Mark May

Alright...it's clobberin' time... :box

Hate ND if you want, but give credit where credit is due.

No one in almost 3 seasons has hung with USC the way ND had last week. 2 National Champs, 3 legit Heisman candidates, 27 straight victories and an average margin of victory of over 30 points heading into the game...and they pulled out a win in the last 7 seconds on a couple of questionable calls (I thought the calls were ultimately irrevelant as a fan and probably correct, but being controversial, I would see how it would sway some pollsters to have a favorable view of the game in ND's favor).

And if you hadn't seen the game, try to catch it on replay, it was one fine football game. I would hope Husker fans would recognize a quality football team when they see one.

As for the polls...

Losses suck, but just like this year's TTU game for NU, ND played a great game even if the score wasn't in their favor - as one writer put it "ND looked better in a loss than Alabama in a win".

When NU lost to TTU, I was sorta pissed we didn't get any love from the Polls, myself. I know some posters here thought a ranking would be premature but I think we deserved at least a Top 25 ranking based on the performance (certainly if Tenn at 3-2 can be ranked, a 1-loss NU can be ranked when that loss is by 3 against a Top 10 team that blew us out by 60 last year but was held to 24 points under their average scoring).

That being said, in relation to the comparisons to the ND/USC game. Despite the fact that both games were, ironically, decided at the last minute by the same score (31-34), I don't think any college football fan would put TTU and USC in the same category of competition, however, so comparisons are unfair here to both teams.

As for Mark May...I'm surprised at the support for this tool. He's always been a hater and that's clouded his judgement a ton. Keep in mind that May was the guy who predicted:

1. ND would start off 0-6

2. USC would "hang 50" on ND

3. ND would lose to Washington(???) by 20

Not to mention his constant insisting of Tyrone Willingham's firing as being "racially motivated".

In a way, he's right...it was "racially" motivated...ND wanted to be in the NC race again at some point this generation.

Then again, maybe he just wanted to keep ND down with inferior coaching...who knows?

As for Lou - yeah, he's a Domer Homer...but take note of his commentary on any game (especially ND"s opponents). He *always* says something positive about teams and frames games in terms of "good vs better" instead of "good vs bad".

A team gets blown out 40-0, he'll talk about the victor's "fine defensive effort" not the loser's "anemic and impotent offense". A little soft touch, perhaps? Sure...but in an era full of Wilbons and Romes, sometimes it's nice to hear something more sportsmanlike from an analyst and not just controversy-stirring smack designed to increase ratings.

May just bashes, and when it comes to ND, he bashes irrationally.

And by the way, if you think everyone else is crazy, that firmly puts your own sanity in question, does it not? :P

IRISH!

GBR!

-ps This topic should probably be in More Sports...

 
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Irish, so we're supposed to give credit for a loss, just because it's SC? What about Arizona State? Where is their credit?

But please point me in the direction of a quality team that Notre Dame has played and beat. Seems to me they've beaten up on the little unranked teams, but when it comes time to play SC, Michigan State, they can't find a win.

So is a top 10 ranking worthy of beating up on a near .500 Michigan squad, a horrible Washington team, giving up 21 points to a Pitt team that could barely put up points against us? Or how about a Purdue team that has dropped 4 straight?

Oh wait, I forgot, they played with SC so they deserve that top 10 ranking.

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while. So who really cares what they did?

 
Not to mention that Michigan state hung up a boat load of points on them. Somewhere in the neighborhood of what Nebraska has given up the entire year. I think that Nebraska would have a legitimate shot of beating Notre Dame, even at Notre Dame, and I certainly dont think that they are a top ten team.

 
I think it was Steward Mandel on SI who wrote that ranking football teams is an inherently illogical process, especially at the mid-point of the season. A couple things to remember about ND, they started off playing most of their games on the road, and I think much of the respect ND gets in the polls right now is not just because they're ND, but because they're coach is Charlie Wies. The guy gives instant credibility to the program. We can whine about the ratings now, but by the end of the season everything will be much clearer, and frankly, that's the only time it matters.

 
Actually the end rankings will not tell us much.

Look at their schedule from here on out. What challenges do they really have besides a Tennessee squad, and ever there I'm not really sure. That team is so confused thanks to Phillip Fullmer changing QB's more than you change your underwear.

 
Generally I like Mark May. He plugs Nebraska when the occasion arises. The other ones can pack sand, especially Holtz. That guy needs to be smacked around a little.

Just listening to his commentary makes me gag. it's almost like he's high on himself.

 
Alright...it's clobberin' time... :box
Hate ND if you want, but give credit where credit is due.

No one in almost 3 seasons has hung with USC the way ND had last week. 2 National Champs, 3 legit Heisman candidates, 27 straight victories and an average margin of victory of over 30 points heading into the game...and they pulled out a win in the last 7 seconds on a couple of questionable calls (I thought the calls were ultimately irrevelant as a fan and probably correct, but being controversial, I would see how it would sway some pollsters to have a favorable view of the game in ND's favor).

And if you hadn't seen the game, try to catch it on replay, it was one fine football game. I would hope Husker fans would recognize a quality football team when they see one.

As for the polls...

Losses suck, but just like this year's TTU game for NU, ND played a great game even if the score wasn't in their favor - as one writer put it "ND looked better in a loss than Alabama in a win".

When NU lost to TTU, I was sorta pissed we didn't get any love from the Polls, myself.  I know some posters here thought a ranking would be premature but I think we deserved at least a Top 25 ranking based on the performance (certainly if Tenn at 3-2 can be ranked, a 1-loss NU can be ranked when that loss is by 3 against a Top 10 team that blew us out by 60 last year but was held to 24 points under their average scoring).

That being said, in relation to the comparisons to the ND/USC game. Despite the fact that both games were, ironically, decided at the last minute by the same score (31-34), I don't think any college football fan would put TTU and USC in the same category of competition, however, so comparisons are unfair here to both teams.

As for Mark May...I'm surprised at the support for this tool. He's always been a hater and that's clouded his judgement a ton. Keep in mind that May was the guy who predicted:

1. ND would start off 0-6

2. USC would "hang 50" on ND

3. ND would lose to Washington(???) by 20

Not to mention his constant insisting of Tyrone Willingham's firing as being "racially motivated".

In a way, he's right...it was "racially" motivated...ND wanted to be in the NC race again at some point this generation.

Then again, maybe he just wanted to keep ND down with inferior coaching...who knows?

As for Lou - yeah, he's a Domer Homer...but take note of his commentary on any game (especially ND"s opponents). He *always* says something positive about teams and frames games in terms of "good vs better" instead of "good vs bad".

A team gets blown out 40-0, he'll talk about the victor's "fine defensive effort" not the loser's "anemic and impotent offense". A little soft touch, perhaps? Sure...but in an era full of Wilbons and Romes, sometimes it's nice to hear something more sportsmanlike from an analyst and not just controversy-stirring smack designed to increase ratings.

May just bashes, and when it comes to ND, he bashes irrationally.

And by the way, if you think everyone else is crazy, that firmly puts your own sanity in question, does it not? :P

IRISH!

GBR!

-ps This topic should probably be in More Sports...
Click to expand...
I think that the problem is partialy because N.D. is starting to win and getting instant credit for it. We are also starting to win and are getting little to no respect. We are having to earn it with baby steps . The Irish win and get it thrust upon them.

I respect the fact that your team is getting back where they belong. Just hard to watch the poles and know that there is a double standard.

 
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Didn't Cal almost beat USC last year. If I remember correctly, Rodgers had a chance on the last drive to knock off USC but his last pass was incomplete. Plus, I think they had a few other close calls the past couple of years.

 
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