November 28, 2024 • 59 mins
In this episode of A Notre Dame Freakin' Podcast, hosts Jonathan Spadea, Chase Gund, and Robbie Rhinesmith, with a special appearance by producer Chris Kepner, recap Notre Dame Football’s huge Shamrock Series win over Army at Yankee Stadium. We analyze the standout performances and key moments from this impressive victory.
Next, we dive into the latest 2024 College Football Playoff rankings, discussing what they mean for Notre Dame Football as the postseason nears. We also explore the evolving role of marching band halftime shows in the modern college football experience. Finally, we preview Notre Dame Football’s last regular season game against USC at the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, breaking down key matchups and sharing predictions.
Don’t miss this episode packed with analysis, insights, and everything you love about Notre Dame Football!
#NotreDameFootball #CollegeFootballPlayoff #FightingIrish #NotreDameVsVirginia #CollegeFootball #PlayoffRankings #NotreDameWin #NotreDamePodcast
Produced by Chris Kepner
Want your own podcast? Email chris@kepneragency.com to get started.
Special thanks to Notre Dame WR Jayden Thomas for the intro
Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com
Track: Ready for Funk by 99Instrumentals
https://tunetank.com/track/5284-ready-for-funk/
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/what-tho-the-pods-a-notre-dame-football-podcast--6270931/support.
Next, we dive into the latest 2024 College Football Playoff rankings, discussing what they mean for Notre Dame Football as the postseason nears. We also explore the evolving role of marching band halftime shows in the modern college football experience. Finally, we preview Notre Dame Football’s last regular season game against USC at the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, breaking down key matchups and sharing predictions.
Don’t miss this episode packed with analysis, insights, and everything you love about Notre Dame Football!
#NotreDameFootball #CollegeFootballPlayoff #FightingIrish #NotreDameVsVirginia #CollegeFootball #PlayoffRankings #NotreDameWin #NotreDamePodcast
Produced by Chris Kepner
Want your own podcast? Email chris@kepneragency.com to get started.
Special thanks to Notre Dame WR Jayden Thomas for the intro
Royalty Free Music from Tunetank.com
Track: Ready for Funk by 99Instrumentals
https://tunetank.com/track/5284-ready-for-funk/
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/what-tho-the-pods-a-notre-dame-football-podcast--6270931/support.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm jenn and Thomas and you're watching a Notre Dame
freaking podcast, not name freaking podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
He's got the foundation for a solid season, he just.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Needs to execute.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Let's get into it. I'm angry now.
Speaker 5 (00:17):
Right who is gonna only do it like an American?
Speaker 4 (00:20):
I hate you right now. I cannot wait to for
a NewSpace.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
We're talking about massive white boys.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
This is a Notre Dame freaking podcast.
Speaker 6 (00:33):
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Notre Dame
Freaking Podcast. It is USC week. Happy Turkey Day to
all of those who celebrate. My name is Squid. You
know me a squid. Actually, my name is Jonathan's today,
let's not get caught up there.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
He is Chase Gunn. That is Robbie Ryan Smith. And
there is newman over there. You know him better as
Chris Kavner.
Speaker 6 (00:57):
Thank you all joined and always thrilled the be here fellas.
I'm feeling God, yeah, yeah, really good every week. So
it's USC week. Rankings just came out. I'm coming to
you on Tuesday night. My favorite holiday is coming up.
(01:18):
But I just I want to take a moment, get
in my own field right now and just talk to
the three of you and the four listeners at home.
I'm mom and just impress upon everyone to appreciate the
season that Notre Dame is having right now. I say
that obviously on the heels of Northern Illinois in Week two,
(01:41):
but since that time, Notre Dame has been arguably the
most consistent best team in the nation.
Speaker 5 (01:51):
I don't have the stats in front of me.
Speaker 6 (01:53):
Someone did it on Irish Illustrated today, But since October ten,
Notre Dame is scoring on average forty four point nine
points a game, which is first in the nation.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
We are holding teams to I.
Speaker 6 (02:05):
Want to say, ten and change points per game on defense,
which is first in the nation. And before we get
into the schedule and the opponents and the blah blah
blah bullshit that all the haters and the national media
will tell you out there, this is what good teams do.
They take care of fucking business. They handle their opponents,
(02:27):
whoever's on the schedule. And all last week everyone and
their mother was kind of given rumblings about Army and
even us on here, we're kind of giving rumblings about
Army and showing respect to the troops unearned.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
God bless those guys. They're better men than me, but
unearned on their football team.
Speaker 6 (02:46):
I know Notre d Him has blown out triple option
teams in the past, and I mean this watching the
Navy game where we had ninety three and a half
turnovers go our way. That was one of the most
enjoyable games period I can remember watching, especially against a
triple option team. I was just I continue to be
(03:08):
in awe of Al Golden and that defense. The offense
was just super efficient, with one load exception that we'll
talk about, I'm sure on the goal line, but I
just I have to get props to everyone, like, this
is exactly what we.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
Wanted to happen after NIU.
Speaker 6 (03:27):
If you had scripted a season, it would have been
exactly what we've seen so far to date. You win
each of the games, and you win in dominating fashion
to make that NIU loss an aberration. And I just really,
I just for the past seven weeks or so, it's
just been I can't remember the last time I've had
(03:49):
this much fun watching Notre Dame football. And I know
we've got USC coming up, but I want to appreciate
the moment live in the now.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
Belittle Zen.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
That game was fucking amazing, Chase Robbie, I know you
guys have thoughts, but I want to turn it over
to new in here.
Speaker 6 (04:06):
I know you were at the game. How was it
their Yankee Stadium? How was the experience? What did you see?
What'd you feel? Tell us all about it.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I mean, it was a great atmosphere in the stadium.
I will say that once you got into the stadium.
I don't know what was going on at Yankee Stadium, man,
but the lines to get in were insane. It was
like halfway through the first quarter and there was still
a ton of empty seats. So somebody screwed up somewhere.
(04:35):
And I'll say, if you are ever ever find yourself
going to Yankee Stadium, eat before you go. Please don't
waste time because you'll be in line for half of
the event that you went to if you try to
get concessions there and it's.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Not worth.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Are you saying that the Yankees had another enforced error
in their own stadium and.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
It can't just write off the concessions thing to Notre
Dame because I went to an actually Yankees game a
couple of months ago and it was the same situation.
But the game was awesome. I mean, it was a
really cool atmosphere. Jeremiah Love is a like legit badass
god man. Seven yards a carry man, He's seventh in
the nation.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
He's more.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
That's more than any of the running backs you're hearing
about except Ashton genty right, like Caleb Johnson.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Get he's getting like what on afgan He's getting game
like he's doing it nou.
Speaker 7 (05:33):
And he's jumping over people like just that was that
was so sick.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
That was the moment when I was like, oh shit,
this is this game? Is that's play?
Speaker 4 (05:45):
That was unreal?
Speaker 5 (05:48):
I mean, I don't know, I.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Could go, dude, I'm earmarking Dynasty picts for twenty twenty six,
like I you know, I need him on my dynastic team,
Like I'm already I'm already like scheduling.
Speaker 6 (06:01):
He is a legitimate Heisman candidate going into next season
one of and I don't know who is coming back,
but I can't imagine there are three better running backs
coming back to college football next year. And again, this
is all behind a remade offensive line. He's sharing carries
(06:23):
between two other running backs and a quarterback that runs
the ball. I could go on Chase go to you.
I mean, there's any which way we can go offense defense.
I mean, what was your takeaway from that game?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
My first reaction, which I've kind of come back off of,
is I think we were just sold a bill of
goods that Army was good. But I think to you know,
carry that party or carry the party. I think Notre
Dame is just doing that to themes now, so it's
hard to tell. It's thoroughly unimpress with army. I think
(07:02):
we do a lot of that, like if there's an
intimidation factor or just an out athleticism factor, like if
you're afraid that our running back's going to jump over you,
maybe miss a few more tackles every drive. So I
don't know, like it was just we we left points
on the board or off the board, however however you
want to describe it. There were fewer points that were
(07:24):
actually scored by Notre Dame than should have been scored.
I mean at least two field goals. But really great,
and it's it's refreshrating and new to watch. Us expect
to dominate every week like every I mean the eye test,
we're starting to pass all the advanced metrics. We are
(07:46):
elite elite in and we just we made another team
that was again like pretty highly regarded despite a poor
strength of schedule. We just made them look terrible and
keep doing it every week. So it's fun. Well, and
that's and that's you know, And this is like I
said it weeks ago, I'm done apologizing for Notre Dame schedule.
Speaker 5 (08:08):
I can pick apart.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Give me any team of the goddamn nation, I'll pick
apart their schedule the same way. So to that, to
that point, like just some some sagarin strangth the schedule
rankings just for the playoff teams just to kind of
get you, give you an impression. And this is not so.
This is Indiana is sixty eight, Tulane is eighty five,
(08:29):
Boise State is eighty nine, Notre Dame is sixty five,
Oregon is fifty two, Tennessee is fifty seven, Ohio State
is fifty eight, SMU is fifty nine, Miami is sixty one.
We're right around there, Like there's some outliers in the
in the group, Like USC has actually played a better schedule.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
Right, and we're gonna get a bull with UFC, you know, So.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Like.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
It's it's not as big of a deal, especially when
again after the NIU game, we're number one in scored
per game and number one and points give it up
a game. It's just an indication that we're just we're
taking things out of our control and our disregarding things
out of our control and just doing the best with it.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Again, my.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
I I want to like, I want to get my
first tattoo with the word violence.
Speaker 6 (09:19):
If you didn't see it, Marcus Freeman pregame, does that
stupid Catherine Tapp in interview where it's nothing nonsense, Katherine
asking point blank, uh, you know, what's your message to
the team, and he looks at her, smiles and says violence.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
I mean, how fucking badass is that?
Speaker 6 (09:34):
And it was like prophetic because this team is just
going out there, lay in the wood, burning teams, making them.
I mean, we see each week, you know, the opposing
the opponents are getting peeled off the field, and it
was true, and I just I cannot say enough good
(09:54):
things about Al Golden and that defense.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
We're on our.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
Third string defensive tackle, third string and four string defensive
rush ends. We're down are all American, and yet we
go out and that defense looks as live as any
I've watched in college football, say for maybe the Georgia's
(10:20):
when they're peaking in the few games they peaked, and
maybe Ohio State when they're peaking. But you know, when
I'm watching the defense, you want to see a defensive
line that's taking over. Notre even has that in Spurts.
But they also have what I just can't get enough of.
They have speed on the edge and they make open
field tackles. And it's not just this Army game. It's
(10:41):
been all season. It reminds me of those great Alabama teams.
They always have the corners in the secondary and the
outside linebackers that will just you try and get the
edge outside and boom, either the corner's coming up, the
safety is making the tackle.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
It's just like there's just nothing there. And Bobby, I'm
gonna turn it to you.
Speaker 6 (11:01):
You have been what I will say lightly is the
voice of reason to call me and my optimite town.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Uh So.
Speaker 6 (11:09):
First impressions, Second impressions, thoughts from the Army game.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
I mean, where do you take?
Speaker 3 (11:15):
I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 8 (11:16):
If it's the holiday week, I'm at my brothers in
Saint Louis and DA kindly, so I think he's a loyal,
loyal listener. His house is a little allowed though, So
I'm sitting on the front porch, but honestly squid like
I got I got nothing here. We we look awesome.
And one of the things my brother pointed out when
we were talking about this going in was like, this
(11:37):
is what we've wanted out of Marcus Freeman for three years,
is like continuously improving, not taking anything for granted, not
skipping over games, keeping the team up like we like
he I know he's using YAHAU game, so like maybe
next year we'll have to worry about like, oh shit,
(11:58):
what if we don't lose the NAU game. I was
gonna but like we are just getting better and better
and better our defense. It's got to be the best
unit in in the country, like at this point, like
we are. So it's not just like it's not a
Marcus Freeman talking point of like saying violence, like they
are playing violent like there was there was a point
(12:19):
during that game where I was like, hey, guys, like
calm down, Like it's still a military academy. Let's have
a little bit of respect here. Looks not like, uh,
the nation hates us enough as it is.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Riley Mills, God bless them, General Mills peaking at the
right time, and like I almost wonder if it is
like a directive to the defense, like I will.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
I wonder if Freeman is telling him.
Speaker 6 (12:43):
Look, I don't give a shit about a couple of
hands in the face penalties right there, go out and
fucking destroy because the one hands to the face that
Riley Mills had that what stupid penalty where we had
a million last week, but it was it was just
like the most blatantly obvious face mask and he rips
the dude's helmet off. And then later in the game,
I mean, all the beat was talking about it, but
there's the price, and Daily try to run past him
(13:05):
and he just sticks out of his arm and throws
him to the ground. It was just I mean, Filey
Mills is a man out there amongst boys. And again
we were playing without arguably the better d lineman, Howard
Cross on the sidelines. All credit. I want to say
right now, Donovan Heinich is not a backup. That kid
is just producing. Give me all the finishes. Secondary two
(13:28):
coming up, hitting Aid and Schuler, Leonard Moore with yet another.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Forced bubble strip out there.
Speaker 6 (13:36):
Just I mean, the entire defense is playing well, and
I will calm myself down now and listening to the
few national media that I respect, USC is coming up
will get there. But I yes, I recognize that the
opponents we have played have not been great. However, it
(13:59):
must be said, Army going into last week was the
best scoring defense in the nation and the best rushing
offense in the nation. And it felt, again I swear
to god, I have nothing to prove it. It felt
like Freeman had it directed to the team, We're gonna
fucking out rush them because there, Yeah, Leonard only threw
(14:22):
like what thirteen times total, and and one of those
is trying to set up that field goal. I mean,
it was like he was he was sending a message.
And again I have I have absolutely no proof. I'm
going to have to have.
Speaker 8 (14:35):
A situation where he's like, yeah, we didn't try to
get a first down because we wanted to see what
our kicking him can do. Like what the hell Like,
We're just like we're practicing.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
At that piston piston.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
So den Brock had a press conference to yesterday or
yesterday I believe, and he was asked about the the
stubborn play calling on the first and first and goal
where he tried he said, he readily admitted he's like
I just I wasn't. I was trying to just give
(15:06):
the offensive line what they deserved to to finish off
a drive, and he was he said he was a
medical edge, just stubborn. So I think that that's clear
indication that they just wanted to shove Armies facing the dirt.
And I can't I can't hate on it now. Like
I was very annoyed with that play calling because all
it takes is a tiny little wrinkle and you score there.
(15:29):
But like ultimately, like we ended up shutting Armies offense
down quickly and then scoring the very next drive, so
like kind of kind of no harm, no foul, but like, yeah,
takeaway was a Yes, there was a programmatic effort to
destroy Army and and I think they did.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (15:47):
And Jeremi love like to like Newman to your point,
like the Dynasty situation, Like I've been getting frustrated this
year that he's not getting some short yardage inside the
five just to pad his touchdown stats, and rise Leonard's
getting those carries. It's it's kind of worked itself out
a little bit, but I'm like, no, we got to
get this guy his stats. He is too good to
(16:07):
not put him on a national stage. And I'm like,
I know the NFL scouts are going to see this
and want this, want these schools. We just got to
like he could be our like, he could be our
guy for like next year, and it's awesome to watch him.
I'm gonna I'm already missing post Jerem I love.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Now two quick comments on that and I'll turn it
over to you, Chase. I'm not Jeremy, I love one.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
I don't know if anyone saw this on the Irish
Illustrated message boards.
Speaker 6 (16:37):
Once again, don't go it's successful, it's not even fun.
They were literally all last week everyone's bitching about Michigan
getting recruits in the midst of a goddamn national title run.
Speaker 5 (16:46):
Stay off the message boards.
Speaker 6 (16:47):
However, there was one guy you're here out there brought
up the goal line the when we stubbornly ran into
an eleven man box like four times in a row.
Apparently someone looked at the formation and it is a
complete copy of a prior It's a throwback to the
Notre Dame offense. That we ran one hundred years ago,
the box formation. Sod Brock admitted it. Yeah, they're clearly
(17:10):
trying there. It was a throwback. I mean, Notre Dame
is twining the teams right now like they they muse
that game. So I just wanted to point that out.
I thought I thought it was cool. I will admit
I was fucking nuts in the moment. Robbie, you you
called it out. Just go outside what we did the
second time, Like they literally I've never seen where they
had eleven people in the box crashing down like four
plays in a row, and we had our players Leonard
(17:33):
and Love included diving from the four and just getting stowed.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Does this team ever run jet sweeps?
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Save it man, save that ship for the playoffs. At
this point, I have.
Speaker 8 (17:44):
And our coaches, we have fast receivers, right, I want
to I want to quickly.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
Shout out Jeremiah Love.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Again. Notre name has been blessed with just Jeremiah running backs.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
Theoretics C J Process, Josh Adams estimate these are NFL colari.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
I remember.
Speaker 6 (18:15):
Jeremiah Love his level of Dexter Williams out there too.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
I mean, but I'll still say it Jeremi Love is better.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
I just I have he has got an extra level
of juice and wiggle and athleticism and breakaway speed.
Speaker 6 (18:36):
I still have yet to see him run what looks
like full effort. I mean, even when he's breaking away,
it's like he's jogging. It's like me out there.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
I can only imagine, you know, But I just want
to almost.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Splits.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Listen, I'm not here to brag. I don't.
Speaker 6 (18:58):
It's it's unbecoming. I don't want to do that. However,
I'll give the credit to Jeremiah Love where it's deserved.
You're more a three guy, right, I'm all about the sudden,
short bursts and quished muscles.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
Right.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
So any other takeaway defense offense, I mean, I guess
I will say, got.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
To talk about too so, but Chase take it away,
I will say, and maybe to kind of segue a
some other you know. Looking forward, I'm the Army game
is the last game that I'm willing to put up
with seeing any s Williams on the field for more
(19:41):
than like five carries, because starting starting with the USC
game and moving forward, every game, every game is the
last game that this team is going to play. So
it's full go. It doesn't matter. We're not doing any
sort of load management at this point.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Hm hmm.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Price and love need to get ninety nine percent of
the carries when there's game pressure. But like it does,
it absolutely does not matter, So I will complain.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Touchdown.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
It was the slowest seventy yard ever.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
It was.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
I mean, I was watching an army.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
It was like watching a d tackle in the NFL.
GOO ninety yards on a big boy. Yeah, So the
last time I'll allow for any grace for play calling
and substitutions for for that because I get I mean,
and I can respect it because there is a chance
that we will play five more games. We've played eleven games,
(20:52):
so we might play sixteen games, which is freaking mind blowing.
So I get it. But yeah, like the next so
USC this week, then we could have three weeks off,
so and then it kind of resets the clock and
then and then those games are not played at a
seven decade and it's it's more like nine days. So
(21:13):
I don't thank you for your service in Lis Williams.
You got your monogram this year, but please please, I
don't want to see you again.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
And we've been we've.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Been talking and Robbie, I'll turn it over to you.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
We've been talking.
Speaker 6 (21:24):
I mean, obviously, Jeremiah Love deserves all the credit, but
j Garian Price, for the limited carries he gets, is
running as well as he has as a notre gome back.
He has a burst and a suddenness when he gets
the ball of just hitting the hole that he didn't
at the beginning of the year, and that it's just
different watching him compared to Anias Williams.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
And again I'm with you, Chase, thank you, Andias. I
look forward to your career.
Speaker 6 (21:47):
I look forward to you hitting the weight room and
you know, losing that beer belly like me and getting
you can get into that four to four speed category.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
But again, Japerian Price, man, he's no joke either.
Speaker 6 (21:58):
He would be normally like I feel like he is
the caliber of the Josh Adams back, the you know,
the CGA processes.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
He's got that ability and the breakaway speed in him.
It's just he's got a generational back in front of him.
But I'm with you, I don't I want to see
that that's what you need for elite playoff level caliber,
like you need a one an, A one B and
it's like.
Speaker 8 (22:21):
I don't think I think that's what they came into
the season thinking about price. But I will honestly say,
like in the first few games, I was like, what's
he doing dancing? Like why is he looking to like spin?
Why is he looking like just hit the hole and go, man,
Like we are our offensive line.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Is better than you think, so go.
Speaker 8 (22:42):
And he he got less and less carries, and I
don't know, maybe it was because they were like, hey,
hit the hole and he wasn't, and that woke him
up because he has been hitting the hole and just
glowing the last few weeks.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
So he's what. He woke up at the right time.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
He fumbled in a game and got baster the rest
of the game. I can't remember what game it was,
maybe Louisville or something, and then the he got benched,
and then the very next game he actually started, and
then it was takeoff from there. So yeah, I get it.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
Credits to the offensive line, Robbie, thanks bringing that up.
I ragged on him last week. They took care of business.
That might be the best game they played start to finish.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
They I think they.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Had one or two penalties here and there, but they
absolutely dominated woke up, made holes, did exactly what you
want to do.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
And again, I don't give a shit that it's Army.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
All we heard is all this Army team, their defensive line,
they're three hundred pounds.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
This is a big arm bullshit.
Speaker 6 (23:41):
They took care of business and they they they are
playing well and this is something that.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
I don't think they're the best offensive line in.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
The nation, but to even be at that level speaks
absolute volumes to Joe Rudolph.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
Again, it needs to be said.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
We are down. And this needs to be said because
there are other teams out there Kaugh Coff, Ohio State,
Cough Cough and State that.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
Are losing, have lost starting tackles and are going to
use that bitching and whining as excuses. We are down
our starting tackle, our starting center, we lost our starting
guard for at least half the freaking season. And this line,
I mean, we have our starting left tackle is a
(24:31):
true freaking freshman. He's six to four, he should be
a guard, and he's out there and he's competing and
this we're averaging like.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
Two hundred and fifty yards rushing a game. It's insane.
Speaker 6 (24:42):
I just I cannot I mean everyone listening here remembers
the joke code the Jack Cone offense season. What was
it twenty whatever, when the offense just shut down because
the offensive line could not block anything, and that was
a real possibility heading into the season. And really, this
(25:03):
is the offensive line. It's like, at no point has
the offensive line line been anything but at worst mediocre,
maybe once or twice, or frustrating once or twice, but
like it's just I'm just absolutely amazed at the ability
and the consistency of the offensive line. Now they're going
(25:23):
to start getting tested there, we start looking ahead that
this is going to become a turning point. However, we've
got the Texas A and M data point. They showed
up game one, one of the better games they played.
We'll get there. I do want to touch on the
special teams. We didn't get to see my boy Jimmy.
(25:45):
I'm sure I'm sure he would have booted at least
sixty to seventy yard punts all game long. The kicking
game is a conundrum, though, I do want to say, obviously,
Mitch Jeeter come off an injury, he missed the forty
eight yarder that was never had a chance. Doesn't help
(26:05):
him fucking sell then after gets a false start and
moves it back for forty three.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
But I don't even think it would have been good
for forty three.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
But the second one that got blocked was not on Jeter,
if any I went back and rewatched that whoever was
the guard and the center, the snapper, literally the dude
just there are two dudes that just jumped right over
like literally just jumped right over them and like right
up the gut blocking.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
So that was not on Jeter. That's on blocking. They
need to figure that out. I don't know what they
were doing. They weren't actually playing football in the moment.
They didn't even make an effort to block. They did
this dumb move that they taught me in Greade school
to like when you're blocking on kicks, where you just
like literally just like lean over and put your head
in the ass of the guy next to you.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
It's dumbest.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
Shit didn't work, obviously, and they got to get that
shit figured out. But look, when you're winning by forty
four point nine points on average per teams, who cares
about your field goals could come back upon us?
Speaker 5 (27:01):
Uh, playoff rankings just came out. I'm at a fucking loss.
Speaker 6 (27:10):
I I mean, I I just don't understand. I mean, look,
I I stop watching What's notre names at five? They
clearly deserve that Penn State continues to be ahead of
them when they eke out wins.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
I watched them again. I watched that Minnesota team. God
love them. That Brosner quarterback. I feel for you guy.
You're a good I'm sure you're You're a good human,
but just a terrible fucking quarterback. And once again Penn
State gets credit for not doing shit. I don't know
why they keep getting credited, Like what the fucking what
(27:49):
do you guys see?
Speaker 5 (27:50):
Like what so?
Speaker 6 (27:53):
Because I'm at a fucking loss as to how those
games and stated.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Just if you're playing at home, just to keep up
the first what the first four seeds stayed the same.
So it's Oregon, then Ohio State, then Texas, then Penn
State and then but Notre Dame is number five, the
five ranked team. But I think that put us at
the seventh seed if I'm doing if I'm doing this correctly,
(28:19):
and it puts Penn State as the sixth seed. We've
all talked about how that that six verse seven is
the difference between playing the SEC champion and the ACC champion,
which I think is a pretty big gap. I don't
know who knows. SEC kind of sucks right now because
they can't they can't, they can't win anything. So but
I haven't seen the commentary from the committee, because you
(28:42):
usually they do kind of like a little fluff piece
after they send the rankings out on ESPN and explain
their choices or whatever. But I would be interested to hear, like,
are they how close are they considering the gap between
Penn State and Notre Dame. I think it's all being
tied up so that if Notre Dame wins relatively convincingly,
(29:03):
let's just say we barely cover the spread as seven
right now. If we win by seven in regulation, I
think that does enough to carry us over and say
because it's just a common opponent, it's the same location,
blah blah blah. I'll we'll get to our predictions later.
I think we're I think we're gonna look good when
(29:25):
we play, so I'm not too worked up about the
rankings yet. Yes, I do believe that Penn State is
not very good, and I don't think they're as good
as Notre Dame. Obviously biased, but all the metrics say
the same thing. So I'm just gonna wait one more week.
Speaker 8 (29:44):
Robbie, there's what do you see that there's still some
there's still some chaos left.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
And I mean I've like I've been the pessimist about.
Speaker 8 (29:54):
Notre Dame and like thinking the playoff committee is looking
for a reason to reward conferences and champions the whole.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
I think, I think I do think at least with
the big ten in the SEC, I do think there's
reference there.
Speaker 8 (30:08):
But but I think that like we were, we're lucky
enough to hold our faith in.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Our own hands.
Speaker 8 (30:13):
Like I've seen some things about like strength of schedule,
like looking at like comparing like oh Notre Dame's loss
to I use loss and like but like take Ohio
State out of I use schedule, what's their strength of schedule?
Take It's all about explaining away other teams losses versus ours,
like oh Notre Dame lost an IU Alabama, look at
(30:36):
how how look at how good the teams they are,
but they lost three of them?
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Like right, you don't get to claim strength of schedule
as an asset when you're schedule is boltered by team
you like you know, like when you lost three teams
that are good, that doesn't you know, you shouldn't be
able to say, oh, look at our strength and schedule.
Speaker 8 (30:53):
You lost to them, Like yeah, I mean, I I
agree with Chase, like our c it like, I don't
think our season comes.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Down to it. We have to win next week, yeah,
to be in to be in the playoff.
Speaker 8 (31:06):
Yeah, I think are our seating destiny is in our
own hands. If we boat race, USC will jump Penn State.
I think there's a couple rankings lower down, like in
the fifteen to twenty range, where like losses seem to matter,
wins against common opponents seem to matter a little bit more.
I still think there's a little bit of chaos, and
(31:28):
it's nice to not have to like view it that
Clemson South Carolina look at those rankings, look at Clemson
South Carolina's rankings. That game just took on a huge
level of importance for the ACC and for SEC. For
the SEC, like, if if Clemson wins, like which they
might not, like that's a very evenly matched game, like,
(31:49):
it's going to cause all kinds of rankings chaos. I
know it doesn't affect either conference championship. But Jesus, like,
if if Clemson beats South Carolina, SMU beat sm beat
Miami in the conference championship, does that make a the
ACC a three team like a three team conference?
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Does Clemson sneak in somewhere?
Speaker 8 (32:10):
Like there's there, I gotta say, Like I came into
the season like thinking the playoffs was like, all right,
it's a little gimmicky.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
It's like they're they're trying to rule in conferences. This
is awesome.
Speaker 8 (32:21):
I have never been this interesting this late this season
for games that I would not care less about if
it didn't have implications for Notre Dame, and now like,
I'm loving this.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
I tried to I tried to listen to a national
podcast competitor of ours, of course, so I will name them,
but listening to it is just mind blowing. Like the
Big Twelve, the permutations went in the Big Twelve alone
are like there's like twenty different options. So there's just
like there's forty games that are relevant this weekend, which
(32:55):
is just amazing. Yeah, it's it's insane.
Speaker 8 (33:01):
Can you imagine being like a student, like your finals
are going to be wrapping up and you're more worried
about like should I stay for a couple of days?
Like yeah, Like there's so much logistics that goes into it,
like like does the band go to go to the
game or not?
Speaker 4 (33:15):
Good?
Speaker 2 (33:16):
I don't speaking, it's crazy before we get on to USC.
Speaker 6 (33:21):
I think there's an elephant in the room here. And look,
I just wanted to be known Chase Robbie myself surt
of pride cannot be greater for Notre Dame's band and
the wonderful people that are part of the Marching Band
and the Marching Band and culture.
Speaker 5 (33:39):
New Man.
Speaker 6 (33:40):
I'm kind of scared to turn it over to you though,
I feel like you share a different opinion here, and
I just got to hear what the hell your problem
is with the Marching Band.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Well, when you asked me to come on and talk
about the bar two bat, I wasn't expecting to be
an ambush, but yeah, I mean a disclaimer at first, right,
because I do you know, I think the march event
is great, like.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Overall, do you.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Just sounds like a ship sandwich coming.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Up that way?
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Way positive good with all due respect, followed by the
most disrespectful comments.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
The concert under the Dome is amazing. The tour through
campus is amazing. Every single thing they do during the
game is amazing. Like, nothing gets any more hype than
the marching.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Band during the game.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
But what are we doing with these halftime shows?
Speaker 5 (34:40):
So I wasn't there.
Speaker 6 (34:42):
If you don't see this on TV when you were
there at the halftime, what I.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Mean, yeah, granted, like I don't see a lot of
halftime shows anymore because I don't like make the effort
to get and we see dot Com or Peacock or
whoever they're showing them.
Speaker 6 (34:56):
We're all loves. I mean, we watched I remember, you know,
you know, we were all student. If we're all in
the stadium, we won't watch. I remember going nuts, you
know when they would do you don't bring out the
fire hydrants and they would do like rockets and ship you.
Speaker 5 (35:07):
Know the market.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
But I didn't do that.
Speaker 8 (35:09):
I have no idea what they did at this because
I have something from the Uba game a couple of weeks.
Speaker 5 (35:15):
You know, when it comes to colts, the greatest cults
out there are the marching band. People on campus.
Speaker 6 (35:20):
They're all sweet, little little in culture but new and
what I mean.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Do you guys remember that office scene where and he's
trying to tell Dwight, like, every song is better as
an a cappella song, What song is better as a
marching band song?
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Can you name one? I mean, it's better, but not much.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
I'm gonna be honest with Johnson Blanks.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Okay, So here's the typical halftime marching banto experience.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
The band starts playing.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
Usually they start with the verse and you're kind of like,
all right, maybe I understand, maybe I get it.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
I'm not sure exactly what this is.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Sometimes it's kind of hard to hear them, especially if
you're on the wrong side of the stadium and all
the horns are facing the other side. Finally it gets
to the chorus and you're like, oh, yeah, it's uh it's.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
Shot through the Heart.
Speaker 7 (36:19):
Yeah, and it's like, cool, man, good job. You guys
played the melody for Shot through the Heart on their
freaking usophones and like, I don't get it, man, And
not to mention.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
God forbid they ever play a chapel run Seriously, you.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Want to hip half time show?
Speaker 3 (36:40):
Definitely, Srina car you know, I was trying to find
a game.
Speaker 8 (36:47):
Like three members of the band Chicago came out to play.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
With They've been using Chicago for forty years.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
That's not that I was actually going to suggest as
a way to make this better, like have a stage
and an actual performer, like a singer with.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
The band accompanying them, Like you know.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
It's just I mean, they've got some regulars journeys.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
That's a little bigger in the Chicago though. I was
in the I was in the concession line and saw
it on the TV of the Chicago was there. I
was like, oh shit, I gotta get back to my seats.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
This is everybody from Earth, Wind and Fire still, I mean,
not to.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Dave Stadium or you know, wherever they happen to be, Like,
it's usually a pretty big draw.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
I would think they'd be able to book someone, you know, but.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
I mean, we're no Florida International University.
Speaker 5 (37:40):
True, it's playing it.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
Another way to make it better would be to just
have the drum line do some cool stuff like that.
We get there's at least seven alumni. I know. It
would show up on Kansas for a game. I love
that said to take a bathroom break turn.
Speaker 8 (37:59):
Don't we have to keep shutting on the band?
Speaker 2 (38:04):
We have a Taylor Swift connection.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
I mean, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, we do, but we
have to also talk about the synchronized walking, right, the
marching of the marching band, like the different formations that
they do, because it's like and I know a ton
of time goes into this, right, there's marching Band's actually
a really big thing in my town. They have a
(38:28):
competition the same weekend as my daughter's birthday every year.
It's hosted by the high school, like across the street,
and like bands come from all over the state. We
hear the marching band practicing like all hours, like till
nine o'clock at night, five days a week.
Speaker 5 (38:44):
Sometimes his fist.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
I actually don't mind that.
Speaker 9 (38:51):
That's not that doesn't bother me that much, of course, but.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
Sized walking.
Speaker 8 (39:01):
Yeah, like hearing that Kende was still the band director,
Like I had a lot of nostalgia last last week.
Speaker 5 (39:10):
Kind of underwhelming. Seems like a nice guy, but.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
You mean you also have to think that, like stadiums
are not you know, unidirectional views.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Right, it's a three it's a three sixty's that's English.
I'm the directional if you want the big word. I
literally was like, oh crap.
Speaker 8 (39:30):
Like my my my seven year old son, he's not
really going to be interested in the band.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Unless they're playing towards him.
Speaker 8 (39:36):
So let's try to find a ticket on that side
of the stadium.
Speaker 9 (39:40):
So no joke like shot through the Heart comes on.
And this is what we get.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
I know, it's just a still and if you're if
you're listening, you got to mark the time step and
go over to YouTube and check.
Speaker 5 (39:55):
Out the picture just describing what we're seeing. There's a
heart with an.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
Arrow, sure heart right right.
Speaker 8 (40:03):
It looks like it looks like the heart your head.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
It looks like a.
Speaker 5 (40:05):
Heart towards the wall with a hole in it.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
The arrow was shot like that. That thing on the
right is the bow, and the arrow started back.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
Here and it went through the heart.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
Dead and it was just like I was like I
was dying, laughing like like.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
I don't know what, Like what's the problem? Fine by me, guys,
Fine by me.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
Well, from our side of the stadium, it looks like
somebody went out and forgot their back door cover.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
If I'm being.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Honest with you, it's an army tank. Guys.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
This is a.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
Man.
Speaker 9 (40:42):
It's like, I just don't understand why, like you go
through all this trouble.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
It's like cool, I don't know, like, what are we like? Yay,
we made a heart and an arrow going through it?
Speaker 1 (40:53):
I don't know, guys, like I think I think we
got to dial it back a little bit here, So
I mean, I.
Speaker 5 (41:01):
Guess, like, what do you want to see from bands
at the half time? Were you going to get rid?
Speaker 1 (41:06):
No, I'm not saying getting rid of the bands all together,
because I love everything they do except that.
Speaker 5 (41:15):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
I don't know there. I think the.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Halftime show needs to be uh, you know, either jettison
completely or reimagined to include some sort of a like
an additional act like a singer or a rapper, and
have the band be more of an accompaniment to that,
because I don't know.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
For me, guys, it does it doesn't carry it. It's
just it's kind of embarrassing.
Speaker 5 (41:39):
Sorry, we here at the Notary and Freaking Podcast love
all bands. And you have complaints, please email them to Newman.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
Put them in the comments, subscribe.
Speaker 5 (41:53):
All right, we're coming up on time here.
Speaker 4 (41:55):
We have to talk.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
You see.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Notre Dame now. Last I checked seven and a half
point favorite on DraftKings. I think I saw over under.
Don't quote me on at fifty one fifty two. Some
are in that range. And I have heard all season
from the greats, and I have nothing but respect for
Tim Omalley, the Irish Illustrated Tim Priesterer, the podcast guys.
Speaker 5 (42:20):
They've been warning us everyone.
Speaker 6 (42:22):
That knows knows Notre Name, for whatever reason, does not
play well out in USC.
Speaker 5 (42:28):
Good teams have struggled out there.
Speaker 6 (42:32):
National writers I respect have brought up to the fact that, look,
this is a the first true road game Notre Dame
has played in a while, I want to say, since Louisville,
and the first real passing attack the Notre Dame has
played in a while. All that said, like, I'm fucking
insulted this. I don't like, are we watching the same
(42:53):
fucking team here? Like, yeah, USC has got athletes, they
always have athletes, maybe they're defenses slightly. And they just
put up nineteen total points on a dog shit U
c l a uh. They put up twenty eight total
on Nebraska. You're fucking telling me I need to be
worried about a team that put up twenty eight on
(43:13):
fucking Nebraska.
Speaker 5 (43:15):
And yes, I get it Notre Dame. You know, schedule
blah blah blah, But like I just I just don't.
Speaker 6 (43:23):
I don't understand, like the and look, I will I
will come back here, I will here be here to
eat proh.
Speaker 5 (43:32):
This this is I will say this.
Speaker 6 (43:34):
This would be the most Notre Dame possible game to
like lose at USC. It's like the the fucking stockbrokers,
the maximum pain. This would be the maximum pain loss
Notre Dame. This is just like we started getting the
national hype after beating A and M and then shit
our bed against NIU.
Speaker 4 (43:55):
So I see it.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
However, you will see a six and fucking five. Okay,
they had to change quarterbacks. Lincoln Riley is a offensive coach.
I guess the staff. I've heard rumblings of the staff
breaking apart all season long, and somehow I'm supposed to
be afraid of USC.
Speaker 6 (44:15):
Yeah, they can score points, but like, I don't see
them scoring more than seventeen, maybe twenty one, maybe twenty four.
Speaker 5 (44:24):
I just I don't.
Speaker 4 (44:26):
I I just don't see it.
Speaker 5 (44:28):
Get We'll get into the spreads, but USC, so you
know they're averaging.
Speaker 6 (44:32):
I want to say twenty nine points of offense giving
up on average, I want to say twenty one.
Speaker 5 (44:39):
The advanced metrics loves them.
Speaker 6 (44:41):
F Plus has them as the number twenty one team
in the nation with the number eighteen ranked offense, number
thirty two ranked defense for reference, never name is thirteen offense,
three defense. So I mean, on the opponent, they've got
a that They've got a running back that's a thousand
(45:02):
yard running back. They've got receivers that will be clearly
the best receivers Notre Dames faced since Louisville. Louisville's receivers
were no joke, and they got there as they made
some freaking plays.
Speaker 5 (45:14):
USC has those type of athletes, but.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
Man, USC light like you're not as good as compared.
Speaker 6 (45:24):
To USC teams in the past. I just I just
don't see it. Their quarterbacks. He's mobile, dual threat type,
I guess, but I don't know. I just am I'm
hitting it where I'm going. But in Al Golden I
trust and I just trust that fucking defense. And this
(45:45):
was again the guys. I look Tom Fernelli, the cover
three guys. Tom Fernelli knows the ship. I respect those guys.
Tom Fernelli's point on this game. It is the first
real passing attack Notre Dames faced in two months. And
I get that I just have more faith in our
secondary NOL Golden than I think the national media for
a team that like for someone that hasn't watched more
(46:07):
name in general, but on the opponent themselves USC did
you Chase Robbie, do you have any thoughts about the
team or about the face.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
I think they're I think they're pretty good. I think
they've they've probably got a loss or to more than
they should have. They're talented, they're not They're not an
ultra talented. They don't have a Alan Ross Saint Brown.
They don't have a Robert Woods or a Marquise Lee
or anything like. They don't have their They have Jeremi
(46:40):
Branch and a couple other guys were good offensively. Their
defense is not great. It's a Lincoln Riley team. So
the defense has just never been the emphasis and the
advanced metrics support that. So the thing and I'm flipping
it back, so you know, I admittedly always get a
(47:02):
little bit worried because this is a big game. It's
Notre Dame, and yeah, traditional Notre Dame. Could you know,
like going into SEC, could you could perceive that as
like a questionable game, a questionable outcome like the Timautmalleys
of the world are worried about because they've seen it
ten times over. But like this team, do you think
(47:26):
that they're gonna play bad. I don't think they're gonna
play bad. I just there's nothing that in the case
that they're gonna play poorly. This they have two they
have two coordinators that really know how to play to
the team, to play to the opponent, and to get
our players playing really well. So like I'm not That's
why I'm not super worried. And then one thing that
(47:49):
I'll the one thing I'll say kind of about the
matchup in general, I love this matchup for Notre Dame
for testing its way into the college football playoff because
the whole it's it's great. It's it's good, good on
good on offense their offense versus our defense, and then
(48:12):
who knows, Like I don't know, is it good on great?
I don't know, Like it's a test to see like
maybe Notre Dame can really push it offensively against the
team that is not really all that great. I don't
think that. I think that SE won't be able to
keep up because I think our defense is going to
be able to keep them keep the their offense in
(48:33):
check enough for our offense to outpace theirs. I love
that matchup. I think it says a lot because again,
USC's offense is quasi elite, which is great practice because
we haven't played a great offense in a little while.
Speaker 5 (48:48):
So again, love the matchup. Robbie thoughts on USC.
Speaker 3 (48:53):
Same, like, I don't know where I read that, like.
Speaker 8 (48:59):
To trace point about strength on strength, like they've got
a good, talented running back, but the times that he's
been good, they haven't won. And like, I think our
strength is our secondary so we can match up with
their receivers. I'm really looking forward to it. I think
our secondary is elite. The things that like kind of
(49:19):
in the back of my head, just as a Notre
Dame fan, as like, uh, you know, a pessimist about
like your team doing well kind of thing, is one
like we we've been talking a lot, we're getting ahead
of ourselves. My The thing that's like keeping me in
check there though, is that that the team does not
seem like that. Marcus Freeman does not seem like that
(49:40):
they're not taking this for granted. They know what they
have to do, so that's tempering a little bit of
pessimism there the whole Uh, you know, we don't play
well when we go out there no matter what. But
like I haven't really looked at it, but like I
can't remember a time where we had a team that
was this good that went to a USC team that
(50:00):
was not performing this well, like maybe twenty twelve, but
our offense wasn't that great then a great point like
crazy and we won, like.
Speaker 5 (50:08):
Yeah, great, great point. I want to hammer that I
haven't gone back over.
Speaker 2 (50:14):
The thirty years like the O'Malley's and the priests, but
like just in our recent memory, this iteration of Notre Dame,
the Brian Kelly era, the fourteen playoff era, Notre Dame
has had consistently good to great defenses, but we've never
had an offense that was putting up points like this,
even even.
Speaker 6 (50:32):
Last year with whatever that was just and like what
we have not had the My point being, we have
not had the offense that runs the ball like this,
that is threatening teams the way they are with that
defense as well. So yes, anything can happen Notre Dame again.
(50:57):
I said it that I will hold true to it.
Speaker 5 (51:00):
Freeman.
Speaker 2 (51:01):
I will never fully trust you again until we get
a Natty or I see a couple of years.
Speaker 6 (51:05):
So yes, that is in the back end of my
back of my mind after NIU. But I'm as confident
as I can be as a Notre Dame fan and like,
look if like, if you want it, like as an
noting fan, like and then I see this all the
fucking messone boards, like if you want to power and
be afraid, so be it. That's your own fucking prerogative.
This team has been dominating. This team knows that this
(51:29):
game is important.
Speaker 2 (51:30):
And Marcus Freeman, I I have said his best attribute
as a coach is getting his team up for the
big games.
Speaker 5 (51:39):
This is a big game, Chase Jathan Allen, and this
is a playoff game.
Speaker 6 (51:43):
This could be the difference between playing a shitty Miami
or SMU team or playing a Texas in an Oregon
game in the playoffs. Notre Name knows that, Marcus Freeman
knows that like they this I have, They're very mature.
They will be ready two play. I do have confidence
in that. I expect it's not going to be like Army.
(52:07):
You know, there is going to be some back and forth.
We'll probably see some some stagnation with the offense. However,
I still don't think we have seen anywhere close to
the best this offense can be and coming Like even
watching that Army game, it's.
Speaker 2 (52:20):
Still felt like a BB plus performance, Like and that's
when the running backs going fuck wild. It just it
feels like there is another level yet to be reached
by the offense here that I don't know if yes,
it's the ceiling, but I just don't know if like
the national media and even the notreme fan base is
(52:41):
giving the credit that that's a possibility for this.
Speaker 8 (52:45):
I think that that's the third thing is that like
USC like still has some enthusiasm just about being Notre
Dame personally in the Ni nil era teams like USC,
I'm like, oh, end of the season, they don't have
anything to play for, they're going to hang it up.
But like if they do, what if they stack the box?
Do we have the passing offense to deal with that?
(53:05):
You know, that's a little bit worrisome or James, Yeah, so,
you know, I mean that's one of the worries that
I have is that, like they do have the talent
and if they decide they want to play, and they
decide they want to make a statement like that's a
little bit worrisome.
Speaker 4 (53:20):
So I feel you.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
But like the flip side of that coin, what if
Notre Dame just does what they've been doing for the
past ten weeks and comes out and opens up.
Speaker 6 (53:29):
It's fourteen to seven twenty one? Yeah, what the fuck
do they have to play for? I was more worried
if they.
Speaker 2 (53:37):
Had lost to UCLA because then they will be playing
in this game for a bowl game.
Speaker 5 (53:43):
But now it's like they both games locked up for them.
Speaker 2 (53:46):
They there's nothing they can do in this game to
help the team in any meaningful way. The only thing
that can like literally, like for these players, this team
of merks, the only thing they don't you get hurt,
Like that's I mean, if you're looking to play in
the NFL this game against Notre Dame, I don't give
(54:07):
a ship who you are, even if you grew up
hating Notre Dame, like it don't mean shit to you,
Like it really doesn't. Like, yeah, maybe you want to
beat them, and this is the third team of transfers.
This is the downside to it.
Speaker 4 (54:18):
So like, look, I.
Speaker 2 (54:22):
I know, I know we're going I know we're going
into Compton, right, So what's the best way to play
is with violence. So I think I think I think
they're I think the key to the game is to
apply that principle and smack them really hard for a
couple of for a couple of quarters, they'll fall hard.
(54:43):
Like there's if we're up twenty one seven, there's there's
not much, you know, not much of this going on,
so there's not much fight left and that that Trudan
horse her ship. Don't kind of worry about a fucking
home crowd out there. I mean, if they got a
thousand people come to the game, who knows. Notre Dame
should show up and show out out there. And honestly,
(55:04):
at the end of the day, Notre Dame has the
best coordinators on the field yep, by.
Speaker 5 (55:11):
Far in this game. And I think that this will be.
Speaker 2 (55:16):
Little foreshadowing here Notre Dame's biggest attribute going into the playoffs.
They have got the best I would argue, one of
the best coaching tandems with the head coach of any
team in the playoffs right now, anyone in the top fifteen.
I have nothing but confidence in al Golden Yes, our
(55:39):
secondary is going to get tested more than they have
since Louisville. But I have seen nothing to date that
has gett that has faltered my faith in the secondary.
And Leonard Moore and Christian Gray, Christian Gray, by the way,
at some phenomenal open field tackles.
Speaker 3 (55:58):
Give those flowers against army. This is.
Speaker 6 (56:03):
That hits and likes to hit. Uh this is a
secondary that goes for the strip that I just I
just have confidence. Maybe there's an adjustment first quarter playing
playing against the speed in that offense, but I just
think no one, I don't care who you are, USC included,
is gonna want to play against Notre Dame for four quarters.
(56:25):
The way they're hitting, the way they are attacking, the
way they are just punishing teams.
Speaker 2 (56:32):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (56:32):
So, with that, any other comments before we get to
score predictions, I'll go first. You made a good point,
and the spread makes more sense to me when you
consider that USC probably should have won one or two
more games that they lost in just the dumbest fucking fashion.
Speaker 2 (56:54):
So it can as opposed to a six and five team,
if you look at him like an eight and three team,
maybe the seventh seven that makes a lot more sense.
Speaker 6 (57:02):
Even still, I'm salted. I again, I just don't I look,
it can happen. I don't want to. I don't want
to count my chicks before they hatch.
Speaker 2 (57:13):
However, I could just as easily see, just as easily
as noting, could lose this game.
Speaker 6 (57:18):
I could see this being a fucking blowout. I could
see another forty nine point game or something. I will
settle on because I don't think we're kicking any field
goals in this game. Maybe maybe we're kicking one or
two and and we miss them. But I'm saying forty
two to seventeen, and that's being generous to USC. I
(57:40):
could see it being close ish at half, and then
we just fucking lay it on the second. All right,
take it away? Who wants? Who wants next?
Speaker 2 (57:48):
Mean?
Speaker 4 (57:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (57:49):
Mine? Mine is very similar to yours. Thirty eight seventeen.
Speaker 8 (57:52):
I really wanted to not get a field goal in
that score, but thirty eight to seventeen feels like it's same,
same kind of situation, a little bit close in the
first half. We're all gonna be tearing her hair out,
and which is already bad for me.
Speaker 3 (58:06):
But uh, I think we'll pull away.
Speaker 2 (58:10):
I think thirty eight it's gonna say thirty eight twenty,
so we're all kind of right there.
Speaker 3 (58:15):
I think that's bad game.
Speaker 2 (58:17):
Well, so I think there's two ways to arrive around
that same place as It's just it could be a
big time beat down and then a couple of scores
at the end, uh for s C. But I I
can the way that I think the game will play
is that we'll we'll stay like ten points ahead for
(58:39):
a significant period of the game. So there's quasi game
pressure with that, and then just a pull away at
the very end and a Mitch Jeter field goal somewhere
in there. But I'm just I'm just I'm preaching that. Yeah,
I'm just putting that into the universe just to hope
that happens.
Speaker 4 (58:58):
Right on.
Speaker 5 (58:59):
He's changed, that's Robbie.
Speaker 2 (59:01):
I'm squid fuck USC, trash fucking program ACC. You're still
trash everyone out there. I hope you have a glorious
and beautiful happy Thanksgiving.
Speaker 6 (59:11):
Please watch Plans, Trains and Automobiles, the best movie out there,
for your Thanksgiving holiday break. Until next time, God bless,
good luck, godspeed, and.
Speaker 4 (59:19):
Go Irish, Go Irish. This is a notre name freaking podcast.
I'm jenn and Thomas and you're watching a Notre Dame
freaking podcast, not name freaking podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
He's got the foundation for a solid season, he just.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
Needs to execute.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Let's get into it. I'm angry now.
Speaker 5 (00:17):
Right who is gonna only do it like an American?
Speaker 4 (00:20):
I hate you right now. I cannot wait to for
a NewSpace.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
We're talking about massive white boys.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
This is a Notre Dame freaking podcast.
Speaker 6 (00:33):
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Notre Dame
Freaking Podcast. It is USC week. Happy Turkey Day to
all of those who celebrate. My name is Squid. You
know me a squid. Actually, my name is Jonathan's today,
let's not get caught up there.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
He is Chase Gunn. That is Robbie Ryan Smith. And
there is newman over there. You know him better as
Chris Kavner.
Speaker 6 (00:57):
Thank you all joined and always thrilled the be here fellas.
I'm feeling God, yeah, yeah, really good every week. So
it's USC week. Rankings just came out. I'm coming to
you on Tuesday night. My favorite holiday is coming up.
(01:18):
But I just I want to take a moment, get
in my own field right now and just talk to
the three of you and the four listeners at home.
I'm mom and just impress upon everyone to appreciate the
season that Notre Dame is having right now. I say
that obviously on the heels of Northern Illinois in Week two,
(01:41):
but since that time, Notre Dame has been arguably the
most consistent best team in the nation.
Speaker 5 (01:51):
I don't have the stats in front of me.
Speaker 6 (01:53):
Someone did it on Irish Illustrated today, But since October ten,
Notre Dame is scoring on average forty four point nine
points a game, which is first in the nation.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
We are holding teams to I.
Speaker 6 (02:05):
Want to say, ten and change points per game on defense,
which is first in the nation. And before we get
into the schedule and the opponents and the blah blah
blah bullshit that all the haters and the national media
will tell you out there, this is what good teams do.
They take care of fucking business. They handle their opponents,
(02:27):
whoever's on the schedule. And all last week everyone and
their mother was kind of given rumblings about Army and
even us on here, we're kind of giving rumblings about
Army and showing respect to the troops unearned.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
God bless those guys. They're better men than me, but
unearned on their football team.
Speaker 6 (02:46):
I know Notre d Him has blown out triple option
teams in the past, and I mean this watching the
Navy game where we had ninety three and a half
turnovers go our way. That was one of the most
enjoyable games period I can remember watching, especially against a
triple option team. I was just I continue to be
(03:08):
in awe of Al Golden and that defense. The offense
was just super efficient, with one load exception that we'll
talk about, I'm sure on the goal line, but I
just I have to get props to everyone, like, this
is exactly what we.
Speaker 5 (03:25):
Wanted to happen after NIU.
Speaker 6 (03:27):
If you had scripted a season, it would have been
exactly what we've seen so far to date. You win
each of the games, and you win in dominating fashion
to make that NIU loss an aberration. And I just really,
I just for the past seven weeks or so, it's
just been I can't remember the last time I've had
(03:49):
this much fun watching Notre Dame football. And I know
we've got USC coming up, but I want to appreciate
the moment live in the now.
Speaker 5 (03:57):
Belittle Zen.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
That game was fucking amazing, Chase Robbie, I know you
guys have thoughts, but I want to turn it over
to new in here.
Speaker 6 (04:06):
I know you were at the game. How was it
their Yankee Stadium? How was the experience? What did you see?
What'd you feel? Tell us all about it.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
I mean, it was a great atmosphere in the stadium.
I will say that once you got into the stadium.
I don't know what was going on at Yankee Stadium, man,
but the lines to get in were insane. It was
like halfway through the first quarter and there was still
a ton of empty seats. So somebody screwed up somewhere.
(04:35):
And I'll say, if you are ever ever find yourself
going to Yankee Stadium, eat before you go. Please don't
waste time because you'll be in line for half of
the event that you went to if you try to
get concessions there and it's.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Not worth.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Are you saying that the Yankees had another enforced error
in their own stadium and.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
It can't just write off the concessions thing to Notre
Dame because I went to an actually Yankees game a
couple of months ago and it was the same situation.
But the game was awesome. I mean, it was a
really cool atmosphere. Jeremiah Love is a like legit badass
god man. Seven yards a carry man, He's seventh in
the nation.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
He's more.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
That's more than any of the running backs you're hearing
about except Ashton genty right, like Caleb Johnson.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
Get he's getting like what on afgan He's getting game
like he's doing it nou.
Speaker 7 (05:33):
And he's jumping over people like just that was that
was so sick.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
That was the moment when I was like, oh shit,
this is this game? Is that's play?
Speaker 4 (05:45):
That was unreal?
Speaker 5 (05:48):
I mean, I don't know, I.
Speaker 1 (05:51):
Could go, dude, I'm earmarking Dynasty picts for twenty twenty six,
like I you know, I need him on my dynastic team,
Like I'm already I'm already like scheduling.
Speaker 6 (06:01):
He is a legitimate Heisman candidate going into next season
one of and I don't know who is coming back,
but I can't imagine there are three better running backs
coming back to college football next year. And again, this
is all behind a remade offensive line. He's sharing carries
(06:23):
between two other running backs and a quarterback that runs
the ball. I could go on Chase go to you.
I mean, there's any which way we can go offense defense.
I mean, what was your takeaway from that game?
Speaker 2 (06:38):
My first reaction, which I've kind of come back off of,
is I think we were just sold a bill of
goods that Army was good. But I think to you know,
carry that party or carry the party. I think Notre
Dame is just doing that to themes now, so it's
hard to tell. It's thoroughly unimpress with army. I think
(07:02):
we do a lot of that, like if there's an
intimidation factor or just an out athleticism factor, like if
you're afraid that our running back's going to jump over you,
maybe miss a few more tackles every drive. So I
don't know, like it was just we we left points
on the board or off the board, however however you
want to describe it. There were fewer points that were
(07:24):
actually scored by Notre Dame than should have been scored.
I mean at least two field goals. But really great,
and it's it's refreshrating and new to watch. Us expect
to dominate every week like every I mean the eye test,
we're starting to pass all the advanced metrics. We are
(07:46):
elite elite in and we just we made another team
that was again like pretty highly regarded despite a poor
strength of schedule. We just made them look terrible and
keep doing it every week. So it's fun. Well, and
that's and that's you know, And this is like I
said it weeks ago, I'm done apologizing for Notre Dame schedule.
Speaker 5 (08:08):
I can pick apart.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Give me any team of the goddamn nation, I'll pick
apart their schedule the same way. So to that, to
that point, like just some some sagarin strangth the schedule
rankings just for the playoff teams just to kind of
get you, give you an impression. And this is not so.
This is Indiana is sixty eight, Tulane is eighty five,
(08:29):
Boise State is eighty nine, Notre Dame is sixty five,
Oregon is fifty two, Tennessee is fifty seven, Ohio State
is fifty eight, SMU is fifty nine, Miami is sixty one.
We're right around there, Like there's some outliers in the
in the group, Like USC has actually played a better schedule.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
Right, and we're gonna get a bull with UFC, you know, So.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Like.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
It's it's not as big of a deal, especially when
again after the NIU game, we're number one in scored
per game and number one and points give it up
a game. It's just an indication that we're just we're
taking things out of our control and our disregarding things
out of our control and just doing the best with it.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Again, my.
Speaker 5 (09:14):
I I want to like, I want to get my
first tattoo with the word violence.
Speaker 6 (09:19):
If you didn't see it, Marcus Freeman pregame, does that
stupid Catherine Tapp in interview where it's nothing nonsense, Katherine
asking point blank, uh, you know, what's your message to
the team, and he looks at her, smiles and says violence.
Speaker 5 (09:32):
I mean, how fucking badass is that?
Speaker 6 (09:34):
And it was like prophetic because this team is just
going out there, lay in the wood, burning teams, making them.
I mean, we see each week, you know, the opposing
the opponents are getting peeled off the field, and it
was true, and I just I cannot say enough good
(09:54):
things about Al Golden and that defense.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
We're on our.
Speaker 6 (10:00):
Third string defensive tackle, third string and four string defensive
rush ends. We're down are all American, and yet we
go out and that defense looks as live as any
I've watched in college football, say for maybe the Georgia's
(10:20):
when they're peaking in the few games they peaked, and
maybe Ohio State when they're peaking. But you know, when
I'm watching the defense, you want to see a defensive
line that's taking over. Notre even has that in Spurts.
But they also have what I just can't get enough of.
They have speed on the edge and they make open
field tackles. And it's not just this Army game. It's
(10:41):
been all season. It reminds me of those great Alabama teams.
They always have the corners in the secondary and the
outside linebackers that will just you try and get the
edge outside and boom, either the corner's coming up, the
safety is making the tackle.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
It's just like there's just nothing there. And Bobby, I'm
gonna turn it to you.
Speaker 6 (11:01):
You have been what I will say lightly is the
voice of reason to call me and my optimite town.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
Uh So.
Speaker 6 (11:09):
First impressions, Second impressions, thoughts from the Army game.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
I mean, where do you take?
Speaker 3 (11:15):
I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 8 (11:16):
If it's the holiday week, I'm at my brothers in
Saint Louis and DA kindly, so I think he's a loyal,
loyal listener. His house is a little allowed though, So
I'm sitting on the front porch, but honestly squid like
I got I got nothing here. We we look awesome.
And one of the things my brother pointed out when
we were talking about this going in was like, this
(11:37):
is what we've wanted out of Marcus Freeman for three years,
is like continuously improving, not taking anything for granted, not
skipping over games, keeping the team up like we like
he I know he's using YAHAU game, so like maybe
next year we'll have to worry about like, oh shit,
(11:58):
what if we don't lose the NAU game. I was
gonna but like we are just getting better and better
and better our defense. It's got to be the best
unit in in the country, like at this point, like
we are. So it's not just like it's not a
Marcus Freeman talking point of like saying violence, like they
are playing violent like there was there was a point
(12:19):
during that game where I was like, hey, guys, like
calm down, Like it's still a military academy. Let's have
a little bit of respect here. Looks not like, uh,
the nation hates us enough as it is.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Riley Mills, God bless them, General Mills peaking at the
right time, and like I almost wonder if it is
like a directive to the defense, like I will.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
I wonder if Freeman is telling him.
Speaker 6 (12:43):
Look, I don't give a shit about a couple of
hands in the face penalties right there, go out and
fucking destroy because the one hands to the face that
Riley Mills had that what stupid penalty where we had
a million last week, but it was it was just
like the most blatantly obvious face mask and he rips
the dude's helmet off. And then later in the game,
I mean, all the beat was talking about it, but
there's the price, and Daily try to run past him
(13:05):
and he just sticks out of his arm and throws
him to the ground. It was just I mean, Filey
Mills is a man out there amongst boys. And again
we were playing without arguably the better d lineman, Howard
Cross on the sidelines. All credit. I want to say
right now, Donovan Heinich is not a backup. That kid
is just producing. Give me all the finishes. Secondary two
(13:28):
coming up, hitting Aid and Schuler, Leonard Moore with yet another.
Speaker 5 (13:33):
Forced bubble strip out there.
Speaker 6 (13:36):
Just I mean, the entire defense is playing well, and
I will calm myself down now and listening to the
few national media that I respect, USC is coming up
will get there. But I yes, I recognize that the
opponents we have played have not been great. However, it
(13:59):
must be said, Army going into last week was the
best scoring defense in the nation and the best rushing
offense in the nation. And it felt, again I swear
to god, I have nothing to prove it. It felt
like Freeman had it directed to the team, We're gonna
fucking out rush them because there, Yeah, Leonard only threw
(14:22):
like what thirteen times total, and and one of those
is trying to set up that field goal. I mean,
it was like he was he was sending a message.
And again I have I have absolutely no proof. I'm
going to have to have.
Speaker 8 (14:35):
A situation where he's like, yeah, we didn't try to
get a first down because we wanted to see what
our kicking him can do. Like what the hell Like,
We're just like we're practicing.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
At that piston piston.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
So den Brock had a press conference to yesterday or
yesterday I believe, and he was asked about the the
stubborn play calling on the first and first and goal
where he tried he said, he readily admitted he's like
I just I wasn't. I was trying to just give
(15:06):
the offensive line what they deserved to to finish off
a drive, and he was he said he was a
medical edge, just stubborn. So I think that that's clear
indication that they just wanted to shove Armies facing the dirt.
And I can't I can't hate on it now. Like
I was very annoyed with that play calling because all
it takes is a tiny little wrinkle and you score there.
(15:29):
But like ultimately, like we ended up shutting Armies offense
down quickly and then scoring the very next drive, so
like kind of kind of no harm, no foul, but like, yeah,
takeaway was a Yes, there was a programmatic effort to
destroy Army and and I think they did.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 8 (15:47):
And Jeremi love like to like Newman to your point,
like the Dynasty situation, Like I've been getting frustrated this
year that he's not getting some short yardage inside the
five just to pad his touchdown stats, and rise Leonard's
getting those carries. It's it's kind of worked itself out
a little bit, but I'm like, no, we got to
get this guy his stats. He is too good to
(16:07):
not put him on a national stage. And I'm like,
I know the NFL scouts are going to see this
and want this, want these schools. We just got to
like he could be our like, he could be our
guy for like next year, and it's awesome to watch him.
I'm gonna I'm already missing post Jerem I love.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
Now two quick comments on that and I'll turn it
over to you, Chase. I'm not Jeremy, I love one.
Speaker 2 (16:33):
I don't know if anyone saw this on the Irish
Illustrated message boards.
Speaker 6 (16:37):
Once again, don't go it's successful, it's not even fun.
They were literally all last week everyone's bitching about Michigan
getting recruits in the midst of a goddamn national title run.
Speaker 5 (16:46):
Stay off the message boards.
Speaker 6 (16:47):
However, there was one guy you're here out there brought
up the goal line the when we stubbornly ran into
an eleven man box like four times in a row.
Apparently someone looked at the formation and it is a
complete copy of a prior It's a throwback to the
Notre Dame offense. That we ran one hundred years ago,
the box formation. Sod Brock admitted it. Yeah, they're clearly
(17:10):
trying there. It was a throwback. I mean, Notre Dame
is twining the teams right now like they they muse
that game. So I just wanted to point that out.
I thought I thought it was cool. I will admit
I was fucking nuts in the moment. Robbie, you you
called it out. Just go outside what we did the
second time, Like they literally I've never seen where they
had eleven people in the box crashing down like four
plays in a row, and we had our players Leonard
(17:33):
and Love included diving from the four and just getting stowed.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
Does this team ever run jet sweeps?
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Save it man, save that ship for the playoffs. At
this point, I have.
Speaker 8 (17:44):
And our coaches, we have fast receivers, right, I want
to I want to quickly.
Speaker 5 (17:50):
Shout out Jeremiah Love.
Speaker 2 (17:53):
Again. Notre name has been blessed with just Jeremiah running backs.
Speaker 6 (18:00):
Theoretics C J Process, Josh Adams estimate these are NFL colari.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
I remember.
Speaker 6 (18:15):
Jeremiah Love his level of Dexter Williams out there too.
Speaker 5 (18:18):
I mean, but I'll still say it Jeremi Love is better.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
I just I have he has got an extra level
of juice and wiggle and athleticism and breakaway speed.
Speaker 6 (18:36):
I still have yet to see him run what looks
like full effort. I mean, even when he's breaking away,
it's like he's jogging. It's like me out there.
Speaker 8 (18:44):
I can only imagine, you know, But I just want
to almost.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Splits.
Speaker 5 (18:55):
Listen, I'm not here to brag. I don't.
Speaker 6 (18:58):
It's it's unbecoming. I don't want to do that. However,
I'll give the credit to Jeremiah Love where it's deserved.
You're more a three guy, right, I'm all about the sudden,
short bursts and quished muscles.
Speaker 4 (19:11):
Right.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
So any other takeaway defense offense, I mean, I guess
I will say, got.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
To talk about too so, but Chase take it away,
I will say, and maybe to kind of segue a
some other you know. Looking forward, I'm the Army game
is the last game that I'm willing to put up
with seeing any s Williams on the field for more
(19:41):
than like five carries, because starting starting with the USC
game and moving forward, every game, every game is the
last game that this team is going to play. So
it's full go. It doesn't matter. We're not doing any
sort of load management at this point.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Hm hmm.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Price and love need to get ninety nine percent of
the carries when there's game pressure. But like it does,
it absolutely does not matter, So I will complain.
Speaker 3 (20:16):
Touchdown.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
It was the slowest seventy yard ever.
Speaker 5 (20:22):
It was.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
I mean, I was watching an army.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
It was like watching a d tackle in the NFL.
GOO ninety yards on a big boy. Yeah, So the
last time I'll allow for any grace for play calling
and substitutions for for that because I get I mean,
and I can respect it because there is a chance
that we will play five more games. We've played eleven games,
(20:52):
so we might play sixteen games, which is freaking mind blowing.
So I get it. But yeah, like the next so
USC this week, then we could have three weeks off,
so and then it kind of resets the clock and
then and then those games are not played at a
seven decade and it's it's more like nine days. So
(21:13):
I don't thank you for your service in Lis Williams.
You got your monogram this year, but please please, I
don't want to see you again.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
And we've been we've.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Been talking and Robbie, I'll turn it over to you.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
We've been talking.
Speaker 6 (21:24):
I mean, obviously, Jeremiah Love deserves all the credit, but
j Garian Price, for the limited carries he gets, is
running as well as he has as a notre gome back.
He has a burst and a suddenness when he gets
the ball of just hitting the hole that he didn't
at the beginning of the year, and that it's just
different watching him compared to Anias Williams.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
And again I'm with you, Chase, thank you, Andias. I
look forward to your career.
Speaker 6 (21:47):
I look forward to you hitting the weight room and
you know, losing that beer belly like me and getting
you can get into that four to four speed category.
Speaker 5 (21:55):
But again, Japerian Price, man, he's no joke either.
Speaker 6 (21:58):
He would be normally like I feel like he is
the caliber of the Josh Adams back, the you know,
the CGA processes.
Speaker 2 (22:04):
He's got that ability and the breakaway speed in him.
It's just he's got a generational back in front of him.
But I'm with you, I don't I want to see
that that's what you need for elite playoff level caliber,
like you need a one an, A one B and
it's like.
Speaker 8 (22:21):
I don't think I think that's what they came into
the season thinking about price. But I will honestly say,
like in the first few games, I was like, what's
he doing dancing? Like why is he looking to like spin?
Why is he looking like just hit the hole and go, man,
Like we are our offensive line.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Is better than you think, so go.
Speaker 8 (22:42):
And he he got less and less carries, and I
don't know, maybe it was because they were like, hey,
hit the hole and he wasn't, and that woke him
up because he has been hitting the hole and just
glowing the last few weeks.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
So he's what. He woke up at the right time.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
He fumbled in a game and got baster the rest
of the game. I can't remember what game it was,
maybe Louisville or something, and then the he got benched,
and then the very next game he actually started, and
then it was takeoff from there. So yeah, I get it.
Speaker 6 (23:13):
Credits to the offensive line, Robbie, thanks bringing that up.
I ragged on him last week. They took care of business.
That might be the best game they played start to finish.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
They I think they.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
Had one or two penalties here and there, but they
absolutely dominated woke up, made holes, did exactly what you
want to do.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
And again, I don't give a shit that it's Army.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
All we heard is all this Army team, their defensive line,
they're three hundred pounds.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
This is a big arm bullshit.
Speaker 6 (23:41):
They took care of business and they they they are
playing well and this is something that.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Thank you.
Speaker 5 (23:51):
I don't think they're the best offensive line in.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
The nation, but to even be at that level speaks
absolute volumes to Joe Rudolph.
Speaker 5 (24:01):
Again, it needs to be said.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
We are down. And this needs to be said because
there are other teams out there Kaugh Coff, Ohio State,
Cough Cough and State that.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
Are losing, have lost starting tackles and are going to
use that bitching and whining as excuses. We are down
our starting tackle, our starting center, we lost our starting
guard for at least half the freaking season. And this line,
I mean, we have our starting left tackle is a
(24:31):
true freaking freshman. He's six to four, he should be
a guard, and he's out there and he's competing and
this we're averaging like.
Speaker 5 (24:38):
Two hundred and fifty yards rushing a game. It's insane.
Speaker 6 (24:42):
I just I cannot I mean everyone listening here remembers
the joke code the Jack Cone offense season. What was
it twenty whatever, when the offense just shut down because
the offensive line could not block anything, and that was
a real possibility heading into the season. And really, this
(25:03):
is the offensive line. It's like, at no point has
the offensive line line been anything but at worst mediocre,
maybe once or twice, or frustrating once or twice, but
like it's just I'm just absolutely amazed at the ability
and the consistency of the offensive line. Now they're going
(25:23):
to start getting tested there, we start looking ahead that
this is going to become a turning point. However, we've
got the Texas A and M data point. They showed
up game one, one of the better games they played.
We'll get there. I do want to touch on the
special teams. We didn't get to see my boy Jimmy.
(25:45):
I'm sure I'm sure he would have booted at least
sixty to seventy yard punts all game long. The kicking
game is a conundrum, though, I do want to say, obviously,
Mitch Jeeter come off an injury, he missed the forty
eight yarder that was never had a chance. Doesn't help
(26:05):
him fucking sell then after gets a false start and
moves it back for forty three.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
But I don't even think it would have been good
for forty three.
Speaker 2 (26:12):
But the second one that got blocked was not on Jeter,
if any I went back and rewatched that whoever was
the guard and the center, the snapper, literally the dude
just there are two dudes that just jumped right over
like literally just jumped right over them and like right
up the gut blocking.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
So that was not on Jeter. That's on blocking. They
need to figure that out. I don't know what they
were doing. They weren't actually playing football in the moment.
They didn't even make an effort to block. They did
this dumb move that they taught me in Greade school
to like when you're blocking on kicks, where you just
like literally just like lean over and put your head
in the ass of the guy next to you.
Speaker 5 (26:48):
It's dumbest.
Speaker 6 (26:48):
Shit didn't work, obviously, and they got to get that
shit figured out. But look, when you're winning by forty
four point nine points on average per teams, who cares
about your field goals could come back upon us?
Speaker 5 (27:01):
Uh, playoff rankings just came out. I'm at a fucking loss.
Speaker 6 (27:10):
I I mean, I I just don't understand. I mean, look,
I I stop watching What's notre names at five? They
clearly deserve that Penn State continues to be ahead of
them when they eke out wins.
Speaker 2 (27:27):
I watched them again. I watched that Minnesota team. God
love them. That Brosner quarterback. I feel for you guy.
You're a good I'm sure you're You're a good human,
but just a terrible fucking quarterback. And once again Penn
State gets credit for not doing shit. I don't know
why they keep getting credited, Like what the fucking what
(27:49):
do you guys see?
Speaker 5 (27:50):
Like what so?
Speaker 6 (27:53):
Because I'm at a fucking loss as to how those
games and stated.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Just if you're playing at home, just to keep up
the first what the first four seeds stayed the same.
So it's Oregon, then Ohio State, then Texas, then Penn
State and then but Notre Dame is number five, the
five ranked team. But I think that put us at
the seventh seed if I'm doing if I'm doing this correctly,
(28:19):
and it puts Penn State as the sixth seed. We've
all talked about how that that six verse seven is
the difference between playing the SEC champion and the ACC champion,
which I think is a pretty big gap. I don't
know who knows. SEC kind of sucks right now because
they can't they can't, they can't win anything. So but
I haven't seen the commentary from the committee, because you
(28:42):
usually they do kind of like a little fluff piece
after they send the rankings out on ESPN and explain
their choices or whatever. But I would be interested to hear, like,
are they how close are they considering the gap between
Penn State and Notre Dame. I think it's all being
tied up so that if Notre Dame wins relatively convincingly,
(29:03):
let's just say we barely cover the spread as seven
right now. If we win by seven in regulation, I
think that does enough to carry us over and say
because it's just a common opponent, it's the same location,
blah blah blah. I'll we'll get to our predictions later.
I think we're I think we're gonna look good when
(29:25):
we play, so I'm not too worked up about the
rankings yet. Yes, I do believe that Penn State is
not very good, and I don't think they're as good
as Notre Dame. Obviously biased, but all the metrics say
the same thing. So I'm just gonna wait one more week.
Speaker 8 (29:44):
Robbie, there's what do you see that there's still some
there's still some chaos left.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
And I mean I've like I've been the pessimist about.
Speaker 8 (29:54):
Notre Dame and like thinking the playoff committee is looking
for a reason to reward conferences and champions the whole.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
I think, I think I do think at least with
the big ten in the SEC, I do think there's
reference there.
Speaker 8 (30:08):
But but I think that like we were, we're lucky
enough to hold our faith in.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Our own hands.
Speaker 8 (30:13):
Like I've seen some things about like strength of schedule,
like looking at like comparing like oh Notre Dame's loss
to I use loss and like but like take Ohio
State out of I use schedule, what's their strength of schedule?
Take It's all about explaining away other teams losses versus ours,
like oh Notre Dame lost an IU Alabama, look at
(30:36):
how how look at how good the teams they are,
but they lost three of them?
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Like right, you don't get to claim strength of schedule
as an asset when you're schedule is boltered by team
you like you know, like when you lost three teams
that are good, that doesn't you know, you shouldn't be
able to say, oh, look at our strength and schedule.
Speaker 8 (30:53):
You lost to them, Like yeah, I mean, I I
agree with Chase, like our c it like, I don't
think our season comes.
Speaker 3 (31:02):
Down to it. We have to win next week, yeah,
to be in to be in the playoff.
Speaker 8 (31:06):
Yeah, I think are our seating destiny is in our
own hands. If we boat race, USC will jump Penn State.
I think there's a couple rankings lower down, like in
the fifteen to twenty range, where like losses seem to matter,
wins against common opponents seem to matter a little bit more.
I still think there's a little bit of chaos, and
(31:28):
it's nice to not have to like view it that
Clemson South Carolina look at those rankings, look at Clemson
South Carolina's rankings. That game just took on a huge
level of importance for the ACC and for SEC. For
the SEC, like, if if Clemson wins, like which they
might not, like that's a very evenly matched game, like,
(31:49):
it's going to cause all kinds of rankings chaos. I
know it doesn't affect either conference championship. But Jesus, like,
if if Clemson beats South Carolina, SMU beat sm beat
Miami in the conference championship, does that make a the
ACC a three team like a three team conference?
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Does Clemson sneak in somewhere?
Speaker 8 (32:10):
Like there's there, I gotta say, Like I came into
the season like thinking the playoffs was like, all right,
it's a little gimmicky.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
It's like they're they're trying to rule in conferences. This
is awesome.
Speaker 8 (32:21):
I have never been this interesting this late this season
for games that I would not care less about if
it didn't have implications for Notre Dame, and now like,
I'm loving this.
Speaker 2 (32:33):
I tried to I tried to listen to a national
podcast competitor of ours, of course, so I will name them,
but listening to it is just mind blowing. Like the
Big Twelve, the permutations went in the Big Twelve alone
are like there's like twenty different options. So there's just
like there's forty games that are relevant this weekend, which
(32:55):
is just amazing. Yeah, it's it's insane.
Speaker 8 (33:01):
Can you imagine being like a student, like your finals
are going to be wrapping up and you're more worried
about like should I stay for a couple of days?
Like yeah, Like there's so much logistics that goes into it,
like like does the band go to go to the
game or not?
Speaker 4 (33:15):
Good?
Speaker 2 (33:16):
I don't speaking, it's crazy before we get on to USC.
Speaker 6 (33:21):
I think there's an elephant in the room here. And look,
I just wanted to be known Chase Robbie myself surt
of pride cannot be greater for Notre Dame's band and
the wonderful people that are part of the Marching Band
and the Marching Band and culture.
Speaker 5 (33:39):
New Man.
Speaker 6 (33:40):
I'm kind of scared to turn it over to you though,
I feel like you share a different opinion here, and
I just got to hear what the hell your problem
is with the Marching Band.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Well, when you asked me to come on and talk
about the bar two bat, I wasn't expecting to be
an ambush, but yeah, I mean a disclaimer at first, right,
because I do you know, I think the march event
is great, like.
Speaker 3 (34:04):
Overall, do you.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
Just sounds like a ship sandwich coming.
Speaker 3 (34:12):
Up that way?
Speaker 2 (34:14):
Way positive good with all due respect, followed by the
most disrespectful comments.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
The concert under the Dome is amazing. The tour through
campus is amazing. Every single thing they do during the
game is amazing. Like, nothing gets any more hype than
the marching.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
Band during the game.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
But what are we doing with these halftime shows?
Speaker 5 (34:40):
So I wasn't there.
Speaker 6 (34:42):
If you don't see this on TV when you were
there at the halftime, what I.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Mean, yeah, granted, like I don't see a lot of
halftime shows anymore because I don't like make the effort
to get and we see dot Com or Peacock or
whoever they're showing them.
Speaker 6 (34:56):
We're all loves. I mean, we watched I remember, you know,
you know, we were all student. If we're all in
the stadium, we won't watch. I remember going nuts, you
know when they would do you don't bring out the
fire hydrants and they would do like rockets and ship you.
Speaker 5 (35:07):
Know the market.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
But I didn't do that.
Speaker 8 (35:09):
I have no idea what they did at this because
I have something from the Uba game a couple of weeks.
Speaker 5 (35:15):
You know, when it comes to colts, the greatest cults
out there are the marching band. People on campus.
Speaker 6 (35:20):
They're all sweet, little little in culture but new and
what I mean.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Do you guys remember that office scene where and he's
trying to tell Dwight, like, every song is better as
an a cappella song, What song is better as a
marching band song?
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Can you name one? I mean, it's better, but not much.
Speaker 2 (35:49):
I'm gonna be honest with Johnson Blanks.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Okay, So here's the typical halftime marching banto experience.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
The band starts playing.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
Usually they start with the verse and you're kind of like,
all right, maybe I understand, maybe I get it.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
I'm not sure exactly what this is.
Speaker 1 (36:06):
Sometimes it's kind of hard to hear them, especially if
you're on the wrong side of the stadium and all
the horns are facing the other side. Finally it gets
to the chorus and you're like, oh, yeah, it's uh it's.
Speaker 3 (36:18):
Shot through the Heart.
Speaker 7 (36:19):
Yeah, and it's like, cool, man, good job. You guys
played the melody for Shot through the Heart on their
freaking usophones and like, I don't get it, man, And
not to mention.
Speaker 3 (36:34):
God forbid they ever play a chapel run Seriously, you.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Want to hip half time show?
Speaker 3 (36:40):
Definitely, Srina car you know, I was trying to find
a game.
Speaker 8 (36:47):
Like three members of the band Chicago came out to play.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
With They've been using Chicago for forty years.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
That's not that I was actually going to suggest as
a way to make this better, like have a stage
and an actual performer, like a singer with.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
The band accompanying them, Like you know.
Speaker 2 (37:10):
It's just I mean, they've got some regulars journeys.
Speaker 3 (37:14):
That's a little bigger in the Chicago though. I was
in the I was in the concession line and saw
it on the TV of the Chicago was there. I
was like, oh shit, I gotta get back to my seats.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
This is everybody from Earth, Wind and Fire still, I mean,
not to.
Speaker 1 (37:29):
Dave Stadium or you know, wherever they happen to be, Like,
it's usually a pretty big draw.
Speaker 3 (37:33):
I would think they'd be able to book someone, you know, but.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
I mean, we're no Florida International University.
Speaker 5 (37:40):
True, it's playing it.
Speaker 3 (37:43):
Another way to make it better would be to just
have the drum line do some cool stuff like that.
We get there's at least seven alumni. I know. It
would show up on Kansas for a game. I love
that said to take a bathroom break turn.
Speaker 8 (37:59):
Don't we have to keep shutting on the band?
Speaker 2 (38:04):
We have a Taylor Swift connection.
Speaker 1 (38:06):
I mean, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, we do, but we
have to also talk about the synchronized walking, right, the
marching of the marching band, like the different formations that
they do, because it's like and I know a ton
of time goes into this, right, there's marching Band's actually
a really big thing in my town. They have a
(38:28):
competition the same weekend as my daughter's birthday every year.
It's hosted by the high school, like across the street,
and like bands come from all over the state. We
hear the marching band practicing like all hours, like till
nine o'clock at night, five days a week.
Speaker 5 (38:44):
Sometimes his fist.
Speaker 3 (38:49):
I actually don't mind that.
Speaker 9 (38:51):
That's not that doesn't bother me that much, of course, but.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
Sized walking.
Speaker 8 (39:01):
Yeah, like hearing that Kende was still the band director,
Like I had a lot of nostalgia last last week.
Speaker 5 (39:10):
Kind of underwhelming. Seems like a nice guy, but.
Speaker 1 (39:13):
You mean you also have to think that, like stadiums
are not you know, unidirectional views.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Right, it's a three it's a three sixty's that's English.
I'm the directional if you want the big word. I
literally was like, oh crap.
Speaker 8 (39:30):
Like my my my seven year old son, he's not
really going to be interested in the band.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Unless they're playing towards him.
Speaker 8 (39:36):
So let's try to find a ticket on that side
of the stadium.
Speaker 9 (39:40):
So no joke like shot through the Heart comes on.
And this is what we get.
Speaker 1 (39:49):
I know, it's just a still and if you're if
you're listening, you got to mark the time step and
go over to YouTube and check.
Speaker 5 (39:55):
Out the picture just describing what we're seeing. There's a
heart with an.
Speaker 3 (39:59):
Arrow, sure heart right right.
Speaker 8 (40:03):
It looks like it looks like the heart your head.
Speaker 3 (40:05):
It looks like a.
Speaker 5 (40:05):
Heart towards the wall with a hole in it.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
The arrow was shot like that. That thing on the
right is the bow, and the arrow started back.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
Here and it went through the heart.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
Dead and it was just like I was like I
was dying, laughing like like.
Speaker 3 (40:25):
I don't know what, Like what's the problem? Fine by me, guys,
Fine by me.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
Well, from our side of the stadium, it looks like
somebody went out and forgot their back door cover.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
If I'm being.
Speaker 2 (40:34):
Honest with you, it's an army tank. Guys.
Speaker 4 (40:37):
This is a.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
Man.
Speaker 9 (40:42):
It's like, I just don't understand why, like you go
through all this trouble.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
It's like cool, I don't know, like, what are we like? Yay,
we made a heart and an arrow going through it?
Speaker 1 (40:53):
I don't know, guys, like I think I think we
got to dial it back a little bit here, So
I mean, I.
Speaker 5 (41:01):
Guess, like, what do you want to see from bands
at the half time? Were you going to get rid?
Speaker 1 (41:06):
No, I'm not saying getting rid of the bands all together,
because I love everything they do except that.
Speaker 5 (41:15):
I don't.
Speaker 3 (41:16):
I don't know there. I think the.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Halftime show needs to be uh, you know, either jettison
completely or reimagined to include some sort of a like
an additional act like a singer or a rapper, and
have the band be more of an accompaniment to that,
because I don't know.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
For me, guys, it does it doesn't carry it. It's
just it's kind of embarrassing.
Speaker 5 (41:39):
Sorry, we here at the Notary and Freaking Podcast love
all bands. And you have complaints, please email them to Newman.
Speaker 3 (41:47):
Put them in the comments, subscribe.
Speaker 5 (41:53):
All right, we're coming up on time here.
Speaker 4 (41:55):
We have to talk.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
You see.
Speaker 2 (41:59):
Notre Dame now. Last I checked seven and a half
point favorite on DraftKings. I think I saw over under.
Don't quote me on at fifty one fifty two. Some
are in that range. And I have heard all season
from the greats, and I have nothing but respect for
Tim Omalley, the Irish Illustrated Tim Priesterer, the podcast guys.
Speaker 5 (42:20):
They've been warning us everyone.
Speaker 6 (42:22):
That knows knows Notre Name, for whatever reason, does not
play well out in USC.
Speaker 5 (42:28):
Good teams have struggled out there.
Speaker 6 (42:32):
National writers I respect have brought up to the fact that, look,
this is a the first true road game Notre Dame
has played in a while, I want to say, since Louisville,
and the first real passing attack the Notre Dame has
played in a while. All that said, like, I'm fucking
insulted this. I don't like, are we watching the same
(42:53):
fucking team here? Like, yeah, USC has got athletes, they
always have athletes, maybe they're defenses slightly. And they just
put up nineteen total points on a dog shit U
c l a uh. They put up twenty eight total
on Nebraska. You're fucking telling me I need to be
worried about a team that put up twenty eight on
(43:13):
fucking Nebraska.
Speaker 5 (43:15):
And yes, I get it Notre Dame. You know, schedule
blah blah blah, But like I just I just don't.
Speaker 6 (43:23):
I don't understand, like the and look, I will I
will come back here, I will here be here to
eat proh.
Speaker 5 (43:32):
This this is I will say this.
Speaker 6 (43:34):
This would be the most Notre Dame possible game to
like lose at USC. It's like the the fucking stockbrokers,
the maximum pain. This would be the maximum pain loss
Notre Dame. This is just like we started getting the
national hype after beating A and M and then shit
our bed against NIU.
Speaker 4 (43:55):
So I see it.
Speaker 1 (43:56):
I get it.
Speaker 2 (43:57):
However, you will see a six and fucking five. Okay,
they had to change quarterbacks. Lincoln Riley is a offensive coach.
I guess the staff. I've heard rumblings of the staff
breaking apart all season long, and somehow I'm supposed to
be afraid of USC.
Speaker 6 (44:15):
Yeah, they can score points, but like, I don't see
them scoring more than seventeen, maybe twenty one, maybe twenty four.
Speaker 5 (44:24):
I just I don't.
Speaker 4 (44:26):
I I just don't see it.
Speaker 5 (44:28):
Get We'll get into the spreads, but USC, so you
know they're averaging.
Speaker 6 (44:32):
I want to say twenty nine points of offense giving
up on average, I want to say twenty one.
Speaker 5 (44:39):
The advanced metrics loves them.
Speaker 6 (44:41):
F Plus has them as the number twenty one team
in the nation with the number eighteen ranked offense, number
thirty two ranked defense for reference, never name is thirteen offense,
three defense. So I mean, on the opponent, they've got
a that They've got a running back that's a thousand
(45:02):
yard running back. They've got receivers that will be clearly
the best receivers Notre Dames faced since Louisville. Louisville's receivers
were no joke, and they got there as they made
some freaking plays.
Speaker 5 (45:14):
USC has those type of athletes, but.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
Man, USC light like you're not as good as compared.
Speaker 6 (45:24):
To USC teams in the past. I just I just
don't see it. Their quarterbacks. He's mobile, dual threat type,
I guess, but I don't know. I just am I'm
hitting it where I'm going. But in Al Golden I
trust and I just trust that fucking defense. And this
(45:45):
was again the guys. I look Tom Fernelli, the cover
three guys. Tom Fernelli knows the ship. I respect those guys.
Tom Fernelli's point on this game. It is the first
real passing attack Notre Dames faced in two months. And
I get that I just have more faith in our
secondary NOL Golden than I think the national media for
a team that like for someone that hasn't watched more
(46:07):
name in general, but on the opponent themselves USC did
you Chase Robbie, do you have any thoughts about the
team or about the face.
Speaker 2 (46:17):
I think they're I think they're pretty good. I think
they've they've probably got a loss or to more than
they should have. They're talented, they're not They're not an
ultra talented. They don't have a Alan Ross Saint Brown.
They don't have a Robert Woods or a Marquise Lee
or anything like. They don't have their They have Jeremi
(46:40):
Branch and a couple other guys were good offensively. Their
defense is not great. It's a Lincoln Riley team. So
the defense has just never been the emphasis and the
advanced metrics support that. So the thing and I'm flipping
it back, so you know, I admittedly always get a
(47:02):
little bit worried because this is a big game. It's
Notre Dame, and yeah, traditional Notre Dame. Could you know,
like going into SEC, could you could perceive that as
like a questionable game, a questionable outcome like the Timautmalleys
of the world are worried about because they've seen it
ten times over. But like this team, do you think
(47:26):
that they're gonna play bad. I don't think they're gonna
play bad. I just there's nothing that in the case
that they're gonna play poorly. This they have two they
have two coordinators that really know how to play to
the team, to play to the opponent, and to get
our players playing really well. So like I'm not That's
why I'm not super worried. And then one thing that
(47:49):
I'll the one thing I'll say kind of about the
matchup in general, I love this matchup for Notre Dame
for testing its way into the college football playoff because
the whole it's it's great. It's it's good, good on
good on offense their offense versus our defense, and then
(48:12):
who knows, Like I don't know, is it good on great?
I don't know, Like it's a test to see like
maybe Notre Dame can really push it offensively against the
team that is not really all that great. I don't
think that. I think that SE won't be able to
keep up because I think our defense is going to
be able to keep them keep the their offense in
(48:33):
check enough for our offense to outpace theirs. I love
that matchup. I think it says a lot because again,
USC's offense is quasi elite, which is great practice because
we haven't played a great offense in a little while.
Speaker 5 (48:48):
So again, love the matchup. Robbie thoughts on USC.
Speaker 3 (48:53):
Same, like, I don't know where I read that, like.
Speaker 8 (48:59):
To trace point about strength on strength, like they've got
a good, talented running back, but the times that he's
been good, they haven't won. And like, I think our
strength is our secondary so we can match up with
their receivers. I'm really looking forward to it. I think
our secondary is elite. The things that like kind of
(49:19):
in the back of my head, just as a Notre
Dame fan, as like, uh, you know, a pessimist about
like your team doing well kind of thing, is one
like we we've been talking a lot, we're getting ahead
of ourselves. My The thing that's like keeping me in
check there though, is that that the team does not
seem like that. Marcus Freeman does not seem like that
(49:40):
they're not taking this for granted. They know what they
have to do, so that's tempering a little bit of
pessimism there the whole Uh, you know, we don't play
well when we go out there no matter what. But
like I haven't really looked at it, but like I
can't remember a time where we had a team that
was this good that went to a USC team that
(50:00):
was not performing this well, like maybe twenty twelve, but
our offense wasn't that great then a great point like
crazy and we won, like.
Speaker 5 (50:08):
Yeah, great, great point. I want to hammer that I
haven't gone back over.
Speaker 2 (50:14):
The thirty years like the O'Malley's and the priests, but
like just in our recent memory, this iteration of Notre Dame,
the Brian Kelly era, the fourteen playoff era, Notre Dame
has had consistently good to great defenses, but we've never
had an offense that was putting up points like this,
even even.
Speaker 6 (50:32):
Last year with whatever that was just and like what
we have not had the My point being, we have
not had the offense that runs the ball like this,
that is threatening teams the way they are with that
defense as well. So yes, anything can happen Notre Dame again.
(50:57):
I said it that I will hold true to it.
Speaker 5 (51:00):
Freeman.
Speaker 2 (51:01):
I will never fully trust you again until we get
a Natty or I see a couple of years.
Speaker 6 (51:05):
So yes, that is in the back end of my
back of my mind after NIU. But I'm as confident
as I can be as a Notre Dame fan and like,
look if like, if you want it, like as an
noting fan, like and then I see this all the
fucking messone boards, like if you want to power and
be afraid, so be it. That's your own fucking prerogative.
This team has been dominating. This team knows that this
(51:29):
game is important.
Speaker 2 (51:30):
And Marcus Freeman, I I have said his best attribute
as a coach is getting his team up for the
big games.
Speaker 5 (51:39):
This is a big game, Chase Jathan Allen, and this
is a playoff game.
Speaker 6 (51:43):
This could be the difference between playing a shitty Miami
or SMU team or playing a Texas in an Oregon
game in the playoffs. Notre Name knows that, Marcus Freeman
knows that like they this I have, They're very mature.
They will be ready two play. I do have confidence
in that. I expect it's not going to be like Army.
(52:07):
You know, there is going to be some back and forth.
We'll probably see some some stagnation with the offense. However,
I still don't think we have seen anywhere close to
the best this offense can be and coming Like even
watching that Army game, it's.
Speaker 2 (52:20):
Still felt like a BB plus performance, Like and that's
when the running backs going fuck wild. It just it
feels like there is another level yet to be reached
by the offense here that I don't know if yes,
it's the ceiling, but I just don't know if like
the national media and even the notreme fan base is
(52:41):
giving the credit that that's a possibility for this.
Speaker 8 (52:45):
I think that that's the third thing is that like
USC like still has some enthusiasm just about being Notre
Dame personally in the Ni nil era teams like USC,
I'm like, oh, end of the season, they don't have
anything to play for, they're going to hang it up.
But like if they do, what if they stack the box?
Do we have the passing offense to deal with that?
(53:05):
You know, that's a little bit worrisome or James, Yeah, so,
you know, I mean that's one of the worries that
I have is that, like they do have the talent
and if they decide they want to play, and they
decide they want to make a statement like that's a
little bit worrisome.
Speaker 4 (53:20):
So I feel you.
Speaker 2 (53:22):
But like the flip side of that coin, what if
Notre Dame just does what they've been doing for the
past ten weeks and comes out and opens up.
Speaker 6 (53:29):
It's fourteen to seven twenty one? Yeah, what the fuck
do they have to play for? I was more worried
if they.
Speaker 2 (53:37):
Had lost to UCLA because then they will be playing
in this game for a bowl game.
Speaker 5 (53:43):
But now it's like they both games locked up for them.
Speaker 2 (53:46):
They there's nothing they can do in this game to
help the team in any meaningful way. The only thing
that can like literally, like for these players, this team
of merks, the only thing they don't you get hurt,
Like that's I mean, if you're looking to play in
the NFL this game against Notre Dame, I don't give
(54:07):
a ship who you are, even if you grew up
hating Notre Dame, like it don't mean shit to you,
Like it really doesn't. Like, yeah, maybe you want to
beat them, and this is the third team of transfers.
This is the downside to it.
Speaker 4 (54:18):
So like, look, I.
Speaker 2 (54:22):
I know, I know we're going I know we're going
into Compton, right, So what's the best way to play
is with violence. So I think I think I think
they're I think the key to the game is to
apply that principle and smack them really hard for a
couple of for a couple of quarters, they'll fall hard.
(54:43):
Like there's if we're up twenty one seven, there's there's
not much, you know, not much of this going on,
so there's not much fight left and that that Trudan
horse her ship. Don't kind of worry about a fucking
home crowd out there. I mean, if they got a
thousand people come to the game, who knows. Notre Dame
should show up and show out out there. And honestly,
(55:04):
at the end of the day, Notre Dame has the
best coordinators on the field yep, by.
Speaker 5 (55:11):
Far in this game. And I think that this will be.
Speaker 2 (55:16):
Little foreshadowing here Notre Dame's biggest attribute going into the playoffs.
They have got the best I would argue, one of
the best coaching tandems with the head coach of any
team in the playoffs right now, anyone in the top fifteen.
I have nothing but confidence in al Golden Yes, our
(55:39):
secondary is going to get tested more than they have
since Louisville. But I have seen nothing to date that
has gett that has faltered my faith in the secondary.
And Leonard Moore and Christian Gray, Christian Gray, by the way,
at some phenomenal open field tackles.
Speaker 3 (55:58):
Give those flowers against army. This is.
Speaker 6 (56:03):
That hits and likes to hit. Uh this is a
secondary that goes for the strip that I just I
just have confidence. Maybe there's an adjustment first quarter playing
playing against the speed in that offense, but I just
think no one, I don't care who you are, USC included,
is gonna want to play against Notre Dame for four quarters.
(56:25):
The way they're hitting, the way they are attacking, the
way they are just punishing teams.
Speaker 2 (56:32):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (56:32):
So, with that, any other comments before we get to
score predictions, I'll go first. You made a good point,
and the spread makes more sense to me when you
consider that USC probably should have won one or two
more games that they lost in just the dumbest fucking fashion.
Speaker 2 (56:54):
So it can as opposed to a six and five team,
if you look at him like an eight and three team,
maybe the seventh seven that makes a lot more sense.
Speaker 6 (57:02):
Even still, I'm salted. I again, I just don't I look,
it can happen. I don't want to. I don't want
to count my chicks before they hatch.
Speaker 2 (57:13):
However, I could just as easily see, just as easily
as noting, could lose this game.
Speaker 6 (57:18):
I could see this being a fucking blowout. I could
see another forty nine point game or something. I will
settle on because I don't think we're kicking any field
goals in this game. Maybe maybe we're kicking one or
two and and we miss them. But I'm saying forty
two to seventeen, and that's being generous to USC. I
(57:40):
could see it being close ish at half, and then
we just fucking lay it on the second. All right,
take it away? Who wants? Who wants next?
Speaker 2 (57:48):
Mean?
Speaker 4 (57:49):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (57:49):
Mine? Mine is very similar to yours. Thirty eight seventeen.
Speaker 8 (57:52):
I really wanted to not get a field goal in
that score, but thirty eight to seventeen feels like it's same,
same kind of situation, a little bit close in the
first half. We're all gonna be tearing her hair out,
and which is already bad for me.
Speaker 3 (58:06):
But uh, I think we'll pull away.
Speaker 2 (58:10):
I think thirty eight it's gonna say thirty eight twenty,
so we're all kind of right there.
Speaker 3 (58:15):
I think that's bad game.
Speaker 2 (58:17):
Well, so I think there's two ways to arrive around
that same place as It's just it could be a
big time beat down and then a couple of scores
at the end, uh for s C. But I I
can the way that I think the game will play
is that we'll we'll stay like ten points ahead for
(58:39):
a significant period of the game. So there's quasi game
pressure with that, and then just a pull away at
the very end and a Mitch Jeter field goal somewhere
in there. But I'm just I'm just I'm preaching that. Yeah,
I'm just putting that into the universe just to hope
that happens.
Speaker 4 (58:58):
Right on.
Speaker 5 (58:59):
He's changed, that's Robbie.
Speaker 2 (59:01):
I'm squid fuck USC, trash fucking program ACC. You're still
trash everyone out there. I hope you have a glorious
and beautiful happy Thanksgiving.
Speaker 6 (59:11):
Please watch Plans, Trains and Automobiles, the best movie out there,
for your Thanksgiving holiday break. Until next time, God bless,
good luck, godspeed, and.
Speaker 4 (59:19):
Go Irish, Go Irish. This is a notre name freaking podcast.
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