CMU: "The Previous Play Is Under Further Review..."

Isn't it nice to be home again?

I said 'welcome home'

Didn't we miss your smiling face?...

Dateline:  South Bend, IN

When daughter Shea was 18 years old and applying to colleges, she wrote an essay along the lines of "Home is an Airport."  The genesis of the topic being that at that point in her life, quantifiably, she'd lived exactly equally in the U.S., England and Italy.  Not only was there a sense of not having solid roots really anywhere - but the periodic nomadic lifestyle associated with ex-pat life involved a whole lot of airport time where she often, weirdly, felt most comfortable.

It was an interesting perspective that, at the time, Notre Dame and the University of Michigan loved.  The Ivy League's opinion, apparently, wasn't quite as high.

Their loss.

But Jerrence thought about that essay this past week as he traversed Davenport, IA => Valparasio, IN => Stayer Lot, Notre Dame IN with his brothers for the annual Corrigan "The Boys Are Back In Town" weekend.

Each locale representing a unique sense of home:  past, present and (seasonally) forever.

Regarding the latter location, it occurred to him that they call them 'home games' for a reason.  

Comfortable, familiar, fun.

And occasionally dysfunctional.  Perhaps more so than was necessary for Central Michigan last weekend.  An atmosphere that definitely can't be the case this week. 

Quote of the Week

The 'D' better get it together - fast!

"True knowledge exists in knowing that we know nothing."

                                       Socrates       

If that's the case, Jerrence is a freaking 1st ballot Mensa candidate.  Especially when it comes to football.  And especially when it comes to fathoming what we (I) saw last Saturday.

Because I have no idea how to interpret ND's Central Michigan performance. 

 

Word of the Week

Used in a sentence paragraph:  As Young Jerrence began to rewatch the game, the steady stream of alcohol, driven by five days with his brothers and the inevitable excitement of Tailgate Season Opener, now having safely left his system (thank you, Sunlighten sauna) it was all coming back to him... 

Those refs were B-A-D.  

And not in a good way bad, like "that Sam Hartman is a baaad man, he can really sling it."

No, bad as in 'how in the world did they get their accreditation' bad. 

The tipping point for this blogger was, with 2:00 left in the 1st Quarter, they marked Estime a full yard short of a first down (which it was), and then proceeded to review the spot, award a 1st down and when the crowd reacted to the obvious mistake on the big screen replay video... they re-reviewed AGAIN and corrected themselves.

When Estime scored on the next play, who was more relieved - ND or the refs?

What then proceeded to occur was a series of penalties called - where virtually everything went under review, suggesting a certain lack of confidence, a pattern of irresolute decision making that screamed, "we have no idea what we're doing (or why we're even here)!"

And it was only the 1st Quarter - it would prove to be very long day with these clowns.  Jerrence thought much about the beer getting cold in the Behrens' car trunk.

Game 4 Thoughts

You can't always get what you want... 

This was supposed to be a glorified scrimmage, they said.  A laugher, they said. Come, have a few pops, invite your family, they said.  Enjoy the game with your brothers, they said.

41-17*.  

Then why do I feel so dissatisfied? 

*Would've been a 41-31 game in the Kelly regime.

The Good   

• Sam remains The Man.  Not his most consistent game, for sure.  In fact, there were whole series where he looked weirdly... off.  

That said, let's talk about his touch on deep passes. Perfection. ND hasn't had a QB -  hyperbole alert - that can throw that accurate of a 30+ yard pass in decades.   

          

          

Tell me I'm wrong. 

• 

  Audric for... Heisman?  For all the justified talk of The Talented Mr. Hartman, Estime has got to be opening some eyes around the country.  Man oh man.  In any other non-Caleb Williams year maybe...

Who misses Will Shipley now?  

And while the hurdle thing has got to catch up to him one of these days, it sure is spectacular to watch. 

• Stayer Tailgate.  First time out of the blocks for 2023, the boys haven't lost their magic.

-  Ambient temperature?  Check.
-  Sublime Bloody Mary's?  Check.
-  Tasty Tools beer?  Check.
 - Savory peppers and sausages?  Check.
 - Lively, provocative banter?  Check. 

• Recruiting.  I don't bring it up much 'cause I assume everyone is probably on top of it but this has been a big week for a couple of the ND teams.

• Obi.   Who?  The clear 2023 ND Stadium fan favorite, that's who.  Obioha Onwuanibe, a junior Computer Science major, was only following what is customary for Dunne Hall residents - taking their shirts off, weather be damned, during every 4th quarter. (Note: It's unclear whether they do this for away games.)  

The ND Stadium video board production crew found him during a break and he delighted the crowd - EVEN THE PLAYERS (Hartman gave him a shout out after the game) - with some serious shirt twirling and as the crowd began to boo when anyone else was being shown on the video board, a star was born.

The Bad    

• Penalties.  As noted below, that was a godawful refereeing team... but the fact is, MANY of the penalties were accurate.  And many of them of the proverbial 'unforced errors' ilk.  Second game in a row. Not good. Given the next 4 game stretch ND has, that's gotta end ASAP.

• 

  When your strong safety has to provide the pass rush... 

  OL / DL.   Ugh.  To get repeatedly bullied -  and GASHED - by Central Michigan does not bode well for either our upcoming marquee match ups or realistically thinking we're yet in the same conversation with the Georgia's of the world.

The Ugly

• 

  Ball out, 1 step, a shove.  And that's roughing?! 

  Referees.  There are a surprising number of things in life that I detest - lets start with the clowns who continue to drive 55 mph in the left hand lane (the Germans would chew you up and spit you out) but continually bitching about referees ranks high up there as well - I just don't buy into the vast conference referee conspiracy theory that's every fanbase subscribes to - it would seem the refs have it out, all the time, for well, everybody.

What I do believe in is incompetence.  And inexperience.  And ego (where they feel the need to insert themselves into the outcome.) Which seemed to be on full display Saturday.  I have no idea where they found those guys - Martin's Grocery deli section?  Or what, if any, input ND has in the selection of the crew beforehand... but let's not shop down that aisle anymore, okay?

Buddy's Buddy

Week's ago I posed the not-so-rhetorical question of whether anyone would be bothered if Sam Hartman was Buddy's Bud every week?

No one pushed back.

Now it appears, with no slight toward Mr. Hartman, we might have a legitimate 2 horse race (and wouldn't we all pine for there being a 3rd candidate, preferably someone from the defensive side of the ball). 

In any event, Audric Estime is CLEARLY that 2nd guy.  And no slouch either.  176 yards rushing with another 80 called back.  

At times he was the ONLY offense.  

The O-line ought to be making sure his life is copacetic because he is making them look good. Well, at least better than their play probably is.

And as icing on the cake, he's been so good that there can't possibly be any bitching in the RB room about playing time - that they're not getting the rock enough.

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

Hey, if Marcus Freeman isn't going to spend any time talking about Central Michigan - this week or last...

Why should I?

Give the peasants readership what they want! 

And, it would seem, Mr. Sampson has adopted this philosophy as well.

So.  Without further adieu, so thoughts from Pete about this coming week's matchup...

1.  If Notre Dame wins, Hartman will be the reason why. Full stop.

It’s incredible to look around college football and see the quarterbacks Notre Dame took to Columbus last year against C.J. Stroud. Tyler Buchner lost a quarterback competition at Alabama, then got benched in his first start at USF. Drew Pyne came off the bench Saturday for Arizona State against Fresno State, only to get benched after committing four turnovers in just 23 snaps. Yet, somehow, Notre Dame hung around Ohio State for three quarters with Buchner starting and Pyne backing him up.

Now it’s Hartman, who’s third nationally in pass efficiency and can make opponents defend the whole field. His deep shots against Central Michigan were picture perfect, the kind of stuff you’d expect to see from Ohio State quarterbacks most weekends. It’s a different style of offense from a year ago when Notre Dame could pass only after hammering the run game. Now the Irish can beat teams in multiple ways.

2.  ND has to get mike linebacker JD Bertrand back. He missed last week while recovering from a concussion, but he’s expected to play against Ohio State. Defensive coordinator Al Golden likes to send the inside linebackers on blitzes, although the effectiveness of that approach is up for debate. Regardless, look for Bertrand and Marist Liufau to be active in the A-gap and B-gap. When the linebacker group is healthy, it’s one of the oldest in the country. Bertrand, Liufau and Jack Kiser have combined for 62 career starts. Considering how complex Golden likes to get, having three linebackers who can handle it is paramount. Notre Dame doesn’t have a great pass rusher on the defensive line, but it is an old group too with all seniors in the starting lineup, including grad transfer Javontae Jean-Baptiste from Ohio State.

3.  Notre Dame’s secondary held up well last year and returns basically intact. Cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Cam Hart are Notre Dame’s best combo at that position since at least 2018. Nickelback Thomas Harper was a grad transfer from Oklahoma State and is basically a starter with how the Irish roll with personnel, much more nickel than base 4-3.

My hunch is Notre Dame will take its chances with Ohio State’s receivers, gambling that it can get to McCord. I have no idea if that will work, but making the QB beat you means something different than last year.

4.  I’m more concerned about Notre Dame blocking Ohio State’s pass rush than how it defends the passing game. Obviously, Ohio State is loaded with five-stars on the defensive line. Is this pass rush classic Ohio State with Chase Young or the Bosa brothers? Or is this group a step down?

Notre Dame’s receivers have been productive, but nobody has tried to get physical with them at the line of scrimmage, which is how I’d play it if I were Knowles. If Ohio State gets beat at the line and gives up an explosive pass play, it can live with that. There’s isn’t a No. 1 receiver in this group, which Notre Dame has managed because of Hartman. He’s found the matchups that work. Does that work against Ohio State? I’m not so sure. It wouldn’t shock me if the Irish receiving corps comes crashing back to earth. It’s hard to take deep shots if you can’t get off the line of scrimmage.

5.  I know Urban Meyer took a dig at Notre Dame for having to go into the transfer portal to get a sixth-year senior from Wake Forest. And Notre Dame’s current staff also would like to know why the past staff recruited so poorly at quarterback that it came to this! But Hartman is the reason why the Irish have a shot to win on Saturday.

Notre Dame knows it. Ohio State knows it, too. Last year it felt like Notre Dame was trying to run out the clock in the first quarter. This year it doesn’t have to game plan around its quarterback play.

To me, this game feels like it’s an “if you’re ever going to beat Ohio State, this is the year” kind of matchup for Notre Dame. And that doesn’t mean Notre Dame is actually going to do it. It just makes sense that Ohio State comes back to earth this season with a new quarterback and three legit road tests, plus Penn State. Losing at Notre Dame would probably be the least punitive setback of the four.

So, am I talking myself into a Notre Dame win? I might be.

Source:  The Athletic

September 19, 2023

Cocktail of the Week

Continuing the theme of 'things I don't understand' (I'm still baffled why hotdog and bun manufacturers cannot collaborate on making their respective partner products IN THE SAME MULTIPLES)...

 

But I digress.

I never was much for motorcycles or Eastern philosophy - at least until I started making business trips to Thailand (a topic for another time).. so it's probably no surprise that the deep insights of this book went waaay over my head.

Sake, on the other hand... yes please. 

Gin And the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Zen And The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974)

By Robert M. Pirsig

Author Robert M. Pirsig claims hundreds of publishers rejected his metaphysical autobiography before, of course, it sold millions of copies and helped bridge the gap between the psychedelic '60s and the excessive '80s.

Ostensibly a road-trip tale shared by father and son, Pirsig asks deep philosophical questions about maintaining an Eastern mind-set in a Western world.  

Become one with your bar cart with this trippy gin-sake drink that'll be sure to rev up some engines.

1 oz.  gin

1 oz.  sake

1 oz.  hemp milk

1 oz.  Japanese yuzu juice (or grapefruit juice)

1 oz. simple syrup

Pull that motorcycle over -- I'm gonna need to see some ID.  

Pour all the ingredients into a shaker with ice and shake for :05.  

Strain into a coupe glass.

Source:  Are You There, God, It's Me, Margarita

More Cocktails  With a Literary TwistTwist

by Tim Federle

 Schedule 2023

Clowntime is over - time to take cover

While others just talk and talk,

Somebody's watching where the others don't walk...

August

26            Navy (Dublin, Ireland)                W

September 

2                  Tennessee State                         W                                   THE CALM BEFORE...

9                  @NC State                                  W

16                Central Michigan                       W

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

23               Ohio State

30               @Duke

October                                                                                                       THE STORM.

7                @Louisville

14                USC

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

28             @Pittsburgh 

November 

4            @Clemson                                                                                    BEFORE       

18            Wake Forest                                                                               FINISHING...  

25          @Stanford

                                                                                                        STRONG?

Wager 2023

4-0 going into Ohio State.  Just like I'm sure everyone expected.  

It's Showtime.

Wins	ND Lacrosse God	Domer
12	Kevin Corrigan   A Corrigan as national champ? Perfection.	Brian M., John P., John L.
11	Matt Kavanagh   The first of the Kavanagh clan, his career mirrors that of how an 11 win season might be construed - undeniably excellent, just not quite good enough.	Daryl, Dave M., Peter, Ray
10	Pat Kavanagh   Nobody embodies 'tough' more than this guy... suggesting a 10 win season, with all the unknowns on the team (e.g., WR's), may say more about the team's fortitude - and future - than two losses might.	Jerrence, JP,  Brian W., Bill, Ryan, Matt, Garrett, Cinco, Bucks,  Sully, Raz, Ted, Lini, Jim B.,  Spit the Elder,  Spit the Younger, Mike B., Bryan
9	Chris Kavanagh How would a 9-win season be viewed?  The guess here is "wow, that year was crazy, a little unhinged, certainly unpredictable!" Which seems to be the most perfect description of the youngest Kavanagh.	Jim S., Bob J., Gutsch, Jim T., Jerry P., Ungie, Coat Man, Alex, Mike G., George
8	Sergio Perkovic. The pride of Bloomfield Hills, arguably the Austin Carr of his era (check out sometime how he singlehandedly brought the team back in a NCAA semi-final vs. Denver). Yet no one remembers him in light of the team's recent success.  Just like no one will choose to remember an 8-win outcome.	Albert, Jerry W.,  Feif, Blair
7	Liam Entenmann 7 wins, ugh.  No one would be happy with that - yet out of it may reveal a preternatural performance or two (ala our man Liam in Philadelphia), setting up an optimistic 2024 scenario. Dare to dream.
6	Gerry Byrne   Nothing optimistic about 6 wins or less.  Just looking for someone to blame.  In this case, why not point the finger at the former 2nd in command to Corrigan, architect for a top tier defense strategy who (got tired of waiting and) left for the top job at Harvard. Not fair but so what.
5	This is lacrosse 'when it was a club sport' territory...
4	How are the fencers looking this year?

Schadenfreude of the Week

What's funny about this week is that it was hailed as the dullest batch of games of the entire season.  On paper, there practically wasn't a single game that looked remotely competitive.

Maybe if one was an experienced gambler, you saw these mega-double digit point spreads and thought, "yum, I'll have me some of that..." 

Hopefully you took the points.  Because there was a whole lot of underwhelming performances by the big favorites. Just a weird weekend everywhere.

But it also showed Jerrence that schadenfreude can be achieved even when the team doesn't lose - like when a disappointing performance infects the fanbase (and possibly the team) like a virus, with a chronic pessimism that (hopefully) portends a more sustained fall from grace.

• SEC!  SEC!   Okay, bravo Missouri, you beat K-State.  Lovely.  Now let's focus on Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee for their latest no shows.  The former two who, while winners, are suddenly wondering what happened to all the stud QB and WR's they thought they were stockpiling each year.   As for Tennessee, their performance was somewhat more predictable - after all, this was Florida's 10th straight victory at home in the series - and yet, the Vols were 11th ranked.  Kiss that lofty perch goodbye.

• J-E-T Jets!  J-E-T Jets!  As the expression goes, this isn't personal, just business:  the more you lose, the better the 2nd round draft choice the Packers get for trading you the services of A-A-Ron for (checks notes) four plays.
• Fun fact:  How many times has Packer Boy ever rooted for the Cowboys in his life? 

"What is the empty set, Alex?"

Terry's Tools

I don't know if any of you have come across some of the liquor additives that allow you to steep an alcohol for a few days, infusing it with presumably a 

new and interesting flavor profile.

Consider this week's Hall of Fame something like that...

Just when you think, damn, everyone's on their best behavior, you wait a little while and bingo! you're infused with a vast cross-section of actions that make you wonder, "In what universe was THAT ever a good idea?!" 

I am the world's forgotten boy,

The one who searches and destroys... 

1)   The Scalper.   Honestly, I thought we expunged this species of Notre Dame Tool with the last Georgia game where in a weird confluence of Georgia Meets Chicago sports, we had Braves vs. Cubs, Bulldogs vs. Irish and Falcons vs. Bears all on the same weekend -- where seemingly the entire state swarmed the city and brought nothing to wear that wasn't red...

But no.  It seemappears they're still lurking in the woodwork.  Man, if ND Stadium is another Sea of Red, someone should be searching 'n destroying.

And it needs to be said:  these aren't cheap seats to begin with.
  

2) Henry Blackburn.   First of all, do I believe that Coach Prime is intent on turning Colorado's football program into University of Miami West?  Yes I do.   And not liking it.

Am I also impressed with what's he done so far, coaching-wise? Definitely (although hold that thought for the next two weeks.)

But did Travis Hunter, CU's star 2-way player deserve to get cheap-shotted, rendering him hospitalized with an indeterminant timeline for return?  

No fucking way.

One man's opinion:  Young Mr. Blackburn should be sitting down for as long as Hunter is out.

3) Lauren Boebert.  To paraphrase former Virginia GOP representative Denver Riggleman: 

Lauren seems a bit confused about what Freedom Caucus members meant when they told her to 'reach across the aisle.'

No one is doubting you, congresswoman. 

4)  Drew Barrymore / Bill Maher.  This week's "I Call Bullsh*t!" award winners.   You may be aware that in the Entertainment industry, there is both a writers and an actors strike going on.  Blame it on the streaming-service business model, throw in a dollop of AI fear and you've got a whole lot of people saying, "fuck this!" as management makes lots of money while most of these guys are getting bubkis. 

So when these two talk show hosts - both union members - decided to say, "we're going back to work but we're really not breaking rules, crossing the union lines..." - dancing on the head of a very small ethical pin ("we're doing this for the children writers") - the condemnations came hard, fast and universal.  

So guess what happened this week, they've reconsidered their positions and will continue to sit things out.  Oh Bill, you're such a maverick. 

5)  Arik Gilbert.  Fans of recruiting - and who isn't these days - might remember this name from the 2020 class.  

The #1 TE  recruit out of Georgia that (I believe) ND recruited for a brief time, wins this week's Marvin Barnes Award for most ill-thought through burglary - going for $1,600 worth of merch at a liquor / vape store, including cigars and vaping pens.

His second time getting arrested since August.

Compounding Mr. Gilberts's troubles, Nebraska is actually school #3 for him (having washed out of both LSU and Georgia (which I'm guessing can't be easy to accomplish) so he's not going to be able to click his heels 3x and say, 'transfer portal' as he's exhausted all his freebies.

But maybe transfer options aren't at the top of his concerns right now anyway.

6)  Mel Tucker.  Is it unfair to continue to rake him over the coals?  After all, I did beat this drum last week...

Well, at least its now official that the school is going to fire his a** for cause... so let's remind everyone what exactly his 'wear your brains below your belt' strategy will cost him (other than his dignity and professional reputation), should MSU be successful:

$79 Million.

Hope it was worth it, Mel. 

Final Thought

As many of you have no doubt detected over the years, Jerrence has sacrificed some higher concept, off-the-rails creativity for the structure and efficiency of a templated approach to his blog. Each year, one considers, do I add any new sections (recognizing these posts are already approaching the length of some congressional bills.). 

One section under consideration was a 'Name of The Week' given how that Key & Peele sketch looks more like a documentary every day.  

But God forbid that Jerrence The Woke gets cancelled for something vaguely racist, which it kinda probably would be.  

But I mean, how many interesting 'Dan Smith, BYU' players are there out there?

That said, another blog section I'm not particularly keen on establishing, unfortunately, is an "In Memorium."  But it's looking, increasingly, more topical. 

 

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

I didn't know Tom terriby well - hadn't seen him for years - but what I did know, he was a really great guy.  Like so many of his Dillon dorm mates, he overcame, nay flourished beyond, the degenerate influences to which he was surely subjected on a daily basis.

You will be missed, Tom.  Rest In Peace. 

Thomas Michael Philbin

• 

Tom Philbin, a loving husband, father, son, and brother, passed away on September 12, 2023, in Plymouth, Minnesota, at the age of 65. He touched the lives of many and leaves behind a legacy that will forever resonate in the hearts of those who knew him. Tom was born on July 11, 1958, in Niles, Illinois, where he grew up as one of five children. He was a caddy during his younger years, a job that fueled his passion for golf. It also provided a framework for creating meaningful relationships, something he prioritized throughout his life. Tom attended the University of Notre Dame, where he was a proud alumnus and generous donor. Tom had a successful and fulfilling 30+ year career in the agricultural industry and served as a leader of a global sales organization. He was known as a great manager and an esteemed public speaker. His work allowed him to travel all over the world. He frequently recounted his time residing in Singapore for three years early on in his career. He always returned from his travels eager to share stories of his adventures in remote parts of Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. He was a traveler, not a tourist - a distinction he frequently noted. Tom loved visiting new countries and cities, walking the streets for hours without a map. He traveled to just about every region of the world, totaling 60 countries. Tom LOVED golf and was a true competitor. He was a student of the game and his passion for golf extended beyond the sport itself; it was a means of spending meaningful time with his friends, family, and colleagues.