Notre Dame Football: The Hurricane Hangover

It was a sight that was all too familiar for fans of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday night. The Irish went on the road for a HUGE game and once again, they failed to come out of the situation with a win.

Now, that first paragraph is technically true, but what we really saw was an ass-whooping to the tune of 41-8 at the hands of the Miami-Florida Hurricanes.

I usually wait a few days for the Hangover posts, and one of those reasons is so I can absorb most of what is being talked about after a game, and come up with some of the more important points. This week, that method is in full effect. My rage disallowed much logical thinking about the game, so the following is far from original thought - just figured I’d let you know.

This will be quick, because we need to move on.

WE’VE SEEN THIS GAME BEFORE

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

No, I’m not talking about the 2012 Championship game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. I’m talking about a game that was far more recent. This game looked almost identical to Notre Dame’s 49-14 pounding of the USC Trojans.

Against USC, Notre Dame wanted the game more than the Trojans did. For the Irish, that game meant EVERYTHING. Miami played that same role on Saturday night.

The crowd was amazing, and despite being took to the woodshed, it’s everything that I love about college football. The crowd made a difference. Miami wanted the respect, and they went out and made damn sure the country was going to give it to them. I’m not sure what Notre Dame was trying to do, but mostly it looked like they just wanted a nap.

Just as USC has proven to still be a really good football team after that loss to Notre Dame, I think the Irish can still prove that they are as well. The score should matter for the winner, and loser just needs to move on.

TURNOVER CHAIN REACTION

Do you know how don’t throw interceptions? You run the damn football. Miami painted the Irish in a corner, because that was the corner that they were heading to. Basically, the Canes set the trap, and closed it HARD on the Irish.

What was disheartening was that it looked like the lessons that should have been learned after the loss to the Georgia Bulldogs were nowhere to be found. Instead of quick-hitting runs between the tackles, Notre Dame chose to run slow-developing outside zone runs.

When those got blown to hell (as they should against a fast defense) they turned to a passing game that Miami had figured out with ease. The pressure they put on Brandon Wimbush (and Ian Book) was what kept everything in check.

One bad play call after another - this game turned out to be the worst called game since the loss to the N.C. State Wolfpack last year.

QUICKLY MOVING ON

The above is all I really wanted to say. Honestly, after a loss like that, there is no better option than shaking it off and getting back to work. Notre Dame came in as the #8 team in the latest college football playoff rankings, so there is still much to play for during the final two weeks for the Irish.

They responded quite well after the loss to Georgia, but this was a different type of loss. Can they get back to what they are, or will it all unravel? We can only watch and wait. YAY US!