BC-Notre Dame preview

While X/Twitter has some younger fans, the twitterverse still focuses on my demographic of Gen X and older Millennials. The message boards skew even older. Therefore, I don’t have a great grasp of what young BC fans are thinking. Do they care about the Notre Dame game? Once upon a time, and for about a decade and a half, this was THE date on the schedule. But we left the Big East and Notre Dame used it as an excuse to take us off their annual schedule, and here we are now playing them every few years via the ACC partnership. Even if we start to make it competitive it won’t have the same juice it once had. The infrequent nature of the games will see to that. I don’t think this week’s game is going to add any more fire to the rivalry but you never know…

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game) When we are losing, everyone is quick to bring up the challenges of coaching at BC. However, watching the Governor of Louisiana get involved in the LSU coaching decision and search is a reminder of one of the good things about being at BC. It is a P4 job where you can work and live peacefully in your community regardless of the win-loss record. Bill O’Brien is not getting harassed or bothered or interrupted when he’s out and about. His mistakes or awkward moments are not getting discussed endlessly online or on ESPN for years to come. His wife is anonymous in her community. They can focus on football. Even our local media is much more accommodating than nearly any other P4 job. If you just want to coach and not deal with all the nonsense or spotlight, BC is a great place.

Three simple keys
1. Continue with the ball control mentality. It didn’t lead to a win, but we made the game a lot closer than most expected. The same will hold true if we can do it this week.
2. No big plays. Notre Dame’s run game is more explosive than Louisville’s. This could get ugly. But we need to keep contain and the LBs and Safeties need to bring guys down.
3. Hit the open man. Our biggest problem with either QB is how many times they are missing open guys. If we want to win, we can’t let that happen.

Gambling notes
-- Notre Dame leads the series 17-9
-- BC hasn’t won since 2008
-- BC is 3-5 against the spread
The current line is BC+28.5

Factoid
With Brian Kelly in the news, it is appropriate that the Massachusetts native was 4-0 at Alumni and 1-0 at Fenway while at Notre Dame. (Maybe he should have scheduled BC vc LSU.)

Scoreboard Watching
Pitt-Stanford. It doesn’t impact us, but I am curious to see how Pitt does at Stanford. The Cardinal have been tough at home vs East Coast teams.

I hope to see…a BC win. I know it won’t happen, but can you imagine how it would feel after and how much life it would give to the remainder of the season.

BC is in trouble if…the Irish break off big runs. It will be very deflating.

What ChatGPT Thinks: "Given the data: I expect Notre Dame to win comfortably."

Bottom Line
I can’t talk myself into a win. I don’t think any of our QB options are playing well enough to upset a playoff team. I also don’t trust our D to contain the Irish. I think Notre Dame is locked in and looking to impress for the playoffs.
Final Score: ND 38, BC 14

BC-Notre Dame preview

Younger BC fans have no idea what this game once met. Right or wrong, it was the biggest game of the season. Should it have been? I don't want to quibble. It doesn't really matter now. Two decades ago that passion and focus was a great tool for TOB. With the ACC move and the Irish moving off our annual schedule, the Notre Dame game doesn't mean as much. But I can tell you one thing: if we win, it will be huge...especially to the people who used to care so much about beating the Irish. 

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
A lot of BC fans are done with Hafley. That became pretty evident after the win last week. I don't begrudge those who lost faith. We've looked really bad throughout the year. I still believe, but it takes a lot of rationalizing. But what will it take for Hafley to win back our most passionate fans? I think Addazio showed it can't just be .500 football. If Hafley wants to show he learned and this year was just bad luck, he is going to need to have some big seasons in the next few years.

Three Simple Keys
1. Spread it around. We got multiple guys catching passes last weekend. We need to keep it up. Even throw it to the RBs if you can. It opens things up for big plays to Zay.
2. Protect the ball. BC overcame mistakes last week. Let's not have to overcome the same sorts of turnover issues this week.
3. Control the line on D. I don't expect us to do anything in the trenches on offense, however, we are to the point where the DLine is playing well enough (at times). If we are going to do it this weekend, we need to penetrate and contain. 

Gambling Notes
-- The Irish are 5-5 against the spread
-- BC is 3-7 against the spread
-- ND leads the series 16-9
The current line is BC+20.5

Factoid
We played this game the Saturday before Thanksgiving in 1993.

Scoreboard Watching
It is not a great weekend for ACC Football. The most relevant game for us is Syracuse-Wake. Root for Wake so that Syracuse enters our game shaken and discouraged. 

What I hope to see...
Another solid performance from Morehead. I don't like moral victories but do think building towards something next year is a positive way to end this season.

BC is in trouble if...
Morehead makes too many mistakes. Obviously it would be hard to beat the Irish, but a Morehead meltdown also puts a damper on my "building for next year" narrative.

Bottom Line
I think we will score on the Irish, but I don't know if we will get enough stops. I see us getting in a hole early...again. Battling back...again. But this time we don't do enough late.
Final Score: BC 21, Notre Dame 28

BC-Notre Dame preview

I know it is just a football game and the outside world doesn't really have an impact on the field. I know that if you play enough times, the better teams wins. I know this. You know this. Yet, here we are. If you're a BC fan you and reading this blog, you don't need to know the odds. You don't really follow BC to see us win Championship after Championship, like Alabama or Clemson. You watch and cheer and get invested for moments like this. You bathe yourself in the storylines, the emotion, and the karma of it all. The best Notre Dame team in 25 years, undefeated and coming off a huge win over a No. 1 team, comes to BC. It will be an eerie and empty Alumni due to COVID and 2020. BC will be wearing the Red Bandana uniforms. You know how this ends...let's do it!

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
With BC securing five wins last week, most of the bowl projections have us bowling somewhere. Since most of the bowl will be empty does it really make sense for any of the mid and lower tier bowls to actually take place in their designated location? It is just a TV show at this point. For example, why does the Pinstripe Bowl need to be played in an empty Yankee Stadium and in a shut down New York City. Why not just have all the TV-driven bowls played in domes in easily accessible and COVID friendly locations like Atlanta or Phoenix or in spots in Florida? It is probably safer, cheaper and easier on everyone.

Three Simple Keys
1. Run just enough to keep Notre Dame honest. We need a little running just so that the play action has some effectiveness. Otherwise, ramming the ball Addazio style is a huge mistake. This Notre Dame DL is that good. We need to throw the ball 40+ times.
2. Get back to stripping the ball. I know it is more opportunistic and hard to plan, but the games we've looked best are when we have one guy tackling and the next guy going for the ball. Book is generally careful, so it will have to be attacking the running backs and receivers.
3. Smart football. I am becoming a broken record with regards to penalties, but at this point it is our Achilles' heel.

Gambling Notes
-- Notre Dame leads the series 15-9
-- Notre Dame has won seven in a row.
-- Brian Kelly is 3-0 in Alumni
The current line is BC+13.5

Factoid
Because Boston College elected a white base, Red Bandana uniform, Notre Dame will be wearing their blue jerseys on the road...unless of course, the break out the greens again.

Scoreboard Watching
Louisville vs Virginia. This game means nothing to most of the ACC. However, we still have to play both teams. Holding together a college team is tough during a losing season. It is especially tough during COVID. Everything these guys wanted is gone and now even football feels like drudgery. The loser of this game probably won't have much left in the tank when they play us.

I hope to see...a trick play or two. Hafley tried a short kick against UNC and fake fourth down against Clemson. I hope he has another planned for this weekend. Why not? We are the underdog and those types of plays feed our emotion and their anxiety.

BC is in trouble if...Jurk is off. No one is going to have more emotion than Phil Jurkovec this weekend. He has had a great season and proved the Irish staff wrong. But last week he was a little off on throws and was off on a few late in Clemson. Is it a nagging injury or just rushing? I don't know. But this weekend, he needs to play his best. 

Overall
I will admit this is a bad matchup for us. They are good in the trenches. We are not (this year). We are going to need a lot to go our way. But I think the Clemson hangover is real. I think we can score with them. We force a few turnovers and then win it late with a kick.
Final Score: BC 24, Notre Dame 21

It's over

I am not breaking news, just combining speculation, rumor and my opinion. Notre Dame blowing out BC was the worst possible outcome for Addazio. He might rally the troops next week and get to a bowl, but this season has more than answered any questions about the direction of the program. It also sent a message to both the diehard and the casual fans. Addazio at his best is a seven win coach and he will never deliver those special moments when BC "shocks the world." It is time for a change.

As we know from last year, these decisions are not simple and straight forward. Could Father Leahy and/or the BOT prevent Jarmond from making a change? Of course. But I don't think there are any real financial barriers nor anyone going to bat for Addazio. It's over.

I will start coaching profiles this week.

BC-Notre Dame preview

This is the last stand for Addazio. Despite what I wrote just last week, I think the mood has changed to the point that beating Pitt next week is not enough. I don't know what Leahy, the Board and Jarmond are feeling, but the fanbase has certainly checked out. Even at a place like BC -- where the fans don't run things -- you can't let your customer base continue to erode. Right now under Addazio, we are on the road to nowhere. It is up to the coach and the players to show the community that we are wrong and there is still fight and hope.

What's on my mind (not TOTALLY related to this game)
Earlier this week Addazio had Ricky Brown, Josh Beekman and Rich Gunnell address the team to tell them the importance and history of this game. I don't think Addazio intended to frustrate long-time fans like me with his actions but it did. Just 15 years ago, this was THE game on the BC calendar. All the fans cared. Many traveled. The media made a big deal of it. The players came out of the locker room with passion and energy. It was great. Now it shows how short institutional memory is that Addazio has to bring in people to remind the ream that this game used to mean something. How about this coach, if you want it to mean something, how about actually win a big game? How about actually play to the level of a ranked opponent? How about comeback when down? How about managing a game in a way that helps your team? If you want it to matter, then win the stinking game! Addazio didn't have an annual game with the Irish built into the schedule like TOB did, but he has done nothing to show that he can upset teams on a consistent basis nor that he can get the team to win games that are of extra importance. Now stop talking. Stop making excuses and go win the damn game.

Three Simple keys
1. Play action passing. The Irish pass D is not good. As much as I believe in sticking with the run, I know that early play action will work and help BC move the ball.
2. Tackling. I don't think the team will suddenly become tackling machines, but we've had an off week. Let's hope they worked on it. One or two more tackles and they would have won the Florida State game.
3. No field goals. Don't bother. The Irish can score. We will need seven instead of missed 3s. Just keep going for it on 4th down.

Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 4-9 coming off a bye
-- Addazio is 0-2 vs the Irish
-- Addazio is 1-16 vs ranked teams
The current line is BC+20

Factoid
It has been eight years since our last trip to South Bend. That is the longest break in between trips to South Bend since BC began playing there in 1987.

Scoreboard Watching
Nothing really matters at this point. Win a game and we are going bowling. We are only looking at the lowest of the lower tier bowls, so the impact of other ACC teams is minimal.

I hope to see...
The team playing with emotion. If you believe the rumors, the players expect a coaching change. It can be hard to get up for a game at this point in the season if you feel there is nothing on the line. I don't know how they feel about Addazio and if they will want to go "win one for the Gipper" (if you will) but they still have each other and the school. Let's hope they come out ready to play and win the game. Although it might not mean much, it would mean everything in the long run.

BC is in trouble if...
Notre Dame builds a double digit lead in the first half. We all know Addazio's teams are not known for comebacks. I would really be shocked if they came back in this sort of situation.

Bottom Line
Can Notre Dame be beaten? Yes. Can BC score enough on them to win? Yes. But it is going to take a great defensive effort. I don't know if we have that. I also clearly don't trust Addazio to push the right button.
Final Score: Notre Dame 38, BC 24

Hoops keeps losing

A late game comeback came up short on Saturday as BC lost to Notre Dame in South Bend. There were a few late calls that hurt BC, but Notre Dame was decimated by injuries and we still couldn't beat them. We have problems.

The D was not great, but the bigger challenge remains Chatman. He is not making shots and making really bad decisions.

I don't know what the short-term answer is. Every lineup combo has a few obvious issues. The team doesn't seem particularly motivated. I don't see Christian and his staff making drastic changes to our style of play. I guess the only hope is for the team to get healthy soon.

Revisit BC's upset of Notre Dame in 2002

I know most people don't pay attention to this but for a long time NBC and Notre Dame made most of the old Irish home games available online. But some of the BC upsets including 1993, 2002 and 2004 were not online. Now BC has put up highlights from the 2002 game up on Youtube (see below). For those who forgot or weren't around, Notre Dame entered the game undefeated, Ty Willingham had yet to lose in South Bend and they broke out their special green jerseys. We know how it ended.

There are a few things to note in the clip. The BC crowd is full and loud at the game. For a variety of reasons, this game doesn't carry the same weight with our fans any more. The highlight also excludes Spaz's admonishment to the D (that went viral at the time) about staying focused. It also is a look back at the maroon pants. I would like to see those added back to our rotation and get rid of the all-white road uniforms. 

Another rough day against the Irish

I think BC's bubble burst Saturday. Besides dampening postseason hopes, the lopsided loss to Notre Dame also had me questioning if Christian is a good enough Xs & Os coach to every be above average at BC. For the second time against the Irish, BC allowed a guy to go off from beyond the arc. Matt Farrell hit some tough shots, but too often he the D was to loose. Notre Dame shot 60% from 3 and 63% from the field. Horrible. Why are we so unprepared against recurring opponents?

Robinson had 29 points and would have been a bigger story if not for Farrell. It was a disappointing game for most of the other guys.

I don't think Christian is in trouble. This season and his recruiting have bought him time. But he needs to find an assistant who can better help with game prep. If not, we will be in holes over and over again.

BC wastes huge night from Robinson in loss to ND

The ACC Network crew made a big deal of Jim Christian treating February as a new month. BC had turned the page and was ready to take some steps forward. Jerome Robinson got the message. I don't know if others did. Robinson set an ACC season high with 46 points, but BC rarely threatened the Irish in a 96-85 loss. 

While Robinson was scoring at will with clutch 3s and drives, BC couldn't do much to stop Notre Dame. Once again the D was bad. ND made 16 of their 29 three-point attempts and made TJ Gibbs look like a superstar. 

Popovic was not feeling well, so Reyes got more time and was okay. Bowman and Chatman didn't come close to matching Robinson and had off nights. 

BC gets a chance to get February back on track against Miami this weekend.

Second viewing thoughts and grades: Notre Dame

In his postgame press conference and comments on Monday, Addazio kept emphasizing how close BC is and how close these games are. After watching it back, I actually agree with him. But where Addazio sees the relative talent as even and a team playing well the majority of the game, I see it as an indictment of everything he's doing. If your team is close and in it, you shouldn't lose 29 points.

Offense: B-

Brown looked much better than last week. Some of his passes were a little behind or a little short (like that early one to Walker) but he made good decisions and overall, made good passes. He stayed poised in the pocket. I think we should let him run a bit. Not because he has speed, but because the plays are there.

Hilliman looked much much better. I know part of it was that he finally had some holes, but he also ran with purpose and got things to the second level. Dillon didn't get as many touches but looked decent.

Callinan played really well. He made some tough catches and also fought for yards. Jeff Smith did not look great and dropped two catchable balls. Thadd Smith got snuffed out on the jet sweeps. White was good. The Tight Ends blocked better, but the false starts were killers.

The OLine looked how they were supposed to look. Petrula got well deserved praise. The right side looked good. They all gave Brown enough time.

What I liked about the Loeffler's adjustment was that we rolled Brown more and used more play action. That helped settle him and gave the WRs space. I know it is ultimately Addazio's call, but I still think we get too conservative in the redzone. The 4th down call was not well executed.

Defense: F

The DLine needs to get better quickly. Landry is being misused and had some plays. I think at this point we need to give him the greenlight and just chase QBs. Dropping into coverage is a waste. Even reading and waiting is not what he does best. He did miss Wimbush on Wimbush's biggest run. Allen had a few tackles but is not making the impact promised in the summer. Ray needs to step up. Merritt had some good plays.

Richardson made some plays earlier but didn't make the stops as the game wore on. Schwab was fine. Bletzer is not playing poorly but he is not closing on enough plays and his speed looks suspect.

The DBs looked good in past coverage. They had problems helping the run. Look at ND's first big play. It came off a Moore missed tackle. Other than that, Moore played well. Yiadom was good. Dennis continues to play well. Harris was active and productive, but we need some game changing plays from him.

I am a Jim Reid fan and defender, but this was bad. It doesn't matter if you stop them on the majority of plays if it falls apart later. I wish we were more aggressive. I wish we would stop messing around with Landry and I wish we knew how do defend a simple zone read. It hurt us in all three games. We will be seeing it until we show we can stop it.

Special Teams: B

Special teams continues to be the lone bright spot. Other than Walker's fumble -- which BC recovered -- everything was good.

Kick offs were strong. Punt coverage good. Knoll is placing the ball well.

Lichtenberg did well.

Overall: F

I obviously spent a lot of time on the sequence before the half, but there is plenty of blame to throw at Addazio. Why does he keep punting from the opponent's territory? Knoll is making the decision seem smart by punting well, but most Pop Warner coaches know that the better move is to go for it. Landry's usage is also looking dumb. Whether he is hurt, you're trying to develop him in other areas or you truly believe you are resting him, the benefits are not showing. Addazio even said that DEs were not the problem on the first three scores. He's implying that even with Landry, Notre Dame still scores. But that is not a given. Landry draws extra attention and forced ND to switch plays. We can't assume anything about what happens if he had been on the field. Even how he used Wade late during the blowout is weird. Why not go for it there? Or give him more throws? What do you have to lose?

BC has many tough games ahead. Most should be competitive. However, if Addazio keeps coaching like he did this week, nothing will be close.

Notre Dame runs all over BC

When you lose by 29 at home to your "rival" in Year 5, there are plenty of problems. Talent and scheme are clearly issues. But I don't think the coach is doing everything he can to win. At least he didn't in this game. At the end of the half following an interception, Addazio called a time killing draw. No pass for the endzone. Nothing creative. Just a conservative dumb play. It sends a message to the players and the fans. It also sends a message to your new boss.

I would say this was a bad loss, but all the blowouts are starting to blend together. I think Addazio is done now. The discussion just shifts to when to fire him and who to hire.

Postgame Periscope below. Thanks for those who joined.

I will have grades and thoughts up late Sunday.

BC-Notre Dame post-game Periscope https://t.co/jH3nT36cVn

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) September 16, 2017

In-game comments post: Notre Dame

Once upon a time this was the highpoint of the season. Maybe we the Irish will bring out the best in us again. I just want a win.

Leave your thoughts and comments below.

You can also follow me on Twitter.

Game Watches: Notre Dame

Notre Dame usually brings out the crowds -- even to the Game Watches. I hope it is enjoyable for all. Add your club to the comments section if it is not listed.

Chicago Game Watch
Tobacco Road Tap Room
2249 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60614

Los Angeles Game Watch
2615 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th St.
Phoenix, AZ 85020

San Diego Game Watch
Striders 100 J St
San Diego, CA 92101

Washington, D.C. Game Watch
James Hoban's Irish Restaurant and Bar
One Dupont Circle, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Notre Dame Week Periscope

Another mid-week Periscope. Short, but interactive. Thanks for the questions.

I spoke a bit about how I think Father Leahy's disinterest in sports is not as big a deal as BC fans make it. I rehashed the Notre Dame interest discussion and how I think there are probably fewer casual Irish fans in Boston these days. They've all become diehard Pats fans the last 20 years. I also talk about how attendance at our games is not the recruiting obstacle some make it out to be.

As always, I appreciate the support and feedback. I will try to do another post-game Periscope after the Notre Dame game.

Notre Dame Week Periscope https://t.co/xIKZKn1V1Q

— Bill Maloney (@bcatleagle) September 15, 2017

BC-Notre Dame preview

The losing coach of this game is a dead man. I don't think either will get fired Monday, but the  loser's respective hole would probably be too big to overcome this season. If BC pulls off an upset, the Irish fans will be done with Kelly. It is one thing to lose to good BC teams, but to lose to one that just got waxed by Wake will be hard to rationalize. Addazio needs a big win to change momentum and perception. Winning this week buys him some time this year and gives the fans and team belief that they can win any game on the schedule.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I know it is hard for me to criticize Shaughnessy's BC hit piece considering I also asked if anyone cared about BC-Notre Dame. But one thing Dan overlooked when talking about Boston as a college town, is that you could argue College Football and BC Football is more popular than the Celtics or Bruins. Our TV ratings and the ratings for non-BC games in Boston are generally higher than those teams' regular season ratings. Even in down times, we have larger per game attendance numbers than those too. I understand that the weekly nature of football vs the multi-night nature of basketball and hockey makes it a little bit of apples and oranges. But my point is that football is still king nationally and locally. BC will always be a niche player in Boston, but being the second biggest football program after the Patriots is a big deal. Now we just need to turn that status into more wins and more tickets sold.

Three Simple Keys
1. Hit open receivers. Wake had 0 respect for our passing game and their pass coverage showed it. I predict Notre Dame will do the same thing, only they have better defensive talent than Wake. If BC has open WRs and TEs, we have to get them the ball.
2. Force Turnovers. Notre Dame fumbled twice against Georgia and Wimbush was lucky not to have a INT. BC needs to overwhelm him with different looks and hope the makes mistakes.
3. Play your best players the vast majority of snaps. Addazio explained that he doesn't want Landry playing 70 or 80 snaps a game. Guess what, coach? By switching to an uptempo offense, everyone is going to get stretched thin and play more. I understand that he needs to be fresh and our offense can help by scoring more, but get your best players out on the field at all times.

Gambling Notes
-- Addazio is 14-13 at home as BC's Head Coach
-- BC has lost five straight to the Irish
-- Addazio is 11-13 following a loss as BC's Head Coach
The current line is BC+13.5

Factoid
It has been nine years since BC last beat Notre Dame. (I know the concept of eras is subjective, but that really feels like a different era of BC Football.)

Scoreboard Watching
The only people outside of Virginia who should care about UConn-UVA are BC fans. When I looked at the season, I saw those two teams as probable wins. Now nothing is probable. Perhaps this game will tell us if either team is really a potential win for us.

What I hope to see...
An explosive offensive play. I may be delusional, but I think there is talent on the offensive side of the ball. I think there are multiple guys who are just one block or one missed tackle away from breaking something. It would be nice for that to happen this week.

BC is in trouble if...
Any of the backup QBs play. Wade showed very little last week. While there is plenty of good word of mouth about the young QBs, do you trust any of them to come off the bench and lead a comeback against Notre Dame?

Overall
I really want BC to win this one. I want to see Brian Kelly turn purple. I want some optimism around the program. I want to look forward to Anthony Brown's future. I am trying to talk myself into a victory, but I am just not seeing it. I think BC comes out fired up and keeps it close for a half. I think some offensive mistakes kill momentum and we lose. The loss is close enough that Daz can still talk his growing pains nonsense.
Final Score: BC 14, Notre Dame 20

Do BC fans care about Notre Dame any more?

Notre Dame visited Alumni Stadium for the first time during the fall of my freshmen year (1994). This was less than a year after BC knocked off the then undefeated Irish in South Bend. I don't think there was a bigger game or more campus excitement in my whole time as a student. Notre Dame was still elite and we were still riding the excitement of the Coughlin years. Coughlin successfully leveraged Notre Dame as part of his rebuild. The Catholic aspect and the chance to take down Goliath were easy sells to a fanbase enjoying a post-Flutie football renaissance. Painting Notre Dame as the most important game on the schedule worked so well with fans, recruits and media that BC kept doing it long after Coughlin went to Jacksonville. Now all these years later, I get a sense that BC fans don't care about the game or the rivalry all that much any more.

I don't want to say that the lack of interest is based strictly on BC's current downturn. People cared when we were bad in other years. BC fans still took over the Notre Dame campus in 1997 when TOB's first team was terrible. They still cared when TOB's second team (also a losing one) got stopped on the goal line in the final seconds of the BC-ND game. Even when during Spaz's time, some of the Irish games were intense (remember Gunnell getting in Jimmy Clausen's face?). Yet now I think BC fans have moved on. The Clemson game has become the celebrated road trip to make. Even the causal fan realizes that ACC games are really a better measuring stick for BC's success.

Another reason the game might not mean is much is the lack of frequency. Notre Dame's deal with the ACC actually hurt BC's scheduling. Now instead of playing the Irish annually we will play them about six times every ten years. That keeps Addazio or any future BC coach from using the Irish as a rallying point.

The final reason why BC fans might not care is due to Notre Dame's diminishing brand. I am not trying to be one of those Notre Dame haters. My point is that for years the Irish had a cast of coaches and players that the casual BC fan could identify...and hate. Names like Holtz, Powlus, Jarious Jackson, Davie, Willingham, Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, Charlie Weis, Jimmy Clausen and Manti Te'o. Kelly is pretty unlikable, but who else is well-known or stands out? Now with so many games accessible, the NBC deal doesn't bring the same level of notoriety. So until the Irish start either winning again at a high rate, losing in epic fashion or see their players do stupid things, they are just a bunch of gold helmets to most BC fans.

I always hated the BC-obsession with Notre Dame. I felt TOB and the Administration used it as a crutch to excuse other failures. Now I would love to see both teams "return to glory", just so there would be some excitement about the game.

BC never close in loss to Notre Dame

Same old, same old as BC lost to Notre Dame Wednesday. Because the game wasn't close, the announce team had plenty of time to get into relevant topics for BC. One thing I found interesting was the discussion of the ACC being a "one and done" conference. Because of that talent turnover at traditional powers, the announcers believe that a school like Notre Dame has an advantage. Most Irish recruits will stay for four years and that familiarity and experience helps them beat the "one and done" schools. I agree with the premise. There is no reason BC shouldn't be developing each recruiting class and exploiting that experience. Our challenge with doing it has been the recent turnover and scholarship imbalance. With the right coach, this can be fixed.

The other small thing that I liked is that our reserves played hard to keep the Notre Dame walk-ons from scoring. While it didn't work, I am glad that they are still fighting.

BC only has a few games to make us feel a little better. I want a win, but at this point I am not expecting one.

Bowman's big night not enough against ND

Ky Bowman is an ACC player. We just need about eight more like him. He scored 29 -- including 5 3-pointers -- in BC's loss to Notre Dame. To make things that much more frustrating, two of Notre Dame's BC-connected players Bonzi Colson and Matt Farrell scored 20 and 19 respectively.

Other parts of the game that felt frustratingly familiar: BC had the lead again at half and couldn't maintain it. Chatman couldn't score. BC's bigs had trouble on D. No one else stepped up to help Bowman with the scoring burden.

After the game, Notre Dame's Mike Brey had nothing but praise for Christian and the job he is doing. But I don't care what Brey thinks or what he says. These coaches are always very forgiving and patient when it is another guy losing. Other coaches made the same sort of comments about Donahue. BC has nearly a week off before taking on Florida State next Monday. I hope Christian is productive with that time. I don't know if it will make a difference at this point.

Hockey beats Notre Dame and other links

The Men's Hockey team used a big third period to beat Notre Dame.

John Johnson was one of the leading tacklers in the Senior Bowl.

Mike Mayock knew of Matt Ryan even before Ryan arrived at BC.

A different sort of hype video

BC released a well-received hype video last week. It was well done. But I thought some fans might like a different sort of video to get ready for Ireland. Like maybe the full game of the 1993 upset over No. 1 Notre Dame. Enjoy it while it is still up!