Look closer, you can see the flaws --
The holes in the floor and cracks in the walls
That gleam in your eye isn't there at all
It's painted on like a face of a doll...
So it begins, fantastic delusion.
Dateline: Flint Lake, IN
So Tuesday is 'discount movie day' at the Valparaiso Cinemark Theater.
As such, Defarge and Jerrence have a a semi-standing date to see something for the low, low total price of $11.50 (if one knows my wife, you'll know that's completely on-brand), as love of film being a point of common interest between the two of us since, well, Day 1.
We won't see just anything. (We're cinematically promiscuous but we're not that slutty.) We have some base level of standards. Like if there was nothing but Pauly Shore and Steven Seagal films playing, or films involving hobbits, we'd be staying home.
But of late, that's not been the case (we're both big fans of the latest, very offbeat Yorgas Lanthimos offering, "Bogonia" which played a week ago) so we've been hitting the theater pretty regularly.
 |
| "We will now make Pat Narduzzi disappear..." |
An ensemble cast involving a team of do gooder, Robin Hood-like magicians who trade on slight of hand, misdirection and illusion to pull off their 'tricks' and give bad guys their comeuppance...
But invariably, all roads lead back to Notre Dame for Jerrence...
-- Pat Narduzzi's "this game means nothing to us" act.
-- Mason Heintschel being a top tier QB
-- Pitt being an elite defense against the rush.
Fantastic delusion.
Quote of the Week
"To each their own."
Marcus Freeman
To each their own, indeed -- an expression typically reserved for the more societally relevant and hotly contested “ketchup or mustard on a hotdog?” debate -- but Saturday evening used by our coach as more subtly derisive response towards Pittsburgh's coach calling a timeout with :06 left in a 37-9 game.
A ton of respect for Marcus's self control -- I, myself, would've started the press conference by something to the effect of "Sure glad that game didn't mean anything to that mofo, he's a master psychologist as his team followed his 'don't a give a shit' mantra to a T... well-f*cking-done."
Here's a hot take: Freeman will NEVER lose to a Narduzzi-coached team.
Word of the Week
That was a character trait that Jerrence did not possess. And if he ever had it, it was like a guest that could only stay for coffee but far too quickly told you, "Gee I have to go now..."
Jerrence admired coach Freeman for many things, on and off the field -- his ability to motivate, his skill in administering 'tough love' without seemingly alienating his players, his commitment to still finding time for his family -- but his facility to remain cool... professional... while the world took shots at his employer, his program and, indirectly, him... was sorta freakish.
Jerrence thought he would love to be the proverbial 'fly on the wall' to hear what the young coach really thought of the James Franklins, the Joey McGuires, the Pat Narduzzi's of the college football world.
Surely, there had to be a mordant, Wildian / Twainian / Churchillian wit inside the man just itching to make an appearance.
Will the world ever get to see it? Probably not.
But damn, Jerrence sure hoped so.
Game 10 Thoughts
Instant karma's gonna get you
Going to knock you on the head
Here's a series of rapid fire observations.
Beyond that...
1. How about this insight: our players were better than their players.
2. Apparently Narduzzi did care about losing by 100.
4. Zen and The Art of Placekicker Management. I liken our kicker to the golfer who's awesome on the driving range but is a mess when he actually has water and traps in front of him.
Not good. I don't know if that golfer ever overcomes it until they do it 'live.' And Freeman, despite his post-game "the analytics dictated that we go for it" waffling, clearly has zero confidence in the kicking position -- completely justified, I might add. But his kicker knows it -- and not letting him 'get back on the horse' with zero at stake at the end of the game, was a missed opportunity. IMHO.
5. Conventional wisdom, pregame, was that Notre Dame would not be able to run on Pittsburgh. Hey, Panthers, did you actually watch any film of Jeremiyah Love?
7. One of my biggest football-related pet peeves: when it’s 3rd (or 4th) down and long… and the receivers don’t run their routes to the sticks… ugh.
8. Can we please stop bitching about Chris Ash?
Thank you, Sgt. Hulka.
What's interesting about the associated mea culpa, taken from an ND message board, was just how many ND know-it-all's doubled down on a "f*ck no, I'll never forgive Ash for the first two games" response to this post.
No acknowledgement about installing a new system with a bunch of 18-22 year old kids... um, there might be an early season learning curve. Sure glad, I never worked for any of you clowns.
Responses like this reaffirm just how deserved the sh*t that ND fans get for being entitled.
9. And why doesn't Mike Denbrock get anywhere near the same level of scrutiny and criticism (and he absolutely does not)... Oh yeah, he's got the universal cheat codes, Jeremiyah Love / Jadarian Price, in his backfield.
Not saying he's a bad OC, he's clearly not. Personally, I'm not seeing the 'genius offensive game plan / schemer' that he's viewed as.
Here's a grim, 'fun fact' that just might matter come playoff time: the Irish have now come up empty in 8 of 34 (empty as in ZERO POINTS) goal-to-go situations. That's almost 1 out of 4 times. Not good.
As an aside... can someone tell me, in the accompanying picture, how is it that Pitt's formation is not a penalty?
Their OT's aren't remotely close to being on the line of scrimmage.
And they lined up like this virtually every freaking time!
A penalty was never called. What am I not understanding?
10. Jeremiah Love, best player in America.
About the above video: As a mediocre English major, I find Nicholas Sparks is easy to -- if not overtly hate -- easily disparage and be supremely jealous of. In my mind's eye, he is objectively, not a great writer -- though his best sellers, movie adaptations and net worth would suggest otherwise.
But this was pretty good. Bravo, ND Social Media and/or whomever came up with the idea.
If not just the CB’s, surely the safeties…
11. Do we have a sports psychologist on staff? Send your kicker (anything over 20 yds.) and your OC (anything under 3 yds.) for their issues.
12. The dreaded WR screen - which EVERYBODY in college football apparently runs (and no one particularly successfully) -- can we just stop?
As an aside, I attribute Carr's pick 6 to at least half Denbrock's fault. And before you say, "but he shouldn't have thrown it" -- have you EVER seen a QB not throw it... stop and pull it down? No -- it's a pass that's so quick, get the snap and throw. If the defense sees it coming, you're basically f*cked.
Okay, maybe you could argue Carr should've checked out of the play if he saw the D crowding that line...
Q. Are (were) the ND coaches aware of just how close the ball — literally the length of the football itself — was to the goal line?
Asking for a friend.
Buddy's Buddy
For me, once Adon Shuler rocked the Pittsburgh WR's world during the Panthers' first possession -- it might've been their 5th or 6th play -- this game was over.
Chris Ash's defense mixed things up so creatively... had the young Pitt QB so thoroughly in a spin cycle -- Bryce Young almost an pick 6! -- that one could reasonably stomp for him as The Bud this week...
...and yet, no.
Outside of another Jeremiyah 'holy shit what did he just do' Love moment, the offense once again looked a wee bit stagnant.
Following along from a long legacy of famous, successful fields (Mrs. Fields, Strawberry Fields, Field of Dreams), it's unsurprising that the UVA transfer would step up. And while his in-game statistics weren't necessarily super, off the charts gaudy (7 receptions, 99 yards and 2 TD's), the timeliness of catches were.
Not to mention the positive effect his reliability has on a young, still developing QB: coach Freeman has said, "There are no 50-50 balls w Fields, they're 100-0 he's gonna come down with it..."
As Gotham City police commissioner Jim Gordon once opined, "Not necessarily the hero we deserve but the hero we need."
(Actually he didn't say it quite like that but you get the gist.)
RE-PETE (A shameless, illegal lift of Pete Sampson's weekly mail-bag)
Is anyone else getting tired -- and dizzy -- from the seemingly mind-numbing permutations of future game outcomes that will determine:
-- Does ND make the playoffs?
-- Does ND get a home game?
-- Can ND avoid being in Ohio State's bracket?
Every talking head has an opinion. And, likely, an agenda to their point of view.
Let's try and make it simpler (and even then that's debatable):
Do I really have to root for USC?
I don’t know, how do you feel about cutting off your nose to spite your face?
Yet the reward of this scientific apocalypse would be Notre Dame punching its ticket to the CFP and probably hosting a game next month.
So, maybe consider it?
The committee was clear that No. 7 Oregon’s schedule lacks teeth (its past schedule ranks 60th according to The Athletic’s model), putting the Ducks in the same group as Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Alabama. If No. 15 USC wins in Eugene this weekend, Oregon will drop below Notre Dame, but the Trojans would very likely not jump the Irish.
However, USC would rise at least a bit, making Notre Dame’s best win even better. Of course, USC winning at Oregon would also go against the trend for Lincoln Riley, who is 1-6 against ranked teams on the road as the Trojans head coach, with the lone victory a 48-45 win at UCLA in 2022.
There are other rooting interests this weekend that might be more palatable for Notre Dame. Kansas State knocking off Utah. Oklahoma losing at home to Missouri. BYU going down at Cincinnati. All those could help solidify Notre Dame’s standing in the CFP rankings, but nothing could give the Irish a bigger boost than USC winning at Oregon (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS).
Muttering “Fight On” a few times outside The Linebacker Lounge doesn’t need to mean the end of the world.
Source: The Athletic
November 19, 2025
Cocktail of the Month
I haven't been to Pittsburgh in quite a while. It's no doubt gentrified itself a great deal in the decades that have passed, moved off of its steel industry-base and now probably has its economy driven by trendier things like internet tech and health care...
But where's the fun in that imagery? When I think of the 'Burgh, far more gothic imagery springs to mind... you know, things like George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla warring over electrical innovation.
Then there's the Notre Dame connection, starting with the whole Class of '79 gang that came from South Hills Catholic HS in Mt. Lebanon. Eek!
Talk about disturbing...
THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO OLD-FASHIONED
The Castle of Otranto
by Horace Walpole (1764)
Horace Walpole was inspired by ghostly nightmares he had at his spooky English mansion. The old-fashioned tale of Prince Manfred, who is driven mad after his son is killed on his wedding day by a giant falling helmet, is a timeless classic—just like this drink.
The novel has all the elements that define the genre: paintings haunted by ghosts, forbidden lust, hidden royal identities, love triangles, chases through fantastical castles, and women threatened into nunhood.
Or, just another Tuesday at Dillon Hall..
Manfred might have benefited from taking a break to enjoy one of these drinks and processing his emotions instead of desperately trying to force a divorce on his wife and attempting to marry his would-be daughter-in-law.
Yield: 1 serving
-- 1 sugar cube or ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
-- 2 or 3 dashes Angostura bitters
-- orange twist or slice, for garnish (optional)
-- maraschino cherry, for garnish (optional)
-----------------------------
1. Place the sugar cube or granulated sugar in an old-fashioned glass and wet the sugar with the Angostura bitters.
2. Muddle the sugar and bitters until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Fill the glass with ice cubes or one large ice sphere,
4. Pour the bourbon or rye whiskey over the ice.
5. Stir gently to combine.
6. Garnish with an orange twist or slice and a maraschino cherry, if using.
Source: The Turn of the Screwdriver
50 Dark & Twisted Literary Cocktails
By Iphigenia Jones
Schedule 2025
August
31 @Miami L
September
13 Texas A&M L
20 Purdue W Corrigan brother reunion!
27 @Arkansas W Soooiiieeee!
October
4 Boise St. W Alumni Hall Reunion weekend, Union Pier MI
11 NC State W
18 USC W "Lincoln, We Hardly Knew Ye" (wussy)
November
1 @BC W
9 Navy W
16 @Pitt W
23 Syracuse
29 @Stanford
December
19-20 PLAYOFF GAME!
Wager 2025
We're on our way home
We're on our way home
We're going home.
Wins | ND Equivalence | Domer |
12  The Joker | "Do I really look like a guy with a plan?" ----- Ledger's Joker is mercurial, charismatic and a complete psychopath. Utterly unforgettable. Just as a Notre Dame undefeated, on-their-way-to-a-national championship-season would be. |
|
11  Otto | "Don't call me stupid!" ----- Ex-CIA operative Otto lives at the intersection of dangerous and moronic. An 'Otto season' for ND would be a rollercoaster -- a lot of fun with youth at some key positions, and likely more than it's fair share of 'that wasn't very clever' moments. | Gutsch , Sloane Daryl Jim S. Peter Tim TedBill Jim B Pat B George Alex, Feif Garrett Spit the Elder |
10  | "That's a bingo!" ----- Jew hunter Landa -- equal parts chillingly pathological and pragmatic, this character would probably represent a 10-win regular season that might make you sick to your stomach but ultimately pretty satisfied. | Jerrence, Mike C, Tim C. Mark U. Jerry P. Jerry C. Mike B. Brian W. Jim T. Mike G, Bose Jerry W Lini, Randy Greg Kyle W. |
9  RP McMurphy | "I'm a goddamn marvel of modern science." ----- What's the residual emotion from Cuckoo's Nest? Sadness. RP, a guy who sees things clearly but can't get out of his own way. When it doesn't end well, one is left thinking what could've been. Like a 9-win season.
| |
8  | "I don't know who I am. Or where I'm going. None of it." ------ An apt summary of an 8-win ND season. A lot of difficult questions ultimately unanswered. Still, the Bourne trilogy rocks and JB is The Man. | |
7  | "I'm thinking I'm back..." ----- For many, ND winning only 7 games would be akin to someone shooting their dog -- and requiring appropriate payback. And like with John Wick, rationale requiring very few words of explanation. | |
6  | "Are you not entertained!" ------Probably not, if ND only won six games... but that's not the point here: it probably says a lot about me that the final ranked character is the most moral, selfless one of the bunch. | |
Sports Imitating Art
Le Blanc de Blanc, by Georges Mathieu, 1987
Schadenfreude of the Week
Isn't this time of year fun?
One can revel in the loss of a team that's never been on one's active 'hate' list -- looking at you, Louisville -- and still not feel even the slightest bit of self-loathing.
Not personal. Just business.
A Schadenfreudist's Utopian state!
Okay, last week's scorecard:
Notre Dame at #24 Pittsburgh GOOD
Oklahoma at #4 Alabama BAD
#20 lowa at #19 USC NOT GREAT
#11 Texas at #5 Georgia VERY GOOD
-----------------------------------------------
1. Texas. I feel for Arch Manning. Too many unreasonable, nay unattainable, expectations put on the lad. And truthfully, he's not playing that bad. He just isn't The Second Coming of his uncle (either one).
Which, unfortunately, is what the Longhorns needed Saturday night.
And while I can entertain great empathy for Arch, it's an "L" that Notre Dame desparately needed.
Terry's Tools
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| New and improved (?) |
It dawned on Jerrence last weekend, with a fair level of irony, that what makes college football a sport we love -- and what fundamentally differentiates it from its professional kin -- is the human evaluation element.
Which is to say, as much as everyone would love to apply rational, quantifiable metrics to level the playing field, there are still humans who are making the decisions as to who gets to play for the big prize.
Exacerbating this is the fact that with now, essentially two super conferences (sorry Big 12), the supposed really good teams rarely even play each other. To wit:
-- Texas A&M can make the SEC championship game w/o playing Ole Miss, Bama, UGA, OU or Vandy. Moreover, the Aggies' eight league opponents currently have a combined conference record of 13-34. That includes Texas, who they haven't played yet. Their six foes to date are a combined 8-27.
-- Ga. Tech can make the ACC title game w/o playing Miami, Louisville, UVA, SMU or Duke.
-- Ohio St. can (will?) make the B1G title game w/o playing Oregon, Indiana, Iowa or USC.
-- Indiana's conference foes to-date are slightly more respectable at 16-26, but the Hoosiers' slate will end up looking much like A&M's because they finish against 1-6 Wisconsin and 0-8 Purdue..
And yet, the masses are bitching about ND's lack of worthiness?!
-------------------------------------------------
Which leads us to...
While I am clearly not wholly objective here -- I do understand get their (self serving) angst over the BCS Committee's ranking of Miami. I, too, think head-to-head results should matter.
But I also buy into the 'quality of a loss can outweigh a quality of a (first game of the year) win' argument.
Maybe they should've thought of that before losing to 3-loss Louisville and SMU teams.
Doesn't matter what they say
In the jealous games people play
 |
| Okay, I lied... |
Jerrence watched a great deal of football last weekend, post-ND vs. Pitt. And Jerrence saw a great many clearly blown, or weirdly interpreted calls.
So here's my hot take: It'll be shocking to me if there isn't an important, possibly... maybe probably... a playoff contest that swings on a blatant, blown call.
I'm just hoping it doesn't involve Notre Dame.
But as long as ACC refs draw breath, I'm not ruling it out.
Name of the Week
New England, seemingly having not yet disembarked from the Mayflower, still has its share of folks with appellations accompanied by a number, e.g., Winthorpe Billingsworth III.
California, the stereotypic Land of Fruits & Nuts, seems to gravitate toward vegetation... "Have you met our daughter, Cilantro? We're so proud -- she's just been accepted into USC as a preferred walk-on for the Song Girls..."
In the Midwest, Where Creativity Goes To Die, we end up with innumerable Jerry's, not that there's anything wrong with that.
My favorite might be Philadelphia where -- and I'm speculating on this -- the apparent attitude is, "We'll name our kids whatever the f*ck we want, you got a problem with that?"
Um, no, sure don't.
Lunch Winfield
A 6'1", 217 lb. sophomore QB for the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns. Talent aside -- it's a little difficult to determine how good he is -- the name inspires all sorts of speculation as to its origins.
Why lunch? Why not breakfast, the most important meal of the day?
And given the French roots of the state, one wonders whether there was ever any discussion about going a little more... native. Déjeuner Winfield has a nice ring to it, oui?
Trivia
Q. What song was voted the #1 song of all time by Rolling Stone?
A) Like A Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan)
B) Satisfaction (The Rolling Stones)
C) Yesterday (The Beatles)
D) Layla (Derek & The Dominoes)
------
Final Thoughts
Everyone, to a varying degree, has experienced some level of loss in their lives. Regardless of the magnitude or tragedy, it's fair to say it leaves a mark. It changes a person.
Three years old!
If one has the time and inclination -- and I'd understand if one isn't so inclined (BYO tissues) -- give CJ's Players Tribune piece here a read.
I'd like to believe that most sports fans can think well of a person such as CJ Carr, irrespective of whether one roots for ND or not. However, even a cursory trip into the cesspool that is social media suggests my naiveté on that point.
But, after reading his homage to his brother, I'm pretty confident that not a whole lot is going to bother young Mr. Carr as he progresses through his athletic career. Certainly not a bunch of gutless internet trolls.
