NOTREDAMECHIEF
Legend
I read an article by one of the major news companys that said Charlie stayed on the field along time after the game congratulating OSU players.
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rocketman
flying low
FINALLY. Fiesta Bowl game is up...quick link in the sig. This divx would just not rip. But...after hours of coaxing it finally decided to go.
Of course, I just found out that my DVR didn't record the final 2 minutes of the Rose Bowl, which killed any chances of making a kick ass divx of that incredible game.
Of course, I just found out that my DVR didn't record the final 2 minutes of the Rose Bowl, which killed any chances of making a kick ass divx of that incredible game.
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My personal opinion is that Charlie Weis did a good job with Notre Dame this year but that his personality flaws will keep him from attaining greatness.
He is very good at the soundbite moment. Calling the play that the cancer victim child asked for (and then making sure everyone knew he did it so he could get the kudos). Talking with some respect for Ohio State's players after the game in the interview.
But, if you read into his comments, there is always the backhanded compliment. AJ Hawk is just kinda alright, pretty good, well, Troy Smith did make a play or two, they were good, BUT that is what I was afraid of, when I called that play, when my team did this or that.
His character flaw is that he thinks the sun shines out his arse. And he is wrong. It's a flashlight and the batteries will wear out eventually.
Charlie Weis can pretend that he's making his players sweat it out in a guilt-filled locker room because they need to fix things and he's acting in their interest. He can pretend and make all kinds of positive statements to explain his behavior. But we all know the truth and his team will soon realize that he has a very good offensive mind but that he is not really all that special and that he is an abusive individual who values himself before his team or anyone else.
Does anyone for one moment think that he would have shared credit with anyone if Notre Dame won? Look at his statements about his team, even Brady Quinn, to whom he is supposed to be so bonded. "You can only do so much. We did a lot because the quarterback could handle it" etc. He depersonalizes everyone except himself. He is the star. Period.
Contrast that with Jim Tressel. Would we have known that he was helping Clarett if this robbery allegation had not been made? Two seconds in the interview after the game, a question about Smith, a statement that he forgave him long ago and thought Smith was wonderful, and then consciously backing out of the limelight for the team to bask in it.
Sure, Weis can sit at the exit and congratulate his seniors. He may even have walked around the field to congratulate Ohio State. But, it would take a lot to convince me it wasn't just for the photo opportunities.
I saw him coaching on the sidelines, I saw the way he treated his players, I witnessed his unbridled ego in the run-up to this game.
I know it won't be a popular opinion, but I think he won't last five years in college coaching. I don't think he will ever win a national championship. I wouldn't let my son play for him.
And here's a prediction to put in the BP archives. Charlie Weis may well be the John Cooper of Notre Dame.
He is very good at the soundbite moment. Calling the play that the cancer victim child asked for (and then making sure everyone knew he did it so he could get the kudos). Talking with some respect for Ohio State's players after the game in the interview.
But, if you read into his comments, there is always the backhanded compliment. AJ Hawk is just kinda alright, pretty good, well, Troy Smith did make a play or two, they were good, BUT that is what I was afraid of, when I called that play, when my team did this or that.
His character flaw is that he thinks the sun shines out his arse. And he is wrong. It's a flashlight and the batteries will wear out eventually.
Charlie Weis can pretend that he's making his players sweat it out in a guilt-filled locker room because they need to fix things and he's acting in their interest. He can pretend and make all kinds of positive statements to explain his behavior. But we all know the truth and his team will soon realize that he has a very good offensive mind but that he is not really all that special and that he is an abusive individual who values himself before his team or anyone else.
Does anyone for one moment think that he would have shared credit with anyone if Notre Dame won? Look at his statements about his team, even Brady Quinn, to whom he is supposed to be so bonded. "You can only do so much. We did a lot because the quarterback could handle it" etc. He depersonalizes everyone except himself. He is the star. Period.
Contrast that with Jim Tressel. Would we have known that he was helping Clarett if this robbery allegation had not been made? Two seconds in the interview after the game, a question about Smith, a statement that he forgave him long ago and thought Smith was wonderful, and then consciously backing out of the limelight for the team to bask in it.
Sure, Weis can sit at the exit and congratulate his seniors. He may even have walked around the field to congratulate Ohio State. But, it would take a lot to convince me it wasn't just for the photo opportunities.
I saw him coaching on the sidelines, I saw the way he treated his players, I witnessed his unbridled ego in the run-up to this game.
I know it won't be a popular opinion, but I think he won't last five years in college coaching. I don't think he will ever win a national championship. I wouldn't let my son play for him.
And here's a prediction to put in the BP archives. Charlie Weis may well be the John Cooper of Notre Dame.
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SB Tribune
1/5
<!--START Headline-->Notre Dame secondary needs help in a hurry <!--END Headline--><!--ArticleByline-->
JEFF CARROLL
Tribune Staff Writer
<!-- STORY BODY --> TEMPE, Ariz. -- Since 1988, Notre Dame's last national championship season, 13 Irish football players have been named consensus All-Americans.
Four of those were defensive backs.
In the wake of Monday's Fiesta Bowl exposure at the hand of Ohio State's playmakers, the program could sure use another one.
<!--START Inline Ad--><!--END Inline Ad--> The 34-20 loss to the Buckeyes was a microcosm of what regular observers have seen out of Notre Dame's defense throughout the 2005 season. No, the Irish didn't typically surrender 617 yards, Ohio State's staggering haul at Sun Devil Stadium and the most in a single game by a Notre Dame opponent in program history.
But the defense did give up a ton of yardage this season. Ohio State's massive output pushed the average yardage allowed per game by the Irish up to 396.9, eclipsing the 1990 team's dubious school record.
And after Troy Smith's 342-yard passing day, the Irish will probably finish around 104th in passing defense, which isn't really a significant improvement over last year's team, which finished second-to-last (116th) in the nation in that category.
And yet ...
Meanwhile, this season the Irish defense forced eight turnovers inside its own 20, one of the top totals in the country.
Meanwhile, safety Tom Zbikowski seemed to have turned the game around Monday with an 89-yard fumble return for a touchdown before it was called back, first by an illegal block call and then wiped out completely by a replay reversal.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame's other safety, Chinedum Ndukwe, was in on seven turnovers this season.
And meanwhile, ND's defense held USC to 34 points in their Oct. 15 meeting, the lowest output of the season for the Trojans heading into tonight's national championship game.
It was a season of intrigue, no doubt. Here's some help sorting out what happened.
Q: What about these defensive back recruits? Can they help?
A: Conceivably, but this isn't college basketball, where a Carmelo Anthony or Marvin Williams can catapult a team in one season. Even at a position like cornerback, where sheer athletic ability can make up for some other deficiencies, the college game isn't kind to newcomers. That means it may take a couple of seasons for Pittsburgh's Darrin Walls and North Carolina's Raeshon McNeil to make their mark on the Irish defense.
Q: Brady Quinn for the 2006 Heisman?
A: Not if you picked up Tuesday's New York Times. The nation's paper of record, which attempts to boil sporting matters down to their overriding essence, splashed this headline across its Fiesta Bowl coverage: "Ginn jump starts his run at Heisman." That would be Ted Ginn, Jr., the Ohio State receiver who shredded ND for 240 total yards and plays like a young Marvin Harrison.
Ohio State teammate Smith, the quarterback, could also be a strong candidate next season as the viewing world tries to locate a new offensive glamour pair to replace USC glimmer twins Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, the Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of college football the past two seasons.
Texas' Vince Young, should he return, and UCLA's Maurice Drew could also work their way into the mix. Perhaps we'll see a re-emergence of Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson? And a couple of relative unknowns also always pop up. Maybe Northwestern's Tyrell Sutton?
Q: Will Notre Dame ever win another bowl game?
A: Of course. These things are cyclical, and sometime soon the Irish will probably be reeling off a run of bowl success. That being said, they are dangerously on the brink of making the kind of history the program certainly wouldn't be proud of.
Monday's Fiesta Bowl loss gave ND eight consecutive bowl losses, tying West Virginia and South Carolina for the longest such streaks of all time. West Virginia lost eight in a row between the 1987 seasons and 1997 seasons, and 11 of 12 before Monday's Sugar Bowl shocker over Georgia. South Carolina didn't win a bowl game between the 1946 season and the 1988 season, a four-decade drought that spanned eight games. Alabama once endured an eight-game bowl winless streak, but slipped a tie in there.
Perhaps Notre Dame should be most heartened by Nebraska's recent bowl history. The Cornhuskers lost seven bowls in a row from the '87 season through the '93 season. Then they won three of the next four national championships. Including this year's Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan, the 'Huskers are 8-3 in bowls since their drought.
1/5
<!--START Headline-->Notre Dame secondary needs help in a hurry <!--END Headline--><!--ArticleByline-->
JEFF CARROLL
Tribune Staff Writer
<!-- STORY BODY --> TEMPE, Ariz. -- Since 1988, Notre Dame's last national championship season, 13 Irish football players have been named consensus All-Americans.
Four of those were defensive backs.
In the wake of Monday's Fiesta Bowl exposure at the hand of Ohio State's playmakers, the program could sure use another one.
<!--START Inline Ad--><!--END Inline Ad--> The 34-20 loss to the Buckeyes was a microcosm of what regular observers have seen out of Notre Dame's defense throughout the 2005 season. No, the Irish didn't typically surrender 617 yards, Ohio State's staggering haul at Sun Devil Stadium and the most in a single game by a Notre Dame opponent in program history.
But the defense did give up a ton of yardage this season. Ohio State's massive output pushed the average yardage allowed per game by the Irish up to 396.9, eclipsing the 1990 team's dubious school record.
And after Troy Smith's 342-yard passing day, the Irish will probably finish around 104th in passing defense, which isn't really a significant improvement over last year's team, which finished second-to-last (116th) in the nation in that category.
And yet ...
Meanwhile, this season the Irish defense forced eight turnovers inside its own 20, one of the top totals in the country.
Meanwhile, safety Tom Zbikowski seemed to have turned the game around Monday with an 89-yard fumble return for a touchdown before it was called back, first by an illegal block call and then wiped out completely by a replay reversal.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame's other safety, Chinedum Ndukwe, was in on seven turnovers this season.
And meanwhile, ND's defense held USC to 34 points in their Oct. 15 meeting, the lowest output of the season for the Trojans heading into tonight's national championship game.
It was a season of intrigue, no doubt. Here's some help sorting out what happened.
Q: What about these defensive back recruits? Can they help?
A: Conceivably, but this isn't college basketball, where a Carmelo Anthony or Marvin Williams can catapult a team in one season. Even at a position like cornerback, where sheer athletic ability can make up for some other deficiencies, the college game isn't kind to newcomers. That means it may take a couple of seasons for Pittsburgh's Darrin Walls and North Carolina's Raeshon McNeil to make their mark on the Irish defense.
Q: Brady Quinn for the 2006 Heisman?
A: Not if you picked up Tuesday's New York Times. The nation's paper of record, which attempts to boil sporting matters down to their overriding essence, splashed this headline across its Fiesta Bowl coverage: "Ginn jump starts his run at Heisman." That would be Ted Ginn, Jr., the Ohio State receiver who shredded ND for 240 total yards and plays like a young Marvin Harrison.
Ohio State teammate Smith, the quarterback, could also be a strong candidate next season as the viewing world tries to locate a new offensive glamour pair to replace USC glimmer twins Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush, the Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of college football the past two seasons.
Texas' Vince Young, should he return, and UCLA's Maurice Drew could also work their way into the mix. Perhaps we'll see a re-emergence of Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson? And a couple of relative unknowns also always pop up. Maybe Northwestern's Tyrell Sutton?
Q: Will Notre Dame ever win another bowl game?
A: Of course. These things are cyclical, and sometime soon the Irish will probably be reeling off a run of bowl success. That being said, they are dangerously on the brink of making the kind of history the program certainly wouldn't be proud of.
Monday's Fiesta Bowl loss gave ND eight consecutive bowl losses, tying West Virginia and South Carolina for the longest such streaks of all time. West Virginia lost eight in a row between the 1987 seasons and 1997 seasons, and 11 of 12 before Monday's Sugar Bowl shocker over Georgia. South Carolina didn't win a bowl game between the 1946 season and the 1988 season, a four-decade drought that spanned eight games. Alabama once endured an eight-game bowl winless streak, but slipped a tie in there.
Perhaps Notre Dame should be most heartened by Nebraska's recent bowl history. The Cornhuskers lost seven bowls in a row from the '87 season through the '93 season. Then they won three of the next four national championships. Including this year's Alamo Bowl victory over Michigan, the 'Huskers are 8-3 in bowls since their drought.
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OZone
1/5
Football
By the Numbers
By Jeff Amey
The 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes ended their season in fine fashion and in the same place they have ended their season three of the past four seasons, the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes faced the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, led by the greatest coach to have never played college football that has ever coached Notre Dame. It turned out to be a record setting day for the Irish, as the Buckeyes put more offensive yards up on the Irish than any other team in the long history of the school.
Let's take a look at the stats. If you need another reason to feel giddy about this game, keep in mind that the Buckeyes could've punted every time they got to second down and still won the game.
draw--2 (6%) for 9 yards--4.5 ypc
sweep--0 (0%)
base/iso--10 (28%) for 41 yards--4.1 ypc
end around--1 (3%) for 68 yards 1 TD--68.0 ypc
power--5 (14%) for 8 yards--1.6 ypc
QB run/scramble--11 (31%) for 57 yards--5.2 ypc
option--3 (8%) for 14 yards--4.7 ypc
stretch--3 (8%) for 76 yards 1 TD--25.3 ypc
* Ohio State did not start on Notre Dame's side of the 50
* 1 for 3 in red zone scoring (1 FG)
* 1 sack and 2 turnovers (2 fumbles)
* 24 of 64 plays took place on ND's side of 50--(38%)
* 16 of 64 plays went for no gain or loss--(25%)
* 49 of 64 plays had 3 or more WR's lined up--(77%)
* 16 of those plays ended with a ball in a WR's hands--(33%)
* number of drives ending in an OSU punt--1
Leading into this game, Ohio State coaches, players and fans were inundated with proclamations that given a month to prepare, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis could pick apart any defense. While the Irish did move the ball against the Buckeyes, and started the game with a surprisingly easy touchdown drive and 7-0 lead, it looks as if Weis might have needed to spend a little more time figuring out how to stop the Ohio State offense. The 34-20 final score doesn't accurately portray how far apart these two teams were on the field. The offense moved the ball at will on the Irish defense, and only turnovers and special teams breakdowns allowed Notre Dame to keep this game closer than it actually was.
The star of this game was supposed to be wearing #10, but it didn't end up being the #10 everyone assumed it would be. Troy Smith followed up his season-best game against Michigan with an even better game against Notre Dame. Aside from his two turnovers on fumbles, Troy looked to be in complete command of the offense and continued to show vast improvement over the early season version of himself. It's evident that his time in the film room has made him a different quarterback, and it shows in his confidence. 2005 ended on a very high note for Troy and he looks to be one of the top candidates for the Heisman trophy heading into 2006.
The benefits of Troy's confidence and command were the wide receivers in this game. Ted Ginn and Santonio Holmes (in his last game in a Buckeye uniform) both finished with over 100 yards receiving and a touchdown each. Ginn also scored on an option-reverse. The Buckeyes receivers looked to have a big advantage against the Notre Dame secondary heading into this game, and the game itself did nothing to take away from that assumption. The Buckeyes combined deep passes with some deep comeback routes to take advantage of a secondary that wasn't trying to play the receivers tight. When the Irish tried to blitz to get to Troy Smith, he either scrambled or kept himself alive in the backfield to hit a pass off of the scramble. It was not a good day to be an Irish defensive back.
For the most part, the Notre Dame defense managed to keep Antonio Pittman in check. He only managed to gain 22 yards in the first half, and through his first 20 carries only managed 75 yards. On his 21st carry, however, he broke loose for a 61 yard touchdown run and put the game out of reach for the Irish. It seemed over the course of the game the Irish were selling out to stop the run, daring Troy Smith to beat him with his arm. Not only was Troy up to the task, but the Buckeye running game, led by Pittman, gained 275 yards and scored on two runs of over 60 yards. Pittman finishes the season with over 1300 yards and is set up for a big year next year with most of the offense coming back.
All of this was made possible by yet another great game from the Ohio State offensive line. The Buckeye front five have had a very good season this year, and finished with another dominating performance against the Irish front seven. A team doesn't gain 616 yards of offense, with 275 of those coming on the ground without dominating in the trenches. Rob Sims and Nick Mangold will be playing on Sundays next season and will be missed, but the Buckeyes look to be strong up front again next year.
Early this season, and over the course of the last couple of seasons, there has been a lot of criticism of the offense and Jim Tressel's ability to put an effective one together. Some of that criticism can finally be laid to rest as the 2005 season comes to a close. Since the Penn State game, the offense has looked explosive and at times even unstoppable. The gameplan against the Irish looked to be very well thought out and took advantage of all of the weaknesses evident in the Notre Dame defense. Given a month to prepare, I think teams had better start fearing Jim Tressel's ability to pick a defense apart. This year's game runs his record to 4-1 in bowls with 4 wins in a row.
What can be said about the Ohio State defense that hasn't been said already? The Buckeyes gave up some yardage and some points to Notre Dame, but once again forced a team to become one dimensional, and put pressure on Brady Quinn all game long. Bobby Carpenter was missed at times during the game, but there was very little dropoff overall in the defense. All-American wide receiver Jeff Samardzija and fellow 6' 5" receiver Maurice Stovall were never really a major factor in the game after Samardzija's drop of a long pass on the first play of the game. Quinn was the major reason the Irish moved the ball at all. Without him, the Irish wouldn't have made it to this game.
Kudos have to go out to Jim Heacock and co-defensive co-ordinator Luke Fickell for their work in this game and all season. They had some great tools to work with this season. It will be interesting to see what the coaches are able to put together with most of the defense departing to play on Sundays next year.
Watching this game, it's not hard to see that the 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes were a very close-knit bunch. Coach Tressel and Troy Smith seem to be developing a special relationship and Troy seems to be blossoming under his tutilage into a truly great quarterback.
This is the last class to have players that played significant time in the 2002 championship season. They finish 4-0 in bowl games (3-0 in the Fiesta Bowl) and 3-1 against Michigan. They leave with at least a piece of two Big Ten Championships and an overall 44-8 record. Most, if not all, of the senior starters on the 2005 team will end up playing somewhere in the NFL along with Junior WR Santonio Holmes, who declared for the draft right after the game. Coach Tressel is building something special at Ohio State and it seems as if it's a question of when, not if, the Buckeyes will stand atop the pedestal as the top team in the nation again.
Congratulations to the 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes for finishing the season with a big win.
Is it too early to kick off 2006?
1/5
Football
By the Numbers
By Jeff Amey
The 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes ended their season in fine fashion and in the same place they have ended their season three of the past four seasons, the Fiesta Bowl. The Buckeyes faced the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, led by the greatest coach to have never played college football that has ever coached Notre Dame. It turned out to be a record setting day for the Irish, as the Buckeyes put more offensive yards up on the Irish than any other team in the long history of the school.
Let's take a look at the stats. If you need another reason to feel giddy about this game, keep in mind that the Buckeyes could've punted every time they got to second down and still won the game.
Run/Pass Breakdown
64 Total Plays--616 yards--9.6 ypp
28 pass (44%)--19/28 for 341 yards 2 TD
36 runs (56%) for 275 yards 2 TD--7.6 ypc
11 Total Drives28 pass (44%)--19/28 for 341 yards 2 TD
36 runs (56%) for 275 yards 2 TD--7.6 ypc
ave. of 5.8 plays--56.0 yards
ave. start--OSU 23
1st Down--33 plays (52%) for 452 yards (you read that right)ave. start--OSU 23
10 pass (30%)--9/10 for 234 yards 2 TD
23 runs (70%) for 218 yards 2 TD--9.5 ypc
ave. gain of 13.7 yards
2nd Down--19 plays (30%) for 63 yards23 runs (70%) for 218 yards 2 TD--9.5 ypc
ave. gain of 13.7 yards
10 pass (53%)--4/10 for 37 yards
9 runs (47%) for 26 yards--2.9 ypc
ave. of 7.1 yards to go
ave. gain of 3.3 yards
3rd Down--12 plays (19%) for 101 yards9 runs (47%) for 26 yards--2.9 ypc
ave. of 7.1 yards to go
ave. gain of 3.3 yards
8 pass (67%)--6/8 for 70 yards
4 runs (33%) for 31 yards--7.8 ypc
ave. of 7.4 yards to go
ave. gain of 8.4 yards
conversions--8/12 (67%)
Playaction Passing4 runs (33%) for 31 yards--7.8 ypc
ave. of 7.4 yards to go
ave. gain of 8.4 yards
conversions--8/12 (67%)
4/6 for 102 yards 1 TD
First Downs--23
12 by pass
10 by run
1 by penalty
10 by run
1 by penalty
FORMATION BREAKDOWN
Two back formations--13 plays (20%)1 pass (8%)--1/1 for 17 yards
12 runs (92%) for 116 yards 1 TD--9.7 ypc
Shotgun formations--38 plays (59%)12 runs (92%) for 116 yards 1 TD--9.7 ypc
24 pass (63%)--15/24 for 165 yards
14 runs (37%) for 83 yards--5.9 ypc
One back formations--13 plays (20%)14 runs (37%) for 83 yards--5.9 ypc
3 pass (23%)--3/3 for 159 yards 2 TD
10 runs (77%) for 76 yards 1 TD--7.6 ypc
10 runs (77%) for 76 yards 1 TD--7.6 ypc
RUN TYPE BREAKDOWN--36 attempts
counter/trap--1 (3%) for 2 yards--2.0 ypcdraw--2 (6%) for 9 yards--4.5 ypc
sweep--0 (0%)
base/iso--10 (28%) for 41 yards--4.1 ypc
end around--1 (3%) for 68 yards 1 TD--68.0 ypc
power--5 (14%) for 8 yards--1.6 ypc
QB run/scramble--11 (31%) for 57 yards--5.2 ypc
option--3 (8%) for 14 yards--4.7 ypc
stretch--3 (8%) for 76 yards 1 TD--25.3 ypc
Other Stats of Note
* 3 offensive penalties for the game* Ohio State did not start on Notre Dame's side of the 50
* 1 for 3 in red zone scoring (1 FG)
* 1 sack and 2 turnovers (2 fumbles)
* 24 of 64 plays took place on ND's side of 50--(38%)
* 16 of 64 plays went for no gain or loss--(25%)
* 49 of 64 plays had 3 or more WR's lined up--(77%)
* 16 of those plays ended with a ball in a WR's hands--(33%)
* number of drives ending in an OSU punt--1
Leading into this game, Ohio State coaches, players and fans were inundated with proclamations that given a month to prepare, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis could pick apart any defense. While the Irish did move the ball against the Buckeyes, and started the game with a surprisingly easy touchdown drive and 7-0 lead, it looks as if Weis might have needed to spend a little more time figuring out how to stop the Ohio State offense. The 34-20 final score doesn't accurately portray how far apart these two teams were on the field. The offense moved the ball at will on the Irish defense, and only turnovers and special teams breakdowns allowed Notre Dame to keep this game closer than it actually was.
The star of this game was supposed to be wearing #10, but it didn't end up being the #10 everyone assumed it would be. Troy Smith followed up his season-best game against Michigan with an even better game against Notre Dame. Aside from his two turnovers on fumbles, Troy looked to be in complete command of the offense and continued to show vast improvement over the early season version of himself. It's evident that his time in the film room has made him a different quarterback, and it shows in his confidence. 2005 ended on a very high note for Troy and he looks to be one of the top candidates for the Heisman trophy heading into 2006.
The benefits of Troy's confidence and command were the wide receivers in this game. Ted Ginn and Santonio Holmes (in his last game in a Buckeye uniform) both finished with over 100 yards receiving and a touchdown each. Ginn also scored on an option-reverse. The Buckeyes receivers looked to have a big advantage against the Notre Dame secondary heading into this game, and the game itself did nothing to take away from that assumption. The Buckeyes combined deep passes with some deep comeback routes to take advantage of a secondary that wasn't trying to play the receivers tight. When the Irish tried to blitz to get to Troy Smith, he either scrambled or kept himself alive in the backfield to hit a pass off of the scramble. It was not a good day to be an Irish defensive back.
For the most part, the Notre Dame defense managed to keep Antonio Pittman in check. He only managed to gain 22 yards in the first half, and through his first 20 carries only managed 75 yards. On his 21st carry, however, he broke loose for a 61 yard touchdown run and put the game out of reach for the Irish. It seemed over the course of the game the Irish were selling out to stop the run, daring Troy Smith to beat him with his arm. Not only was Troy up to the task, but the Buckeye running game, led by Pittman, gained 275 yards and scored on two runs of over 60 yards. Pittman finishes the season with over 1300 yards and is set up for a big year next year with most of the offense coming back.
All of this was made possible by yet another great game from the Ohio State offensive line. The Buckeye front five have had a very good season this year, and finished with another dominating performance against the Irish front seven. A team doesn't gain 616 yards of offense, with 275 of those coming on the ground without dominating in the trenches. Rob Sims and Nick Mangold will be playing on Sundays next season and will be missed, but the Buckeyes look to be strong up front again next year.
Early this season, and over the course of the last couple of seasons, there has been a lot of criticism of the offense and Jim Tressel's ability to put an effective one together. Some of that criticism can finally be laid to rest as the 2005 season comes to a close. Since the Penn State game, the offense has looked explosive and at times even unstoppable. The gameplan against the Irish looked to be very well thought out and took advantage of all of the weaknesses evident in the Notre Dame defense. Given a month to prepare, I think teams had better start fearing Jim Tressel's ability to pick a defense apart. This year's game runs his record to 4-1 in bowls with 4 wins in a row.
What can be said about the Ohio State defense that hasn't been said already? The Buckeyes gave up some yardage and some points to Notre Dame, but once again forced a team to become one dimensional, and put pressure on Brady Quinn all game long. Bobby Carpenter was missed at times during the game, but there was very little dropoff overall in the defense. All-American wide receiver Jeff Samardzija and fellow 6' 5" receiver Maurice Stovall were never really a major factor in the game after Samardzija's drop of a long pass on the first play of the game. Quinn was the major reason the Irish moved the ball at all. Without him, the Irish wouldn't have made it to this game.
Kudos have to go out to Jim Heacock and co-defensive co-ordinator Luke Fickell for their work in this game and all season. They had some great tools to work with this season. It will be interesting to see what the coaches are able to put together with most of the defense departing to play on Sundays next year.
Watching this game, it's not hard to see that the 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes were a very close-knit bunch. Coach Tressel and Troy Smith seem to be developing a special relationship and Troy seems to be blossoming under his tutilage into a truly great quarterback.
This is the last class to have players that played significant time in the 2002 championship season. They finish 4-0 in bowl games (3-0 in the Fiesta Bowl) and 3-1 against Michigan. They leave with at least a piece of two Big Ten Championships and an overall 44-8 record. Most, if not all, of the senior starters on the 2005 team will end up playing somewhere in the NFL along with Junior WR Santonio Holmes, who declared for the draft right after the game. Coach Tressel is building something special at Ohio State and it seems as if it's a question of when, not if, the Buckeyes will stand atop the pedestal as the top team in the nation again.
Congratulations to the 2005 Ohio State Buckeyes for finishing the season with a big win.
Is it too early to kick off 2006?
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0
Last time I checked that was the fat motherfuckers first ever year as a HC at any level.
He went 9-3 vs a schedule softer than his lower abs and presided over the worst defensive day in ND football history.
Congrat-u-fucking-lations.
BTW Dave Wannstead, Buddy Ryan and Dick LeBeau all say "Hi" from the overrated assistants who never did shit as a head coach's convention in nobodycaresville, USA.
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Well, Notre Dame calls him Touchdown Jesus, not Victory Jesus.
If God had wanted Notre Dame up on that Fiesta Bowl champion platform, he would've miracled their ass up there.
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