Your favorite team often falls into the part of your brain
where the concept of "balance" is foreign.
It's kinda like your kids...you love them unconditionally!
They screw up..sure your disappointed, but it doesn't make
you love them less!
They succeed..your pride is often displayed by a a natural glow
coming from your face...along with a devilish grin that a surgeon
couldn't remove!
When it comes to our BELOVED IRISH...well, that takes
me to the dilemma of, am I too "optimistic" and
are my expectations "realistic"?
This season has reminded me of a Christmas special
with beautiful ladies, awesome music, incredible stage
decorations...then halfway through you realize your
host for the evening is Charles Manson!
You're deflated...your excitement is tempered and you
just don't know how the ending is gonna go,
but your not quite as excited as you
were when the whole thing started!
Stanford
Home of the overly educated...eccentric and not quite
as funny as they think they are, really geeky band!
Oh...and the no. 8 Stanford Football team.
Stanford is no joke!
They've played a really odd mix of games this season.
They somehow figured out how to lose to
Utah...who is 4-7!
Then they completely DESTROYED the
Ducks who are 9-2
Then with the exit of Lane Kiffen the Trojans
have pretty much beat the hell outta everyone
they've played including Stanford..but not ND??
So the Cardinal?...who are they?
Well they are a 9-2 team ranked top ten in the country
who has:
1. Played a TOP 5 Strength of Schedule!
2. Their Defense is 22nd in the country
-but 101st vs the pass!
-and 3rd vs the run!
3. Their Offense is 69th in the country
-32nd rushing the ball!
-90th passing the ball!
So what does that all mean?
It means lets be "optimistic"
"But Damefan are you sure?"
Look I'm from Ohio...I've lived with OVERLY optimistic,
yet WILDLY un-realistic people my entire life!
I know the difference!
Well...I'm here to talk to you about why we should be:
"OPTIMISTIC"
1. IF...IF we establish the run we can control the game!
-Stanford is not a great pass defense, but if they
know your passing the ball every down they
will drop eight and make it very hard for us!
BALANCE!
Coach Martin will have to call a good game!
2. IF..IF we show up on defense!
-Stanford can run the ball...control the run,
force them to pass, which they are not great
at and you control the game!
JARRON JONES and TUITT and FOX and CARLO
will all have to have the games of their year!
3. IF...IF we don't turn the ball over!
But is it "realistic"?
I mean...they've played tougher teams!
They've seen "elite" speed!
We are BEAT UP...and have several starters out!
It's at their house!
They are still dumb enough to think this was a TD!
Things have just not gone our way this year?
But....this is why they play the game..
This is why the IRISH have the word "FIGHTING" in
their name!
This is our chance....will we RISE UP...or get beat down?
Are we "optimistic" with good reason?
Or are we just not being "realistic"?
Well my brothers and sisters...it's gonna be about the
"X's and O's" of the game...
ND-One of only 3 teams with 3 wins over
BCS top 25 teams!
ND-has two wins over BCS top 12 teams!
ND-had played 7 top 50 defenses and is 4-3
Stanford- has played 3 top 50 defenses and is 2-1
Stanford- has played 6 top 50 offenses and is 4-2
ND has played 2...and is 2-0
You know what...I'm not really sure what it all means....but
it seems to me that this is gonna be one hell of a game!
What this means to me...in a season playing with a QB
that was never recruited to be the starter, and with
the amount of injuries we've experienced....Hell I'm not mad at ya!
Just imagine what happens next year!
For that my friends I'm very OPTIMISTIC
and that feeling is very REALISTIC!
GO IRISH and GOD BLESS!
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