Why It Appears Like a Rivalry

(courtesy of Matt Lozar) A major topic this week created by the media (thanks to Brian Kelly's comment) has been "Is Notre Dame-Michigan A Rivalry?"

 

To me, it feels like a rivalry. And here's why.

 

Yes, Michigan ducked Notre Dame for decades and did everything it could to keep the Catholics out of the Big Ten. And I agree with Kelly's original comment not his backtracking

 

Since the "Reunion Game" in 1978, ND-UM haven't played six times — 83-84 (South Carolina), 95-96 (Ohio State) and 00-01 (Nebraska). Unlike Mark May and Skip Bayless, I actually watched these teams play while growing up. There have been a number of memorable games:

 

I wasn't born but Harry Oliver in 1980 when fans swear the flags on top of the goal posts stopped for the 51-yard field goal for the left-footed, soccer-style kicker out of Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

Losing 24-23 in Holtz's first season in 1986 and ND becoming the first NCAA team to move into the top 20 after a loss.

 

Four field goals for Reggie Ho in 1988.

 

Kicking to the Rocket in 1989. Good move Bo.

 

The 90s had its fair share - Reggie Brooks getting knocked out when scoring a TD in 92, upsetting the defending champs in 98, poor clock management in 99.

 

The real reason this has felt like a rivalry to me has been the past 11 seasons.

 

Granted, I started as an undergraduate at Notre Dame in 2001, but there is no other series that I can easily tell you every single game between Notre Dame and its opponent in the past dozen seasons. You will have take my word for it but I didn't have to look at all for these quick recaps.

 

• 2002 - the offense finally scores a TD. Students storm the field. The country takes ND for real
• 2003 - Houston's Better - 38-0
• 2004 - Payback Is A... Darius Walker's coming out party. Students storm the field again. I do 38 pushups at midfield and take home a chunk of the turf that lived in a bowl from South Dining Hall for the entire fall semester.
• 2005 - A noon start and a 17-10 win over a top-5 UM team that wasn't that close. Weis gains national attention
• 2006 - An absolute egg after a dominating win over Penn State. There weren't enough beers in Hoboken that afternoon
• 2007 - 38-0 again.
• 2008 - A downpour in Rich Rod's first season and a ton of Michigan turnovers. Let to this photo.
• 2009 - Tate Forcier won the September Heisman
• 2010 - Denard Robinson wins the September Heisman.
• 2011 - An epic fourth quarter collapse at the Big House. Gary Gray's worst game ever. The day I re-evaluated how much I let Notre Dame football affect my life
• 2012 - HeisManti

 

Is Michigan a traditional rival? No. Do Notre Dame fans few Michigan more as a enemy? Yes. Am I disappointed they aren't on the schedule in the future? Kind of.

 

But the rivalry between these teams during the past 30 years ranks at the top of the list for Notre Dame. It doesn't have the tradition of Southern Cal, Navy or Michigan State, (hell, even Purdue), but for the last three-plus decades, it has given us its money's worth.

 

For those of you who read the whole thing, I leave you with this video. Thanks for reading and hopefully you come back in the future as the blog gets rolling.

Season's Beatings

by John Walters: Thursday, December 25, 2008 3:16 PM

(per email from Ookie)

  
‘Twas the night before Christmas, 
When all through the den, 
The plasma was tuned to the ESPN, 
The fade route was hung by the pylon with care, 
In hopes that young Golden soon would be there, 
The O-line was lit as if by a fuse, 
With visions of blocking for Allen, or Hughes, 
And Charlie on crutches, not unlike Tiny Tim, 
Though his face not so pale, and his eyes not so grim, 
Joined by Chuck Jr., his son now a teen, 
Two Weis men from the east, a nativity scene, 
On a Hawaiian island, Notre Dame is marooned, 
Give thanks in green jerseys they are not festooned, 
The voice on the tube, it did give quite a scare, 
We wanted Pat Haden, but got Andre Ware, 
While up in the press box, scribes scatter like mice, 
No, that isn’t Santa, it’s a lei’d Charlie Weis, 
When, what to my half-drunken gaze should arrive, 
Than the Domers are gaining plus yards on a dive, 
With a little-used halfback, and now he is scorin’, 
Poor Pops--too much eggnog—in the corner is snorin’, 
Then Clausen broke huddle, while Gramps he broke wind, 
And as Jimmy called names, I sat and listened: 
“On Rudolph, on Duval, on David, on Tate, 
Let’s put positive spin on the season ’08! 
Run routes with a fervor; please give it your all, 
And, do me a favor, just don’t drop the ball.” 
Like ravenous orphans when at table do sup, 
The crazed Irish defense did bark,“Crank me up!” 
With the speed of eight reindeer the 'backers were blitzin', 
While Corwin did send nearly all of his Smiths in, 
Then behind the safety young Golden did go, 
Intent on not hearing, “That’s ten in a row.”
Bowl losses, that is, for they all knew the score, 
N.D. hadn’t won one since Jan. ’94: 
Buffs, Buckeyes and Beavers, the latter school twice, 
Had helped forge a record so naughty, not nice, 
An ACC trio extended the drought, 
Plus two to the Tigers, and both were a rout, 
But tonight, in Oahu, ‘gainst placider climes, 
Look, Ma, in the end zone: a touchdown for Grimes! 
And when Armando returned a kick all the way, 
The children, all ages, were merry and gay, 
Who knew that this school could provide us such mirth, 
On the eve of the date that its namesake gave birth? 
And when it was over, the scoreboard proclaim:
Hawaii 21; 49, Notre Dame, 
49 points? In a bowl? That’s a first, 
For the men of South Bend, who of late have seem cursed, 
Or at least apathetic, uninspired, or lame, 
It was as if they’d forgot who they are: Notre Dame! 
But tonight on the shores of the 50^th state, 
Where brides and Barack often go to vacate, 
Some pride was restored, and hope came alive, 
That next year we may crack the ol' Top 25, 
And Charlie was happy, that much you could see, 
He needed a win near as much as a knee, 
Back home in our p.j.’s, we readied for sleep, 
With grins as we thought of the ’09 two-deep, 
While out past the ocean, where honeymooners play, 
Charlie opened the presser with, “Fire away!” 
Then he boarded a plane, this descendant of Knute, 
Saying, “Merry Christmas to all, now I’m off to recruit!”

ND Expectations 2009

As a follow-up to Bernie's post regarding Weis staying in South Bend - now is as good a time as any to start the "expectations talk."

"Though this past season fell short of the expectations that all of us have for our football program, I am confident that Charlie has a strong foundation in place for future success and that the best course of action is to move forward under his leadership," athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement released by the university Wednesday.

That being said, what are expectations for next year? Does that start with winning the bowl game this year? I'm thinking win the bowl game, at least eight wins next season and being competitive against USC.  He can't afford an opening loss at home against Nevada and hopefully the extra practices for the bowl help out.  It also doesn't seem like Clausen is progressing the last half of this season, he needs competition from Crist and I think it would be good for Charlie to open that competition up in spring ball.  (Basically, no matter how much Clausen forces throws and makes bad choices, Sharpley isn't going to replace him as starter.)

This has potential to be a light schedule looking at the performance of a few of these teams (Michigan, Purdue, Washington, Washington State).  Combined record as of now for these teams is 71-69.  However, ND hasn't been great on beating good teams the past few years and seven of the 12 will have winning records with USC, Michigan State, and BC already at or over nine wins on the season, Pitt likely to join them as well as Navy if they beat Army and win their bowl.  Losing to four of the five (and almost five of five) this year seems to leave little room for error navigating the schedule next year.

2009 Notre Dame Football Schedule

Sept. 5 NEVADA

Sept. 12 at Michigan

Sept. 19 MICHIGAN STATE

Sept. 26 at Purdue

Oct. 3 WASHINGTON

Oct. 10 Open Date

Oct. 17 USC

Oct. 24 BOSTON COLLEGE

Oct. 31 vs. Washington State (at San Antonio, Texas)

Nov. 7 NAVY

Nov. 14 at Pittsburgh

Nov. 21 CONNECTICUT

Nov. 28 at Stanford

ND vs. UNC Game Blog

I'm watching the game at home alone this afternoon, so I decided to keep a blog during the game. For space purposes on the main screen, I'll post my blogs quarterly as comments to this post.