Sorry for the delays in coverage, but I'm getting destroyed by a steady pile of papers due over the next two weeks.  Once December 11th rolls around, I'll be more or less finished with the most difficult projects of the semesters, finals be damned, but first we must get there.  

3-9!  3-9!  3-9!

The Stanford game contained the usual sloppy play we've come to expect from the Irish this season, although it certainly got an added jolt from the multi-lateral, half-ending touchdown (that got called back) and David Grimes' beyond amazing touchdown catch (which somehow got overturned except all evidence pointing to the fact it was a touchdown).  I questioned the efforts of this team, and I think that bell was answered, as everyone let it all on the field for a second straight game.  There were obviously poor tackling angles, a myriad of blown blocking assignments and the litany of turnovers, but they were made up for in other areas.  For the third time this season, we've sat back and let the other team simply out-suck us, which might not be the prettiest way to win, but it works for this young team.

Jimmy Clausen's play was not inspiring, as he reverted back to jogging out of bounds twenty yards behind the line of scrimmage instead of throwing it away (he did this once, I believe) and throwing a horrendous, unforgivable interception when he was going down in a sack.  These get called "freshman mistakes," but that implies you can do these things in high school.  This isn't a speed-of-the-game issue, but just dumb mistakes you don't make at any level.  How many yards were lost on Saturday because Clausen didn't toss the ball away, sometimes not under direct pressure, and instead ran out of bounds?  It's not like this can't be corrected, but let's not go lauding the efforts of JC for a bunch of really dumb errors.

If Matt Saracen isn't making these mistakes, Jimmy Clausen shouldn't be either. Eric Taylor as offensive coordinator?

Tom Zbikowski, after a season of us questioning his play, put together his best game in probably two seasons.  The key interception at the beginning, a few great tackles, showing his speed off during the punt and interception return.  For all of Weis' supposed genius, it amazes me he never found a way to get Zibby involved in offense, on a reverse, bubble screen, pitch or even a quick option play.  Sometimes he seems like he's so good at doing everything other than playing defense, you wonder why Weis didn't improvise a bit.  All of that being said, if Zibby gets awarded All-American status, you can expect that to become the first piece of evidence I point to when trying to argue the people who vote for awards in college football should not be allowed to do so.

I say this in anger because you know Trevor Laws will not be receiving such accolades, despite obviously deserving them.  He's knocked down field goal kicks, low passes, running backs and quarterbacks over the course of this season at an amazing rate.  The awful announcers spent a minute or two just extolling his virtues, putting him over Glen Dorsey, which was a pleasant, but meaningless, surprise.  When the All-American team is announced, your first string will have Chris Long (because he's good and the son of Howie Long) and Glen Dorsey (because everyone thinks he's had a great year, although injuries have led to him aiding and abetting the collapse of LSU's defense down the stretch) for sure, and then some combination of Calais Campbell, Sedrick Ellis, Vernon Gholston or Laurence Jackson.  Laws, because he didn't have the preseason hype of these other guys, will not move into the conversation just like it will be hard for other deserving safeties to usurp Zbikowski because they didn't get the preseason accolades.  It's a stupid, unfair system, but Laws will get rewarded when the NFL Draft rolls around and anytime he wants a meal in South Bend on any visits he makes.

Steady progress from the kids, as Robert Hughes and Duval Kamara put on quite a show.  The Evolution of Golden Tate (sounds like a series of young adult novels, no?) will hopefully continue quickly over the offseason, but I wonder why he didn't get more of the quick hit types over the course of the season to complement the long ball.  One worry that's slowly occurred to me is that despite our plethora of tight ends coming into the season, we're left rather inexperienced at the position once John Carlson moves onto more professional pastures.  The one position Weis has had little trouble with in his offense is that of tight end, and the talent is certainly there, but nobody really shined as an underclassman.

All in all, a fittingly ugly, anachronism of a victory, and now the only thing the Irish football faithful have to look forward to in the coming weeks is whether or not Weis can hold onto his recruiting class.  We'll get into the expectations for next season and position-by-position reviews from this season (Sneak peak: not pretty) in the weeks ahead, but for now savor the pageantry, hard hits and shitty officiating of one last Notre Dame game.

Continued Excellence

In a far bigger victory secured by an Irish team Saturday, the women's soccer team upset top-seeded, defending national champion North Carolina 3-2 in Chapel Hill.  The Tar Heels were defending champs due to their 2-1 victory over the Irish in last season's title game, and after the two teams tied in a preseason exhibition, the stage was set for Saturday's tournament rematch.  The Irish scored two goals in the span for fifteen seconds in the first half, then held off the UNC attack to secure the victory and a berth in the Elite Eight.

Although the Irish were only the four seed in their bracket after some early season injuries and inconsistencies caused some early losses, they will be hosting the national quarterfinal match-up due to what I fondly refer to as Bracket Chaos.  With the two and three seed going down in upsets, the Duke Blue Devils have emerged from the lower half of the bracket, giving Notre Dame the chance to run through both prominent Tobacco Road teams on their way to their third final four in the last four seasons.  The game is at 7:00 on Friday night at Alumni Field, and even though it will be so cold you'll want to kill yourself, snowsuit up, drink to the point you can feel your extremities anyway and head over.  In case you needed a reminder, this is why Duke sucks:

Going Bowling

Saturday is obviously a huge day, as the last pieces are set in place for all the bowls, including the mythical national championship game.  As you know, if Missouri and West Virginia win, they'll be in New Orleans, but the way this season is going, it would be more surprising if both of them won.  The Tigers are probably lamenting the news Skip Bayless is in firm belief they're winning Saturday night, as nothing guarantees failure like support from the worst sports analyst in the world.  While those are the obvious implications, some other questions about the shifting that could occur Saturday and beyond:

~ If Boston College wins the ACC Championship, they'll be headed to the Orange Bowl.  Lose?  Their most likely destination is the Champ Sports Bowl, an ugly, pre-New Years date with either Penn State or Michigan.  Virginia Tech will got to the Orange, the Gator will snap up Virginia and the Peach Bowl will take considerably closer Clemson, leaving the Eagles to tumble down, down, down.  Of course, they can continue their run of bowl victories in mid to lower-tier games, with their current streak containing wins in the Aloha, Music City, Motor City, San Francisco, Continental Tire, MPC Computers and Meineke Car Care Bowls.  Granted, it's not the place of an Irish fan to make fun of anyone else's bowl record, especially when that record is rather immaculate in the 21st century, but the Eagles need this Orange Bowl just to add some legitimacy to their season.

~ If LSU wins, they're going to New Orleans, either for the Sugar Bowl or with the outside shot of slipping into the mythical national championship game.  Lose?  They tumble all the way out of the BCS, with Rocky Top and Georgia taking up the two SEC spots.  Although I certainly think the Tigers should be in the discussion should both WVU and Mizzou lose Saturday, this insistence by some (see: Les Miles) that if there wasn't overtime they'd be undefeated is ridiculous.  There is overtime, and therefore it must be factored in.  If Kansas didn't play an awful non-conference schedule, they still might be in the hunt, or if LSU got to play in the ACC instead of the SEC, they'd still probably be undefeated.  Hypotheticals are pointless this late in the game.  LSU lost at home to a four-loss team (although Arkansas was snakebitten in close games all season, and probably due) and was lucky that was their only loss in the Bayou, as Auburn and Florida were both dangerously close to sending Les Miles to a four or five-loss season in his finale as Bayou Bengals head coach.  If Rocky Top's marching band isn't playing "Hail To The Victors" Saturday late afternoon, something is definitely wrong.

~ If Ohio State moves up into the championship game, it's your typical issue of pro vs. con.  On the fun side, their defense will probably get scorched like it did last year against Florida and earlier this season against Illinois by the Mountaineers spread option.  On the downside of things, the Rose Bowl will most likely pull Illinois up to fill the slot versus Southern Cal*, thus depriving us all of the Zook vs. Florida Capital One Bowl.  That game is good for Gator fans as far as catharsis goes and good for all other fans because of the involvement of Tebow, Harvin, Juice, Mendenhall and Benn.  Besides, shouldn't we get a little preview of the Ohio State/Southern Cal home-and-home that's starting next season?

~ After condemning hypotheticals above, allow me to indulge in one: Hawaii torches Washington, despite the fact this is a typical Game Tyrone Willingham Would Win, and LSU wins the SEC Championship in dominating fashion but doesn't go to the title game.  Mizzou and West Virginia both lose, putting Ohio State against one of the two-loss teams, be that Georgia, Southern Cal or Oklahoma.  Hawaii defeats LSU in the Sugar Bowl while Ohio State loses to the two-loss team.  Even with their atrocious schedule, does Hawaii then earn a share of the national title, undefeated with wins over Boise State and LSU, along with a two-loss team?  The odds of all this happening are slim-to-none, but it's interesting to think about.

~ Although the chances of an upset in Saturday's Backyard Brawl are small, I think it'll be worth tuning in for just because West Virginia will be going to extreme measures to make sure no one jumps them in the polls by making a statement against Dave Wannstedt's crew.  Remember how Pitt went to the Fiesta Bowl the year before Wanny took over?  They haven't been bowl eligible since, and I'm sure the White/Slaton combination will do whatever it takes to keep them that way in 2007.

~ If this season has taught us anything, it is to truly expect the unexpected, so victories by Pitt, UCLA or Tennessee, as crazy as they seem in varying degrees, should not be met with jaw agape but instead a knowing smile and disbelieving shake of the head.  In my advanced age I've realized no amount of BCS chaos will result in the immediate addition of a playoff system, but I still enjoy carnage wrought at the top of polls at the end of the season.

* - This is my attempt at jinxing the Trojans into a loss Saturday.  Hopefully by adding an asterisk I don't strip it of all its abilities.