Very OT: An Open Apology to Patrick Mucci

[Tom Huckaby]

[LATE EDIT - I just now, about 4 hours after posting this, read that my friend Patrick was in a car accident this weekend... Patrick, glad to hear you and the sticks came out relatively unscathed.  And yes, one's life can change in an instant.  But in the spirit of the friendly shit-giving between us, I'm sure you won't mind if I leave this post up.]


Patrick:

I apologize.  You were right, I was wrong.

USC's football schedule is weak this year.

We have Notre Dame on it.

47-21.  At home.

 

[Jay Flemma]

Oh, man...now you've done it!  Never mind, Mucci, I'd be shocked if Tommy weren't to chime in defending the Irish...

The big question is "Is Michigan for real?" or "was that a fluke?"

While we are at it...alot of my friends think that onside kick in the Oregon-Oklahoma game didn't go 10 yards, but from the camera angle I wasn't so sure...

[Tom Huckaby]

Interesting you should mention that Oregon-OK game, Jay.  Weren't some baying at the Pac-10 for how week it is?  Sure the SEC kicked the Pac-10 in the teeth, taking on our lesser lights... but the Big 12 found out what happened when they take on the GOOD Pac-10 teams.

As for ND, good lord I can't imagine what defense their fans might have... the team sure doesn't have any.

 

[Mike Benham]

Interesting you should mention that Oregon-OK game, Jay.  Weren't some baying at the Pac-10 for how week it is?  Sure the SEC kicked the Pac-10 in the teeth, taking on our lesser lights... but the Big 12 found out what happened when they take on the GOOD Pac-10 teams.

As for ND, good lord I can't imagine what defense their fans might have... the team sure doesn't have any.

 

And it also proves that the Pac-10 has the best homer video replay officials ...

[Tom Huckaby]

Funny how the losers always complain about calls.

Hey, I saw it, it was a very iffy call in that OR-OK game.  But if OK is good, they don't let that beat them.  Hell the ball was at midfield.  And they could learn to kick a FG as well.

 

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Huck, If you watched the Ou/duck game you know better than to crow at all. It was fun TV fair but neither team played a lick of D and the refs got into the outcome determining business which is never good. The refs played way to big a role in the Tigers game as well. Great teams overcome bad calls, no matter how often or how timed, so it is not an excuse. We lost to a very good team. Neither the ducks aka Nike U or OU is a very good team this year. Both are pretty good and need to play on both sides of the ball to be worthy of series discussion

[Tim Pitner]

Tom,

How about an apology for calling Michigan a creampuff?  It remains to be seen how good Michigan and Notre Dame are, but Michigan is clearly no creampuff (I'm not certain Mich St or Purdue are either).  

[Tom Huckaby]

Tiger:

The bottom line is the score, and for those into rankings as Mr. Mucci most certainly is, the win by a ranked Pac-10 team over a ranked Big-12 team is not going to go away no matter what refereee calls were made, nor what one's impression of the teams is.  

Tim:

Oh yes, MI and its fans deserve a huge apology from me as I certainly did undervalue this year's team.  But of course that would take away from the point of this thread, which truly is to apologize to Mr. Mucci for so horribly over-valuing USC's strength of sked, basing it as I did on the inclusion of the very good non-conference opponent that ND was purported to be... and so very obviously is not.

TH

[Eric Franzen]

I don't know squat about this weird game that USC and Notre Dame plays... but I am still on a high after yesterdays victory at Old Trafford. Wenger's 4-5-1 worked a bit better than during the previous two draws (...yes, and the one bitter defeat).

[Bill_McBride]

I'm glad to see that Cal lived up to its preseason rating by walloping Portland State!    I think they actually trailed briefly in the game.

[Tom Huckaby]

I don't know squat about this weird game that USC and Notre Dame plays... but I am still on a high after yesterdays victory at Old Trafford. Wenger's 4-5-1 worked a bit better than during the previous two draws (...yes, and the one bitter defeat).

Eric: have I told you that I loved you lately?  Well, I do.  I've been wracking my brain for a way to get THAT GAME into a thread, and you've done it for me.

Oh yes, what a glorious win for our Gunners.  While watching ND get humiliated at home was a high point of the weekend, I must say the MOST joy was derived from that Sunday morning result.  I have gone seriously Gunner-crazy.

 

 

[Tim Pitner]

Tom,

Michigan drilling Notre Dame at South Bend was a highlight of my weekend as well.  Let's see, the two biggest non-conference wins of this college football season belong to the Big 10 . . .

[Tom Huckaby]

Tim:

I do have nothing but love and respect for the Big 10.  They do contribute ND defeats just about every year.  My bad for ever denigrating any Big 10 team to try and make argument points.

 

[Jay Flemma]

All I have to say about the "OU-OU" game (thats Oregon-Oklahoma for those of you scoring at home) is this:

The steelers got shafted by the refs last year vs. Indy...and that didnt stop them...

[Kevin_Reilly]

From an AP story about the game:

For Notre Dame, the loss was another setback on its road to restore its storied program.

Where's that t-shirt again?  Oh yeah, here:



PS, no SC lover here, either.

PPS to Bill:  No worries about Saturday's Cal game...they turned off the jets at halftime...getting playing time for second line players.  How bout that Stanford home opener?

[Tom Huckaby]

Kevin:  understood you have no love for USC - you shouldn't.  And I do believe your Bears are going to show that the UT game was a fluke... in fact as I look at USC's sked from here on out, the 11/18 Cal game is the biggest fear.  

I was at the Stanford home opener - they do mightily suck.  But... Navy also looked really good.  Hmmmm... can they stun the Irish this year?

In any case the new Stanford stadium is VERY VERY cool.  I'll go to some more games this year just for the event... it certainly won't be to watch quality football from the home team.

TH

[Jay Flemma]

I thought Michigan State had the market cornered on stunning the Irish?

Boy I really thought Penn State would put up more pf a fight last week.

Go JoePa!

[Tim Pitner]

My hunch is that Penn State will return to mediocrity again this year.  Michigan is a much stronger team than Penn State.  Go Spartans!

[Kevin_Reilly]

Tom - which is worse:

Stanford or the Raiduhs?

[Tom Huckaby]

Tom - which is worse:

Stanford or the Raiduhs?

Oh boy, that's a tough one.  My son's two teams.  He is suffering....

 

[Tim Leahy]

Tom, give Michigan credit, they have proven they are a great team by beating a great team on the greatest field in college football. Now if ND had scheduled Ark. and a bye before they played Mich it might have been another story. ND could have went out and bought, er, recruited a running back that was Heisman quality as some institutions located in South Central do. Jump on the band wagon now, but wait until November when the Irish come to South Central and deliver a drive bye the ribbed ones will never forget.

[Tom Huckaby]

Tom, give Michigan credit, they have proven they are a great team by beating a great team on the greatest field in college football. Now if ND had scheduled Ark. and a bye before they played Mich it might have been another story. ND could have went out and bought, er, recruited a running back that was Heisman quality as some institutions located in South Central do. Jump on the band wagon now, but wait until November when the Irish come to South Central and deliver a drive bye the ribbed ones will never forget.

VERY good Mucci channeling.

That got AY's without a doubt.

 

[mikes1160]

The Skunk Bears were good Saturday, but so was the vaunted Big 10 officiating crew (so far through two ND home games, 10 holds on the Irish, zero for PSU/UM)

No matter, we will take care of business against Sparty and the mind-numbing persona of John L. Smith. Then it's a run-the-table before we take on the Poodle and Co. Nov. 25th

[Jay Flemma]

OK...just let me say this out loud, so I have it straight in my head...

Notre Dame is gonna come into USC and put a pasting on the Trojans in the Coliseum?

That's your story?

I'm sorry, I must be confused because that 47 on the visitors scoreboard says something different.

[Tom Huckaby]

Keep the faith, Mike.  I know it must be tough to do in the face of such a drubbing.  Of course the tough part of the sked is now over, so run the table the Irish ought to... if they are good anyway... which of course is quite in question right now.

11/25 ought to be interesting at least.  Perhaps the Irish will put up a good fight.. something they've also failed miserably at 3 out of the last 4 years.