game
So, ND's expected yardage is____396.04 yards



Points

Notre Dame Average Offense_____38.18 points
______________________________minus_____
Ohio State Holds Opponents______18.55 points below their average
So, ND's expected point total is___19.63 points


-alternatively-


Ohio State Average Defense______14.82 points
_______________________________plus_______
OSU exceeds opponents avg. by___13.96 points per game
So, ND's expected point total is____28.78 points



So the predictions for Notre Dame are:
  1. 317 yards and 20 points, and
  2. 396 yards and 29 points
As OSU's defense played at a high level all year, rather than improving dramatically like the offense did; predictions one and two bracketed (on average) the actual output for the season. OSU's opponents exceeded prediction one by an average of 15 yards and 3 points; but fell short of prediction two by an average of 31 yards and 6 points.


Summary

Comparing offensive output to differential defense predicts:

OSU wins 27-20 (381 yards to 317)


Comparing defensive average to differential offense predicts:

OSU wins 31-29 (398 yards to 396)


When you consider that OSU's offense tended to exceed the prediction of both methods, and that OSU's defense tended to give up a number closer to the first than the second (closer to 20 than 29); some OSU fans may be tempted to correct these number a bit. Such a correction would be eerily close to cfn.com's prediction of 38-20, but is unwarranted IMHO.

This game figures to be an absolute barn-burner. I can't wait.
 
Upvote 0
December 06. 2005 6:59AM
<!--START Headline-->A brief history, but long on hostility

<!--END Headline--><!--ArticleByline-->
ERIC HANSEN
Tribune Staff Writer

<!-- STORY BODY -->
SOUTH BEND -- Questions and answers formulated while trying to figure out whether former Notre Dame football coach and current Phoenix-area resident Bob Davie will be hosting the Fiesta Bowl media party at his place:

Just how good is Ohio State?

It may not be the best team Notre Dame has played this season, but it's the most complete. Notre Dame has played five schools with offenses ranked higher in total yardage than OSU at No. 37 (USC, Michigan State, BYU, Purdue, Navy), but the Buckeyes played their best offensive football in the second half of the season and their defense and special teams have been stellar all year.

With this being only the fifth meeting between these two football powers in adjoining states, why don't they play more often?

<!--START Inline Ad--><TABLE style="WIDTH: 321px; HEIGHT: 270px; TEXT-ALIGN: left" cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="VERTICAL-ALIGN: top"><SCRIPT language=JavaScript><!--OAS_AD('Middle');//--></SCRIPT> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!--END Inline Ad-->Initially there was a lot of bad blood during and after a pair of games between the two schools in the mid-1930s. Even before that series was finalized, Ohio State faculty reps visited Notre Dame in 1933 to inspect its academic treatment of athletes. ND thought that to be a bit condescending, but it was typical of relations between Notre Dame and its Midwest neighbors at the time.

Then when ND students arrived for the 1935 matchup in Columbus, they were met with hostile crowds, spewing anti-Catholic taunts. The ND team itself encountered similar treatment when a crowd of 15,000 showed up to haze them on the day before the big game.

Notre Dame later alleged that OSU athletes were on the state payroll in Columbus and asked the Big Ten commissioner to investigate. When the Big Ten response was for Notre Dame to keep quiet, the Irish officials ended the series.

Decades later, it was Ohio State coaching legend Woody Hayes who put the kibosh on a potential resumption of the series. But former Notre Dame coach Ara Parseghian and athletic director Moose Krause wanted to push for it.

"I thought it was a natural game to play with two of the nation's powers and two recognizable coaches," Parseghian told The Tribune in 1995. "Plus I was from Ohio. But Woody was against it. He didn't want to play such stout non-conference competition."

All that changed, however, when one of Parseghian's football teammates at Miami of Ohio, Hugh Hindman, ascended to the top of the OSU athletic hierarchy. Hindman scheduled a pair of games roughly two decades into the future, for 1995 and 1996.

"Hugh was a friend of mine," Parseghian said. "And he figured Woody wasn't going to be there forever, so he got it done."

Was there any thought given to extending the series once the games in the '90s were played?

Mike Wadsworth, ND's athletic director in the mid-90s, said he was working with then-OSU AD Andy Geiger on just that and both were gung-ho about it, but it fizzled after Wadsworth left Notre Dame a few years later.

In a word, how would you characterize the ND fan base's relationship with Ohio State's followers now?

Neighbors.

The kind of neighbors that would bring over, say, a plate of brownies?

Uh-huh, laced with Ex-Lax. They are the kind of neighbors that you don't lend your mower to, that you find souvenirs from their dog in your yard, that you plant huge shrubs so you don't have to think about them.

And this is a good thing?

Absolutely. The atmosphere before and during the game will be electric.

Has Jeff Samardzija become a household name?

Yes, but with limits. The Irish junior wide receiver's last name was misspelled on the official final ballot for the Biletnikoff Award.

Will Oregon, which wanted to be in the Fiesta Bowl, just crush Oklahoma in the Holiday Bowl?

It depends on the players' and coaches' state of mind. Jilted football teams are a lot like the NCAA Tourney bubble teams that fall into the NIT in basketball. Everyone thinks the bubble teams will dominate, but most of them don't, because they don't want to be there. Oregon's state of mind will play a large role in the outcome. So will the fact that Oklahoma is markedly improved from where it was early in the year.

Why did Oregon leapfrog Notre Dame in the final coaches poll when both teams were idle that week?

Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?

Seriously?

I'm not big on conspiracy theories. It's one thing to flip-flop your vote if you thought ND's 38-31 victory over Stanford wasn't impressive enough to keep the Irish ahead of the Ducks. But when both teams were idle the next week, it was kind of suspicious, if not careless, to do that. The same could be said if the roles were reversed.

USA Today on Monday made public all 62 coaches' ballots. Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione had Notre Dame the highest, at No. 3. South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier had the Irish the lowest, at No. 14.

Notre Dame was ahead of Oregon on 37 of the 62 ballots and was voted 4, 5 or 6 by two-thirds of the coaches, but ballots like Spurrier's, Oregon coach Mike Bellotti's, Washington State coach and South Bend-area product Bill Doba's, and yes, former Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham's more than made up the difference.

Why would Spurrier do something like that?

Maybe he really does think there are 13 better college football teams in the country than Notre Dame. And maybe there is some connection to this quote from ND coach Charlie Weis in August on whether Spurrier's adjustment in going from college to pro ball a few years ago might be similar to Weis' adjustment in going from the NFL to the college ranks this year:

"Well, first of all Steve's a great coach. I think one thing that's a little different, though, is those defenses in the NFL, they'll figure you out in a hurry now. I mean you're just sitting there, and every time they blitz, you're going to throw a slip screen. That's what he did. Everyone in the league knew it. He was going to throw a slip screen and everyone would be playing the slip screen."

Is there any recourse to this?

Karma kind of took care of that. Spurrier and his Gamecocks are spending the holidays in Shreveport, La., at the Independence Bowl.

<HR>

Eyes on the Irish

How the 62 coaches who vote regularly in the USA Today coaches poll positioned Notre Dame on their final regular-season ballots:

No. 3 (1): Dennis Franchione (Texas A&M).

No. 4 (10): Chuck Amato (N.C. State), Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech), Phil Bennett (SMU), Darryl Dickey (North Texas), Dan McCarney (Iowa State), Joe Novak (Northern Illinois), Greg Schiano (Rutgers), John L. Smith (Michigan State), Frank Solich (Ohio), Charlie Weis (Notre Dame).

No. 5 (23): Barry Alvarez (Wisconsin), Larry Blakeney (Troy State), Bobby Bowden (Florida State), Tommy Bowden (Clemson), Jeff Bower (Southern Mississippi), Gregg Brandon (Bowling Green), Watson Brown (Alabama-Birmingham), John Bunting (North Carolina), Phillip Fulmer (Tennessee), Joe Glenn (Wyoming), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Walt Harris (Stanford), Ken Hatfield (Rice), Dan Hawkins (Boise State), Terry Hoeppner (Indiana), Brian Kelly (Central Michigan), Sonny Lubick (Colorado State), Andy McCollum (Middle Tennessee State), Shane Montgomery (Miami, Ohio), Gary Patterson (TCU), Bobby Petrino (Louisville), Howard Schnellenberger (Florida Atlantic), Jim Tressel (Ohio State).

No. 6 (8): Jack Bicknell (Louisiana Tech), Art Briles (Houston), Lloyd Carr (Michigan), Sylvester Croom (Mississippi State), Randy Edsall (Connecticut), Skip Holtz (East Carolina), Rich Rodriguez (West Virginia), Dick Tomey (San Jose State).

No. 7 (5): Mack Brown (Texas), Pat Hill (Fresno State), Brady Hoke (Ball State), Houston Nutt (Arkansas), Randy Walker (Northwestern).

No. 8 (1): Mark Richt (Georgia).

No. 9 (6): Mike Bellotti (Oregon), Rich Brooks (Kentucky), Bob Stoops (Oklahoma), Joe Tiller (Purdue), Tommy Tuberville (Auburn), Tyrone Willingham (Washington).

No. 10 (4): Gary Barnett (Colorado), Larry Coker (Miam, Fla.), Rocky Long (New Mexico), Jeff Tedford (California).

No. 11 (1): Tom O'Brien (Boston College).

No. 12 (1): Bill Doba (Washington State).

No. 13 (1): Bobby Wallace (Temple).

No. 14 (1): Steve Spurrier (South Carolina).

<HR>

Selected ballots

Here are the top 15 on the Top 25 ballots of Oregon's Mike Bellotti, Notre Dame's Charlie Weis, Ohio State's Jim Tressel and former ND coach Tyrone Willingham, now at Washington.


<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=450 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=225>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Mike Bellotti, Oregon[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD width=225>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Jim Tressel, Ohio State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]1. USC[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]1. USC[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]2. Texas[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]2. Texas[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]3. Penn State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]3. Penn State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]4. Oregon[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]4. Ohio State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]5. Ohio State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]5. Notre Dame[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]6. Auburn[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]6. Auburn[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]7. Miami (Fla.)[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]7. Miami (Fla.)[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]8. Georgia[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]8. Georgia[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]9. Notre Dame[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]9. Oregon[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]10. Virginia Tech[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]10. Virginia Tech[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]11. West Virginia[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]11. LSU[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]12. LSU[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]12. West Virginia[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]13. Alabama[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]13. Alabama[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]14. TCU[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]14. TCU[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]15. UCLA[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]15. Texas Tech[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Charlie Weis, Notre Dame[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]Tyrone Willingham, Washington[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]1. USC[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]1. USC[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]2. Texas[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]2. Texas[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]3. Penn State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]3. Penn State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]4. Notre Dame[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]4. Oregon[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]5. Ohio State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]5. Ohio State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]6. Oregon[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]6. Auburn[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]7. Auburn[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]7. Georgia[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]8. Georgia[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]8. Miami (Fla.)[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]9. Miami (Fla.)[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]9. Notre Dame[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]10. West Virginia[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]10. LSU[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]11. LSU[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]11. Alabama[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]12. Alabama[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]12. TCU[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]13. Virginia Tech[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]13. West Virginia[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]14. TCU[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]14. Florida[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR><TR><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]15. Florida[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD><TD>[FONT=Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]15. Florida State[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>



<!-- END STORY BODY -->
 
Upvote 0
In a word, how would you characterize the ND fan base's relationship with Ohio State's followers now?

Neighbors.

The kind of neighbors that would bring over, say, a plate of brownies?

Uh-huh, laced with Ex-Lax. They are the kind of neighbors that you don't lend your mower to, that you find souvenirs from their dog in your yard, that you plant huge shrubs so you don't have to think about them.
Click to expand...

:slappy: That is good stuff there...
 
Upvote 0
TheMile said:
I won't just be giving lip service to rooting for OSU in this one; I'll be cheering all out. Please beat, no, more than that, annihilate the Domers. I'm talking a 60-3 debacle.

:oh: :io:
Click to expand...

Michigan is going to crush Nebraska whether I cheer for you or not, so I won't. :biggrin:

How bad must Nebraska be kicking themselves for hiring Callahan? I thought it was a terrible move when they did it, now I think it's one of the worst coaching moves ever.

And to get this back on topic a little, I think we're going to crush Notre Dame, I don't care how much Weis gameplans they won't be able to stop our offense and we will at least (at the very least) be able to slow the Domers offense from keeping up with us on the scoreboard.
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top