Here is what I am hoping.
There are a few things that need to happen for SC to have a chance in this game.
The weather forecast has to be wrong. It's supposed to be rainy and windy. doesn't look good.
Caleb Williams is going to have ro be ready , and willing to run, early and often. Caleb won the heisman because of his legs. Williams seems to do what he what he wants , when he wants, how he wants. doesn't look good.
Zach Branch has to have had only a knee tweak thing that is ready to go . He did practice some last week, this is a definite maybe. Kid is a game changer.
CLR must have a whole lot of stuff he has been holding back and saving for this game. This I see as a real possibility. CLR is the best offensive mind since Mike Leach. He better come up with something special.
Grinch must be willing to play the bigger guys over his smaller speed guys on the line and at linebacker. They are on the team. They are on the sideline. If not SC is going to simply get run over. The french are simply bigger and stronger than AZ with a bigger and stronger running back. This I see as the least likely thing of happening. My guess is he will gamble big time and it could get ugly.
I think SC's best chance is to just sell out to stop the run. Cause they can't stop the pass when they try. anyone else agree?
This game is looking more like Robofat's first game in south bend during his second coaching stint at SC, where Jerome Bettis just used SC's defense to clean his cleats.
Odds have ND favored by 2.5 points. Playing in south bend is always worth 10.
Hope seems to be all I got. sc
Your post is a good one but something you didn't mention is ND has played much better teams than SC thus far. SC has not played anyone close to a Ohio St, NC St.and Louisville.
Actually you're spot on. Caleb definitely needs to run more and keep the Irish defense honest. Branch is also huge ti the offense as his presence on the field alone, forces ND to account for him. If they don't, Caleb will make them pay. Forcing ND to account for Branch going deep and Caleb running should open the running game for the backs and the short passing game.
As for the defense, I also agree, sell out to stop the run and get ND in as many obvious passing downs as possible. We're also going to need some breaks as in turnovers.
If I were coach "whondirish? ", I pound "buss2" 35 times, go deep twice a half, throw short middle to phone booth tight end with hands, and spy superQB. I agree. I think they pound us badly. Our amazing tackle miss show will kill us all game. Miracles do happen I'm told. Not there.
USC should never, ever play at ND
After September. Only idiots would do that. And if ND doesn't like that, dump them. They needs us more than we need them. We don't need them at all. They are an overrated school in the middle of nowhere. They have been irrelevant in college football for 30 years. They still think they are the Notre Dane of Rockne, Leahy and Parsegian. Those days are gone.
While ND doesn't look as good as expected, it's hard imagine SC winning this game. I don't think Caleb is gong to run much on the fake grass. Too much injury risk.
It's still my favorite game of the year and will hope that SC pulls it out. Sure would be nice if Branch could play.
I think the weather could help our defense. Maybe the first QB in a month that won't look like a Heisman contender playing our defense. Or maybe he will, who knows? The ND transfer QB from Wake Forest is very limited, doesn't move well, not a massive arm. He's tall and experienced. And that may be enough against us.