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Reno

Administrator
Staff member
#1
The Fiesta Bowl has perhaps the top matchup of the Bowl season with the obvious exception of the Rose Bowl which pits top-ranked USC against second-ranked Texas for the national title. The Irish and Buckeyes have met just four times prior to Monday's Fiesta Bowl showdown, twice in the 1930s and twice in the '90s and they have never met in a bowl game. Against that backdrop, the fourth-ranked Buckeyes face the fifth-ranked Irish on Monday in the Fiesta Bowl. Coach Weis has Notre Dame back among the elite programs in one year with a 9-2 record this year. Notre Dames two loses were 44-41 to Michigan State in overtime and 34-31 to No. 1 USC on Matt Leinart's 1-yard run with three seconds left.

The matchup here points to Notre Dame's strong offense, directed by junior quarterback Brady Quinn, against Ohio State's powerful defense, anchored by A.J. Hawk, winner of the Lombardi Award as the nation's top defensive lineman or linebacker. There is no doubt, the Buckeyes' defense is the best Notre Dame has faced all season.

Everyone knows about how Brady Quinn emerged from two years of struggle under Tyrone Willingham to thrive in the Patriots' complicated offense installed by Weis. There are not too many people who know alot about the Buckeyes QB Troy Smith. The passer was suspended from the Alamo Bowl last year and the opener this season for accepting $500 from a booster. Smith has come back to lead his team with improved production as this year progressed. In the regular-season finale, a 25-21 victory at Michigan, Ohio State trailed 21-12 with 7:49 to play, but Smith engineered touchdown drives of 69 and 88 yards. For the year, the signal-caller completed over 60 percent of his passes on the year, for nearly 2,000 yards and 14 TDs, while rushing for an additional 545 yards and a team-high 11 TDs.Smith is sixth nationally in passing efficiency, Quinn fourth.

The Irish finished strong with five consecutive victories to advance to their first BCS Bowl since 2001. That season, Notre Dame was demolished in this same Fiesta Bowl, by Oregon State (41-9). In all, the Irish are making their fourth appearance in the Fiesta Bowl and their 27th bowl appearance overall. They are looking to bring an end to an ugly seven-game postseason losing streak. Jim Tressell's Buckeyes will do everything in their power to keep UND's postseason skein going, as they bring an identical 9-2 record into this matchup.
Under Tressell, the Buckeyes have been to four bowl games, including two BCS tilts. Both of those BCS wins have come in the Fiesta Bowl, including a victory over Miami-Florida in the 2003 event to capture the national title.


The Buckeyes were able to move the football up and down the field this season thanks to a balanced attack that generated just over 400 yards of total offense per game. The ground game accounted for almost 200 yards per outing (189.5), while the passing attack put up just over 215 yards (215.1). Tailback Antonio Pittman was a perfect workhorse type of back, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and rushing for 1,195 yards and six TDs. Of course, the vertical game is always a threat with talented wideouts like Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn Jr. roaming the field. Holmes led the team in receptions (48), receiving yards (853) and TDs (10), while Ginn Jr. wasn't far behind (43 receptions, for 636 yards and three TDs). The explosive Ginn Jr. also returned a punt and a kickoff for TDs this season, demonstrating his explosive play anytime he was on the field.

I like Ohio State here. I think they have the defense to stop Notre Dame's potent offense. I think the biggest matchup problem comes on the other side of the ball for Notre Dame as Ohio State should be able to move the ball up and down the field on the Irish. I expect Jim Tressell to play "keep away" as Ohio State controls the ball.

COLLEGE BOWL GAME OF THE YEAR 15* OHIO STATE BUCKEYE

 
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worm

Junior Member
#4
????

i respect your thoughts on the game. i just think in my opinion there are much easier games out there. i also lean nd for the simple reason of coach weis. he is a mastermind. a month to prepare for one team is a long time for someone like that. good luck reno.
 
V

volfan

Guest
#5
worm said:
i respect your thoughts on the game. i just think in my opinion there are much easier games out there. i also lean nd for the simple reason of coach weis. he is a mastermind. a month to prepare for one team is a long time for someone like that. good luck reno.

Thats garbage...
"The mastermind" is playing with Ty's recruits.
If anything Ty is the mastermind. We shall see in a few years what kind of coach Weis is when he is playing with his own recruits.

JMO
 

Shooter

Senior Member
#6
Mastermind?

Who has ND beaten all year? Michigan? LOL how many losses did they have this year?

If you REALLY look at ND's schedule they've lived off the almost upset of So Cal and that's it...Mastermind? I think not.
 

worm

Junior Member
#8
no wonder people leave this site

all i did was speak my opinion. he guys jump down my throat. i didnt bash anyone. and by the way nd has one of the top5 recruiting classes coming in. hmmmmmmmm never had that good of a class before with ty. we will see what he does with the best players in the country. nd will be a team to be reasoned with as long as he is there. what player would not want to play for him if they were really thinking of going pro. he has rings and connections. enough said bash away. maybe you can scare another opinion from the board.
 
V

volfan

Guest
#9
no bash at all..
Just don't agree with the "matermind" title you are giving to an unproven had coach. You shouldn't take things personal. Just like to draw out good points on both sides.
 

Reno

Administrator
Staff member
#12
Goy

Red Sox, anything can happen. I just happen to think that Vegas is not in Business to lose money as well. If Vegas truly felt that ND would win, they would have made this game a pickem. Its the #4 and #5 teams in the country at a neutral site. Anywhere ND plays, they travel well however so in some repsects, every neutral site game for ND will have a ton of Irish fans there. That being said, why did Vegas make this game 5? It looks awfully easy to take the Irish on the Moneyline or with the points. Money has been coming in on the Irish at a 2 to 1 ratio, yet the line doesnt move, or moves by a half a point.

There are alot of reasons on paper I like the Buckeyes, but the game is always played on the field. We shall see at 4:30pm. Good luck on your other wagers.
 
#16
good points Reno

The only downside I see is ND hasn't lost by more than 3 all year. I will probably lay of both sides.

Statistically, its almost impossible to take the under. Both teams averaging 30 pts a game. The down on the over is that ND hasn't really played any real good defenses. Maybe michigan's, and they held ND to 17
 

AR182

Senior Member
#18
played over

thaks LK, I played the over with OSU in a parlay. Over looks rock solid now, especially because if ND makes the comeback we all expect they will put up major points.
 

Redshirt

Junior Member
#19
Reno! Reno! Reno!

I've liked the Buckeyes for the past two weeks and your write-up sealed the deal for me. I placed a small fortune on the ML at -180. I was hoping to be in this situation at half. I love watching a great team do what the are coached to do and expecute almost flawlessly.

I love the site and hope the quality of comments contiues. One more half till I start counting the franklins! Go Ohio State.
 

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