Does This Short Week Hurt the Irish?

[Patrish]

Yawn.

When Riley Leonard tells you that there’s an advantage in getting an extra day and you disagree with him, it shows what a total moron you are

 

[buckey]

X2.

Important for strategies and game planning. ESP for golden

 

[tbonesays]

OK... aside from the bickering... there is some thoughtful posts here.

I just got finished watching Freemans presser and he was asked about the "short" week and his answer was, pretty much perfect. Its not much different than any other 7 day turn around during the season and its not like PSU was on a bye.

The other noteworthy comment was that we came out of the Georgia game pretty healthy. GOOD NEWS.

PSU got better than a bye. A game where they were running good reps with only a small chance of losing.

 

[IrishMike409]

This is the ULTIMATE TEST of a good team -- having to play TOUGHER COMPETITION EACH WEEK and having to get up for it.

Is ND the kind of playoff team that can SOLDIER ON or, at some point, does it SIMPLY REACH ITS LIMIT?

This is RAW COMPETITION at its best.

It would say that raw comp at its best if the conditions were the same for PSU. They played 2 shit teams and have had 2 easy unemotional games, and they've got 2 extra days rest . ND has been through a gauntlet, and they're playing on less than a weeks rest. And don't underestimate how the tragedy in New Orleans will affect the team either. Being there while terrible things happened, being locked down in hotel rooms, the schedule being turned upside down.....this all takes a physical and mental and emotional toll on the guys. It will take a heroic effort to beat PSU Thursday.

Folks correctly talk about how emotional the UGA game was. I'll add this- the IU game was emotional too. I was there, and I've never seen Notre Stadium like it was that night. It was absolutely electric on and off the field.

It is so incredibly difficult to have big energy and emotionally draining games back to back to back. It tests your limits. And it's absolutely contributed to the injury challenges that we're having. I'm certain that there is a connection. The boys are putting so much incredible effort into each play and each drive. It's amazing.

I'm concerned that this is all taking a major toll on the guys. I'm the biggest homer on the board, and I do think ND pulls it out Thursday. But we badly, badly need rest. I'm disappointed that the NCAA didn't give us Friday's game in the wake of what happened in NOLA last week. How could they not look at PSU having 2 extra days off, and not want to cut into that gap? An extra day would've done wonders (Cross and Love).

Freeman and the staff need to get 60 minutes out the boys Thursday. I think they can do it. But this ND team is being tested in ways that few college teams ever have before.

 

[IrishExpert2288]

Normal 7 day schedule, Penn State, I have sneaky suspicion was doing more prep work on Georgia than ND. At this juncture of the season you are not doing much banging. So, my guess is ND will be physically prepared to get the job done in Miami. I live down here and looks like on gameday, we are looking at a high 67 and a low of 54, without a drop of rain in fhe forecast. PERFECT football weather

 

[1Redrum]

Do we know which day Notre Dame will travel to Florida? I know this is a playoff and not the typical Bowl Game reward of sunshine and warm weather but if it was up to me I would travel earlier than normal and practice at least once on grass similar to what the stadium has. Perhaps even at St. Thomas Aquinas.....can't hurt recruiting