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Fiesta Bowl: Irish-Buckeyes

ARod2212

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ARod2212 First Round Pick

ARod2212

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/preview?gameId=260020194

 

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Think college football, and these two storied programs are sure to come to mind: The Big Ten brutes of Ohio State and the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.

 

Just a couple of hundred miles apart, they have met only four times -- twice in the 1930s and twice in the '90s -- and never in a bowl game. Against that backdrop, the fourth-ranked Buckeyes face the fifth-ranked Irish on Monday in the Fiesta Bowl.

 

"I think it adds a lot to this game," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said Sunday. "We've only played four times before in our history and the two great programs, here we are in one of the great settings in college football. I think it adds a little something to the intrigue."

 

Charlie Weis has the Irish back among the elite in one year and he's already dodging questions about a possible national title run next season. The perfectionist that he is, though, makes a 9-2 season not good enough.

 

"I'm content with the progress the team has made. I'm content and I'm happy for my staff and I'm happy for the players," Weis said. "I'm happy for our administration and I'm happy for the university. But to be honest with you, I think I blew the two games we lost. So I'm not happy personally."

 

The Irish losses were 44-41 to Michigan State in overtime and 34-31 to No. 1 USC on Matt Leinart's 1-yard run with three seconds left.

 

"When you play two games that you lose by three points, when you're the head coach you better take that responsibility," Weis said. "So if you're looking for me to do cartwheels, you'll be waiting a long time."

 

Each team will get about $14.5 million for appearing in this BCS game. Ohio State must share its money with the rest of its conference. Notre Dame, as an independent, keeps it all.

 

Rev. John I. Jenkins, the university's president, said it will be spent on student financial aid, library acquisitions and scientific instruments for the new Jordan Hall of Science. The football program is very good to the university.

 

As for the game itself, on the surface it would seem the big matchup would be Notre Dame's strong offense, directed by junior quarterback Brady Quinn, against Ohio State's powerful defense, anchored by A.J. Hawk, winner of the Lombardi Award as the nation's top defensive lineman or linebacker.

 

Interestingly, Quinn's sister Laura is dating Hawk, a relationship serious enough that Hawk spent the Christmas holiday at the Quinns' family home.

 

"Laura has given us all sorts of information on what Ohio State has done," Weis joked. "She's done a great job of feeding us information."

 

Seriously, though, the Buckeyes' defense is the best Notre Dame has faced, Weis said.

 

"We have gone against some good defenses," he said. "It's no secret that the University of Tennessee's defense was very, very good this year. Ohio State is good on all three levels. Sometimes you have a dynamic front four, or a rock solid secondary, but they're good on all levels."

 

While little has been said of Notre Dame's defense versus Ohio State's offense, Weis singled out Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith for concern.

 

"He worried me most of anybody on their team," Weis said. "What scares me is anytime you have a quarterback, and especially a quarterback who started out with a reputation of being a runner first, and a thrower second, and now has reversed those roles, you have a problem."

 

Smith, suspended from the Alamo Bowl last year and the opener this season for accepting $500 from a booster, has come back to lead his team with improved production as this year progressed. In the regular-season finale, a 25-21 victory at Michigan, Ohio State trailed 21-12 with 7:49 to play, but Smith engineered touchdown drives of 69 and 88 yards.

 

He completed 7 of 8 passes on the winning drive and finished with a career-high 300 yards passing.

 

"He knows he's a passer first and runner second, and that's the toughest thing to teach a quarterback that has athleticism to realize that," Weis said. "I think he's learned that, and you can see him evolve from the beginning of the year to the end of the year where he now understands that he'll run when he has to, not when he wants to."

 

Tressel said Smith has that undefinable something that makes him a natural leader.

 

"He's got something about him that people enjoy following," the Ohio State coach said. "I don't think you can be followed if you don't produce, and he produces. He's got a certain confidence and aura about himself that, hey, if you guys will follow me, we have a chance, and I think he's grown a lot."

 

The quarterbacks are both from Ohio, Smith from Cleveland and Quinn from Dublin, a short drive from the Ohio State campus. Smith is sixth nationally in passing efficiency, Quinn fourth.

 

Quinn emerged from two years of struggle under Tyrone Willingham to thrive in the Patriots' complicated offense installed by Weis.

 

"This system has allowed us to play to a lot of the strengths of our players," Quinn said. "Coach Weis has brought a lot of guys along. I think you've seen so much more productivity out of Maurice Stovall than in past years, and Jeff Samardzija and different players like that."

 

Ohio State is a 4?-point favorite.

 

Weis said that's baloney.

 

"We're no underdog," he said. "We got two great football teams. I don't worry about underdog, point spread, those things are irrelevant to me. You have two teams that both have an equal chance of winning."

 

This has all the makings of an awesome game, I can't wait for kickoff.

See Red FCL Red Sox

See Red

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Give Weis two weeks to formulate a gameplan and you're screwed... imagine him with a month. Scary. I got a good feeling about this game for my Irish!
See Red FCL Red Sox

See Red

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Are the Notre Dame coaches completely unaware that their Defensive Line sucks and if they don't blitz they get absolutely no pressure?

 

Saved by a fumble.

ORS All-Star

ORS

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I can't wait to see what Vince Young does against the USC D, because Quinn isn't doing much..

Yeah, Wednesday night should be fun. Young had a very solid game against this Buckeye defense.

 

Passing

18/29 270 2/2 (IIRC, one was tipped then picked)

 

Rushing

20 for 76

 

If ND was able to put up 400+ yards and 30+ points against USC, but has been limited to 150 and 7 in the first half, then you have think Texas won't have too much trouble putting points on the board against USC. Especially since teams have been successful running on the Trojans this year, and Texas moves the ball on the ground very well.

AlexanderTheGreat13 First Round Pick

AlexanderTheGreat13

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Yeah, Wednesday night should be fun. Young had a very solid game against this Buckeye defense.

 

Passing

18/29 270 2/2 (IIRC, one was tipped then picked)

 

Rushing

20 for 76

 

If ND was able to put up 400+ yards and 30+ points against USC, but has been limited to 150 and 7 in the first half, then you have think Texas won't have too much trouble putting points on the board against USC. Especially since teams have been successful running on the Trojans this year, and Texas moves the ball on the ground very well.

I see Young having a HUGE day against USC. Similar to the day he had against Michigan last year. He had like 5 total TD's. I still dont know if that will be enough to take down USC.

ORS All-Star

ORS

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I see Young having a HUGE day against USC. Similar to the day he had against Michigan last year. He had like 5 total TD's. I still dont know if that will be enough to take down USC.

Texas is the first team they will face this year that has good enough athletes in the secondary to play on an island, allowing them to go with 7 or 8 in the box to try and stop Bush or pressure Leinart, and what's his name, the Horn's D-Coordinator (Auburn's from last year), is aggressive. That said, I still think both teams crack 30 in a close game.

AlexanderTheGreat13 First Round Pick

AlexanderTheGreat13

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Texas is the first team they will face this year that has good enough athletes in the secondary to play on an island, allowing them to go with 7 or 8 in the box to try and stop Bush or pressure Leinart, and what's his name, the Horn's D-Coordinator (Auburn's from last year), is aggressive. That said, I still think both teams crack 30 in a close game.

I agree, it will be a high scoring close game. As for the OSU game A.J. Hawk is putting on a show.

See Red FCL Red Sox

See Red

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OSU wraps it up. ND's defense was a joke. Troy Smith was so clutch down the strech.

 

Yep. The gameplan was bad, and the talent just wasn't there on the Defensive Line.

 

Oh well, I believe Notre Dame has the 4th best recruiting class so far. :D

 

The future looks bright.

schillingouttheks All-Star

schillingouttheks

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He plays for Belmont Hill, a very good athletic private school in Belmont, MA. He's unbelievable. He has blazing speed, good hands, good discipline, he's a good fit for Notre Dame. My school has played his in football (we are HUGE rivals), and we played at BC's Alumni Stadium this year against them. Basically, if it weren't for Gallup, they lose that game. The kid is electric, and Notre Dame is very lucky to have him. 4 year scholarship for football, well deserved too. In high school, he alters between tail back and wide receiver, but really, if he's in the backfield, they run the ball, and if he's a receiver, they throw it. The kid's nasty, if I were a Notre Dame fan I'd be pretty excited.
AlexanderTheGreat13 First Round Pick

AlexanderTheGreat13

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Yep. The gameplan was bad, and the talent just wasn't there on the Defensive Line.

 

Oh well, I believe Notre Dame has the 4th best recruiting class so far. :D

 

The future looks bright.

I believe ND will be playing again in the Fiesta Bowl next year. But they will lose again to Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns. That is if Vince Young comes back.( I believe the fiesta bowl will be the National Title game right?)

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ORS

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I believe ND will be playing again in the Fiesta Bowl next year. But they will lose again to Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns. That is if Vince Young comes back.( I believe the fiesta bowl will be the National Title game right?)

Fiesta sounds right.

 

2004 - Sugar: LSU over OU

2005 - Orange: USC over OU

2006 - Rose: USC vs. UT

eZ_d0eS_iT College Ball

eZ_d0eS_iT

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well a share of the title is better than nothing, but i can't say i'm too optimistic heading into next year. we'll see how petey is as a recruiter and evaluator of talent after having this core group for the last 3 years. one positive note is we have mainly underclassmen on the defensive side of the ball getting valuable experience this year and looking to be better next year.
See Red FCL Red Sox

See Red

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I wouldn't be too worried. From what I've read, John David Booty has more talent than Leinart -- not sure how true that is, though -- but I know the kid can play.

 

If Lendale White returns, should be looking towards a 4-peat.

 

Quick question, though. Is Jeff Byers starting for them at Center? I got to watch him play some in High School (Football and Basketball, actually)

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