Nothing like having two defensively challenged teams facing each other to provide entertaining -- if one-dimensional -- basketball. Notre Dame and Providence offered just that as the Fighting Irish got only their second Big East road win, 103-84.
Both teams were looking for a big win to get them into the bubble argument. Providence may be over .500 in the Big East, but they have just three wins against teams in the top half of the conference. Notre Dame lost a lot in a brutal Big East stretch. They especially show incompetence on the road, so they need anything away from South Bend to help their case.
For the better part of three seasons, Notre Dame's ability to handle business at home was less a statistical trend and more a law of physics.
The Irish would rack up a score higher than a Saturday golfer at Augusta, mix in a pinch of defense and march on to the next game.
Expecting otherwise would be like biting into a popsicle only to scald your tongue. It simply didn't make sense. Forty-five times in a row it worked to perfection.
ABOVE: The average college football fan's perception of Ohio State's reputation after last Saturday's USC game.
College football needs better villains.
In the wake of Ohio State's soul-shredding loss to Southern Cal last Saturday, the Grave Dancers' Union has been establishing new locals in 49 of the 50 states. It was a terrible performance by a team that was supposed to be better than they've looked so far, but why all the glee? Because the Buckeyes got humbled? I'd say the last two title games were humbling enough. Because the Big Ten got drug down? Here's a message for you, SEC Fan: We get it. We got it two years ago.
Right now hating on the Buckeyes is as useless and wasteful as hating the Buffalo Bills for losing four straight Super Bowls. It might ultimately prove as pointless as hating the New York Yankees has been for the past few seasons. The Yankees really aren't good enough to hate any more, and the Buckeyes might not be the best team in the Big Ten.
So there's no reason to act like Clubber Lang just got knocked out by Rocky Balboa. If OSU was your idea of a college football villain, what are you going to do when a real villain (think Erickson's Hurricanes, Spurrier's Gators, Switzer's Sooners) shows up?
"As we prepare to host the NCAA Frozen Four in 2012, we look forward to establishing a regular college hockey presence in Tampa Bay," said Ron Campbell, president of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the St. Pete Times Forum.
The Tampa Bay Lightning has zapped the Lightning College Hockey Classic.
Two and out... classic indeed (for the record, Notre Dame, which has co-hosted the event since its inception, and UMass will go down in history as the only two teams to ever win the event).
The NHL's current Collective Bargaining Agreement created incentive for U.S. college players drafted by professional franchises to join their development systems as soon as possible. The general salary cap immediately emphasized younger and cheaper over old and bloated, causing affiliates in minor leagues like the AHL to reach out to a slew of prospects whose roster spots may have previously gone to journeymen. As College Hockey News pointed out, a reduced rookie salary maximum actually encouraged teams to aggressively court college players without as much financial risk as in the past.
For college players, that financial incentive has caused waves of prospects to leave school early; as a result, some of the most storied programs in collegiate hockey have taken a hit as star underclassmen bolt for the minor leagues. It's all part of a time-honored hockey life-cycle: "The NHL robs from the college and the college robs from the juniors and the juniors robs from the high school," Minnesota coach Don Lucia told the Wisconsin State Journal.
With top ten teams falling like the stock prices of subprime mortgage companies this season, the college football world has come to learn the word "schadenfreude"--a German expression for taking pleasure in the pain of others that is compounded for the nation when those others happen to be Notre Dame.
Want to know how far the Irish have fallen during their 1-6 season? While their seamstresses are pulling out the 1977 green jerseys for this weekend's match against Southern California, hopeful Irish are hoping to stir the echoes of of 1963, when the Irish's two wins were at UCLA and against USC at home en route to a 2-7 finish.
For the first time in recorded history, the Michigan Wolverines and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are rolling into their upcoming game with 0-2 records. Both teams are riding four game losing streaks, humiliating 30 point home losses, and, with the recent news of Chad Henne's injury, will both likely be trotting out true freshmen quarterbacks. In what should be a throughly sarcastic affair for both teams, Mike Hart has provided a little bit of drama for the otherwise uninteresting "Slump Buster Bowl" (do you like the name? I made it up.)
"We're going to win next week," Hart said. "There's no question in my mind. I guarantee we will win next week. I'm going to get this team ready. Guaranteed."
Well, it's not quite Joe Namath's Super Bowl III guarantee. A guarantee in a game featuring two winless and unranked teams probably falls more in the "You won't pay a lot for this muffler" caliber of all-time guarantees, but hey, it's a start. The good news for both teams is that, by rule, one team technically does have to win the game, although there might be some obscure rule that calls for a dual forfeit if both teams go scoreless through ten overtime frames. I'll get right on researching that and let you know.
While the news has already broken that freshman wünderkid Jimmy Clausen will be starting at quarterback for the Irish this weekend against Penn State, it also looks like the depth chart at running back has been retooled, according to Charlie Weis' recent statements. Coming into the season, senior Travis Thomas was the clear starter at halfback, being the most veteran back with loads of game experience. Needless to say, a lot changed after Saturday's performance of 7 rushes for negative 7 yards, particularly since youngsters Armando Allen and James Aldridge hit the hole with authority and racked up respectable YPC's.
Says Weis:
"I don't even know he's two," Weis said of Aldridge. "He's almost slash one. He just doesn't go in first. I think James and Travis are very close. They are both strong, physical runners. Hopefully, we'll give them more chance for success this week than we did last week."
I think Notre Dame nation is behind you on this one, Charlie. Give the rock to the guy who can get you positive yardage. With the way things are going, every precious inch counts. Then again, I have to think Thomas can straighten his act out and turn into the dominant running back we remember him as. You'll remember last year against Penn State, Thomas was the most electrifying offensive player on the field with a long run on a fake punt and a hard-nosed touchdown run (all of this while starting at linebacker, no less). Maybe he'll find his old form against a familiar nemesis.
While it won't be officially announced until this afternoon's press conference, very reliable sources on NDNation have confirmed that this Saturday's tilt at Penn State will be Jimmy Clausen's first career start. This shouldn't come as too much of a shock to anybody who saw the utter futility put forward by Clausen's other two competitors against Georgia Tech, but it should, hopefully, bring some stability to the Irish quarterbacking situation that will be very helpful in helping this team grow up from the pitiful group of ragtag youngsters that took the field against Georgia Tech.
Over the next few weeks, Clausen will take his lumps against two tremendous defenses in Penn State and Michigan, and we'll all get to watch him grow up right in front of us. Sharpley will contine his role as capable backup and can come in if young Jimmy gets his skull shattered after his tenth sack of the day, and hopefully Demetrius Jones can play the Tim Tebow-type specialty quarterback to add another element to the attack. One thing that's certain is that it probably won't be too pretty watching the young savant cut his teeth against two world-class defenses behind a completely confused offensive line, but it's the first step toward securing the future of the program.
My advice? Make sure your chinstrap is on really tight. Best of luck out there, kid. You'll need it.
The Arizona State Sun Devils are not--repeat ARE NOT--talking to anyone wearing green these days.
ASU denies reports by Hawaii's athletic director that it had offered the Sun Devils to test out the new Dennis Erickson regime in an October 20th matchup in Honolulu. When Michigan State opted out of its game against Hawaii-paying the Rainbow Warriors a quarter-million dollar cancellation fee, Hawaii went looking for an opponent that Heisman Candidate Colt Brennan show off against. Hawaii had reportedly offered seven-figures to entice the Sun Devils but to no avail. I think this may be the first time anyone has turned down a million-dollar payday to make a trip to the Islands.
What's more, Arizona State was not made an offer by Notre Dame to be part of its "America is Our Home Stadium" series for 2017. The Irish have been adding "home games" all across the country at neutral sites. That game will be played in South Bend, home of the actual University of Notre Dame.
With all these non-denial denials, I wonder...am I the only one who thinks that Baghdad Bob has become athletic director in Tempe?
Nothing like having two defensively challenged teams facing each other to provide entertaining -- if one-dimensional -- basketball. Notre Dame and Providence offered just that as the Fighting Irish got only their second Big East road win, 103-84.
Around this time of year two summers ago, the Tampa Bay Lightning were 
The NHL's current Collective Bargaining Agreement created incentive for U.S. college players drafted by professional franchises to join their development systems as soon as possible. The general salary cap immediately emphasized younger and cheaper over old and bloated, causing affiliates in minor leagues like the AHL to reach out to a slew of prospects whose roster spots may have previously gone to journeymen. As 
For the first time in recorded history, the Michigan Wolverines and Notre Dame Fighting Irish are rolling into their upcoming game with 0-2 records. Both teams are riding four game losing streaks, humiliating 30 point home losses, and, with the recent news of Chad Henne's injury, will both likely be trotting out true freshmen quarterbacks. In what should be a throughly sarcastic affair for both teams, Mike Hart has provided a little bit of drama for the otherwise uninteresting "Slump Buster Bowl" (do you like the name? I made it up.)
While the news has already broken that freshman wünderkid Jimmy Clausen will be starting at quarterback for the Irish this weekend against Penn State, it also looks like the depth chart at running back has been retooled, according to 
While it won't be officially announced until this afternoon's press conference, very reliable sources on NDNation have confirmed that this Saturday's tilt at Penn State will be Jimmy Clausen's first career start. This shouldn't come as too much of a shock to anybody who saw the utter futility put forward by Clausen's other two competitors against Georgia Tech, but it should, hopefully, bring some stability to the Irish quarterbacking situation that will be very helpful in helping this team grow up from the pitiful group of ragtag youngsters that took the field against Georgia Tech.
