Notre Dame Not as Good as Advertised

Check your facts before your type. Notre Dame was never 9-0 in 2002 as you claim. Other than you claiming that the “similarities between those two teams is astounding” - where is the evidence? Records aren’t the same, stats aren’t the same, offense is more productive, defense is less productive…where do you get off with that comment? Just like all the other dipshit commentaries from two-bit, wanna-be sportswriters, I guess it’s so because you say it’s so. No evidence needed. Because you cannot see the differences between this year’s team and the 2002 team, you don’t even deserve to be writing on the subject of college football. I’ll wait until after the Fiesta Bowl for my final commentary on your idiotic column. Don’t let your hatred show, Mikey. It’s good to be king again.

I must agree. Love ND, but they are not great—still a year or two away from competing with the best.

This 6-2 team is better than the 8-0 2002 team. The author doesn’t mention almost all the 2002 were scrappy, low margin of victory where the opponent usually shot themselve in the foot with untimely turnovers. This year the team has very healthy winning point margins. They would beat Michigan State 9 out of 10 times, and only lost in OT with a questionable turnover fumble at the goal line that should have been a touchdown. Then of course they were within a hair of beating the “unbeatable” USC. If this years team played the 2002 team, this years team would win 80% of the time.

Seriously do you actually watch college football?

Wow….what a lousy article. The entire premise is based on a comparison between this year’s squad and the one in 2002. And that premise is faulty, at best. If you don’t know that, you don’t know football…at least the two ND teams you are referencing.

Notre Dame in 2002 was a farce, losing 3 games by over 50 points by the end of the year. This year’s team has lost 2 games by 6 pts - one to USC on a questionable call and the other in OT early in the season to Mich. St.

Lets see how the Irish do in a bowl before judging. I think they can score with anyone, and that puts pressure on the other team to keep up the pace. With an improving defense this team will be ready for any BCS opponent.

And by the way - dont blame the Irish for playing ranked opponents whose seasons then fall apart later in the season (Pitt, Michigan, Purdue) Also realize that scoring 41 pts on Tennessee is no small feat. Just ask Alabama.

Wow, you’re good. Are they having a contest to draw readers to your publication? What year in journalism class did you learn that bashing ND gets you attention? Now seriously, tell us what you really think. It can’t be what you printed. You’re too smart for that.

While I appreciate your last statement, the line that states ND is the most overrated team in the country is just ill informed. What are they?? Six, seven or eight in the country depending on the poll?? To just say they are overrated is easy, why don’t you do something difficult and the top 10 and state your case.
Also, you wrote “In Notre Dame’s two losses, it has given up 964 yards and 78 points. Without Brady Quinn and the rest of the offense, it could have been long year in South Bend”. Well DUH. The same could be said that if Miami did not have the defense they had their season would not be so great.

Wow! How were you hired? That is quite possibly the worst article I have ever read! ND back in 2002 didnt even score a offensive touchdown in the first 3 games. The “D” got tons of breaks and the horrible coach ty was coaching! If you are trying to say that ND is riding high on the new coach then why isnt washington doing the same. As far as quality opponents what about Texas? I dont see you commenting on them? Tennessee is a very good team who beat LSU and has had some tough breaks this year. They had the 5th ranked defense going into the ND game and ND’s offense destroyed them. You clearly dont know what you are talking about and I am sorry for you cause you are abou to be fired!!

I especially like the comment about if “It weren’t or Brady Quinn and the rest of the offense it would of been a long year in South Bend”. Well no sh%&!! I guess you could say that about any good team. That would be like saying “If it weren’t for Matt Leinhart and Reggie Bush it would of been a long year in Los Angeles”. Or if it weren’t for Vince Young it would of been a long year in Austin. This guy obviously doens’t have a clue.

If only I hadn’t invaded Russia.

Just who exactly is Mike Griffenberg, and why do I care?

Without Quinn and the rest of the offense? 9 - 0 in 2002. Does anyone intelligent proof read your work? The MSU game was a heartbreaker, we had a great comeback only to fall short in OT. Same with USC. Who expected ND to do what they have done this year? Only optimistic ND fans. “Experts” were saying we would start 0 - 6 or 1 - 5. Each win has been convincing, the opposite of 2002 when we lucked our way to 8-0. Will we win out and win our BCS Bowl game? I think we will. If we lose in the Bowl game it has still been a great year. Making it there is quite an acheivement. You are right about the future. The recruiting class coming in looks like it will be the #1 or #2 class in the country. Weis has ND back at the top in college football.

As far as being overated…where would you rank ND? Publish that and see the responses you would get instead of just saying ND is overated.

So Andy Katzenmoyer DID change his name to Mike Griffenberg. Figures he got the w/l ratio wrong when he said it was 9-0. So did your Music Appreciation class, your Aids awareness class and golf class finally land your journalism degree for you. What a putz!

What an unbelievable idiot this so-called sports writer is!! I don’t even want to honor this joke by typing all the incredible stats and rankings N.D. has across multiple statistical categories right now. Just continue to watch the Irish over the next several years. Even THIS moron won’t be able to attempt to trash them with such disdain for the facts. Who are you anyway - Ty Willingham’s illigitimate son?

Who is this idiot? Does he not understand that Notre Dame is the class team in the NCAA? If anything this team is underrated.

Hot, on the other hand, cold; up, but pretty down; sun, but don’t be mistaken, moon; night, but having said that, day.

If you get my drift—-it’s really hard to see what your point was. They’re overrated, but don’t be mistaken, they’re pretty darn good. Huh? Your theme is rather obscure.

Hi,

Thanks for all the comments. The 9-0 has been corrected to 8-0. Let me clarify a few things. Mike Griffenberg, like everyone else here, is a volunteer fan contributor and this is soley his opinion, certainly not representative of the entire site. In fact, we have plenty of pro-ND stuff if you look around.

Secondly, while criticism is fine, insults and profane language are NOT tolerated and will be deleted.

Lastly, what about the ND hype? I think the hype surrounding them is incredible, largely just because they are ND and have Charlie Weis. Perhaps it’s just the incredible hype that Griffenberg thinks will be hard to live up to. If they don’t win a BCS bowl, it would be a disappointment. But time will tell.

Best,

Marc James
Owner & Founder

There’s no need to plow through this and point out your inaccauracies, you’ve done that yourself. I’m not sure if this a blog from a basement dwelling UM fan who’s babysitter has decided to check out CineMax for the rest of the evening, or someone who gets paid to write tripe(I’ll assume the latter).

Anybody, and that’s anybody whose brain stem hasn’t been shut off from oxygen, can see the difference between 2005 ND and 2002 ND can see the difference.

Great article - if it was written by a 7 year-old who discovered his parents’ unlocked liquor cabinet.

You should perform some research before you put word to screen. The 2002 and 2005 Irish teams are as polar opposite as can be. This team wins by getting the most out of its talent, following a superior gameplan, and playing with a noticeable toughness.

Lionel Willingham’s squad was poorly coached, had no offensive gameplan despite superior talent, and played hard until the end of the season when they folded like a cheap suit.

In support of your contention that ND’s defense is weak this year, you fail to mention the most important statistic which is points allowed. ND’s defense fares quite well in this regatd.

The rest of your argument boils down to arguments analagous to “If my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle”

Terrible, terrible, terrible…

1. If you can’t see the difference between Ty’s 8-0 smoke and mirrors start and Weis’ 6-2 start, stop reading now. What I’m going to say henceforth will make you go cross-eyed.

2. Instead of taking away SC, why don’t you take away Purdue or Tennessee and see what the record is then. How do you justify “taking away” a game? What a stupid argument.

3. Without Quinn and the rest of the offense, this would be a long year for the Irish. You don’t say? I’m willing to bet if SC didn’t have any offense, they’d be winless. It would be tough to beat even Temple without having any offensive possessions don’t you think?

4. The most overrated team in the country is Alabama. They have one quality win over a very shaky Florida squad. They have embarrassing victories over Tennessee (6-3!), Ole Miss, etc. Case closed. Watch ‘Bama lose out.

5. Michigan State isn’t overrated. They’d have to be at least ranked to be overrated. In any case, sometimes a team has its A game and surprises a better team. Hell, Arizona nearly did it to USC, and then they did do it to UCLA. If results were 100% predictable, this sport wouldn’t be very interesting. However, the way ND played the two-time champs pretty much nullifies the MSU argument. Chalk it up as one of those days where the stars aligned for the Spartans and not the Irish.

6. Best game against Michigan? That may have been ND’s worst. The offense was terrible, and Quinn was off all day. Fortunately, UM was just a little worse. Anyway, had the Wolverines won that game, they’d be 7-2 and you wouldn’t be saying they’re underachieving. Either way, the Michigan team I’ve been watching the past few years has been dropping three a year, so I’d say it’s status quo in Ann Arbor.

7. The schedule is weak? Geez I guess that’s ND’s fault. It would be one thing if the Irish were squeaking by. However, they’re throttling everybody they play. A lot of the yards the defense has given up have come after the Irish are up big and the opposing offense must throw on every down. Some of those yards have in fact come after ND has dropped back into a vanilla base defense because the contest is decided. You’re letting statistics dictate your thinking. Ask Matt Leinart, Dwayne Jarrett, and Reggie Bush if they think the stats on ND’s defense are indicative of its abilities.

In short, I’m pretty sure if anybody asked you what a cover two man was, you’d retort that it’s a really big blanket. Learn the game of football, then write about it.