Redemption Day for Notre Dame Football

There is plenty of talk about how college football builds character and the evidence was on display at yesterday's Music City Bowl. Notre Dame won as embattled QB Everett Golson made key pass completions to set up the winning FG by equally struggling kicker Kyle Brindza. The ability of these two young men to make use of this second chance shows just how powerful college sports can be. And players were not the only ones taking advantage of second chances. Coach Brian Kelly admitted after the game that he did his job better yesterday than he did in November. And he was right. And the entire program needed this win badly to show that it can compete with the powers of the SEC West. The last time they played LSU was disastrous as was the last time they played the SEC. This win, even in a secondary bowl, will help eliminate some doubts should the Irish be in competition for a final four spot. They certainly proved that the talent level is high (that they were as talented as they are seemed to surprise the Tigers who must watch ESPN for scouting reports). As for LSU this game, as with any game the SEC plays out of conference, does not really matter. Sure some fans are beating up Les Miles but LSU is LSU. They can pull an insane amount of talent and have a set path to the national playoffs by being a conference power. They need to get the offense more balance and improve the entire run defense. As for me, I had fun at the game even though I bruised my hand with an excited thrust into the air that clipped a low-hanging ceiling. Nashville is a great town and I enjoyed showing it and big-time football to my nine-year-old, who is used to--and has fun at--games played in the Bronx or West Point. Next up for her is a game at LSU or ND.

Music City Bowl

Here in Nashville for an intriguing match-up--well, it would be if the game was played next September. While both teams are talented, especially with young up-and-coming players, they have had mixed results this year. Notre Dame is especially reeling after its late-season collapse and will have to prove from the opening kickoff that they can hang with an SEC power. They will get some of their key performers back from injury, which helps. LSU sometimes plays down to the level of their opponent, especially when unmotivated, as we saw last season when they struggled to put away an expected-to-be-outclassed Iowa squad in the Outback Bowl. Playing Notre Dame is usually motivation enough. This game could get out of hand early, especially with new Irish QB Malik Zaire's inexperience, but should the Irish play like they did versus Florida State then we have a chance to see two potential top ten teams and playoff contenders for next year in an evenly matched struggle. One can hope.

New Wisconsin Quarterback

Wisconsin is a program that needs respect. They play football the right way and despite zero advantage in recruiting can still compete for Big Ten titles and January bowl games on a seemingly annual basis. And yet who says boo about the Badgers? The program is still transitioning into new coach Gary Andersen's vision--you will not recognize the defense this year--and one of the key components of that is the quarterback position. Now starting for the Badgers is Tanner McEvoy, who is athletic enough to have started three games at safety last year and best represents the dual-threat look Wisconsin now wants at the position. His reward? LSU on August 30th. I would bet that last year's starter Joel Stave will play some, especially if they need to air it out, but for now McEvoy is the man. All of us fellow graduates of Bergen Catholic High School are proud. Of course the main feature of Wisconsin's offense is star back Melvin Gordon and it will be interesting to see how he fares against the Tigers. LSU was run on last year and while they have talent in the front seven it remains to be seen if they can improve on last season's mediocre efforts at run defense. Gordon will be quite the challenge. The other challenge for an LSU program that has lost an incredible amount of the talent the past two seasons will be getting the youngsters ready to go on August 30 against a quality opponent. They too will have a new quarterback and may well go with both soph Anthony Jennings, who showed flashes last year off the bench, and frosh Brandon Harris. The main focus for fans of college football recruiting will be superstar recruit Leonard Fournette, who combination of speed and size is resonant of some of the great big backs in college football history. This is one of those games that will be fun to watch for both the quality of the effort and the unleashing of talent, new and old. I believe that the game goes down the wire and it will have major ramifications for the Big Ten come December if the Badgers can pull off the slight upset in Houston.

What We Learned Yesterday

Being that it is 1am here, Monday morning, I am referring to Saturday's slate of college games (although I would love to discuss the Giants big win in Philly).

LSU is looking more and more like the team to beat. They had an impressive September and have enough D talent to scare any team. West Virginia did rally a bit until they forgot that special teams play requires actual tackling and not two-hand touch. And Jarrett Lee will screw up somewhere, but based on the actual play on the field the Tigers have been the nation's most impressive team.

For one half, Texas A&M looked to be their match in their dominant performance against Oklahoma State. But then the Cowboys returned from the break to officially send the Aggies to the SEC with a 30-minute ass-whipping. That the Aggies stuck around until the end bodes well for the rest of their season, but it was still better being in Okie State's shows at game's end.

I'll breakdown the other top teams in a conference-by-conference analysis beginning tomorrow.

Is LSU the Worst Coached Team in America?

Can any football fan imagine a team coached by Mack Brown, Joe Paterno, Nick Saban, or Jim Tressel coughing up a holding-the-football-like-a-loaf-of-bread fumble when all a running back—LSU's Stevan Ridley, in this case—has to do to clinch a big win is to fall down with possession of the ball?

For all their speed and skill, the Bayou Bengals of coach Les Miles often seem in over their heads when strategic adjustments are needed, when gambling defenses are a bad idea, and when a subtle feel for game situations is called for?

In LSU's fortunate 30-24 win over North Carolina on Saturday night, Ridley was guilty of bad ball security after he burst for a first down that should have locked up the game.

Earlier, freshman back Alfred Blue, in on the so-called hands-team to defend an anticipated on-side kick by the Tar Heels, hesitated in going for the ball. Blue touched the bounding ball, was wiped out by a charging Tar Heel, and Carolina gained possession. One wonders how well a frosh is schooled on the rules of such kicks.

Lastly, give credit to maligned UNC QB T.J. Yates, who pitched lots of good passes in the second half. But the LSU defense is still waiting for coaching adjustments to Carolina's slant-in pass strategy, and while a corner blitz created a big play for LSU at the right time, the Tigers might not have been in such a nervous mess had earlier such gambles not burned their defensive unit.

--Bob Boyles