Cringe-worthy Notre Dame Football Cliches

[chaseball]

1. "Opponents are more motivated to play harder/better vs Notre Dame"
With millions of dollars on the line for head coaches, and millions of future NFL dollars on the line for players, there's no extra gear that teams save for Notre Dame. Every week, every drive, every play, regardless of opponent, players/coaches are giving their maximum effort. They don't save their proverbial can of spinach for a game against Notre Dame and kick their performance up a notch.

When ND loses a random game vs a random opponent it isn't because the opponent suddenly became super-mutant vs Notre Dame and gave a unique level of effort they hadn't previously. More often than not, it's simply a result of lack of depth/athletes on Notre Dame's part to contend with the unique strength any given opponent can propose over the course of a long season.

 

[bizzybecknd]

Ehhh... Those things you speak of - usually don't apply to the majority of players on USAFA's roster or Navy's. And many other smaller programs where 90% of the kids know college is their last stop- Tulsa, NW, Duke, WF, Western Michigan, Ball St.. so yes, saying you beat ND is a lifetime achievement.

I am close with 6-8 guys on the 2007 Air Force squad that beat ND, trust me, it's no cliche.

 

[chaseball]

Ehhh... Those things you speak of - usually don't apply to the majority of players on USAFA's roster or Navy's. And many other smaller programs where 90% of the kids know college is their last stop- Tulsa, NW, Duke, WF, Western Michigan, Ball St.. so yes, saying you beat ND is a lifetime achievement..

Its not just the money .. at the FBS level .. it makes no logical sense that players save an extra gear for any one team on their schedule. All games, all plays, all drives matter a ton. Coaches want to win and move up the ladder, players want to stay on the field and not lose ground on the depth chart, players want to win for their schools/programs, players want national recognition for playing great football .. ALL of this trumps any motivation one might get simply because the opponent is wearing a gold Notre Dame helmet

 

[Bodizephax]

Michigan State was motivated to beat ND but we crushed them!! Because we have a great team !
I am also tired of the cliche that everyone gets up when they play ND !! Of course they do but it shouldn't help them beat us !

 

[bizzybecknd]

Its not just the money .. at the FBS level .. it makes no logical sense that players save an extra gear for any one team on their schedule. All games, all plays, all drives matter a ton. Coaches want to win and move up the ladder, players want to stay on the field and not lose ground on the depth chart, players want to win for their schools/programs, players want national recognition for playing great football .. ALL of this trumps any motivation one might get simply because the opponent is wearing a gold Notre Dame helmet

I dont disagree every play and drives count and depth chart negotiating matters. But if you think for one second that a win versus Indiana and Notre Dame mean the same you are kidding yourself.

Again, the vast majority of FBS players don't have a chance at the NFL and realize this. Many play for the love of the game and the glory.

Also, not to mention, a win vs ND seems to do wonders for job promotions, heisman rank, etc.

 

[gautrp]

Michigan State was motivated to beat ND but we crushed them!! Because we have a great team !
I am also tired of the cliche that everyone gets up when they play ND !! Of course they do but it shouldn't help them beat us !

The Greatest of all time.

 

[Ara64]

That's the amazing thing about Rockne, Leahy, and Parseghian. They won most the games they should have won, won many of the elite games, and a lot of the games that define your program.

 

[Bodizephax]

The Greatest of all time.

You are the worst troll of all time.. Just took a couple of posts to figure you out.

 

[tbonesays]

So there's no such thing as motivation? Everyone gives the same effort every play of every game?

 

[HarpuaIrish]

The Greatest of all time.

says Purse in sheep's clothing

 

[HDK]

I respectfully disagree. I think teams do get up for Notre Dame. If we are playing well, it's for a chance to knock off the king; if we are playing poorly, it's a chance to beat Notre Dame and, hey, in 20 years, nobody will remember if we were good that year or not.

I also think teams get up to play the Alabamas, Michigans, USCs of the college football world too.

 

[IRISHJD98]

I respectfully disagree. I think teams do get up for Notre Dame. If we are playing well, it's for a chance to knock off the king; if we are playing poorly, it's a chance to beat Notre Dame and, hey, in 20 years, nobody will remember if we were good that year or not.

I also think teams get up to play the Alabamas, Michigans, USCs of the college football world too.

Yes. Its a very rare player that can give his full intensity and focus to every single rep in every practice and every game. Most effective college coaches know that the long term goal of the season is to curb both the team's highs and it lows, and that - at best - they'll get their team to play to its full potential three or four games a year. The good coaches manage the season schedule accordingly. So I can't agree with the 24/7 maximum effort view.

 

[gautrp]

You are the worst troll of all time.. Just took a couple of posts to figure you out.

How about trying to figure out who you are first.

 

[IRISHJD98]

When ND loses a random game vs a random opponent it isn't because the opponent suddenly became super-mutant vs Notre Dame and gave a unique level of effort they hadn't previously. More often than not, it's simply a result of lack of depth/athletes on Notre Dame's part to contend with the unique strength any given opponent can propose over the course of a long season.

I don't think its a matter of super-mutant transformation, but I don't think its a result of a lack of depth or athleticism (when we're talking about those games of a perceived "inferior" opponent). We've struggled in and lost games we shouldn't have due to a lack of execution on ND's part. But we had the depth and athletes.

I think most teams do get "up" for the ND game and bring some extra energy into the game. But I don't think its an excuse for losing. So I agree with that sentiment. For me its a matter of "Yeah, teams come ready to play. So what, we should too."

If we're talking about "cringe worthy" things we'd prefer not to hear anymore, I've got one. Two times in the pregame talk on non-NBC broadcasts, I've heard announcers use the phrase "Expect Notre Dame to pound the ball" when talking about our running game. I would be pleased if I never heard "Notre Dame" and "pound" in the same sentence again.

 

[NIN Irish]

Of course some teams get up more playing against Notre Dame. There have been many times, opposing coaches have said their biggest win has come following victories against Notre Dame. The announcers even mentioned it just prior to kickoff against North Carolina, saying how pumped up they were looking across at those "gold helmets."
I think Tulsa beating Notre Dame has more meaning for them than beating a team like Southwest Louisiana State.

 

[gautrp]

Of course some teams get up more playing against Notre Dame. There have been many times, opposing coaches have said their biggest win has come following victories against Notre Dame. The announcers even mentioned it just prior to kickoff against North Carolina, saying how pumped up they were looking across at those "gold helmets."
I think Tulsa beating Notre Dame has more meaning for them than beating a team like Southwest Louisiana State.

First time that I have seen Southwest Louisiana State in quite a few years. Now that it's ULL. University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

 

[hayaka]

First time that I have seen Southwest Louisiana State in quite a few years. Now that it's ULL. University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Actually they refer to themselves as just the University of Louisiana now. And some websites, including ESPN, go along with that. It really ticks off the LSU people.

 

[gautrp]

Actually they refer to themselves as just the University of Louisiana now. And some websites, including ESPN, go along with that. It really ticks off the LSU people.

Yep the "UofL"

 

[NIN Irish]

First time that I have seen Southwest Louisiana State in quite a few years. Now that it's ULL. University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Was it still Southwest Louisiana State when Tulsa beat ND?

 

[gautrp]

Was it still Southwest Louisiana State when Tulsa beat ND?

No, but the one man that played for Tulsa and pretty much beat ND by himself is from Louisiana. He played for Destrehan, the same high school where Young went to.

 

[francade]

Dismissing the stature of an opponent like ND isn’t right, IMO. There’s no doubt that playing ND is different than playing most in opponents’s eyes. Whether that approach from them actually gets them to play better is up for debate, but it sure does seem like, over the years, we generally get an all out effort from our opponents, no matter how small or big a school they are. We’re not alone but we have a bullseye on our chests, no doubt. That goes w/ the territory of being ND.

 

[tbonesays]

SC looks a bit unmotivated.

 

[chaseball]

More lame cliches in the ND community this week:

* "Let down game"
* "Drop off emotionally after getting up for USC"

SMH.

Am i the only one that hears this kind of stuff and shakes their head? A team isn't an individual living breathing organism ... you think Alabama or OSU is talking about weird magical mythical stuff like this? no they just go out and run over their opponents week in and week out because they are good football teams.

NDs media/fans on the other hand is apparently buying into some weird magical stuff like "emotional let downs" and "team not emotional getting up" for the game.

SMH.

Either you are good enough to win most of your games or you are not .. so far all the evidence points to Notre Dame being one of the best football teams in the country. They are not going to not get up "emotionally" .. or have some weird "emotional let down" because they are coming off a game vs USC.

Notre Dame is a much better football team than NC St. ... baring some kind of weird injury or crazy matchup everybody is overlooking NC state doesn't have a chance in this game. FPI has ND at 75% chance of winning. ND has the better 2017 resume, ND has a significant talent advantage ... there is not going to be some weird emotional let down

Either you are a good football team or you are not.