Shamrock Jacks Notre Dame Interview Podcast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTb7yvuazN8&feature=youtu.be

Awards and Best of list.

So here it is… Our gift to you, Talking Irish’s Awards and Best of list.

MVP – Really?  Anyone other than Manti Te’o?

Pleasant Surprise of the Year – Theo Riddick. Although we expected Theo to play well, I believe he far surpassed expectations, which will propel him to the next level.

Best Feeling of theYear – Watching Rick Reilly eat crow.

Best gift we have to wait until next year to open (the redshirt we are expecting great things from) – Amir Carlisle.  This kid has the potential to be a big time player in South Bend.

Best gift to exchange – Gunner Kiel.  I would love to keep him, but doing so burns his eligibility while using a scholarship spot. This won’t benefit the Irish or this super talented young man.

Best gift to return – Tate Nichols.  At 6’8” 320 lbs. and zero meaningful snaps in three years, it has not worked.

Best gift we want to get again next year – Tie.  Tyler Eifert and Cierre Wood

Heart-Stopping Play of the Year – The Pittsburgh missed filled goal during the second overtime.

Play of the Year – Fourth down goal line stop against Stanford.

Experience of the Year (maybe of a lifetime) – Watching the Irish play in Ireland.

Unfulfilled Expectation of the Year – No kick returns for a score.  After George Atkinson ran two kickoffs back for touchdowns last year, and watching Davonte’ Neal highlight film, we expected at least some impressive returns.  We may be due on January 7^th. 

Most Popular Player – Louis Nix, who is as lovable as he is big. With a nickname Irish Chocolate, his YouTube videos and tweets, how could he not be the most popular?

Top Offensive Newcomer – Everett Golson, and there should be no surprise here.  His development has been and should continue to be amazing.

Top Defensive Newcomer – KeiVarae Russell, who was supposed to be a running back and got the news at the end of summer that he would be a defensive back.

Offensive Lineman of the Year – Braxton Cave, a very strong fifth year senor who lead this line and guided Golson to maturity and confidence.

Defensive Lineman of the Year – Louis Nix took double teams on almost every play this season, helping make Manti All World.

Offensive Leader of the Year – Zack Martin, and All-American talent, who has started every game since his sophomore year.

Defensive Leader of the Year (not named Manti) – Kapron Lewis-Moore, who up until this season has not had the career he was hoping for because of injuries and other setbacks.  He has practiced, played and led like a champion this year.

Best Entertainment – Trick Shot Mondays.  We loved how these young men were able loosen up once a week under huge pressure and share it with their fans.

Game of the Year – Oklahoma - this game solidified Notre Dame’s spot on the national college football landscape.

Moment of the Year – The fourth down incomplete pass at the goal line stand at the end of the USC game to put the Irish in the National Championship Game.

Story of the Year – Manti Te’o, coming back for his senior year, having seven interception this season despite having none in his first three seasons; overcoming adversity, staying true to his faith and earning truckloads of awards.

Under the Radar Defensive Player of the Year – Danny Spond, who after an early season of battling migraines, has had a solid season at the position of linebacker on a team with names like Manti Te’o and Prince Shembo.

Under the Radar Offensive Player of the Year – Robby Toma, who came in from Hawaii and played in the shadow of Manti’s play, carving his own spot for the Irish this year as a very solid slot receiver.

Coach of the Year – Tie between Co-Defensive Coordinator and Cornerbacks Coach Kerry Cooks and Safeties Coach Bob Elliot, who took this ragtag group of players and got them to contribute on the best defense in the country.

Blossoming Player of the Year – Cam McDaniel - it could have been any number of receivers, but we loved is toughness.

Next Big Thing Award – Tie Tight End Troy Niklas and Wide Receiver T.J. Jones, both of whom are developing into their positions at the big time college football level.

Best Notre Dame Player but you never hear of, but will Award – Will Mahone - The 5’ 10” 211 lb. redshirt running back from  Ohio will make an impact from the backfield sooner than later.

All Hands on Deck

I have been reading a lot of articles about needs to step up for the Irish and who will need to have a big game on January 7^th for Notre Dame to win. Each of these lists have three to ten players on them, from All World Manti Te’o to freshman KeiVarae Russell.  Every single list talks about what each of these players must do or not do in order for the Irish to win.

I don’t believe that any single player or even group of players will need to play the game of their life to carry this team to victory.  I do believe that poor play by even a single player on a single play could cost Notre Dame the championship.  In the same train of thought, I also believe that every single player must play well for Her Loyal Sons to be victorious.

Everett Golson does not need to throw for five touchdowns, pass for over 300 yards or run for one 150 and three scores.  He also cannot turn the ball over or allow the offense to stall or become one dimensional.

The receivers need to get open enough to give Golson a chance to get the ball to them.  They cannot drop passes that hit their hands.

The running backs need to move the ball well enough to keep Alabama’s defense honest.  They also need to catch passes out of the backfield. They cannot turn the ball over.

It is pretty simple for the offensive line - they need to control the line of scrimmage.  They need to make holes just big enough for the backs to gain positive yardage and give Golson enough time to make his plays either with his arm or legs.  They cannot let the defense into the backfield and they absolutely cannot have stupid penalties like holding and especially off sides.

Overall, the offense needs to move the ball, control field position and build confidence as the game progresses and preferably take the lead early and play with the lead for the entire game.  They cannot turn the ball over or conduct too many three and outs.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Irish face a very solid offense led by their offensive line.  Diaco’s squad needs to continue their “bend don’t break” mentality.  I don’t expect the Irish defense to control Alabama, but I hope they can contain them.

Notre Dame’s front seven will need to hold their own against an offensive line that could hold their own in the NFL right now.  Along with two 1,000-yard rushers, the front seven will have to stop and shed blockers then make sure tackles. 

The defensive backs need to do what they have done all season - keep receivers in front of them and make good tackles.

Special teams don’t have to have runbacks for touchdowns, although that would be nice, but they can’t give any up either.  At the very least our special teams must match if not beat Alabama in the battle for field position.  Kyle Brindza must make the most of his chances.  Missing even one attempt may cost the Irish the championship.

A crisp, clean, balanced game could be more than enough to win.  A penalty, a turnover, a dropped pass or a missed opportunity could be enough to give the Crimson Tide the win.  No one player or player has to win the game but any one player or play could lose it.  With the team’s next man in philosophy, I think they will be ready.

Notre Dame Opponents moving forward.

As bowl season starts Irish fans have a long time to go until Her Loyal Sons take the field on January 7^th in Miami.  During the season I traditionally follow Notre Dame’s opponent’s progress not only before they play them for scouting purposes but afterword as well.  It is important for the Irish in the polls that their opponents are winners as well.  It’s more impressive when you play and beat winning and ranked teams then when you play and beat sub part teams with losing records.

8 Of Notre Dame’s 2012 opponents will be playing in a bowl this winter and weather they win or lose the Irish win and they are number one, National Champions, period.  If they lose their opponents bowl results will come into play in deciding their final ranking.  The bowl season also provides an opportunity to get a sneak preview as to what our 2013 opponents may have in store for us next fall. Here is a quick look at the bowl schedule of Notre Dame’s 2012 opponents (in bold), 2013 opponents (in italics) and those who are both are bold, italicized  and underlined in order of date bowl will be played.

BYU

S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia BYU vs. San Diego State

San Diego Qualcomm Stadium

Dec. 20 8 p.m.

ESPN

 

AIR FORCE

Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Rice vs. Air Force

Fort Worth Amon G. Carter Stadium

Dec. 29 11:45 a.m.

ESPN

 

NAVY

Kraft Fight Hunger Navy vs. Arizona State

San Francisco AT&T Park

Dec. 29 4 p.m.

ESPN2

 

ARIZONA STATE

Kraft Fight Hunger Navy vs. Arizona State

San Francisco AT&T Park

Dec. 29 4 p.m.

ESPN2

 

MICHIGAN STATE

Buffalo Wild Wings TCU vs. Michigan State

Tempe, Ariz. Sun Devil Stadium

Dec. 29 10:15 p.m.

ESPN

 

USC

Hyundai Sun USC vs. Georgia Tech

El Paso, Texas Sun Bowl

Dec. 31 2 p.m.

CBS

 

PURDUE

Heart of Dallas Purdue vs. Oklahoma State

Dallas Cotton Bowl

Jan. 1 Noon

ESPNU

 

MICHIGAN

Outback South Carolina vs. Michigan

Tampa, Fla. Raymond James Stadium

Jan. 1 1 p.m.

ESPN

 

STANFORD

Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio Wisconsin vs. Stanford

Pasadena, Calif. Rose Bowl

Jan. 1 5 p.m.

ESPN

 

OKLAHOMA

AT&T Cotton Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma

Arlington, Texas Cowboys Stadium

Jan. 4 8 p.m.

FOX

 

PITTBURGH

BBVA Compass Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss

Birmingham, Ala. Legion Field

Jan. 5 1 p.m.

ESPN

 

 

Irish Commits

With the commitment of running Back Greg Bryant out of Florida I thought I would share a sneak peak of the incoming talent coming to South Bend, assuming they either enroll early or sign their letters of intent.

Click on players name to view their highlight video.

Jaylon Smith.  Best high school linebacker in the country.  Don’t believe me?  He just won the Butkus Award at the high school level.

Alex Anzalone.  If Jaylon Smith is the best high school linebacker Anzalone is in the conversation for number 2.

Hunter Bivin.  Simply put, he embarrasses defensive linemen.  

Cole Luke.  Good size and attacks the football.

Greg Bryant.  I love the yards this kid gets after initial contact.

Isaac Rochell.  Relentless in his effort.

Malik Zaire.  Talented, member of the Elite 11, Golson 2.0?

Rashad Kinlaw.  Video may show a quarterback but he should be listed as offensive weapon.

Steve Elmer.  ND’s first commit from the class of 2013.  Good size, technique and personality he is a ND guy.

Torii Hunter.  Athlete who will also play baseball for the Irish.

Mike Heuerman.  Great tight end frame, I can’t wait to let the ND coaches (and Paul Longo) get their hands on him.

John Montelus.  At 6’5” he has NFL size now.  Another big lineman for Harry Hiestand to mold.

Colin McGovern.  Being listed from 284 – 292 pound at 6’7” he will need to add some bulk to his nice offensive tackle frame.

Doug Randolph. Outside linebacker who could sun in the middle and put his hand down and come off the end.

Mike McGlinchey.  No standing at 6’9” and 285 lbs. he needs to bulk up and be a monster offensive tackle or lean up to be monster tight end.

Jacob Matuska.  Real nice receiving tight end can also play defensive end.

Devin Butler.  Playmaker, he may be coming in as a cornerback but don’t be surprised to see him on offense.

James Onwualu.  Big Chunk Play kind of guy.

Will Fuller.   Hands!

Michael Deeb.  What a middle liebacker should be.  I like the way he gets after it.

Jamel James.  Breaks off big runs for a big back.

Corey Robinson.  Tall becoming taller and just really learning and developing is football skills.  He has a very high ceiling.

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Que Sera, Sera

I know there has been a lot of talk this year (as there often is) about the Heisman.  The two big players and stories are of a freshman in Johnny Manziel and a pure defensive player in Manti Te’o.  I know this may sound crazy, but I think we (Notre Dame Fans) have not given Te’o’s Heisman chase the appreciation it deserves.  Return to Glory takes many forms - undefeated seasons, National Championships, All-Americans and of course Heisman Trophy winners, the last of which Notre Dame has had the most.

After reading the Heisman Trust Mission Statement below, I wasn’t sure if Manti should have won the award or if it would have been more appropriate to have him award it.  I have taken the words that not only exemplify Manti Te’o, but may also have a picture of #5 next to it in the dictionary and underlined, bolded and typed in red.

The Heisman Memorial Trophy annually recognizes the outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. The Heisman Trophy Trust ensures the continuation and integrity of this award. The Trust, furthermore, has a charitable mission to support amateur athletics and to provide greater opportunities to the youth of our country. Our goal through these charitable endeavors is for the Heisman Trophy to symbolize the fostering of a sense of community responsibility and service to our youth, especially those disadvantaged or afflicted. All assets of the Trust beyond the expense of maintaining the annual presentation of the Heisman Memorial Trophy are reserved for such charitable causes. The Trustees, who all serve pro bono, are guided by a devotion to college football and are committed to community service and the valued tradition which the Trophy represents.

Am I disappointed that Manti didn’t win?  Of course, but no trophy is needed to tell the story of Te’o’s greatness as a person and a player.  Congratulations Manti on a magnificent season and career.  Thank you for all the memories you have given us, and for the hope and optimism you’ve provided.

Irish & Tide History

Earlier this year when the Irish were preparing to play Oklahoma, we drew numerous comparisons between these great programs.  Facing Alabama for the BCS National Championship in Miami on January 7^th will pair two of the most storied programs in college football history.

	Notre Dame	Alabama
First Season	1887	1892
Heisman Winners	7	1
Consensus All Americans	96	47
National Championships*	13	14
College Football Hall of Fame Players	44	11
College Football Hall of Fame Coaches	6	4
Pro Football Hall of Fame Players	10	7
Wins	864	826
Notable Icons	Knute Rockne, George “The Gipper” Gipp, The Four Horsemen, Frank Leahy, Paul Hornung, Ara Parseghian, Lou Holtz, Johnny Lujack, Leon Huarte, Tim Brown, and easily dozens more	Paul “Bear” Bryant, Gene Stallings, Cornelius Bennett, Don Hutson, Ozzie Newsome, Mark Ingram, Derrick Thomas, Joe Namath, Bart Starr, and Ken Stabler

 

*Individually recognized and/or claimed; not necessarily universally recognized.

All year, the Irish have respected Notre Dame’s history while maintaining that it does not pertain to how they play the game.  This matchup should be no different.  Although the Irish and the Tide may not have the long history of some other rivalries, there have been some big games that may draw comparisons.  Even though I agree with the notion that none of what happened in the past will affect the play on the field, I thought I would share some highlights of matchups past.

1973: top-ranked and unbeaten Alabama lost 24-23 to second-ranked and unbeaten Notre Dame at old Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, LA in the Sugar Bowl.

1975: The 11-0 Tide were ranked number one, while the Irish were 9-2 and rated eighth (both UPI rankings). Notre Dame won that game 13-11.

Overall, Notre Dame is 5-1 against Alabama.

New Podcast

12/3/12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihYke4fanLs&feature=youtu.be

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Initial Championship Game Thoughts

First, hats off to Georgia and Alabama for a great SEC title game Saturday night.  It was entertaining to say the least.  As the game progressed, I felt confident that the Irish could beat either team.  As great as the game was there, were several incidents that showed why each had lost a game during the season and why they could lose again.

There are several reasons why Irish fans should be happy that Notre Dame is facing the Crimson Tide on January 7^th.  For most of the season, Alabama has been seen as the best team in the country and many still think they are.  In any given season, there are so many Irish Haters that there is always talk of Notre Dame being overrated, and this year is no different.  With wins over more ranked teams and more bowl eligible teams than Alabama, there are still many people out there who feel Alabama is the better team that had a better season.  With Alabama being the defending National Champion from the SEC, the conference who has won the last seven national titles, there may be no better opponent to play for the Irish to solidify their claim as the number one team in the land.  As it is said, “to be the man you have to beat the man”.

These are two storied programs and there are and will be all kinds of historical statistics and tales of greatest for these two schools.  Wins, winning percentages, championships, Heisman winners, All- Americans and icons will all be rolled out in the coming weeks.  However, as this Irish team has displayed all season, their history and tradition is respected, but it has no bearing on this team’s play.  I am looking forward to the next five weeks of analyses and the match up itself on the 7^th of January in Miami.

What needs to be done.

The Irish will know sometime around 8pm Saturday night who they will be facing January 7^th in Miami for the BCS National Championship.  At that point, we will have five weeks to look at every opposing player, coach, game, injury, astrological sign, etc.  Until that point, and even after, there are things that the Irish needs to do no matter who they play.

Stay Focused - There will be a lot of distractions along with the many storylines that will develop over the next five weeks, with much media scrutiny for sure.  This team has done a great job staying focused on the job at hand, looking at one game at a time, one team at a time and no matter who they play on January 7^th, they will need to focus on them.  Besides, after the National Championship Game, the Irish’s next opponent will be the Temple Owls, which is a team we can focus on later.

Stay Healthy – Obviously, this a great time to rest and recover from the bumps and bruises of a long and hard fought season, but I am sure there is a lot of hard work, practice and training going on in South Bend that gives cause for concern each day. 

Improve Red Zone TD / Field goal ratio - The Irish push down the field and settle for field goals, and while three points are better than none, seven would be best.  This is an area that can definitely be improved in practice over the upcoming weeks.  A lot of this will be on the shoulders of Golson and his reads, checks and reps.

Let Longo do his thing - Kelly said that the team was hitting their stride in the weight room and that should continue.  Paul Longo deserves as much credit as anyone for this team’s success.  The worse thing that could happen is that the players lose their physical edge.

Stay out of trouble – Idol hands are the devil’s workshop.  Just consider the past transgressions of Rees, Calabrese, Wood, and Utupo.

 

What I know.

I often say, “I’m not always right, but I am never wrong.”  Most think it’s stupid and that I am being arrogant, but what I am really portraying is that I work within my scope and I try not to talk or get involved in things I don’t understand.  There is what I know, what I don’t know and what I don’t know that I don’t know.  For now, let’s just focus on what I know and what I don’t know about this team and this season. 

 

What I know

The Irish are undefeated at 12-0, Manti T’eo will be in New York for the Heisman Trophy Award, Notre Dame will play in the National Championship Game on January 7^th in Miami Florida, and I will be watching the SEC Championship on Saturday,

 

What I don’t know

Who the Irish will play on January 7^th (I think ND matches up better against Alabama, but I think Georgia will win the SEC Championship game), or what eligible seniors will come or be asked back for a 5^th year (although I have my suspicions).

Regardless of our National Championship opponent, Irish fans will look forward to first Monday in January with excitement.  For the next several weeks we will dissect the players the coaches and the season as it all leads up to the final game.  Six weeks may seem like an eternity, especially since it seems like only yesterday we were in Dublin watching the Irish dismantle the Midshipmen of Navy.  My recommendation to Irish fans is to enjoy every minute from now till the 7^th of January.  We’ve waited decades for this.

Join us on Facebook and Twitter

With Six weeks to go before the Irish take the field again we will posting inspirational and motivational material on our Facebook and Twitter accounts almost daily.  This of course will be in addition to our regular blog posts.

You’ve got questions…we’ve got answers.

Here are some questions (in bold) in an article posed by ND Nation’s John Vannie along with Talking Irish’s responses (in italics).

Can Golson and the Irish keep their emotions in check and get off to a solid start?

One of the goals Brian Kelly has had for his team is to get off to a fast start, which they have done very well thus far, outscoring their opponents 75 – 9 in the first quarter this season.  The Irish statistically play better on the road leaving all the distractions associated with home games behind, and I think this game will be no exception.

Will Notre Dame’s secondary minimize USC’s yards after catch with proper angles and crisp tackling?

I for one hope that Notre Dame’s secondary will minimize catches.  I believe three things will happen: first, USC’s wide receivers will have some big chunk play receptions (hopefully not too many), second, the Irish secondary will make solid tackles; and finally, Wittek will be intercepted at least once in this game.

Can USC stop the run while keeping its safeties back in a Tampa-2 defense?

Yes, at times, but not enough.  The Irish running backs will break off some big runs (the sooner the better) forcing the USC safeties to step up more often than they want to.

Will Wittek have time to display the poise and accuracy the Trojans will need?

At times, but he will also see the likes of Nix, Shembo, Tuitt, and Lewis-Moore crashing in on him causing him to think twice on throws, question his audibles and running for his life.

Can USC’s offensive line repeat last year’s domination of the Irish front seven?

No.  If you have seen any of Notre Dame’s games you know that is an easy question to answer.

Will this be the game that special teams play finally costs Notre Dame a victory?

I don’t think so.  It will not be the game in which it has to.

Which struggling kicker will come through for his team?

Overall, neither.  Although Kyle Brindza has blown simple kicks, he seems to be better under pressure.

Will the referees dare to call holding on the Trojans?

Contrary to a statement made a ridiculous and irresponsible article ,“All I can say is Max be prepared to go against the most one sided officiating in the history of officiated sports with a BCS championship game for Notre Dame on the line.” the officials should do their jobs as assigned.

USC Preview Podcast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3rtxny6lQI&feature=plcp

USC

As we progress toward USC, there should be some comfort in knowing the enemy.  Each year, it seems we know we will have to do battle at the end of the season against mighty Troy.  A team with speed, skill and often a superior record (at least over the last couple of decades), a team with a history and winning tradition of their own who pride themselves on winning, especially against the Irish.  Brian Kelly was asked this week about his team heading to Southern California as the number one team and he explained that they feel that pressure every week, that every team gives Notre Dame their best when the Irish come to town.

At 7-4, USC may not be the force it was at the beginning of the season when they held the number one ranking, but with the exception of Matt Barkley being out, they still have the talent that got them that preseason ranking.  This may not be a great team, but even without their preseason Heisman favorite they are still a very sound team.  The USC running game still has two above-average backs in Junior Silas (740 yards, 5.4 yards per carry and 9 touchdowns) and Senior Curtis McNeal (658 yards, 6.3 yards per carry and 2 touchdowns), both of whom have multiple receptions out of the backfield. 

The Trojans may have lost their quarterback, but their passing game still has powerful weapons in the receiving corps.  Leading the charge are 6’1” sophomore Marqise Lee (107 receptions, 1605 yards, 15 yards per catch and 14 touchdowns) and 6’1” Junior Robert Woods (66 receptions, 721 yards, 10.9 yards per catch and 10 touchdowns). 

With Matt Barkley out, the Trojans will turn to redshirt freshman Max Wittek.  Wittek’s stats may not measure up to Barkley’s, but he has made the most out of what he has done.  Wittek has completed eight passes for 95 yards and a touchdown, giving him a quarterback rating of 214.2.  Kelly said he can’t be all bad being on scholarship at USC, and Wittek also had offers from most of the big programs including Notre Dame.  Here is the high school scouting report two years ago by Scott Kennedy of Scout.com:

Wittek is a greedy quarterback that is always pressuring the defensive backfield. He has tremendous vision and always wants to make the big play before checking down to his shorter routes. He has a quick release and a strong arm. He struggles with accuracy at times, but shows poise under pressure and a willingness to hang in the pocket and take a hit. A gun-slinger mentality, Wittek likes the high risk, high reward throws.

On the other side of the ball, the Trojans defense has been sub-par this season, especially for a USC team (giving up 24.8 points a game).  Expect the Irish to mix it up between the run and pass.  Notre Dame should try to come out fast and big to break the Trojans’ spirits early.  Going from number one in the beginning of the season to unranked at the end of the season (last happened in 1964), not being in contention for the Pac-12 championship let alone a BCS bowl makes a win over Notre Dame even more important.  Beating Notre Dame would be one of the only bright spots in this season, especially since doing so would likely crush Notre Dame’s chance at of perfection and a shot at the National Championship.  If they see that slipping away early, they may begin to give up all together.