True or false - the only way ND can lose to Indiana is by being out coached

[theskibro]

I do not in any way see Indiana as a better team. Not close. We should not lose this game

We know what to expect. An offense that can hurt you if we don’t get a pass rush and also contain the run

We know we need to offset their solid defense that stops the run with play action n creative plays in space

Do these two things with our better talent and we win. Probably handily.

If we don’t, our coaches have failed.

And that would not go over well It’s tough to be favored but it’s time to earn that $


Thoughts ?

 

[echowaker]

Absolutely false. Turnovers, period. Protect the ball and I can't envision them losing. I don't see Indiana stopping the run or even slowing it down. They have not faced many if any run heavy teams all year.

 

[Holycrossover3]

Absolutely false. Turnovers, period. Protect the ball and I can't envision them losing. I don't see Indiana stopping the run or even slowing it down. They have not faced many if any run heavy teams all year.

Agreed, bad interceptions, missed blocking assignments and random fumbles aren’t necessarily all on the coaching staff.

If we take care of the ball and both lines play up to their standard, I’d expect us to win comfortably.

 

[HDK]

I was expecting the "if we lose, our coaches must suck" post to not come until at least our second possession of the game and only if our offense isn't slicing through their defense and and our defense isn't dominating their offense.

 

[echowaker]

I was expecting the "if we lose, our coaches must suck post" to not come until at least our second possession of the game and only if our offense isn't slicing through their defense and and our defense isn't dominating their offense.

A 100% success rate on both sides of the ball is the only acceptable outcome for some.

 

[theskibro]

Absolutely false. Turnovers, period. Protect the ball and I can't envision them losing. I don't see Indiana stopping the run or even slowing it down. They have not faced many if any run heavy teams all year.

Good point on turnovers, especially given the cold n possibly wet weather

But you assume we will be able to run on them. We have seen teams stack the box and stop us - although not so much this season as we have been run dominant - but we could struggle running if we don’t counter the box with plays designed by our coaches. So I am still of the mind set that other than turnovers or say dropping passes, coaching is huge

We have better talent

 

[savvyandsassier]

I'm going to proactively say I think MF cost us the game even if we win. However nonsensical that is. And I don't think the OP goes far enough.

 

[theskibro]

I'm going to proactively say I think MF cost us the game even if we win. However nonsensical that is. And I don't think the OP goes far enough.

🤣

 

[deadirishpoet]

I do not in any way see Indiana as a better team. Not close. We should not lose this game

We know what to expect. An offense that can hurt you if we don’t get a pass rush and also contain the run

We know we need to offset their solid defense that stops the run with play action n creative plays in space

Do these two things with our better talent and we win. Probably handily.

If we don’t, our coaches have failed.

And that would not go over well It’s tough to be favored but it’s time to earn that $


Thoughts ?

Or turnovers

 

[echowaker]

Good point on turnovers, especially given the cold n possibly wet weather

But you assume we will be able to run on them. We have seen teams stack the box and stop us - although not so much this season as we have been run dominant - but we could struggle running if we don’t counter the box with plays designed by our coaches. So I am still of the mind set that other than turnovers or say dropping passes, coaching is huge

We have better talent

Absolutely better talent but the talent also has to perform better. If both teams play their"A" game ND wins going away.

 

[sjb75]

I do not in any way see Indiana as a better team. Not close. We should not lose this game

We know what to expect. An offense that can hurt you if we don’t get a pass rush and also contain the run

We know we need to offset their solid defense that stops the run with play action n creative plays in space

Do these two things with our better talent and we win. Probably handily.

If we don’t, our coaches have failed.

And that would not go over well It’s tough to be favored but it’s time to earn that $


Thoughts ?

I watched Notre Dame lose this season at home to MAC crappy Northern Illinois. I watched Ohio State lose at home to heavy underdog Michigan, whose QB would not start at many high schools.

Nothing surprises me in this CFB business.

 

[Holycrossover3]

A 100% success rate on both sides of the ball is the only acceptable outcome for some.

My Grandfather is the reason my entire extended family are Notre Dame fans. He didn’t understand why ND didn’t score a TD on every offensive play. Miss him— RIP to a true Irish Legend!

 

[echowaker]

I watched Notre Dame lose this season at home to MAC crappy Northern Illinois. I watched Ohio State lose at home to heavy underdog Michigan, whose QB would not start at many high schools.

Nothing surprises me in this CFB business.

Dead horse alert.

 

[BGI User 756]

I do not in any way see Indiana as a better team. Not close. We should not lose this game

We know what to expect. An offense that can hurt you if we don’t get a pass rush and also contain the run

We know we need to offset their solid defense that stops the run with play action n creative plays in space

Do these two things with our better talent and we win. Probably handily.

If we don’t, our coaches have failed.

And that would not go over well It’s tough to be favored but it’s time to earn that $


Thoughts ?

Sometimes the players just screw it up. You can tell when a team is not prepared versus when players just cough it up

 

[BGI User 756]

I watched Notre Dame lose this season at home to MAC crappy Northern Illinois. I watched Ohio State lose at home to heavy underdog Michigan, whose QB would not start at many high schools.

Nothing surprises me in this CFB business.

ND lost to NIU? Really? Thanks for letting us know.

 

[BGI User 756]

Dead horse alert.

You could have bet the house and the farm on it.

 

[Irish_inPSU]

Ball security and being able to run the ball... we win this game pretty comfortably.

The thing about past ND squads that have made it to the post season is that we never seem to bring the intensity and sense of urgency to match our opponents. MF seems to be righting that ship and I have to believe we'll be fired up and ready to take them to the woodshed.

 

[echowaker]

Sometimes the players just screw it up. You can tell when a team is not prepared versus when players just cough it up

Yep, sometimes you lose and sometimes you get beat.

 

[echowaker]

Ball security and being able to run the ball... we win this game pretty comfortably.

The thing about past ND squads that have made it to the post season is that we never seem to bring the intensity and sense of urgency to match our opponents. MF seems to be righting that ship and I have to believe we'll be fired up and ready to take them to the woodshed.

I haven't felt this confident going into a big game since maybe FSU in 93. Never felt good about any playoff games or BCS in 2012.

 

[BGI User 1596]

I do not in any way see Indiana as a better team. Not close. We should not lose this game

We know what to expect. An offense that can hurt you if we don’t get a pass rush and also contain the run

We know we need to offset their solid defense that stops the run with play action n creative plays in space

Do these two things with our better talent and we win. Probably handily.

If we don’t, our coaches have failed.

And that would not go over well It’s tough to be favored but it’s time to earn that $


Thoughts ?

Good coaching means no turnovers….protect the ball.

 

[echowaker]

Good coaching means no turnovers….protect the ball.

That's not true at all. I've been in football my entire life in some capacity. The greatest coaches of all time can't prevent turnovers. I don't recall anyone teaching them. You try your best to eliminate or minimize them but they are an inevitable part of the game. Blaming coaching on them is quite silly.

 

[Irish_inPSU]

I haven't felt this confident going into a big game since maybe FSU in 93. Never felt good about any playoff games or BCS in 2012.

LOL... to be fair the 2012 Alabama team was an NFL playoff contender...

 

[echowaker]

LOL... to be fair the 2012 Alabama team was an NFL playoff contender...

Absolutely. Alabama would have had to of turned the ball over on every possession for ND to even cover in that game.

 

[HDK]

Lou Holtz once said that big games come down to a half dozen plays, and I think there is a lot of truth in that. And things like dropped or missed passes, interceptions and fumbles, and even an untimely penalty all contribute to the final outcome. The coach can have the team as well prepared as possible, and still lose.

 

[echowaker]

For sure. In 1989 at MSU we had really high hopes for our season even with a very difficult schedule. We lost 4 games to highly ranked teams in Miami, ND, Michigan and Illinois ranked #2,#1,#5 and #13 by a total of 21 points. We were ready, we got beat.

 

[FightingIrish44]

Absolutely. Alabama would have had to of turned the ball over on every possession for ND to even cover in that game.

And yet Alabama lost to two loss A&M. A&M jumped out to a 20 point lead by scoring touchdowns on their first three drives and they had a good drive on drive 4.

ND got out-coached and didn’t play well. It’s always easy to say after the fact they had no chance.

I 100% disagree with the idea that they were some unbeatable team although they did play great that day.

 

[echowaker]

And yet Alabama lost to two loss A&M. A&M jumped out to a 20 point lead by scoring touchdowns on their first three drives and they had a good drive on drive 4.

ND got out-coached and didn’t play well. It’s always easy to say after the fact they had no chance.

I 100% disagree with the idea that they were some unbeatable team although they did play great that day.

I never felt going into the game that ND could win. Now I knew Alabama could lose but it was highly unlikely and the only way ND could "win".

 

[sjb75]

My Grandfather is the reason my entire extended family are Notre Dame fans. He didn’t understand why ND didn’t score a TD on every offensive play. Miss him— RIP to a true Irish Legend!

Uncle here. Baseball guy at Notre Dame. Also, 12 years of Catholic education, and significant Irish heritage.

 

[savvyandsassier]

Lou Holtz once said that big games come down to a half dozen plays, and I think there is a lot of truth in that. And things like dropped or missed passes, interceptions and fumbles, and even an untimely penalty all contribute to the final outcome. The coach can have the team as well prepared as possible, and still lose.

Close games might come down to a single play. But that's a fallacy that fans and probably even coaches cling to or whatever, because as soon as you do anything different the entire course of the rest of the game is changed. So even when it's a single play that went against you, unless it was the game winning TD in the waning seconds, you just don't know what would have happened if fate had gone down a different path.

I know it sounds all deep and philosophical, but it's really not. Probably something coaches could use to motivate players to not ruminate on mistakes. With every play you create a new destiny. Something like that. And not to get stuck on missed opportunities, because that wouldn't have guaranteed anything. You might have started getting your ass kicked from there on out, even if you hadn't fumbled on the one yard line. But no wants to throw a pick six, down a TD late in the fourth quarter. That's hard to come back from.

 

[Chitown11]

Don't turn the ball over and pressure the QB. If that happens, its a comfortable 2-3 TD win

 

[raulduke_007]

Uncle here. Baseball guy at Notre Dame. Also, 12 years of Catholic education, and significant Irish heritage.

Cool story USC troll

 

[Chitown11]

I watched Notre Dame lose this season at home to MAC crappy Northern Illinois. I watched Ohio State lose at home to heavy underdog Michigan, whose QB would not start at many high schools.

Nothing surprises me in this CFB business.

What time does usc play on saturday? Oh thats right.....

 

[Chitown11]

Good coaching means no turnovers….protect the ball.

WHAT?

 

[HDK]

And yet Alabama lost to two loss A&M. A&M jumped out to a 20 point lead by scoring touchdowns on their first three drives and they had a good drive on drive 4.

ND got out-coached and didn’t play well. It’s always easy to say after the fact they had no chance.

I 100% disagree with the idea that they were some unbeatable team although they did play great that day.

It's true ND got outcoached in that game. That was Kelly's biggest weakness. Pretty much the same team and the same plays you saw during the season showed up against Alabama and later in the two playoff losses. But the fact is Alabama simply steamrolled ND in that game. We were fortunate Sabin showed compassion or they could have scored another couple of TDs in the second half. It doesn't mean Alabama was not beatable because A&M pulled off the upset. And as we all know, upsets happen, just not very often.

 

[Holycrossover3]

Uncle here. Baseball guy at Notre Dame. Also, 12 years of Catholic education, and significant Irish heritage.

These stories are why I hate the “well did you even go to ND” jabs to fans wearing ND gear. Who cares if you went there as long as you loyally support.

I was the only person in my extended family of probably 40+ ND fans to go to school there which in my opinion, should have no bearing on fandom.

 

[perseverare]

ski, no, somtimes it just ain’t your day! everyone tries and give their all, but…just ain’t your day!
see ND vs Okla: 7-0

 

[sjb75]

These stories are why I hate the “well did you even go to ND” jabs to fans wearing ND gear. Who cares if you went there as long as you loyally support.

I was the only person in my extended family of probably 40+ ND fans to go to school there which in my opinion, should have no bearing on fandom.

Could not agree more. IMO there are more fans of Notre Dame Football who didn't attend Notre Dame.... than those who did.

 

[echowaker]

Could not agree more. IMO there are more fans of Notre Dame Football who didn't attend Notre Dame.... than those who did.

You can say that for just about every major program.

 

[CFFan1971]

Pre-emptive blaming of coaches on losses that haven't happened yet? Sounds like we're just covering our emotional bases. If ND wins, no need to even mention this. If they lose, we've already established who we can be mad it.

 

[sjb75]

You can say that for just about every major program.

Wholeheartedly disagree.