Week 9: Night Moves

Today, you're gonna be so sick, so sick

You'll prop your forehead on the sink

Say, ""Oh, Christ, oh, Jesus Christ

My head's gonna crack like a bank.""

Great 1981 documentary on the birth of the LA punk rock movement in the 1970's, Decline of Western Civilization.  Not for the squeamish.

But I digress.

Dateline:  Notre Dame, IN

Have you ever felt like the universe was talking to you, trying to send you a message?  

Jerrence had been recently reading a lot about latest remake of the 1922 vampire classic, "Nosferatu," scheduled to be released for theater distribution early next month.

Because, apparently, nothing says, "Merry Christmas!" like an undead Transylvanian stalker.  

But hey, half the world thinks "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie so who was Jerrence to judge?

So when Saturday's pre-game festivities turned dark -- and by that I mean, post-Daylight Savings Time night fall -- with still two hours to go before kickoff...  the tailgate lanterns hung in the tents lent an interesting Victorian Era creepiness to the  campus tableau.

Jerrence loved it.  Especially when out of the darkness came this Count Orlok-looking motherf*cker... 

Hello, handsome!

Turns out it was only Gruley.  

And while Jerrence was only mildly disappointed -- Gruley brings his own set of wonderful noir thrills with him -- it did get him to thinking of the possible parallels between F.W. Murnau's Expressionist silent film and the 2024 Notre Dame football season:  an entity long forgotten about -- left for dead, hated by many -- yet now rejuvenated by preying on the weak.  And making a lot of people really anxious...  with avengers waiting ahead to kill it. 

Coincidence?  I think not.   I hear you, Universe!

Quote of the Week

"I saw Management, not Sales..."

                                               Lee Trevino

Trevino's immediate "Come to Jesus" epiphany after being struck by lightning at Butler National Golf Club in 1975 -- one week after holding up a club during another electrical storm (at Medinah) and declaring that he wasn't worried about being struck because "even God couldn't hit a 1-iron."

The expression, "f*ck around and find out" springs immediately to mind, Lee.

The moral of the story (other than don't bait God):  there's hubris and then there's stupidity.  And sometimes, it's tough to distinguish the difference.

Stay humble (and on task), Notre Dame!

Word of the Week

Okay Used in a sentence paragraph:  It had been a week of often unfamiliar feelings for Jerrence, some decidely more anxiety-inducing than others.

Yet, there he was, an hour before kickoff and he was experiencing sensations  quite different than anything he'd felt during the season thus far.

Confidence. 

How?  Why?  It couldn't be dietary.  He'd maintained his usual rigorous tailgate regimen -- his body was a temple, after all --  a Behrens Bloody Mary, a Belknap brat (perhaps more than one), a little wine as stomach-settling digestivo... voila! 

Oh yeah, there was also that 15 yr. Glenfiddich which his old agency work friend had brought.  Just thinking about that bad boy, yum. 

Still, none of that entirely accounted for how sanguine he felt about ND's prospects that evening.  Perhaps it was simply that he knew Florida State was just a godawful team not terribly motivated about traveling north of the Mason-Dixon line. 

Game 7 Thoughts  

Because the night belongs to us...

Shaken, not stirred. 

For the record, it's not that I don't like night games at Notre Dame Stadium.  

First of all, the tailgates are extraordinary and when sucking down a Bloody Mary at 3pm, one feels slightly less the degenerate than doing so at 11am.  

And the games themselves are consistently very dramatic, the fans are exceedingly emotive (probably 'cause their tailgating time has doubled) and the team seems to always play extremely well. 

No, it's just that I like viewing the contests from the comfort of my little man cave with libations (and bathrooms and beds) nearby.

Other pithy revelations from last week's game:

1.  Fun fact #1.   Notre Dame has won 7 straight games and in each game they gave their opponent their worst loss of the season from a margin standpoint.

2.  Fun fact #2.   Notre Dame is 7-2 against the spread.  And there have some pretty big spreads.  At this point, we can't do anything about the teams we're playing, but if "style points" count for anything, ND is doing their part.

3. Fun fact #3.   Notre Dame's participation chart shows the addition of four more true freshmen who earned their first game action Saturday.  Not important who they were - just that it leaves only other four freshmen who've yet to suit up for the Irish this season.

This being the start of the "Should I Stay or Should I Go" season, I happen think this matters more than it might seem.  Every kid wants to see a path to playing - and at this point, minimally getting rewarded for all the grunt work you've done for three months

I guess we'll see.

4.  Playoff Picture?   The American people have spoken. And so has the BCS Playoff Committee -- at least for this week.  Both inspire certain 'now what?' questions. 

You're the one for me, fatty!

You're the one I really, really love... 

With ND presently sitting at #8, it suggests that if we take care of business... a December home game awaits!  And a December tailgate?!

That said, I don't pretend to understand the seeding system for the playoffs (somehow Boise St. gets an automatic bid because... I actually don't know why) but one shouldn't probably expect much further ranking 'ascension' for ND, at least for a couple few weeks.  Outside of a pretty shocking upset or two (never out of the realm of possibility this year), you've got:

• This week, only #7 Tennessee @ #12 Georgia seems to have an immediate impact.

Fast forward to Thanksgiving weekend...

• Penn St. @ Indiana
• Michigan @ Ohio State
• Texas @ Texas A&M

And of course, ND @ USC.

 

5.  Final Thought.  Is it possible to both win ugly and impressively?  While I'm going to let Pete Sampson expound on this a little more (below)... there's two almost polar opposite truisms one needs to retain at the same time:

    1)  The team is getting demonstrably better every week.  The key freshmen and sophomores are well past the "inexperienced" stage.  And Denbrock / Golden seem to know exactly what they've got with these guys.

    2) Riley Leonard. As the philosopher Popeye once opined in a moment of brilliant self-reflection, "I yam what I yam." 

So is Riley. Imperfect.  Not always gonna look pretty. Never gonna win a style contest.  But he's a gamer - and gets the job done.   

Is he Tim Tebow?  Dunno.  Kinda. Undeniably, he is a huge contributing factor to pt. #1.   And if ND wins out, he'll be a big reason.

          

Buddy's Buddy

In a game as lopsided as last Saturday night's game was, there's always going to be a bunch of players with great #'s and notable plays.

One would probably start with Rylie Mills, with his three sacks and consistent dominance -- even after Howard Cross III left the game.

You could probably name 3-4 other people... Jadarian Price certainly got things rolling, or Jeremiyah "TD every game" Love, or anyone else on defense to contributed to the humiliation of the Seminoles. 

But not this week.  This week doubles more as an 'In Memorium' tribute to fallen kindred soul. 

Not sure where anyone stands on Kirk Herbstreit -- I happen to like him and think he does a pretty admirable job of being unbiased while providing solid analysis.  But his game definitely got raised when he started bringing his golden retriever, Ben, along with him, even in the booth. 

Sadly, Ben passed this week after a battle with cancer and it clearly devastated his family.  

Me, too. 

Say hi to Buddy for us, Ben.

Honorable Mention:  How about Luke Talich, the Cody, WY walk on with the pick 6?  That kid may never have another meaningful play in his life but he's always gonna have that.  Night game, crowd ROARING -- it was a helluva play -- and my favorite part: check out his teammates reactions:

That rocks.

RE-PETE (A shameless, illegal lift of Pete Sampson's weekly mail-bag)

Fascinating -- and gratifying -- to see how the narrative of Notre Dame football has perked up over the last month.

I've always appreciated the weekly Pete Sampson -- Matt Fortuna analyses re the State of the Program.  As "Insiders," there has to be a centrifugal pull for them toward The Mother Ship ("please put on your rose colored glasses as you enter"), yet I've found them to very willing to be critical.

Three weeks left in the regular season, a couple things stand out to this blogger:  1) win out and ND will be playoff-bound and 2) no single person remains more important to that goal than our QB.  Thus, today's lift from a Sampson column earlier this week...

 

-----------------------------------

Was Riley Leonard excellent against Florida State or just pretty good?

It felt like bits and pieces of both. Running the ball, Leonard remains among the best rushing quarterbacks in college football. Maybe the best. He left two defenders in his wake on the 34-yard touchdown run. One was a missed tackle. The other just grabbed at air. And that’s before he went airborne at the goal line. Leonard will smash Brandon Wimbush’s single-season rushing touchdown program record for quarterbacks (14) considering he’s just one away.

But is Leonard the passer good enough when the defensive talent upgrades (like in December) and when the opposition is actually engaged (also in December)? Harder to say. There were a couple of drops against Florida State. Some of the incompletions were throw-aways without being throw-aways. Basically, just don’t let the opposition pick it off. But completing barely half his passes doesn’t move the needle.

Yet, there’s no point in separating Leonard the runner and Leonard the passer anymore. He’s both. The former is better than the latter. That’s fine. Notre Dame has figured out how to win with this version of Leonard. And it will give the Irish a shot in December, too.

Source: The Athletic

November 12, 2024

Cocktail of the Month

This time of year, when the world turns irrevocably darker, Scandinavia often comes to mind for me. Back in the day, I frequently traveled to Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki and loved it -- in the summer.

In the winter, less so.   It occurred to me there's a reason -- and perhaps it's changed although I wouldn't bet on it -- those countries had the highest alcoholism rates in the world.  

When the sun is down by 3:30pm, everything gets... dark.  

Hello, bartender, whaddya recommending?

William Seabrook's

Asylum Cocktail*

1884-1945

*From So Red the Nose or -- Breath In The Afternoon (1935)

Travel writer, occultist, cannibal and journalist William Buehler Seabrook was obsessed with a mysticism of darkness -- preoccupied in part by pain, sadism and the undead. 

In fact, he popularized the term "zombie" in the West and was fixated on the art of voodoo.  

He also spent plenty of time institutionalized, a fact that is crystallized in the name of this drink.

Seabrook claims that this heady libation will "look like rosy dawn, taste like the milk of Paradise and make you plenty crazy."

*  1.5 oz.  gin

*  1.5 oz. Pernod

*  1 dash grenadine

-------------------

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing glass, add ice and stir until chilled.  

Pour into a rocks glass over "large lumps" of ice.

Source:  How To Drink Like A Writer

Writing by Margaret Kaplan

Schedule 2024

August

31                @Texas A&M               W

September 

7                  Northern Illinois          L                                                    

14                @Purdue                       W                         

21                Miami (OH)                  W             

28                Louisville                      W

October  

                                                                                                     

12                Stanford                         W

19                @Georgia Tech             W    

26                Navy                               W

November 

 9                Florida State                  W

16               Virginia     

23               @Army  (Yankee Stadium)       McSorley's anyone?                        

30              @USC                                     

December

20             1st round playoff game at ND Stadium -- see you there? 

Wager 2024

A month ago, after a victory over a truly awful Stanford team, this blogger remained unconvinced.  "Ask me after the next 3-game stretch -- Ga. Tech, Navy, FSU.  This was a team, after all who'd proven they play down below anybody...  

Well, going 3-0 with a cumulative point differential of 134 - 30 has moved me attitudinally.

Albert and Garrett, it would appear you're soon to be on the clock... 

Now I'm a believer... 

Wins	Director - ND Equivalence	Domer
12 Christopher Nolan	The Nick Saban of the film world - Nolan is Mr. Swing For The Fences Big Idea Guy, even if every effort isn't always a home run. But they are undeniably ... epic. Just like a 12-0 season.	Kevin C,  Lini Matt L., Brian M. Jay, John L. Ray, Blair John P.
11 Martin McDonagh	Hello, he's Irish!   Solidly predictable for always being really, really good.  And as  his reputation has been burnished, the star talent in his cast has followed. Sound familiar?	Jerrence, Daryl Jim S, Tim C. Jerry C,  Mike C. Greg R., Bob S. George, Raz, Ted, Bob J. Peter, Tim S., Dave M
10 David Fincher	Pretty much a stud in both film and TV formats. Always interesting, albeit with palpably dark undertones... one is never sure how the story is going to end up.  Much like a 10 win season will feel like.	Pat B, Mike B. Bill, Jim B. Sloane, Alex Phillip, Randy Mike G., Jerry P Gutsch, Mark Jim T., Brian W
9 Yorgos Lanthimos	Do I always understand what's going on his films?  Nope. But the ride is pretty enjoyable even when you don't know where you're going or even how you got there. Ultimately, you might end up appreciating it more than you thought at the time.	Alvin, Garrett
8 Richard Linklater	Perhaps the product of recency bias - I quite liked 'Hit Man' - Linklater's films fall for this blogger  into the "nice-fun-I see an interesting insight" category.  They just don't feel especially memorable. Like we'd view an 8 win season.
7 Wes Anderson	When does quirky/idiosyncratic become tiresome? When you feel like you're watching - again - an inside joke that you're not included in. Anderson attracts an an all-star cast that no longer seems to add up to the sum of their parts. In a word, disappointing.
6 Lars Von Trier	Uncomfortable. Unpleasant.  Disturbing. Often off the rails, his films might be 'art' but it's tough to call it many people's definition of entertainment.

Schadenfreude of the Week.

As has been already alluded, the world has become very disorienting for Jerrence.  What was once schadenfreude lay ups -- things one could count on, like death and taxes (well, taxes for most of us), no longer are such sure things.

Case in point:  The Detroit Lions.

They're good.  Like, really REALLY good.

And outside of one douchey Safety on their team, they're actually pretty likeable as well -- especially their "I'll go for it on 4th down ANYTIME ANYWHERE" head coach.  

What is the deal?!

Don't forget the Motor City!

This must be The New World... 

Thank goodness the college universe can still deliver.

------------------------------------

1) Miami.  The very definition of a win-win for Notre Dame:  a team ranked ahead of them goes down (always good) and beaten by a team that ND defeated (yay, strength of schedule).  Plus, it's the loathed Canes!  That makes it a win-win-win trifecta!

2)  Georgia.    I don't know if this is a similar 'regression to the mean' that seems to occur with every team that rules the sport for a couple years (see Clemson) but getting spanked by Lane Kiffin's Ole Miss certainly wasn't a fluke.  

Hey Bulldogs, your QB is objectively bad.

With the team now sitting on the outside of the 12 team playoff pool, there is one silver lining:  more time for Driver's Ed lessons for the players!

3)  Michigan.   Staring down the barrel of a likely 6-6 season after their undefeated national championship season, minimally the Wolverines can look south and say, "At least we're not Florida St."

True.  And at least you have your next 5-star QB all lined up.

Oh wait.  You don't actually, do you?

4)  LSU.   Do I pander to my audience?  

Why, yes... yes I do!  

And there is no fresher meat to throw to the lions (or in this case, perhaps a tiger) is Brian Kelly's flesh.   

I didn't see any of the game --too busy reveling in ND's dismantling of a team that never wanted to get on their plane to South Bend -- but I saw pictures of the coach's face.

That was enough for me. 

Terry's Tools.

The few, the proud...

Upon further reflection, perhaps Nosferatu was not given a fair shake. Labeled as another shady immigrant entering a country illegally -- just because The Demeter arrived in port with no living passengers -- people immediately jump to conclusions.

Who amongst us has gotten a little obsessed over a woman  and possibly overstepped... and misread the signals?  

Nothing a really good PR professional -- or a well-funded super PAC -- couldn't fix. 

Shane Beamer .   So the South Carolina head coach seems to have his team on a roll, they're 6-3 and having spanked Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt over the last three weeks.

Impressive.  So what does he choose to rail on about in his latest post-game conference?  

That Vanderbilt wouldn't allow them to bring their mascot -- a CHICKEN -- to the stadium.

"LSU can have a freaking tiger at their stadium tonight but we can't bring Sir Big Spur."

Really?  That's your takeaway from the game?  Yeah, and how did that work out for Kelly & Co.?  

As one who has become something of an expert in chicken guardianship, may I humbly suggest to you, coach,  two things:  

1)  I understand how high maintenance chickens are - they can be real divas -- but perhaps your time is better spent focusing on your next game plans rather than poultry-related injustice.  Perhaps leave the latter to TMZ.

2)  Should the Gamecocks ever play at Notre Dame while you're still coaching there, recognize we, too, don't allow live animals in the stadium -- Dillon Hall alumni notwithstanding -- but we're big fans of Chick-fil-a so maybe it wouldn't be prudent bringing Big Spur near the stadium anyway.

If you catch my drift. 

Mattel.    This one's for all the marketers out there!  And perhaps the lawyers too.  And of course those CEO's who read this and think, "You gotta be f*cking kidding me..."

Mattel has issued an apology following a packaging mistake directing customers to a pornographic website. The toy maker's new line of "Wicked" dolls, one of multiple collaborations for the Nov. 22 movie, contains a misprint that directs customers to Wicked.com, an X-rated site, instead of WickedMovie.com, the landing page made for movie bookings and other information.

While Sloane will not be receiving this as a present from her grandparents this year, one can see the dual audience potential this unfortunate "typo" may represent.   

I bet it sells like hot cakes in Thailand. 

Lincoln Riley.  Oh, how the mighty have fallen. 

In the grand scheme of cheating, USC latest little misstep -- getting placed on probation for one year, and fined it $50,000 for on- and off-field coaching by non-coaching analysts on staff -- is really small potatoes.

I'm sure SEC leadership just rolls their eyes and thinks, "Amateurs."

Yet -- and here's where we true aficionados of irony revel -- SC's athletic department may just be doing the happy dance over this punishment.  (Hell, they may have turned themselves in!)

Because Southern California agreed with the NCAA that Riley personally violated “head coach responsibility” rules. Meaning the school could fire Riley with cause and not have to pay off his estimated $90M buyout.

That’s right, fire Riley and not owe him a penny.

Ouch.

Michigan.    Staring down a likely 6-6 ("woo hoo, we're bowl eligible!") record...

Desperation, thy name is University of Michigan.  

And here's the kicker:  there's considerable buzz that even after allegedly being offered a $10.4M / 4 year NIL deal... not only will young Mr. Underwood stick with his LSU commitment (the gravitational pull of Brian Kelly is strong) but the 4-star QB UM had committed, has bailed on them after hearding about the program chasing Underwood.

Very smooth, Michigan.

Name of the Month

The thought has crossed my mind, from time to time, what if anyone we were acquainted with actually knew one of these interestingly named young athletes?

I mean, it's not out of the realm of possibility -- especially considering some of the rogues that some of y'all have introduced into the friend group over the years (looking at you, Peter)...

So when I came across Mr. Beers and his Littleton, CO hometown, one thought, was Brittan holding out on us?  Sure, he'll introduce us to guys that build urinals in their garage -- but that's up in the mountains where general lawlessness runs rampant.

However, down in the tony suburbs of Denver, one would think societal norms would be more locked down.  I bet this kid's parents must be very interesting.  Might they have another son named Stout?  

Rowdy Beers

Bill, young Rowdy played for Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, so perhaps he's not as close of a neighbor as I'd wish him to be.  

Final Thought

Week 8: Turn The Page

And I'll dream each night of some version of you

That I might not have, but I did not lose...

Dateline:  Flint Lake, IN

I don't think it's any secret that Jerrence has been suffering a crisis of faith when it comes to Notre Dame football 2024. 

Haven't we all?

And it doesn't help that with the changing of the season, temperatures dropping into the 50F's and daily planning now involving the consideration of whether this has to be a day putting on long pants.  

Oh the humanity.

I'm a pink ghost, not a storm trooper! 

Yet October ended on a decided high point -- consistently spectacular weather, a very different looking football team (in a good way) and a vicarious (granddaughter-led) Halloween experience that reminded me that no matter how bizarre you may look, if you're 3' tall, ask politely with a voice that suggests you've been sucking helium for most of your life, strangers will give you almost anything.

Surprising?  Maybe.  A little counter intuitive? Absolutely.  And yet, I'd like to think weirdly optimistic in what it suggests about trusting others to do the right thing when confronted with something they perceive as different.

Okay that's probably a stretch.  

But one can say the same thing about ND football for most of this year -- not remotely threatening, very different than expectations, at times looking like they ingested something...  yet bringing home the candy at the end of the day.

The malaise of September feels like a long time ago.  What will November bring?

Quote of the Week

"It's impossible."

                                    Ian Book

The response from the winningest QB in Notre Dame's history when asked how easy it is to master an offense in your first year in a program.

ND Nation probably could've used this insight three months ago when setting expectations for a new QB who missed virtually all of Spring ball.

And that goes for the coaches too.  (Keep that in mind when we open at Miami and at home vs. Texas A&M next year.)

Word of the Week

Okay Used in a sentence paragraph:  Jerrence stared at his post-Navy victory cocktail.   Which, he realized, would've looked very much like his post-Navy defeat cocktail.

But no matter.  "That worked out nicely," he thought. Certainly not how he thought the game would play out.

How?  Why?  It occurred to Jerrence that perhaps something bigger was going on.  Beyond ditching those abhorrent white pants, could it be that a systemic change was afoot?

Was the team -- and by team, he meant the offense -- actually getting better?

Over the last four weeks, the team's margin of victory had increased from 7 pts. to 42, 18 and 37, averaging 40 pts. over the same period.

That's a bonafide trend, Jerrence thought, possibly turning the month of October into a critical, liminal stage in Notre Dame's path back to redemption of its reputation while securing a place in the BCS playoff pool.

Long may it last.

Game 7 Thoughts  

From the dark end of the street

To the bright side of the road...

 

How is everyone feeling?  I think I read somewhere that this is the first 6-game winning streak of Freeman's tenure.  Surely, that represents progress.  Dare I say, cause for optimism?

And consider this: this year's team features 13 true-or redshirt-freshmen who are either starters, regular contributors or reside on the Irish's two-deep depth chart.

And are only getting better, more experienced, each week.  

Other pithy revelations from last week's game:

1.  Leonard I.   Far from an original thought on my part but if this is indeed a case where Riley Leonard (and coach Denbrock) have finally gotten comfortable with each other's strengths as well as (it must be said) their supporting cast... 

...this bodes extremely well for the final 4-game November stretch.

2.  Leonard II.   It's difficult to make a credible case for their being an actual 'play of the game' when the game is ultimately a blow out but I'd like to nominate one for consideration:

2nd Quarter, ND up comfortably 28-7 but immediately after ND's kickoff, Navy's QB takes it 60 yards and arguably would've made it 88 yards for a TD if it weren't for Leonard Moore running him down.  The Midshipmen subsequently miss a FG, ND then adds 3 of their own right before the end of the half - and that really ends any thought of a comeback.

3. Leonard III.   Has anyone else noticed that, just like with Benjamin Morrison, no one seems to be throwing at young Mr. Moore.  

Everyone seems to be going after Christian Grey.  And not that Grey has been bad - he hasn't.  Just notable that you never seem to be seeing passes directed at #15.  

Maybe it's entirely a scheme thing but, wow, if the freshman is genuinely this good already...

4.  Love.   Is it getting tiresome talking about how good Jeremiyah Love is?  I hope not.  For all the deserved talk about his speed and his long runs... I find myself more impressed about how tough he is.  He NEVER goes down on the first hit.  (And it's not like his O-line is opening gaping holes for him on every carry.)

We probably only have him for one more year -- lifespans of RB's being short and him already seemingly having the NFL's attention -- so enjoy him while you can.

5.  Bye Week.  Who doesn't love a second Bye week only a couple weeks removed from the first?  I know I do -- note my lackadaisical attitude toward any kind of timely posting of this blog.   

But one could argue that the team is playing really well - don't you want to keep the mojo going while you're in the rhythm?  A fair point.  

Conversely, one could also argue that with the influx of freshman and sophomores getting significantly more playing time than anticipated (and the likelihood of many of them hitting the wall, mentally and physically), this is the perfect time for an 'exhale moment' heading into the final 4-game stretch.

          

Buddy's Buddy

When one hears the name 'Leonard' what immediately comes to one's mind?

* Engineering majors with pocket protectors?  

Tangentially, I will never forget bartending for an Engineering smoker at the Senior Bar where (and I'm paraphrasing) good friend and confidant Alvin told me, "You MUST work that night! You HAVE to see who we go to class with.... you think all the Engineering students are like Gutsch and Matt and Ungie and Sully and Gordon... It's not like that at all."

Actually, Albert I didn't think they were all like you.  At least I hoped not.  But yours was a fair point.  And boy, was that evening an eye opener.

Other Leonards...

* Maybe Leonard Hofstadter, the similarly nerdy physicist on the TV show, The Big Bang Theory, who somehow ends up getting the smoking hot girl who lives across the hallway?

Yeah, like that's Art imitating Real Life. As if.  

* Perhaps of more relevance, one thinks about ND's freshman cornerback prodigy, Leonard Moore -- who, every week looks more and more like truly The Second Coming of Benjamin Morrison?  Not only is the kid (as noted above) not even being thrown at, he never comes off the field!  Plays every down.

He'd be a solid Buddy choice.

But we're going with the team's other Leonard, Riley Leonard.  Pretty much the program's lightning rod and whipping boy (not without some justification) for the first half of the season, the last several weeks he's been really good -- and isn't it about time to give the kid a little love?

Gazelle-like elegance, not seen since Ungie in The Torch.

Since the Week 2 loss to Northern Illinois, when Leonard was 20 of 32 for 163 yards with O touchdowns and 2 INT's while only rushing 11 times for 16 yards and a TD, these are Leonard's statistics:

• 93 of 136 (68.4 percent)

• 173.2 passing yards per game

    • 8 TDS / 1 INT

• 62 rushes for 460 yards

    • 7.4 yards per carry, 76.7 yards per game

• 10 rushing TD's

Please keep it up, Mr. Leonard. 

Honorable mention:  Pete Sampson, for one of the year's great analogies, referencing former Irish QB Jack Coan in a comparison to Riley Leonard: 

"One is Notre Dame’s most efficient rushing threat. The other considered a quarterback sneak to be a trick play." 

Ha!  Love it. 

RE-PETE (A shameless, illegal lift of Pete Sampson's weekly mail-bag)

The topic of this week's section is probably tempting Fate a little bit.  And the lift of Sampson's column represents one of my more egregious steals insofar as I'm taking basically the whole damn article...

Oh well, carpe diem!

So... now that the calendar has turned to November, the games get exceedingly more meaningful with every week as the BCS playoff candidate rankings begin to get updated.

For ND, it's still pretty simple:  win out and they're (highly likely to be) in.  But that doesn't mean one shouldn't have a rooting interest in a) securing a spot and b) securing as high of a seed as possible (who doesn't want to be on campus that third weekend of December).

-----------------------------------

As Notre Dame takes its second bye week, here’s a viewer’s guide to the games that matter most for the Irish to make the 12-team field and how high they might rise in those rankings.

Litmus Test: Ohio State at Penn State

Notre Dame, Ohio St. and Penn St. have all played similar schedules, per the Sagarin rankings, with the Irish (#56), Buckeyes (#52) and Nittany Lions (#43) all bunched together. If #3 Penn State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) takes a home loss this weekend to a top-10 team, would the program drop below ND in the initial rankings? Or what if #4 Ohio St. (6-1, 3-1) takes a second loss, but both are against top-5 teams? Would the two-loss Buckeyes, fresh off a struggle to beat Nebraska, drop below Notre Dame?

One way or another, Notre Dame will get a data point next week about how it stacks up against a Big Ten heavyweight. If Penn St. wins, that would all but eliminate Ohio St. from Big Ten Championship Game contention. The Buckeyes wouldn’t have a bad loss, but they wouldn’t have a great win either. If Ohio St. wins, it would be the same deal for the Nittany Lions: no great win but no bad loss.

Ohio State still hosts Indiana and Michigan in the final two weeks of the regular season. That means the Buckeyes will get national attention, even with a loss in State College. Penn State, however, could be out of sight with a loss considering it closes with Washington, Purdue, Minnesota and Maryland. And one loss might be too much to make the Big Ten Championship Game.

The best case for Notre Dame? Probably a Penn State win.

Sneaky problem … SMU?

As tempting as it might be the look up at the rankings to see how high Notre Dame can climb between now and Selection Sunday, there’s a former Group of 5 program that shouldn’t be dismissed: #20 SMU (7-1, 4-0 ACC) hosts #18 Pittsburgh (7-0, 3-0) this weekend, with the Mustangs set as 7.5-point favorites at home.

If SMU knocks off Pitt, the ACC newcomer is likely to win out — BC, at Virginia, Cal remain — and there’s a good chance the Mustangs would miss the ACC Championship Game if Clemson and Miami win out, which likely activates the league’s 5th tiebreaker (combined win percentage of conference opponents). The prospect of a team going undefeated in conference play and not getting a chance to play its way into the CFP was sort of the reason why SMU bolted the American Athletic Conference in the first place.

The only blemish on SMU’s record is an 18-15 home loss to undefeated BYU. SMU beat Louisville by a touchdown and blew out Stanford … which probably feels familiar for Notre Dame. Virginia represents a third common opponent, with the Cavaliers heading to South Bend on Nov. 16 before visiting Dallas a week later.

According to the Sagarin, SMU’s schedule ranks #58 compared to Notre Dame at #56.

Notre Dame and SMU might feel like incongruous CFP contenders, but a look under the hood shows more similarities than differences. But that all goes away if SMU loses at home to Pitt on Saturday night. And Pitt still faces Clemson on Nov. 16.

The best case for Notre Dame? Pittsburgh takes out SMU, then falls to Clemson two weeks later.

Please don’t mess it up: Texas A&M at South Carolina

Winning in College Station means Notre Dame has one of the best wins in college football this season. At least until Texas A&M loses again.

If that loss comes in the regular-season finale at home to Texas, well, Notre Dame probably can live with that. The Aggies would be stuck behind Notre Dame for good, and the Irish would still have a win over a 10-2 team in the SEC. The Longhorns likely would be headed to the CFP no matter what happened in the SEC Championship Game.

But that’s all for December…

What Notre Dame needs now is for Texas A&M to get out of Columbia unscathed, although the 3-point spread in favor of the Aggies suggests a dangerous spot. Preserving that “great win” through the first rankings reveal would be a boon for Notre Dame. Texas A&M faces New Mexico St. and Auburn the following two weeks before getting to Texas. If that “great win” makes it through Saturday, it’s lasting until Thanksgiving weekend.

It’s just hard to forget South Carolina waxing #5 Tennessee in Columbia two years ago. Those Gamecocks lost by 32 points at Florida a week earlier, then demolished the Volunteers.

The best case for Notre Dame? Duh. Texas A&M keeps winning.

The Chaos Chain: Everything else

These aren’t the only games that matter for Notre Dame’s CFP positioning, just the most obvious. 

That’s why Indiana at Michigan St. and Texas Tech at Iowa St. are worth watching, too. The Hoosiers and Cyclones are undefeated CFP contenders that might be able to take a loss and still make the field, but it’s hard to believe they’d be ahead of a one-loss Notre Dame unless they somehow won their conferences.

There’s also Louisville at Clemson, which would give Notre Dame another point of comparison against the Tigers, who already have beaten Florida St., Virginia and Stanford. Or what about Oregon traveling to Michigan? That’s a pure chaos game for Notre Dame, one that probably looks like a blowout on paper … but anything can happen.

Source: The Athletic

November 1, 2024

Cocktail of the Month

It would be difficult to find two people with political views much farther apart than Jerrence and Thomas J. Feifar.  (Well, okay, maybe not that difficult, I can immediately think of about half a dozen people more progressive than me.)

The point is this:  Through the healing waters of a Colorado hot tub and copious amounts of that magical elixir called The Manhattan, we've discovered that we have more in common than we might've thought.

It's unclear which one of us is more concerned by that insight.  

So in this conclusion to a highly stressful, extraordinarily contentious election season, I offer up one man's liquid olive branch.  Here's looking at you, Tom.  (And there's always a seat on the lake house couch with a ready cocktail waiting for you.)

Dashiell Hammett's 

The Thin Manhattan

1894-1961

Dashiell Hammett's Prohibition-era detective novels bear the influences of his surroundings.  While he was writing noir classics like The Thin Man and The Maltese Falcon, he lived in San Francisco's Tenderloin, a crime-ridden neighborood studded with speakeasies and bootleggers.

The Manhattan may belong to the East Coast in name but it complements the Northern California city -- the warm, pepper-forward notes from the rye cutting through the cloak of mist and fog.  

The Manhattan transcends the lines of fiction and composition:  this boozy, stirred classic is at home in the grasp of a seasoned detective or nestled by the ashtray and typewriter of the troubled author who conjures his spirit.

*  2 oz.  rye whiskey

*  1 oz. sweet vermouth

*  2 dashes angostura bitters

*  Luxardo cherry for garnishing

-------------------

In a mixing glass, combine rye, vermouth and angostura bitters.  Add ice and stir, combining ingredients until well chilled.  Strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with the Luxardo cherry.

Source:  How To Drink Like A Writer

Writing by Margaret Kaplan

Schedule 2024

August

31                @Texas A&M               W

September 

7                  Northern Illinois          L                                                    

14                @Purdue                       W                         

21                Miami (OH)                  W             

28                Louisville                      W

October  

                                                                                                     

12                Stanford                         W

19                @Georgia Tech             W    

26                Navy                               W

November 

 9                Florida State                               Night game - accepting couch viewing bookings

16               Virginia     

23               @Army  (Yankee Stadium)       McSorley's anyone?                        

30              @USC                                     

December

20             1st round playoff game at ND Stadium -- see you there? 

Wager 2024

Eight down, four to go.  And maybe the guys looking the most doubtful - though with this team 'never say never' - is the 9-win bettors.

Not what one would've predicted a month ago.

Wins	Director - ND Equivalence	Domer
12 Christopher Nolan	The Nick Saban of the film world - Nolan is Mr. Swing For The Fences Big Idea Guy, even if every effort isn't always a home run. But they are undeniably ... epic. Just like a 12-0 season.	Kevin C,  Lini Matt L., Brian M. Jay, John L. Ray, Blair John P.
11 Martin McDonagh	Hello, he's Irish!   Solidly predictable for always being really, really good.  And as  his reputation has been burnished, the star talent in his cast has followed. Sound familiar?	Jerrence, Daryl Jim S, Tim C. Jerry C,  Mike C. Greg R., Bob S. George, Raz, Ted, Bob J. Peter, Tim S., Dave M
10 David Fincher	Pretty much a stud in both film and TV formats. Always interesting, albeit with palpably dark undertones... one is never sure how the story is going to end up.  Much like a 10 win season will feel like.	Pat B, Mike B. Bill, Jim B. Sloane, Alex Phillip, Randy Mike G., Jerry P Gutsch, Mark Jim T., Brian W
9 Yorgos Lanthimos	Do I always understand what's going on his films?  Nope. But the ride is pretty enjoyable even when you don't know where you're going or even how you got there. Ultimately, you might end up appreciating it more than you thought at the time.	Alvin, Garrett
8 Richard Linklater	Perhaps the product of recency bias - I quite liked 'Hit Man' - Linklater's films fall for this blogger  into the "nice-fun-I see an interesting insight" category.  They just don't feel especially memorable. Like we'd view an 8 win season.
7 Wes Anderson	When does quirky/idiosyncratic become tiresome? When you feel like you're watching - again - an inside joke that you're not included in. Anderson attracts an an all-star cast that no longer seems to add up to the sum of their parts. In a word, disappointing.
6 Lars Von Trier	Uncomfortable. Unpleasant.  Disturbing. Often off the rails, his films might be 'art' but it's tough to call it many people's definition of entertainment.

Schadenfreude of the Week.

As the expression goes, "The Lord giveth. And the Lord taketh away."

Last weekend had the chance to be a pretty epic weekend for some quality schadenfreude -- looking at you, Ohio State vs. Nebraska and Texas vs. Vandy -- but this column does not trade in moral victories or 'close but no cigar' outcomes.

Thus, this week represents more of a 'quality over quantity' offering.  

------------------------------------

1) LSU.  Welcome back Cotter Kelly.  And for ND Nation, something akin to hitting the double bon-ai:  a loss to their favorite ex-coach as well as a credibility-building victory over the only real quality win on the Irish's schedule.  

Huzzah!

Surprisingly, the Aggies did not jump ND in the polls, which saves one from arguing the point that if A&M is not the same team as they were in early September (seemingly better QB albeit he did it over 1.5 quarters), the same can be said about the Irish (Exhibit A: a demonstrably better Riley Leonard.)

So we'll save that discussion for later, when we'll surely need it come BCS Playoff consideration time. 

Honorable mention

2).  Oklahoma.  One of the more hackneyed expressions of the past few years -- along with everyone seemingly on a freaking "journey" (well, unless you're actually in a vehicle traveling from point A to point B, no, you're not) -- is everyone claiming they're not being seen... 

Or worse, someone proclaiming, "for the first time in my life, I feel like I'm being seen" blah blah blah.  

Oh good Lord.

Well, we see you, Sooners.  And what we're seeing is pretty mediocre.

Watch, if only for the (fairly well deserved) Notre Dame reference... 

Terry's Tools.

The few, the proud...

I suppose I could delay the blog and wait for the Tool Well to fill up again... this week (outside of the political theatre) not being an especially fecund period for activity that makes you just shake your head and wonder, what were they possibly thinking?

Or not thinking, as the case may be.

Anyway, like schadenfreude, we must celebrate quality over quantity this week.

Tyrique Stevenson .   I'd like to say that it gives me no joy to call this player out for such an embarrassingly high profile -- and game losing -- screw up.

I'd like to say that.  But I can't.  That would be a lie.  It, in fact, gives me tremendous joy.  Not only because it came at the expense of lifelong hated Packer rival, the Bears, but because it showcased exactly what I hate about organized sports at almost any level these days:  entire leagues full of players that are all about Look At Me.  My Brand. My ability to talk sh*t on virtually every play, whether it's big or small.

Hey, Tyrique, just in case you weren't paying (again) attention that play was a big one.  And we did keep the camera on you.

Austin Capobianco and John Peter.    One name sounds like a Mafia goodfellow, the other a porn star.  Rather, they're mere NY Yankee season ticket holders who embody that special segment of sports fandom who believe 'I paid my ticket in, I can do whatever the f*ck I want.'  

(Including interfering with play on the field, in this case, in Game 4 of the World Series, literally wrestling a caught foul ball out of the mitt of a Dodger.)

Well I say, "No boozy boys! Bye bye bad boys!  Boozy boozy boys!  Greasy boys!  Saggy farty boys!  I poke you! I poke you! I poke you!" 

The fact that it occurred in the 1st inning with nothing yet at stake doesn't change that fact.  (Although Steve Bartman might disagree.) Unclear what the Yankees will do about this -- probably nothing -- but if they had any balls, they'd ban those guys from Yankee Stadium for all of the 2025 season.

NIL.  Perhaps a few of you have read how there's a quiet bidding war going on for a 5-star high school QB out of Michigan, Bryce Underwood.  

Presently committed -- one has to laugh even uttering that statement out loud (especially when it comes to QB's) -- to LSU but Team Underwood has communicated that they're still open for business... SHOCKER!

And the Michigan Wolverines are saying, "We'll play!" -- upping the ante, allegedly, is to $4MM.  Yikes.

Your move, LSU ("Do I hear $5MM?  Going once, going twice...") 

 

It's money that I love... 

USC.    Train wreck, thy name is University of Southern California.

Name of the Month

Sometimes the universe just speaks to you.

Case in point:  my brother Mike sent me a Forbes article last week on Johnnie Walker scotch enjoying a resurgence, driven by innovative collaborations, line extensions and packaging creativity. 

As a former marketer and current whisky enthusiast, I found the article both interesting and insightful.

So imagine my reaction when I turn on the Missouri - Alabama football and there's a Mizzou defender just tearing it up...  wreaking havoc with a couple of 1st half sacks  -- and generally being a real nuisance to a 'Bama team not exactly flush with swagger the last few weeks.

Note:  This was before Drew Pyne entered the game and took it upon himself to dismiss any talk of upsets.

At any rate, what was that Missouri DE's name - you guessed it!

Johnny Walker, Jr.

"Whiskey gods, I HEAR AND OBEY!!!"

BTW, Mr. Walker ended the game with four tackles, two sacks and two tackles for loss. 

Well done, sir!

Final Thought

Fun fact #1:  Florida State has not played a game this year north of Durham, NC.

Fun fact #2:  The 'feels like' temperature at kickoff for their game in South Bend is forecasted to be ~40F.  Possibly rainy.  Oh, and that'll be a chilly rain.  (What are the odds the Seminoles will be dressed like they're on Shackleton's voyage to the South Pole?)

November in South Bend.  Welcome to our world, Seminoles.  

For a team that seems to have already given up on their season, I like our chances next week.