As we get to the Irish Blogger Gathering, it’s pretty hard not to focus all our questions on the big game this weekend. Notre Dame is still a decided underdog. Oklahoma’s record in big games hasn’t been exactly sterling. We’ll start emptying out the proverbial notebook for the rest of the weekend leading up to the Saturday evening kickoff, but until then, let’s see what our friend Subway Domer had to say when I grilled him with a few questions.
If you’re looking for some additional reading, I answered some pretty difficult questions over at Subway Domer’s site. And as usual, Josh Flynt spent a few thousand words answering questions for Her Loyal Sons. And there’s even a guest appearance by Father Sorin over at the Strong and True blog.
Onward.
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1. Let’s just get right after it. I’m just going to assume you think Notre Dame is going to win this weekend. How do you see the Irish shocking the football world this weekend?
Why would you ever think that?... Well OF COURSE the Irish are going to win the game, and it may be “shocking” to some, but I really don’t think it’s going to be some crazy mind-blowing series of events.
I think Notre Dame will win in basically the same fashion that they have done for the entire season. The defensive front is going to put pressure on Jones and knock him around pretty good, and the offense will play a “ball control” type of game.
Guess what... That’s about the only way they can win- so that’s how they do it.
2. Pull out your crystal ball. Predict for me Everett Golson’s numbers in an Irish victory... as well as in an Irish defeat.
Victory: 15/26 196 yards 1 TD 72 yds rushing
Defeat: 19/38 217 yards 1 TD 2 INT 27 yds rushing
Notre Dame needs Golson to play smart and get some yards on the ground.
3. Give me one person on each side of the ball that needs to play the best game of their career for Notre Dame to win on Saturday night.
OFFENSE: Mike Golic Jr. Much has been made about the play of Golic this season. Purdue owned him & he has been known to be the guy that gets over powered on the line. If he plays the best game of his career, that would help solidify Notre Dame in the trenches and help the Irish play the ball control offense that will help them win.
DEFENSE: Zeke Motta. Sure, I guess I could have gone with Russell, but if Zeke plays the game of his career, he’s getting some INT’s. Notre Dame really needs some of that magic to help flip the field and chip away at the scoreboard.