#24 Notre Dame (8-3) at #5 Stanford (10-1)

College Sports 166 replies 4,247 views
killer_ewok's avatar
killer_ewok
Posts: 11,379
Nov 20, 2011 12:52pm
The Fighting Irish head out to Palo Alto to take on Andrew Luck and company. 8:00 p.m. kickoff on ABC. Could be a BCS berth on the line for both teams. Stanford has won the last two games in the series. Brian Kelly has a 6-0 record in November in his 2 seasons as head coach at Notre Dame.

Gonna have to bring the "A" game to beat Stanford but I think ND can pull it off.
W
WebFire
Posts: 14,779
Nov 20, 2011 1:07pm
Even with a win, I don't see how ND is anywhere near a BCS bowl.
killer_ewok's avatar
killer_ewok
Posts: 11,379
Nov 20, 2011 1:12pm
WebFire;980585 wrote:Even with a win, I don't see how ND is anywhere near a BCS bowl.
I was under the impression that there was still a chance (albeit slim) that ND could get an at-large bid. As volatile as the polls are....ND could probably jump on 9 or 10 spots in the rankings with a win over a top 5 team on the road so they would be ranked about 15th or so. I don't know. Maybe I'm wrong and there is absolutely zero chance that it could happen.
karen lotz's avatar
karen lotz
Posts: 22,284
Nov 20, 2011 1:17pm
Rolling the dice with a ewok started game thread?


Irish are going to have to play really well to have a chance. I'd assume Stanford will drop 8 into coverage like they did last year. Crist struggled with it. Rees struggled yesterday badly when BC suits it because he is zero threat to run. I assume they mentioned during the game yesterday that he was scrambling when he didn't have to. Could have sat in the pocket for 10 seconds and waited for someone to break open but instead would roll out to where a DE would force him to throw it away. As well as Tommy played against Maryland, he was that bad against BC.
killer_ewok's avatar
killer_ewok
Posts: 11,379
Nov 20, 2011 1:22pm
karen lotz;980617 wrote:Rolling the dice with a ewok started game thread?


Irish are going to have to play really well to have a chance. I'd assume Stanford will drop 8 into coverage like they did last year. Crist struggled with it. Rees struggled yesterday badly when BC suits it because he is zero threat to run. I assume they mentioned during the game yesterday that he was scrambling when he didn't have to. Could have sat in the pocket for 10 seconds and waited for someone to break open but instead would roll out to where a DE would force him to throw it away. As well as Tommy played against Maryland, he was that bad against BC.

0-2 this season when I start the game thread. LOL. Another bad streak that must end!
KR1245's avatar
KR1245
Posts: 4,317
Nov 20, 2011 1:22pm
WebFire;980585 wrote:Even with a win, I don't see how ND is anywhere near a BCS bowl.
Yeah, ND has no chance of making a BCS.
karen lotz's avatar
karen lotz
Posts: 22,284
Nov 20, 2011 1:25pm
WebFire;980585 wrote:Even with a win, I don't see how ND is anywhere near a BCS bowl.

IF they are able to beat Stanford, they'd probably be around 16-17. After another week of teams ahead of them playing, a few more losses and ND would have a chance to move into the top 14. Not likely but not impossible given the way the last few weeks have gone.

Michigan could lost and fall behind then, loser of Penn State/Wisky will fall, etc. After the rankings come out tonight you could see the other teams that can lose/fall over the next two weeks.
karen lotz's avatar
karen lotz
Posts: 22,284
Nov 20, 2011 1:28pm
KR1245;980630 wrote:Yeah, ND has no chance of making a BCS.

Unlikely but not impossible. Sorry that's tough for you to understand.
killer_ewok's avatar
killer_ewok
Posts: 11,379
Nov 20, 2011 1:35pm
karen lotz;980634 wrote:IF they are able to beat Stanford, they'd probably be around 16-17. After another week of teams ahead of them playing, a few more losses and ND would have a chance to move into the top 14. Not likely but not impossible given the way the last few weeks have gone.

Michigan could lost and fall behind then, loser of Penn State/Wisky will fall, etc. After the rankings come out tonight you could see the other teams that can lose/fall over the next two weeks.

This is what I was thinking as well. Not likely but possible. I thought it was worth mentioning.
KR1245's avatar
KR1245
Posts: 4,317
Nov 20, 2011 1:39pm
karen lotz;980641 wrote:Unlikely but not impossible. Sorry that's tough for you to understand.
Haha. You always get this defensive when somebody says something negative about ND? Quit being a f#ckin baby
karen lotz's avatar
karen lotz
Posts: 22,284
Nov 20, 2011 1:58pm
KR1245;980664 wrote:Haha. You always get this defensive when somebody says something negative about ND? Quit being a f#ckin baby

How is that defensive? I'm not saying other than it isn't impossible. I don't think it will happen but with the way the last few weeks have gone anything is possible. Your statement wasn't accurate and I pointed it out to you. Again, sorry you are so defensive about Notre Dame.
ytownfootball's avatar
ytownfootball
Posts: 6,978
Nov 20, 2011 2:16pm
Not seeing Stanford and Luck Sandusky'd at home in his last game by the Irish.
karen lotz's avatar
karen lotz
Posts: 22,284
Nov 20, 2011 2:35pm
Riddick might be moved to RB this week if his ankle is healthy enough. Trying to take some of the load off of Cierre with Gray out.
killer_ewok's avatar
killer_ewok
Posts: 11,379
Nov 20, 2011 2:41pm
Cierre was a beast earlier in the year. And since he's been sharing carries with Gray he shouldn't be worn down. He'll obviously need somebody to spell him at times but I would let him tote it 30 times if need be.

Also, the AP Poll has Stanford ranked 4th and ND ranked 22nd. "Cool story, bro" moment.
karen lotz's avatar
karen lotz
Posts: 22,284
Nov 20, 2011 2:53pm
opening line is Stanford -9
sherm03's avatar
sherm03
Posts: 7,349
Nov 20, 2011 4:30pm
ND will have to play perfect football to win this one. Cierre better be ready to run like crazy, because with Gary Gray in the secondary, the offense is going to have to sustain drives and keep Luck off the field. The problem is, even if ND gets pressure on Luck, he's just as dangerous out of the pocket as he is inside. So the secondary is going to have to play their best game of the season to limit the passing attack of Stanford.

I just hope it isn't ugly.
karen lotz's avatar
karen lotz
Posts: 22,284
Nov 20, 2011 4:42pm
Of more concern than Gary Gray is ND's linebackers/safeties against Stanford's TEs. I think they have 3 of them that Luck uses pretty well and any kind of play action against Notre Dame this year has left opposing TEs WIDE open. Carlo has made a couple of nice plays (including one yesterday where he could have had a pick) by dropping in zone coverage underneath deep routes but for the most part LBs have been exposed in the passing game.
like_that's avatar
like_that
Posts: 26,625
Nov 20, 2011 5:16pm
ND in a BCS bowl game would be complete joke. I don't see them beating Standford anyway though.
bradmaynard's avatar
bradmaynard
Posts: 277
Nov 20, 2011 5:37pm
like_that;981219 wrote:ND in a BCS bowl game would be complete joke. I don't see them beating Standford anyway though.
Look at the latest projections on the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl. It's a down year.
Tobias Fünke's avatar
Tobias Fünke
Posts: 2,387
Nov 20, 2011 5:54pm
karen lotz;981154 wrote:Of more concern than Gary Gray is ND's linebackers/safeties against Stanford's TEs.
This.

Notre Dame has struggled all year with the OLB's covering TE's in the hooks/flats and Stanford utilizes that in their offense perhaps better than anyone.

Stanford's defense isn't as elite as people thought though. Kelly will have to get creative though and put up 35 to give the Irish a shot.
Tobias Fünke's avatar
Tobias Fünke
Posts: 2,387
Nov 20, 2011 5:55pm
bradmaynard;981258 wrote:Look at the latest projections on the Orange Bowl and Sugar Bowl. It's a down year.
Link?
Tobias Fünke's avatar
Tobias Fünke
Posts: 2,387
Nov 20, 2011 5:55pm
like_that;981219 wrote:ND in a BCS bowl game would be complete joke. I don't see them beating Standford anyway though.
It's a better team than the Big East has put in BCS games recently, and definitely better than the last Notre Dame team to make it. Stop acting like the BCS is reserved for the top 8 teams in the country, that has never been the case. It's all about big name teams with solid records. A 9-3 Notre Dame team would fit that profile again.
bradmaynard's avatar
bradmaynard
Posts: 277
Nov 20, 2011 6:05pm
V
vball10set
Posts: 24,795
Nov 20, 2011 6:11pm
lovin' the Toledo/Northwestern matchup :thumbup:
M
MontyBrunswick
Nov 20, 2011 8:49pm
Stanford by 28