Where Dutch Happened

Schedule Needs a Boost

During the 2006-07 season, Notre Dame played a very easy non-conference schedule besides two games. The Irish faced Alabama at home and Maryland on the road. Notre Dame played well in both games en route to notching two victories. Despite those two quality wins, the Irish received little respect from the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee which slotted the squad as a six-seed and pitted them against a very tough 11th-seeded Winthrop team. The reason for the poor seed? The committee didn't like that Notre Dame failed to adequately challenge itself out of conference.

Fans and critics complained that the Irish needed to beef up the non-conference slate to help bolster their tournament resume for the 2007-08 campaign. But this year the Irish once again play too many terrible teams and not enough quality opponents. And unlike last year when Notre Dame won its precious couple tough games, the Irish have already dropped two close games to Baylor and Georgia Tech. That's the danger in playing an easy OOC.

Had Notre Dame scheduled several other good teams, the two early-season losses wouldn't be that big of a deal. The team would have plenty more chances to gain those critical "resume wins." But instead, the Irish face just one more good team before Big East play begins -- No. 20 Kansas State on December 4. Lose that game and Notre Dame will head into conference play with an 0-3 record against the only above average talent it faced in November and December.

That will mean the Irish better play lights out in the very difficult Big East if they want to return to the Tournament. Eleven and seven may not be enough. Notre Dame might need 12 wins to give itself a chance. That's asking a lot of any team, let alone a team that is trying to replace its top two scorers from a year ago.

Each year the Selection Committee places more emphasis on playing a difficult non-conference schedule. Losses to good teams aren't weighted as heavily and quality wins gain more significance. Knowing that, Notre Dame needs to start improving the quality of its out of conference opponents, starting next season. By shying away from top competition, Notre Dame has put itself in a difficult position just five games into the season. I hate talking about a tournament resume before February, let alone December, but at this point Notre Dame can't afford a loss at Kansas State or be upset in the Big East. The team's room for error has shrunk.

College basketball is changing. Twenty wins doesn't guarantee a tournament berth anymore. Beating up on inferior opponents in the early season doesn't do much for your resume. Teams must produce victories against good out of conference teams. Fail to build up those wins and you're putting your tournament life at the mercy of the Selection Committee.

Once you're on the bubble, you're vulnerable. And many times, that bubble bursts along with your season-long goal of being part of March Madness.

If the Irish are on the bubble again this season, they will know who to blame. Not the Selection Committee, but whoever scheduled the likes of North Florida, Youngstown State, and Long Island instead of decent competition in November and December.

It's Finally Over

It seems appropriate that Notre Dame's final game Saturday was as ugly as the rest of the 2007 season.

The Irish committed far too many penalties, made costly turnovers, failed to capitalize on its opponent's mistakes, didn't execute well on offense, struggled on special teams, couldn't tackle and didn't catch any breaks. Somehow, Notre Dame still pulled out a 21-14 victory over a very poor Stanford squad, giving the Irish consecutive wins to end a season for the first time since 1992.

There aren't many positives to take away from the victory other than it wasn't a loss.

If Notre Dame and head coach Charlies Weis are going to bounce back next season, a litany of problems must be corrected during the offseason. No doubt, Weis will hit the recruiting trail for the next few weeks before doing his own autopsy on the 2007 season. Once the NFL season concludes, Weis says he'll have his old pals in New England audit the Irish and help pinpoint where the third year coach failed so miserably.

Once Weis finishes his post-mortem analysis, he'll begin figuring out ways to correct his mistakes. There are several obvious places to start.

You can be sure the Irish will do a lot of hitting in spring practices, unlike this year when the team rarely went full contact against each other. Notre Dame will also focus on one offensive playbook and won't be attempting to implement three or four radically different schemes. And the team will certainly practice the basics -- blocking, tackling, kicking -- since they didn't execute any of these phases for much of the season.

Perhaps the best byproduct of a 3-9 season is that Weis learned much from his impressive failure. He's been knocked down a peg or two. He now knows that having a "schematic advantage in every game" doesn't get you very far when your players don't execute. Calling an offensive play with Brady Quinn under center, Jeff Samardjiza and Rhema McKnight at wideouts and Darius Walker in the backfield is vastly different than calling the same play with fresh-faced Jimmy Clausen and a bunch of freshman at the skill positions.

Weis also needs to refine the way he motivates his team. Numerous times this season the Irish simply lacked passion. They weren't physically tough and they didn't match their opponent's energy. Teams get extra excited to play Notre Dame and the team needs to meet that intensity. Too often Notre Dame simply looked unmotivated.

Finally, Weis needs to teach his players discipline. In 20 years of watching Notre Dame football, I've never seen an Irish squad commit so many stupid penalties. There were several games when Notre Dame easily reached double digits in penalties. This should never, ever happen. Part of the problem is playing so many young players, but that still doesn't excuse Weis's team from being this reckless. Notre Dame wasn't good enough to overcome so many self-inflicted wounds. Few teams are.

Weis built up a reserve of good feelings by leading Notre Dame to back-to-back Bowl Championship Series Games in 2005 and 2006. He used up most of those reserves in 2007. Heading into the 2008 season Weis knows he's facing his greatest challenge. If the Irish endure another disappointing season with little obvious improvement, the fourth year coach will be on a very hot seat. But if Notre Dame can bounce back with a solid eight or nine win season, Weis can carry that momentum into a potential national title run in 2009.

Next year Weis will coach three recruiting classes that he put together. The first two were ranked in the top-10 and the latest has a very real chance to be No. 1. We will have a much better idea of Weis's coaching ability by watching the team next season. They also have the benefit of a very manageable schedule and the talent to make a significant jump in improvement next season.

Whether Notre Dame actually makes that jump will depend on how well Weis adjusts from the mistakes he made in 2007.

Happy Ending

I understand that Duke is one of the worst Division I football teams year in and year out. That doesn't make me any less happy with Notre Dame's 28-7 victory over the Blue Devils Saturday.

The Irish showed improvements across the board, starting with quarterback Jimmy Clausen. My biggest concern with Clausen has been his struggles reading defenses and moving through his progression, and his severe lack of pocket presence. The combination of these two problems has led to Clausen taking too many sacks and playing ineffectively.

But the last two games, Clausen has shown vast improvement in the way he reads a defense and moves out of the pocket before it collapses. Against Duke, Clausen efficiently went through his progression, found the open receiver and delivered the football on target. He also avoided five or six sacks by ducking out of trouble right before a Blue Devil defender brought him down. The result was a more effective offense that didn't repeatedly kill drives with huge loss plays.

Clausen's throw to David Grimes for a 25-yard touchdown near the end of the second quarter was beautiful. The freshman threaded the ball between the defender covering Grimes and the safety. You couldn't ask for a better pass.

On the next drive, after narrowly avoiding a sack, Clausen heaved a perfect jump ball to the end zone and put Duval Kamara in great position to haul in a touchdown, which the freshman receiver did to put the Irish ahead 14-0.

For the past few weeks, I've been concerned that Clausen has failed to develop or improve this season. But the last two games make me feel better. If Clausen can play well against Stanford next week, he'll head into the offseason with some positive momentum.

The Irish ran the ball very well behind another freshman, Robert Hughes, who finished with 17 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown. Hughes is big enough to break tackles, but quick enough to elude defenders. I really like Armando Allen and James Aldridge, but Allen is too small to run consistently well between the tackles and Aldridge tries to run people over a little too often instead of trying a sidestep move. Hughes is the best of both worlds. He made great reads, quick cuts and most importantly, never, ever stopped churning his legs. Those three could be a devastating backfield for the next two or three years.

The defense played very well, particularly Trevor Laws. Laws is the one player I wish we'd have back next year. He is absolute animal. On one play against Duke, Laws spun past his defender, fell to the ground, immediately sprung up and dived for a sack. Despite the announcers repeatedly gushing that Tom Zibikowski is the heart of the Irish defense, the right answer is Laws. He's played well enough to merit All-American honors, and it's certain he'll be picked in the first two or three rounds of the NFL draft.

While there were plenty of positives, Notre Dame still made plenty of mistakes, especially in the first half. And beating lowly Duke certainly doesn't erase this team's struggles and shortcomings throughout the 2007 season. But the Irish also made strides today, gained a little confidence and got to enjoy a home victory.

Overall, a nice way to send the seniors out in their final home game.

Mr. Business

Let's get something clear about Alex Rodriguez. He's not returning to the New York Yankees for the following reasons:

1.) He's a True Yankee.
2.) He's comfortable in New York.
3.) He understands what it means to wear pinstripes.
4.) He wants to prove his worth to the fans.
5.) He always wanted to be a Yankee.
6.) He thinks New York is the best place to play baseball.
7.) He came to his senses.
8.) He's a Yankee at heart.

The reason -- the only reason -- Rodriguez will be wearing pinstripes for the next 10 years is because the New York Yankees are willing to pay more money for his services than any other team. That's it. Simple. Straightforward. Fact.

Understanding this reason is important since most every sports journalist will turn this story around to make it seem like Rodriguez always wanted to play for the Yankees, that he loves New York and that he's a True Yankee. While it may sound good or make for a nice story, it's completely incorrect.

This whole scenario played out rather predictably. Alex Rodriguez, the best hitter in Major League Baseball, chose to maximize his current value by opting out of his contract. He and agent Scott Boras felt that Rodriguez could command a larger salary by testing the free agent market. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this.

After inquiring with all potential suitors, Rodriguez realized one team could pay more than any other -- the Yankees. He then contacted the Steinbrenners, traveled with his wife down to Florida and ironed out a contract. End of story.

But, as usual, stupidity has overtaken common sense in the world of sports journalism.

Buster Olney said Rodriguez was a true Yankee at heart in his online article this afternoon. The New York Times' George Vecsey declares that the Yankees should "treat A-Rod like he treated the Yankees." Fellow Times' writer Murray Chass mocked Rodriguez for "finally coming to his senses" weeks later. And on ESPN's morning programming, the question was asked, "Who are the winners and who are the losers in the A-Rod saga?"

There is so much idiocy happening at once that my head may explode.

First, Rodriguez is not a "Yankee at Heart" because he returned to their team based solely on money, not love. If he truly wanted to ensure that he stayed a Yankee, Rodriguez would have met with Hank Steinbrenner and General Manager Brian Cashman before opting out of his contract. The Yankees pushed to have first shot at settling a contract with Rodriguez. But Rodriguez wouldn't agree to preemptive talks, and instead put himself on auction for all 32 Major League clubs. Again, there's nothing wrong with this. But it does illustrate that Rodriguez could care less about the Yankees; he just wanted the optimal monetary contract.

Second, the Yankees should not shun Rodriguez or make him sweat out a contract deal, as Mr. Vecsey demands in his article. If the Yankees are smart (and they are) they will sign Rodriguez as quickly as humanly possible so other teams don't decide to engage in a bidding war and to ensure they have the single best baseball player on their team for the foreseeable future.

This isn't rocket science. It doesn't matter what you think about Rodriguez -- that he's a jerk or a choker (not true) or a womanizer (probably true) or a very greedy man. All of those opinions don't change the fact that he can hit a baseball better than any other person on Earth, and probably Mars, Venus, Saturn and the rest of the planets. Why wouldn't you want the very best asset in your company or the top salesman in your firm? Who cares if the guy makes you uncomfortable? He's better at his job than anyone else in the industry. He makes your company better. He probably makes you look better. Not wanting someone like this on your team is ridiculous.

Finally, you have to hand it to ESPN. Just when you thought they couldn't bring any less relevance to sports journalism, they pop this doozy of a question earlier today.

"Who is the biggest loser in the A-Rod situation -- A-Rod, the Yankees or Scott Boras?"

Hmm. Let's see here. A-Rod will now make $275 million during the next decade. He'll make $300 million if he breaks the all-time home run record. The New York Yankees locked up the best player in baseball for the next 10 years, can market him all over the world, will likely draw even larger audiences during Rodriguez's pursuit of the all-time home run and all-time hits records, and kept him from going to a rival. Boras didn't even have to attend the meeting and instead stayed home, ate some Fruit Loops, watched The Price Is Right and pocketed roughly $27 million before taxes.

I'm going to be bold here and say that none of those three lost. In fact, I'd venture to go as far as saying all three parties made out pretty darn well.

So, to recap, Rodriguez didn't care who he played for as long as that team paid him more than any other team. Rodriguez is the best hitter in baseball and every fan who knows anything about baseball should want Rodriguez on his or her team. And all three parties involved in the contract negotiations were humongous winners.

Now when you read or hear all the crappy journalism that will follow this story, you'll know the facts.

This wasn't about love. It was strictly business.

Irish Basketball is Back!

The Irish hoopsters tipped the 2007-08 season in impressive fashion Monday, routing Long Island 82-50. Rob Kurz paced Notre Dame with 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots while Luke Harangody added 15 points and six boards. The win was Notre Dame's 21st straight at the Joyce Center.

Basketball season is always exciting, but that's especially true this season for a couple reasons. First, Notre Dame should have good team with athletic shooters on the perimeter and quality big men down low. This team is quick and plays well together. While they were picked 9th in the Big East Preseason Coaches Poll, I expect the Irish to surprise plenty of people around conference this season.

Secondly, with the football team being so awful, Notre Dame fans are relieved to watch one of their teams actually produce on the field (or in this case, on the court). Personally, I've never been happier to see football season fade away and basketball season arrive.

The Irish travel to the Virgin Islands to face Monmouth on Friday at 8:30 ET. The winner of that game gets either Baylor or Wichita State. Notre Dame's non-conference schedule is loaded with patsies, so it's important the Irish go down to the Caribbean and pick up a couple victories against some slightly above average talent.

Different Week, Same Results

For the second consecutive week a service academy came into Notre Dame Stadium and left with a victory. Only this Saturday, the score wasn’t close.

Behind quarterback Shaun Carney and versatile Chad Hall, the Air Force Academy easily handled Notre Dame 41-24 to drop the Irish to an all-time record 9^th loss of the season. Carney threw two touchdowns and Hall piled up 272 all-purpose yards, including 142 on the ground, to turn a close game at halftime into a rout.

Notre Dame, which had a distinct size advantage at every position, rushed for just 58 yards on 38 attempts while Air Force gained 285 yards on 63 carries. Irish freshman quarterback Jimmy Clausen had arguably his best game by throwing for 246 yards and three scores despite numerous drops by his receivers.

Once again turnovers cost the Irish. On the opening play, Clausen found tight end John Carlson for a 28-yard gain before the All-American fumbled, leading to an Air Force field goal. Late in the first quarter, fullback Asaph Schwapp and Clausen muffed a handoff that ricocheted off Schwapp’s leg and into the hands of Air Force’s John Rabold, who stiffed-armed Clausen on his way to the end zone staking Air Force to a 10-0 lead.

Early in the second quarter, the Irish started a drive at their own 37 and moved the ball effectively to the Air Force 11, behind eight runs and just two passes. But the drive stalled there after the Irish inexplicitly attempted three consecutive passes, all which fell incomplete, and settled for a Brandon Walker 28-yard field goal.

After Notre Dame’s defense made a fourth down stand on Air Force’s next possession, the Irish offense once again ran the ball right down the field and capped the drive when Clausen floated a two-yard touchdown pass to Carlson. Suddenly, it was 10-10 with Notre Dame’s offense and defense playing fairly well.

That all changed on the next possession.

Air Force answered the consecutive Irish scores with an impressive seven-play, 66-yard scoring drive that lasted just 1:23. Almost effortlessly, Air Force maneuvered right down the field, scoring on a well-executed reverse to Spencer Armstrong that left most of the Irish defense blocked out of the play. The eight-yard touchdown run put the Falcons up 17-10 at half.

After playing well for most of the first half, the Irish defense completely collapsed in the second half. On the opening possession of the third quarter, Carney found Mark Root wide open for 26 yards after no Notre Dame defender covered the Falcon receiver. Carney then completed the 67-yard touchdown drive with a seven-yard pass to Sean Quintana to push Air Force ahead 24-10.

The Notre Dame offense stalled for the remainder of the third quarter. When Carney hit Keith Madsen for a 10-yard touchdown late in the third to put Air Force ahead 31-10, the game was all but over.

To revisit JVan’s keys to the game:

Will the Irish ground game force the Falcons to change their defensive alignment? – No. The Irish running game gained just 112 rushing yards, not including sacks, and was abandoned in the second half when the game was out of hand.

- Will the Irish defense be able to neutralize Chad Hall? No. While Hall didn’t score, he owned the Irish defense all day en route to 272 all-purpose yards. Hall was even more effective as a decoy on several of the Falcons’ scoring plays.

- Can Weis limit Clausen’s passing attempts while increasing his productivity? No. Instead of a steady diet of running plays, the Irish ran 38 times and had 40 passing attempts. While Clausen had a solid game and didn’t turn the ball over, the Irish needed to establish a consistent running attack, and they did not.

- Will Notre Dame be able to contain the defensive perimeter and tackle effectively?
Once again, the tackling was atrocious. Early in the game the Irish neutralized the Falcons spread running game, but that quickly ended by the start of third quarter as Air Force had an easy time gaining nearly 300 rushing yards.

- Can Notre Dame avoid obvious passing situations on third down?
No. The Irish again struggled on third down, converting just 4-of-15 with most of those attempts being more than six yards.

- Will the Irish defense force turnovers and negative plays? The defense did force two turnovers, but it wasn’t near enough to offset the poor tackling and dominant performances by Carney and Hall.

- Can Notre Dame make a field goal? Yes, but it didn’t matter much in the end.

For Notre Dame fans, this week was almost exactly the same as watching any other loss during this trying season. The Irish were incompetent in almost every aspect of the game. The offense couldn’t rush the ball against an undersized opponent, the wide receivers dropped far too many passes, the offensive line couldn’t keep Air Force from pressuring Clausen all day, the defense fell apart after halftime, and the Irish shot themselves in the foot with sloppy turnovers. On top of those miscues, Weis failed to stick with the run on several first-half drives when it appeared to be working and didn’t attempt enough downfield passes until the game was out of reach in the fourth quarter.

Perhaps the most alarming part of Saturday’s loss was the way Air Force adjusted its game plan and the Irish did not. The Irish defense played fairly well in the first half, but got absolutely punished in the second half. Meanwhile, the Irish offense did not make effective halftime adjustments to exploit their size advantage and superior talent. In all, it was like watching a rerun of losses one through eight.

The Irish face Duke next week in the home finale before heading to California for the Stanford game Thanksgiving weekend. A one-win season, which seemed completely ridiculous in August, is certainly now a possibility.