One Foot Down - 2019 Notre Dame Football: Duke Blue Devils WeekA never-ending discussion about Notre Dame and the greater CFB landscapehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52610/ofd_fav.png2019-11-13T10:49:04-05:00http://www.onefootdown.com/rss/stream/207133662019-11-13T10:49:04-05:002019-11-13T10:49:04-05:00OFD Podcast: Notre Dame has several options with Navy
<figure>
<img alt="Navy v Notre Dame" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0VEKVvmH-7hwBQ48mG6-JrsnGOU=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65691947/1063388822.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Kent Horner/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s Navy week.</p> <p id="RugMW6">The <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com/">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a> welcome the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/navy-midshipmen">Navy Midshipmen</a> to Notre Dame Stadium for their annual clash this week after easily taking care of the <a href="https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/">Duke Blue Devils</a> last Saturday. In this episode:</p>
<ul>
<li id="5rVwCe">What’s a Tik Tok?</li>
<li id="HCWrIj">The pleasure of Duke</li>
<li id="pNvx2h">
<span>Ian Book</span> going after it</li>
<li id="bRhqlq">Notre Dame’s running back situation</li>
<li id="2XKnKh">Losing Julian Okwara</li>
<li id="QPCLvu">Hello Navy</li>
<li id="gTbHzj">Ripping on Navy’s schedule</li>
<li id="R5SVHI">The Amazing Malcolm Perry</li>
<li id="6uefek">Fear and Loathing in South Bend</li>
<li id="BNKLWu">Josh and Jude bicker about the DANGER ZONE</li>
<li id="zXZgDw">Predictions</li>
<li id="QDlcmT">A Navy schedule rant (almost said “strategery”)</li>
<li id="7Esyqc">Your injuries are FALSE sir</li>
<li id="HcfRPZ">Hoops is fun</li>
</ul>
<p id="jrPXer">Please rate and review because we need your validation.</p>
<p id="Jz46En">You can listen in the podcast player below, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. </p>
<div id="3UeNoP"><iframe frameborder="0" height="200" scrolling="no" src="https://playlist.megaphone.fm?e=VMP7375996095" width="100%"></iframe></div>
https://www.onefootdown.com/2019/11/13/20962979/ofd-podcast-notre-dame-has-several-options-with-navy-fighting-irish-college-football-midshipmenJoshua Vowles2019-11-13T10:26:55-05:002019-11-13T10:26:55-05:00Notre Dame Football: Crockpotting with Chris Finke
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/1Jt_1pjGo770zaDucNV6r9knFpc=/0x6:612x414/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65691756/Untitled_2.0.jpg" />
</figure>
<p>Ian Book and Chris Finke slow cook the Blue Devils.</p> <h3 id="KJ1uiz"><strong>Crockpot Game</strong></h3>
<p id="foyzBq">Saturday’s performance by the <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com/">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a> against the mighty <a href="https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/">Duke Blue Devils</a> of Durham, North Carolina can best be described as a crockpotting. Coined by Dan and Ty of the <a href="https://www.solidverbal.com/">Solid Verbal Podcast</a>, a crockpotting is when a team slowly but surely dominates their opponent over the course of four hours, until they are perfectly cooked. Delicious.</p>
<p id="uw18rm">Notre Dame didn’t jump all over Duke to start, they didn’t step on the throat and finish them late, they just methodically went about their business and beat the Blue Devils 38-7. This was a win that left most Notre Dame fans feeling pretty satisfied, a rare occurrence during this 7-2 campaign. So how about we put some satisfying hard-g Gifs onto the internet and see the ingredients that went into this Blue Devil crockpot.</p>
<h5 id="2oZbCa">
<span>Ian Book</span> stands in a clean pocket to deliver a strike across the middle to <span>Chris Finke</span> for an 18 yard touchdown that gets this meal started.</h5>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tBhlVyqVlRBWUhJfKTxP_ZaFtp4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19370634/FinkeDukeTD.gif">
</figure>
<p id="Yx4Ol5"></p>
<h5 id="wxEoTM">
<span>Jahmir Smith</span> shows off exceptional vision to find a crease and breaks a few tackles, for one of the best runs by an Irish running back in almost a month.</h5>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vbQZFaqC0TPwxDKFXvxYLBpHLuk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19370651/JamirSmithRun.gif">
</figure>
<p id="oGdSCE"></p>
<h5 id="uxJggv">
<span>Chase Claypool</span> fillets Duke CB <span>Leonard Johnson</span> with a devastating cut and the Irish go up 14-0. Strange... “nOtRe DaMe DoEsN’t HaVe TaLeNt At WiDe ReCeIvEr!”</h5>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OBEyGFG8ME6oRc8guQdCzWj2IAM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19370655/ClaypoolDukeTD.gif">
</figure>
<p id="pCBG8U"></p>
<h5 id="2OP7DL">It’s difficult to fully encapsulate how dominant Notre Dame was defensively in this game via gifs but the mallet <span>Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah</span> brings down on Duke RB <span>Mataeo Durant</span> on this swing pass is a pretty fair representation.</h5>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YUeIaoJ-vWk_am4Be40gW5PtLd4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19370672/JOKHIT.gif">
</figure>
<p id="yNBcJ3"></p>
<h5 id="wiMv0K">Book with the keeper for a big gain. [Insert every white guy running with a football trope about how surprised we are that he is capable of moving faster than Pat Fitzgerald scrolling through a website by clicking the arrow on the scroll bar.] What a gym rat.</h5>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/oeUW3e0xwhx8WX5oFH52c0WiKaA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19370684/BookBigRun.gif">
</figure>
<p id="SvkhNj"></p>
<h5 id="soRqQq">Duke was driving to make this a one score game early in the 3rd before Troy Pride picks off <span>Quentin Harris</span> and sprints into Duke territory. The final result is all but sealed at this point.</h5>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EjMR0CPY69hUN4D-_cJy0_ASs-Q=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19370704/PridePick.gif">
</figure>
<p id="UEP31f"></p>
<h5 id="W6Rpkv">Ahem... “nOtRe DaMe DoEsN’t HaVe TaLeNt At WiDe ReCeIvEr!” I do love how that point is made after folks hand wave <span>Chase Claypool</span> like he’s not one of the 10-15 best WRs in all of College Football.</h5>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4UP4au4nqwdsyRvajVMcHaLUcjM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19371037/LongPassClaypool.gif">
</figure>
<p id="3PCOMl"></p>
<h5 id="4xzCXp">Book rolling out and <span>Finke</span> continues to roll, as the game enters blowout territory. The crockpot is getting ready to switch to warm.</h5>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rceEWlyRavB9EZFNCUw0MkPCpTE=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19371041/FinkeDukeTD2.gif">
</figure>
<p id="78sAYp"></p>
<h5 id="GD5HCG">
<span>Ian Book</span> is deceitful. He is duplicitous. He is knavish. Unscrupulous. Treacherous. Machiavellian! He shouldn’t be capable of having that kind of burst!</h5>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/p_mYsZUsVtaZ0GGGSfsl9S89Sg8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19371047/BookBigRun2.gif">
</figure>
<p id="HvWq5o"></p>
<h5 id="QuO2S9">They call him the Slippery Fox and he shows why on this punt return. </h5>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/h3W0TR2nWUx9KOINIZfAvgT2Vik=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19371052/FinkeReturn.gif">
</figure>
<p id="efknND"></p>
<h5 id="zTVys6">Five catches for 59 yards, 2 touchdowns, 46 yard punt return and a Macarena routine that will meme on in infamy. To this point, he’s had his best game of 2019. Why not put a decorative garnish on top of this roast and call it a night? </h5>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/c3PcHpoX6JyFRyqYO0Kr7qzSaJA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19371054/giphy.gif">
</figure>
<p id="ywjcis"></p>
<h3 id="UJTmAf"><strong>“Crockpot” Bowl Theories</strong></h3>
<p id="EV4S2h">The bowl picture is starting to come into focus. By that I mean a lot of folks are making definitive assumptions in the face of a literal quarter of the season left to play. Notre Dame has games against Navy, Boston College and Stanford remaining. The general consensus at this point is, at 10-2, the Irish are either going to the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/cotton-bowl">Cotton Bowl</a> in Dallas for a New Years Six game or the Camping World Bowl in Orlando for perhaps a sexier match-up. (Texas?)</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QsryP-5wFBa2yR2CLUHgLvMB-tA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19370276/BUGSDAFFYND.gif">
<figcaption>I’m team Daffy.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="AXD5iq">Most of the teams in front of them in the rankings still have to play some difficult games. Do you believe Auburn is going to remain where they are ranked with games against Georgia and Alabama? Baylor is living on the razors edge, with Oklahoma and Texas staring them in the face. Will Florida have a better resume than the Irish by season’s end? Not to mention the back half of the Big Ten schedule is set up like a Mexican standoff, with just about every team ranked above Notre Dame squaring off with one another. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/MZ3zzzxWwgLgc28Mt-TuMTeZ2K0=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19369502/B1GMexicanStandoff.gif">
<figcaption>Ohio State finishes the survivors off-camera.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="7mD3ZP">I’m of the opinion that if the Irish go 10-2, the Cotton Bowl would move heaven and earth to get the Irish back in Dallas and back to a top-12 ranking. Everyone is entitled to their own crackpot* theories of where the Irish will end up but it’s impossible to say at this point. So cherish this upcoming stretch and wherever the Irish go bowling in December, it’ll be a better game than the ones they play in the following eight months.</p>
<h3 id="tinkd4"><strong>Crockpot Recipe</strong></h3>
<p id="pMNOkA">I’d be remiss to spend this whole article using a crockpot metaphor without giving you an actual crockpot recipe! Recently, one of the hosts on my favorite non-sports podcast’s (<a href="https://glasscannonpodcast.com/">The Glass Cannon</a>) brought to my attention something known as the Mississippi Pot Roast. The hype surrounding this concoction is serious; this recipe has been sweeping the nation! I tried my hand at making it over the weekend and whoo-boy. Let me tell you... This isn’t Pete Sampson (love you Pete!) selling us on Heisman Dark Horse Ian Book level hype. This is straight up <span>Kyle Hamilton-</span>lighting-the-world-on-fire level hype. The Mississippi Pot Roast is the real deal. It’s painfully simple and yet the flavors are so complex, with a unique depth that you rarely get from something as basic as a pot roast. </p>
<h4 id="rNs3KS">All you need is to do the following:</h4>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/kycmNF_fWuhjEhfQl5nE4F4VeMk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19369722/QaBCRpy.jpg">
<figcaption>Beef Chuck Roast, 1x dry Ranch Packet, 1x Au Jus Gravy Packet, 5x Pepperoncini Peppers, 1/4cup of Butter</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NRIhOW00tGUYb2EqGeAxeVmnBfI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19369724/GLHgLg8.jpg">
<figcaption>Put all the Fig-thing’s in a slowcocker. Set it to low, for eight hours.</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mNa41QPSOtr_7WgE7q7OGw4jFY8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19369729/WaxVw0v.jpg">
<figcaption>The meat falls apart like a Van Gorder defense in the second half.</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZVzwm1rgf5Cr3PuMGVfcHdE-Ybo=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19369735/GMMLfcX.jpg">
<figcaption>Juicier than a premium site’s twitter account telling you, with a ($) in the tweet, that a mystery recruit was on campus.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="EXSrxc">Feel free to give your best/favorite crockpot recipes below!</p>
<p id="kf4drH"></p>
https://www.onefootdown.com/2019/11/13/20960010/notre-dame-football-crockpotting-with-chris-duke-postgameBrendan McAlinden2019-11-11T22:50:54-05:002019-11-11T22:50:54-05:00Notre Dame Football Fan Confidence Soaring After Duke Demolishment
<figure>
<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 09 Notre Dame at Duke" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/zoKUd0Fx8LfGIt6pi6fZaDBtNSA=/0x0:4321x2881/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65681841/1181818212.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Michael Berg/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Irish move up to No. 14 in SB Nation poll of self-identified ND fans.</p> <p id="m9Jjuh"><a href="https://www.onefootdown.com/">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a> fan confidence leapt considerably after the team’s thrashing of the <a href="https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/">Duke Blue Devils</a>, according to a new SB Nation poll.</p>
<p id="yZsAQH">Eighty-one percent of self-identified Irish supporters said they are confident that the football program is headed in the right direction, up 27.5 percent from last week’s FanPulse survey. (You can <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.surveymonkey.com%2Fr%2FYK726PN&referrer=sbnation.com&xcust=xid:fr1571714004898hee%7Cxid:fr1572316181483abh%7Cxid:fr1573089497945dfa%7Cxid:fr1573525934828bie" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>sign up here</strong></a> to add your opinion starting Saturday evening.*)</p>
<p id="U4CVTO">Irish fans were also asked to rank college football’s Top 25 teams, and they slotted their favorite team No. 14 this week, the second consecutive week they’ve nudged Notre Dame up one spot. There are now 10 teams in Irish fans’ current Top 25 that were not considered one of the best 25 teams during the preseason, led by the sixth-ranked <a href="https://www.thedailygopher.com/">Minnesota Golden Gophers</a>.</p>
<div id="IOmhQP"><div data-anthem-component="table:8872950"></div></div>
<p id="vyFMn1">In the national poll — which encompasses our fans and readers of 65 other SB Nation college football communities — the Irish fell one spot from No. 14 to No. 15.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6R35wHU2RD7ukwz1mNWc1OZu_TM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19368260/0___national___top_25.jpg">
</figure>
<p id="warpZU">This is also the second consecutive week that self-identified Irish football fans were asked about their confidence in the Notre Dame men’s basketball team. For what this is worth, 79.7 percent of respondents said they thought Mike Brey had his program headed in the right direction.</p>
<p id="ZiF7ui">Returning to football, fanbases of the Irish’s 2019 opponents continue to weigh in on confidence that their favorite team is going the right way.</p>
<h3 id="5aERnr">Confidence of Opponents’ Fanbases</h3>
<div id="lc2yHa"><div data-anthem-component="table:8883505"></div></div>
<p id="gnJtUf">What do you think?</p>
<h3 id="1TMbRo"><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com/?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.surveymonkey.com%2Fr%2FYK726PN&referrer=sbnation.com&xcust=xid:fr1571099950403hgi%7Cxid:fr1571713680899dfa%7Cxid:fr1572316181483dah%7Cxid:fr1573089497945iij%7Cxid:fr1573525934828ddd" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank"><strong>SIGN UP FOR FAN PULSE</strong></a></h3>
<p id="nYGgGy"><em>* Only one sign up necessary. A poll will be mailed to you each Saturday evening (or Sunday morning) until football season ends.</em></p>
https://www.onefootdown.com/2019/11/11/20960560/notre-dame-football-fan-confidence-soaring-after-duke-demolishment-sb-nation-fan-pulse-pollndjrs2019-11-11T13:54:25-05:002019-11-11T13:54:25-05:00Notre Dame Football: A Deeper Statistical Look at the Irish Offense Versus Duke
<figure>
<img alt="Notre Dame v Duke" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HLc3ZPpvqb6PJ2phLTFwnBXK-OA=/0x0:3394x2263/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65678349/1186626938.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Compare Ian Book’s stats to Everett Golson’s. Weird, right?</p> <p id="hIarlf">The <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com/">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a> steamrolled the <a href="https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/">Duke Blue Devils</a>, 38-7, at Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday.</p>
<h3 id="mnHidC"><strong>IT WAS OVER WHEN...</strong></h3>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/AOfKiXq0T-ETmEGKV8oaxS2M1oA=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19365080/Screen_Shot_2019_11_10_at_11.08.07_PM.png">
<cite>ACC Network</cite>
</figure>
<p id="ytEIRR">With 1:17 remaining in the third quarter and the score 28-7 Irish, the Blue Devils faced a second and 10 from their own 28 yard line. <span>Quentin Harris</span> dropped back, but his line decided to leave Notre Dame linebacker <span>Asmar Bilal</span> unblocked. <span>Bilal</span> clocked Harris as he released, causing the quarterback to nearly throw a pick to <span>Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah</span>. </p>
<p id="z8GUUq">It was at this point that Notre Dame reached 100 percent win probability.</p>
<h3 id="mc22X8"><strong>SUCCESS RATE</strong></h3>
<p id="NBpVmt"><span>Ian Book</span> was 18-for-32 for 181 yards, 4 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. His success rate was 36.4 percent, tied for the sixth best <span>Book</span> performance this year by this metric. It’s the 104th best performance of the Brian Kelly era among any quarterback who attempted at least 10 passes.</p>
<p id="L6M4W5">What is success rate?</p>
<p id="zFSNTF">“The goal of success rate is to create an on-base percentage-style efficiency measure,” ESPN’s Bill Connelly <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/10/13/16457830/college-football-advanced-stats-analytics-rankings"><strong>wrote last year</strong></a>. “Depending on a given down and distance, each play is deemed successful or non-successful:</p>
<ul>
<li id="FIqoNP">
<strong>First downs</strong>: gaining at least 50 percent of necessary yardage (usually 5 yards) is successful.</li>
<li id="anSwyW">
<strong>Second downs</strong>: gaining at least 70 percent of necessary yardage is successful.</li>
<li id="Dxulx2">
<strong>Third or fourth downs</strong>: gaining at least 100 percent of necessary yardage is successful.”</li>
</ul>
<p id="GHvg6T">For quarterback performances, Connelly told me to consider only downs where a pass was attempted or a sack was recorded. (He’d also suggest adjusting for opponent, which I haven’t done.)</p>
<p id="SJJZea">As for the entire offense, Notre Dame’s success rate was 44.6 percent (33 successful, 41 unsuccessful). That’s the 56th best performance in the Brian Kelly era by this metric and the fifth best this season.</p>
<h3 id="CjVD3g"><strong>BREAKING TACKLES/MISSED TACKLES</strong></h3>
<p id="y7Qn5k">I had <span>Jahmir Smith</span> and <span>Tony Jones Jr</span>. breaking or dodging two tackles each, while Lawrence Keys freed himself from one tackle.</p>
<p id="6efpMj">For the season, <span>Jones Jr.</span> has caused 24 broken or missed tackles. Book and wide receiver <span>Chase Claypool</span> are next best with eight tackles broken or missed each.</p>
<h3 id="wta7d0"><strong>YARDS AFTER CONTACT</strong></h3>
<p id="hDXHDg">As I used to chart games for <a href="https://www.cfbfilmroom.com/"><strong>College Football Film Room</strong></a>, I use their guideline to calculate based on where the ball was when contact was made. It has to be substantial contact, when the runner is either slowed or in danger of being tackled.</p>
<div id="iu1zmd"><div data-anthem-component="table:8904482"></div></div>
<h3 id="l83jVW"><strong>YARDS AFTER THE CATCH</strong></h3>
<div id="HIppPB"><div data-anthem-component="table:8904527"></div></div>
<h3 id="6fRWHW"><strong>BOOK PASSING CHART</strong></h3>
<div id="SWZqdy"><div data-anthem-component="table:8904584"></div></div>
<h3 id="V9g3cx"><strong>TARGET COUNT</strong></h3>
<div id="IOgPpW"><div data-anthem-component="table:8858586"></div></div>
<h3 id="uYh9hv"><strong>BOOK VERSUS HIS PREDECESSORS</strong></h3>
<p id="Q2n9vA">The senior has now taken 1,405 snaps under center for the Irish. Here’s how his statistics match up to six of his predecessors who took that many snaps for Notre Dame.</p>
<div id="Re3BKT"><div data-anthem-component="table:8940739"></div></div>
https://www.onefootdown.com/2019/11/11/20958790/notre-dame-football-irish-offense-duke-success-rate-yac-target-passing-chart-broken-tackles-ian-bookndjrs2019-11-10T16:13:34-05:002019-11-10T16:13:34-05:00Notre Dame Football: Julian Okwara and Jack Lamb Out for the Season
<figure>
<img alt="USC v Notre Dame" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jwa6jj9ynwn0Q-dyWxs8a_uHRO4=/0x0:4446x2964/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65672782/1183279319.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Can the Irish continue to withstand the injury bug?</p> <p id="IPQxEA">Brian Kelly met with reporters this afternoon to discuss the 38-7 victory over the <a href="https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/">Duke Blue Devils</a>. Kelly provided a number of injury updates on the <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com/">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a>, discussed the play of <span>Ian Book</span>, and previewed the upcoming match-up against the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/navy-midshipmen">Navy Midshipmen</a>.</p>
<h2 id="OhRb5m"><strong>Injuries</strong></h2>
<p id="oy7VOC"><strong>-</strong><span>Julian Okwara</span> is out for the season with a fractured fibula.</p>
<p id="pV0u5h">-<span>Jack Lamb</span> is out for the season with a torn hip muscle.</p>
<p id="QY2Aez">-Both Braden Lenzy and <span>Joe Wilkins</span> are both questionable for the this week’s contest. Kelly made it sound as if Lenzy has been dealing with some sort of fatigue issue, while <span>Wilkins</span> has been battling a hamstring injury. Both players are expected to practice on Tuesday but to what extent is unknown.</p>
<h2 id="n0u1Nm"><strong>Offense </strong></h2>
<p id="Uhutxl"><strong>-</strong>Kelly continues to believe there is more in the tank for <span>Ian Book</span>. However, he was pleased with Book’s decisiveness, pocket presence, and accuracy against Duke. Kelly acknowledged the slow start to the quarterback’s season but seems to believe the best is yet to come from his signal caller.</p>
<p id="NG1eSf">-Book’s success in running the football was not a surprise to the offensive staff. Per Kelly, Duke’s defensive scheme with their man to man coverage and capable front four provided Book with running lanes, and he took advantage. Kelly was obviously happy with Book’s ground performance but noted that fans should not expect to see a heavy dose of Book on the ground each week.</p>
<p id="vCewq1">-The production of C’ Bo Flemister and <span>Jahmir Smith</span> was a topic as well. Kelly stated that Lance Taylor, Notre Dame’s running back coach, is in charge of subbing guys in and out depending on the flow of the game and who he believes gives the offensive the best matchups in certain down and distances. Clearly, Taylor felt both Flemister and <span>Smith</span> were the hot hand last night.</p>
<p id="y8xzJY">-<span>Josh Lugg</span> and <span>Trevor Ruhland</span> were both effective last night in Kelly’s eyes. <span>Lugg</span> was “solid” outside of one third down run. Kelly thought <span>Ruhland</span> “battled” throughout the night, noting that, “Sometimes it doesn’t look as pretty as you want it to, but he’s effective”.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OVAz1FKuXJRtMqzsysGbrB19skQ=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19364015/1186627028.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images</cite>
</figure>
<h2 id="huIgiY"><strong>Defense</strong></h2>
<p id="eBoQtk"><strong>-</strong>The staff needs to determine <span>Isaiah Foskey</span>’s role will be moving forward. Foskey has already played in three games, and it seems the staff wants to preserve a redshirt on him. However, with <span>Okwara</span>’s injury, Foskey may be needed down the stretch.</p>
<p id="ZMJkFc">-Notre Dame’s success against running quarterbacks was brought to Brian Kelly’s attention today. The biggest reason for the continued success is controlling the passing game on first down. By getting the offense behind the chains, Notre Dame has been able to get offense’s in predictable situations and allow their defensive line to assert itself.</p>
<h2 id="EXEspx"><strong>Navy</strong></h2>
<p id="AUxQSk"><strong>-</strong>Much to the relief of fans, it sounds like the Irish game plan for Navy year round. Kelly stated that his entire staff is always on the lookout to recruit a player who can mimic the Midshipmen quarterback in practices. Kelly discussed how Notre Dame does a little bit of work in spring practice and in preseason camp to keep guys refreshed on how to defend the triple option as three days of practice does not provide the opportunity for players to get accustomed to the unique style. </p>
<p id="iPrFBd">Notre Dame took care of business last night. Outside of some sloppy play in the second quarter, the team appeared dialed in and ready to play. The Irish must sustain this down the stretch as they continue their drive for a New Year’s Six Bowl. </p>
<p id="GKFYaF">Go Irish!</p>
https://www.onefootdown.com/2019/11/10/20958221/notre-dame-football-okwara-and-lamb-out-for-the-season-ian-book-duke-blue-devils-isaiah-foskeyConnorLeichtle2019-11-10T16:10:24-05:002019-11-10T16:10:24-05:00How Notre Dame’s opponents fared in week 11 of the college football season
<figure>
<img alt="Georgia Tech v Virginia" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/_BNmmDx3S66FTMS-rk-2y3dBekU=/1x0:3459x2305/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65672767/1181097304.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Not great Bob</p> <p id="7ySHvx">The stakes each week only get higher for the <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com/"><strong>Notre Dame Fighting Irish</strong></a> each week as they try to make a run at <s>the college football playoff</s> a New Years 6 bowl game. Not only do they need to win out, but they will need <em>some</em> help from all over the country. Some of that help can come from the teams on Notre Dame’s schedule. If Notre Dame’s opponents are having a good year, then obviously a win against each opponent helps them in their cause (except for Michigan — because screw those guys). </p>
<p id="hnlbPZ">Here’s how Notre Dame’s opponents did in their week 11 matchups:</p>
<ul>
<li id="epSB2c">
<a href="https://www.cardchronicle.com/">Louisville Cardinals</a> 52-27 LOSS to <a href="https://www.stateoftheu.com/">Miami-Florida Hurricanes</a> (5-4)</li>
<li id="9SC9Eb">
<a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/new-mexico-lobos">New Mexico Lobos</a> POSTPONED with <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/air-force-falcons">Air Force Falcons</a> (2-7)</li>
<li id="JhiBTc">
<a href="https://www.dawgsports.com/">Georgia Bulldogs</a> 27-0 WIN over <a href="https://www.rockmnation.com/">Missouri Tigers</a> (8-1)</li>
<li id="1Vpi9R">
<a href="https://www.streakingthelawn.com/">Virginia Cavaliers</a> 33-28 WIN over <a href="https://www.fromtherumbleseat.com/">Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets</a> (7-3)</li>
<li id="gbk4vg">
<a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/bowling-green-falcons">Bowling Green Falcons</a> BYE (3-6)</li>
<li id="yauEeI">
<a href="https://www.conquestchronicles.com/">USC Trojans</a> 31-26 WIN over <a href="https://www.houseofsparky.com/">Arizona State Sun Devils</a> (6-4)</li>
<li id="H8eGIZ">
<a href="https://www.maizenbrew.com/">Michigan Wolverines</a> BYE (7-2)</li>
<li id="Zr9ahE">
<a href="https://www.gobblercountry.com/">Virginia Tech Hokies</a> 36-17 WIN over <a href="https://www.bloggersodear.com/">Wake Forest Demon Deacons</a> (6-3)</li>
<li id="agDyi9">
<a href="https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/">Duke Blue Devils</a> 38-7 LOSS to Notre Dame (4-5)</li>
<li id="fVdClo">
<a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/navy-midshipmen">Navy Midshipmen</a> BYE (7-1)</li>
<li id="iz967K">
<a href="https://www.bcinterruption.com/">Boston College Eagles</a> 38-31 LOSS to <a href="https://www.tomahawknation.com/">Florida State Seminoles</a> (5-5)</li>
<li id="uag2be">
<a href="https://www.ruleoftree.com/">Stanford Cardinal</a> 16-13 LOSS to <a href="https://www.ralphiereport.com/">Colorado Buffaloes</a> (4-5)</li>
</ul>
<p id="Uo9qq9">Notre Dame’s opponents are a combined 64-46 for the 2019 season.</p>
https://www.onefootdown.com/2019/11/10/20958214/how-notre-dames-opponents-fared-week-11-of-the-college-football-season-georgia-michigan-louisvilleJoshua Vowles2019-11-10T14:56:59-05:002019-11-10T14:56:59-05:00Notre Dame Drops A Spot In Both AP & Coaches Poll to #16 Following Duke Win
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: Notre Dame at Duke" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rYe2CbOkok_vMWTj4hufqWXjuVw=/0x0:5461x3641/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65672465/usa_today_13647668.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="JE5dub">Despite a big win against the <a href="https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/">Duke Blue Devils</a> this weekend, the <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com/">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a> fell a spot in the USA Today Coaches Poll and AP Poll from #15 to #16. </p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yw4IjfTOgUGDxOIh5TBi6_TeMgw=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19363881/Screen_Shot_2019_11_10_at_2.54.31_PM.png">
</figure>
<p id="SxfEwn">Alabama’s loss to the <a href="https://www.andthevalleyshook.com/">LSU Tigers</a> was the biggest shakeup at the top along with Penn State’s loss to the <a href="https://www.thedailygopher.com/">Minnesota Golden Gophers</a>. </p>
<p id="rdFzfV">Navy also made a small jump following a 56-10 blowout win over UConn. The Irish face the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/teams/navy-midshipmen">Navy Midshipmen</a> in South Bend on November 16th at 2:30 ET.</p>
https://www.onefootdown.com/2019/11/10/20958057/notre-dame-drops-a-spot-in-coaches-poll-following-duke-win-lsu-minnesota-alabama-navy-penn-state-16Joe Londergan2019-11-10T10:02:32-05:002019-11-10T10:02:32-05:00The Definitive Ranking of ACC Network Ads During the ND-Duke Game (By How Much I’m Buyin’ What They’re Sellin’)
<figure>
<img alt="NCAA Football: ACC Media Days" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fv9mb8ihqUfk_27iQLK76Yc2By0=/818x0:5543x3150/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65671569/usa_today_13055761.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After the Irish won 38-7, it became VERY clear that what our readers wanted was a ranking of the ACC Network commercials shown last night during the game. Pat Rick is on the case.</p> <p id="0K6Zbi">There were a lot of <a href="https://www.onefootdown.com/">Notre Dame Fighting Irish</a> football fans that were audibly upset about watching their game against the <a href="https://www.dukebasketballreport.com/">Duke Blue Devils</a> last night.</p>
<p id="7m0AMS">Surprisingly, though, the fans didn’t have anything to be upset about performance-wise. Your Fighting Irish went on the road to Durham and did exactly what they <em>should</em> do to a 4-4 Blue Devils squad — they kicked their shit in, 38 to 7.</p>
<div id="KW81J8"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tzxaZ7gKjAg?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="y3UplP">So, what about that rout of an inferior opponent was fit to be complained about by the Irish faithful, then?</p>
<p id="o23nv3">Of course, it was that the game was shown on the ACC Network, a new ESPN network that is not carried by all cable providers and/or not included in everyone’s basic sports TV packages. The gripes with this viewing experience going into, during, and after the game were plentiful from the Irish faithful, ranging from things like access to the broadcast and commentator quality all the way to annoyed grievances filed on Twitter about the eclectic collection of commercials shown during breaks in the action.</p>
<p id="yMzqIj">I understand why accessing the broadcast was annoying or frustrating or difficult for many, and I, too, was pretty annoyed to hear the commentators keep bringing up the 2016 Duke game, their complete bewilderment as to why Clemson and their horrible strength of schedule weren’t in the first CFP rankings, and how many times they mentioned that <span>Chris Finke</span> is a former walk-on.</p>
<div id="4Gt2LE">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hey Finkerena!<a href="https://twitter.com/SlipperyFox10?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SlipperyFox10</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rb38ZTauq4">pic.twitter.com/Rb38ZTauq4</a></p>— Angelo Di Carlo (@angdicarlo) <a href="https://twitter.com/angdicarlo/status/1193361123833237505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2019</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="601wR1">But the toxic comments I read on Twitter regarding the commercials that the ACC Network was showing? Well, folks, that’s where I can’t say I agree with any of you Negative Nancies out there.</p>
<p id="uiSuYw">I wasn’t always paying attention during commercial breaks, but I have to say that watching the ACC Network and the commercials they choose to air was easily the best TV ad experience I’ve had during a single sporting event in YEARS. </p>
<p id="k8Hvyc">So, with the caveat that I started making this list mid-4th quarter and thus definitely missed some good ones (PLEASE sound off in the comments with the best snubs), I wanted to put together the definitive ranking of those TV ad spots by how ridiculous, inane, funny, and awesome they are — or, put more simply...how much I was buyin’ what they were sellin’.</p>
<p id="ZnaAit">Let’s do this, in descending order so that we save the best for last.</p>
<p id="a83b3g">***</p>
<h2 id="g4fCzO">12. Tecovas Western Boots</h2>
<div id="4DOXXV"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-5rQ5ytySiE?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="S7wXLW">I don’t think this video was the exact commercial I saw during the 4th quarter, as it would have been absolute torture to endure a two-minute advertisement for a product I simply wouldn’t ever wear. But we will use it as an example of what I’m talking about.</p>
<p id="6v0Q9o">I have never owned a pair of “western boots” and thus have no idea if Tecovas is a good brand for them or not, but in terms of the criteria I’m looking at for this (a combination of how ridiculous the commercial is and how much I want the product), this one is dead last of the 12 that I wrote down. </p>
<p id="4B3Bay">The commercial is well-made with an uplifting but not obnoxious musical accompaniment, and at no point did I say to myself, “You know what? It’s time for Ole Pat to get some cowboy boots, drive his pickup truck through a picturesque field, and then sit with my new boots WAY too close to a campfire.”</p>
<p id="QwSkNF">Sorry, Tecovas. Please accept this cowboy-related Vine as compensation for me placing you last. Also, don’t call me Ole Pat.</p>
<div id="DsRWCI"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 75%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/feMwFuihX2o?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<h2 id="HqkMdo">11. Zaxby’s New Chicken Sandwiches</h2>
<div id="K2QbUr"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mpyWmvPjT5U?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="myK3wk">This is just your quick, basic chain restaurant commercial advertising new menu items, so it’s honestly not much better than the boots above. However, it automatically beats those boots because I have had Zaxby’s once or twice and it is pretty good, so I know I’d be okay eating these sandwiches — specifically the one on Texas Toast.</p>
<p id="ioNi8j">I do have one other quick note on this — it gains some major points for a SUPER BRIEF, SNEAKY, YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED IT ad-within-an-ad at the end of the commercial promoting the upcoming sequel to 2017’s summer blockbuster <em>Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. </em>Obviously I am talking about <em>Jumanji: The Next Level </em>starring The Rock, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Nick Jonas. Any time we can work a <em>Jumanji</em> reference into a sandwich commercial, I’m gonna be a fan, folks.</p>
<h2 id="8C74MW">10. The Concept of Jerome Bettis Being On Your Flag Football Team</h2>
<div id="SrQ4ae"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QAd8qi6NLnc?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="VzpE0m">This Geico commercial would honestly be dead last in these rankings if it didn’t feature our favorite large Irish adult son, Jerome Bettis. Only his presence saved it from being the cowboys boots/15-second-chicken-sandwich-commercial of this list.</p>
<p id="m7mm0D">What’s my problem with this admittedly funny analogy for how easy using Geico is?</p>
<p id="O4QKg1">Jerome Bettis’ antics on the flag football field are ALL illegal, and my good friend Josh of <a href="https://www.buffalorumblings.com/">Buffalo Rumblings</a> agrees with me.</p>
<div id="E1bVeL">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Everything Jerome Bettis does in the flag football commercial is a penalty.</p>— Josh Rawdin (@joshrawdin) <a href="https://twitter.com/joshrawdin/status/1170780881524613120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2019</a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div>
<p id="cLVN2k">Let’s quickly list out what Jerome Bettis does and why he would never be allowed to get away with it in flag football, a notably contact-less version of regular football where you are not allowed to push other people in any sort of manner.</p>
<ul>
<li id="5f394J">(0:09) — The Bus stiff-arms a would-be flag-grabber before quickly spinning off him. Please note that stiff-arming in flag football is the equivalent of flag-guarding and is not allowed, for obvious reasons</li>
<li id="d8fBQf">(0:11) — The Bus stiff-arms a second defender, this time even extending his arm in a fashion that would DEFINITELY draw the attention of even the least dialed-in referees in the game, considering the unnecessary roughness in play here. Alas, there is no penalty flag thrown, and Bettis rumbles onward</li>
<li id="vNia6p">(0:13) — The Bus literally palms a guy’s face in a brazen THIRD stiff-arm of the run, discarding the poor guy on the ground like a rag doll</li>
<li id="mNlCVV">(0:16) — The Bus, bored of stiff-arming guys to the ground, takes his latest foe (Baldy McGee) and grabs him by the head, driving him backwards for about 5 yards using his forehead to steer, only to then once again toss him to the ground</li>
<li id="J2hUgI">(0:18) — The Bus’ last victim, Baldy McGee, manages to make a helluva defensive play as he falls victim to the stiff-arm shove, snagging one of the runner’s flags on his way down. Unfortunately for him, Bettis has clearly rigged his flags somehow to not tear away when a defender grabs them. This is very obviously not allowed and results in Baldy McGee getting dragged another 15 yards before Bettis scores what is evidently his 7th touchdown of the game...how much did he pay these refs to allow this to go on all game??</li>
</ul>
<p id="LCdeHv">So, moral of the story here is that Jerome Bettis, a 47-year-old man who hasn’t played professional football since 2005 and was never known for his speed or agility anyway, would absolutely NOT be the juggernaut flag football player that Geico makes him out to be, considering he would be penalized literally every play for the very clear violations of basic rules he would have to commit in order to compete at that level.</p>
<p id="cHleMQ">And so, considering all that, I don’t want to buy their insurance, you guys.</p>
<h2 id="0iK7Ly">9. The Latest Star Wars Movie, <em>The Mandalorian</em>
</h2>
<div id="QhLBie"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aOC8E8z_ifw?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="RTZehp">I’ve never been a big Star Wars guy. I’ve seen the 6 original movies plus <em>Rogue One </em>and generally enjoyed the story and the action and everything, but overall the space/sci-fi thing never really did it for me. I’m definitely more of a <em>Harry Potter</em>/<em>Game of Thrones</em>/<em>Lord of the Rings</em> kind of guy.</p>
<p id="uBgoyr">So, in terms of how much I want to buy what they’re selling with this trailer for <em>The Mandalorian</em>, I’d say my answer would be “not very much.”</p>
<p id="QkjDFv">Nevertheless, it still beats out the boots movie, the chicken sandwich/<em>Jumanji</em> spot, and the cheating Jerome Bettis ad, so it lands at #9 in the list. Here are my random thoughts from watching the trailer and not knowing basically anything about the plot/premise of this film:</p>
<ul>
<li id="sevl3Z">Heads on the ground, heads on spears...seems bad</li>
<li id="c0w7zK">Wait, why would they have spears in this world of lightsabers and laser guns?</li>
<li id="UmXMt2">That’s Carl Weathers. He can give you acting lessons and also teach you how to make a stew</li>
</ul>
<div id="ybkfAy"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UZZ8atyryB4?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<ul>
<li id="0jN73f">That was Iron Man, I’m pretty positive</li>
<li id="UWLeVo">Mustache Man riding a piranha horse and holding a gun</li>
<li id="IMWWnY">Why is that lady winking?</li>
<li id="xep8Fg">Moses’ mom about to set him afloat down the river, I see</li>
<li id="kwR438">Now they have guns, no spears in sight...glad they listened to me earlier</li>
<li id="n0AHWp">Is that Gustavo Fring? Yes, it is. Very excited they’re finally giving us the <em>Breaking Bad</em>/<em>Star Wars</em> crossover we’ve been clamoring for!</li>
<li id="MJvuSl">Sick hover-hog, man</li>
<li id="LFjzdy">Ohhhhh this is about the bounty hunter guy, isn’t it?</li>
<li id="Dfwnop">Who is the old guy? I don’t like him</li>
</ul>
<p id="gm3J5G">Okay, that’s it for this one. Almost certainly not gonna see this movie.</p>
<h2 id="Wg31PA">8. Dr. Pepper (and Infidelity)</h2>
<div id="vqfy93"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IODn7DHT3Z8?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="mMeAWI">Dr. Pepper is the best soda/pop out there and it’s not even remotely close. So in terms of the “would Pat buy it?” criterion for this one, it’s a resounding “yes.”</p>
<p id="S9I0Gj">The commercial itself is fine. I mostly enjoy the Fansville ads they’ve been seemingly running for 5 years now, and appreciate a number of things in this specific ad (“is that dijon mustard?”, “are you seeing another grill?”, “she has an onion volcano!”, “she uses propane! this is natural, girl,” “HWHAT?!?”), but I can’t put this any higher because this, like all the Fansville ads, can be seen on normal networks during college football season. </p>
<p id="Q40J8C">Additionally, I just think the next 7 commercials are funnier/more ridiculous/more entertaining, so this is as far as the Dr. Pepper ad will make it.</p>
<h2 id="TpJIm3">7. Nick Saban Selling Me Aflac Insurance</h2>
<div id="zxTGoO"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bCavw7Tp3ng?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="OWftt5">Obviously, this commercial is like the Dr. Pepper one in terms of it being shown on other networks, but I think the entire concept is funnier and more ridiculous, so it snags the #7 spot.</p>
<p id="CUvqtt">Just the idea of Nicholas Lou Saban Jr. being this passionate about an insurance provider is unbelievable and perfect, and I love that the entire ad campaign is broken into these recruiting events with Saban and his duck partner courting this couple with an in-home visit, a campus tour, etc.</p>
<p id="pzCXVp">Saban is rocking an Aflac polo, and the Aflac duck is apparently wearing a matching sweater or something? What an adorable little insurance pair, you guys!</p>
<p id="oFu9HG">I love when the highlight video is played and the duck is wiggling its head/neck in a dance-y fashion as it watches the film, and then I also love when the wife inexplicably gets turned on by the video of her husband paying bills. She says, “you look good paying bills,” which to me implies that he doesn’t currently pay them, and thus the thought of that happening is very appealing to her. Does she pay them instead? Are they just not paying for anything, from utilities to mortgage/car payments to taxes??? Also, when his wife says that to him so sensually, why is his first reaction to turn and stare lovingly at the duck?</p>
<p id="kIUUv6">It’s an electric commercial, and if it weren’t such a big company with tons of ads playing all the time everywhere, it might be higher. But, unfortunately, it has nothing on the below commercials, in terms of capturing my heart.</p>
<h2 id="2SMuOS">6. Island Coastal Lager</h2>
<div id="RC4bBS"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xMpx3wT26_M?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="ZVIQoU">I have never, in my life, heard of this brand of beer. Let me start there, as I got fairly into beer while I lived in small-town Southwestern Michigan (there is little else to do in SW Michigan in the winter), and Island Coastal Lager has never been something on my radar. When this ad came on the TV, I honestly thought it might be a joke commercial or that it was Bud Light or Miller Lite or something and the “Island” thing on their shirts was something else.</p>
<p id="8GTQqK">But, alas, this is real. So now let’s talk about what happens in the ad. Two tailgate bros reach simultaneously into the cooler and grab the last beer, awkwardly picking it up in conjunction with the other and gazing mischievously into each others’ eyes without saying anything.</p>
<p id="Z6oysZ">Then, everyone at the tailgate in perfect, simultaneous fashion points and yells “PLAY FOR IT!” It’s clear this is a common occurrence — two idiots somehow managing to grab the one beer they have left and refusing to share it — and so at this point in the ad, they begin playing cornhole. </p>
<p id="Wea4VJ">I gotta be honest, it was at this point in watching it that I’d convinced myself this was not a beer commercial, but an ad for a cornhole board manufacturer or something. Also, the clips of their game show other people playing cornhole too — do they get some of the beer if they win? Or are they just forced into these two guys’ weird competition for one beer at a tailgate, with no personal reward? Why would you agree to spend your time doing this, other people???</p>
<p id="c0ttZz">We never find out who wins, because some other people arrive with more Island Coastal Lager, and everyone cheers and starts shotgunning the beers. They appear to have brought AT LEAST 6 cases of beer, and guessing that each is probably a 12-pack based on size, I think we can estimate they brought ~72 Island Coastal Lagers — hell yeah, BAY BEEEEEEE.</p>
<p id="DtzJK7">The commercial closes with the tagline “Elevate your tailgate, and take it easy,” which to me is a horrible slogan, considering the second half of it directly contradicts the first. If you’re elevating your tailgate, you probably aren’t taking it easy. C’mon, Island Coastal Lager!!!</p>
<p id="FofhQF">Anyway, a solid commercial considering I’ve never heard of the brand, it creates a ludicrous scenario where two guys feel they must compete in cornhole to determine who gets the last beer at a tailgate. I approve of this advertisement, even if it’s not a commercial for Hamm’s Premium, the BEST tailgate beer.</p>
<h2 id="hHCBrP">5. My Pillow</h2>
<p id="jiJGls">I cannot remember which My Pillow commercial was shown on the ACC Network last night, but I found this one on YouTube and just HAVE to share it.</p>
<div id="s4ypD8"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cc3GTJW0LSE?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="3kdjHP">First and foremost, the My Pillow guy just appears in this couple’s mirror, and they’re not the least bit disturbed by that, instead just greeting him as if he’s a celebrity they encountered out on the street.</p>
<p id="WrLAe1">Then, the My Pillow guy has the woman lie in bed and he starts pressing her pillow down to show her that her pillow sucks (smart sales tactic — he even says “this pillow is no good” at one point). </p>
<p id="ejfVpv">The My Pillow guy claims to have tried every pillow out there and that none of them worked. That is A LOT of pillows, buddy. Where do you find the time???</p>
<p id="o1SSSd">He then goes on to explain, after a customer testimonial, that he makes all the pillows in his home state of Minnesota and they have a 10-year warranty, which is honestly WAAAAAY too long to keep a pillow. Why would you want a 10-year pillow warranty?</p>
<p id="IQyjCJ">Finally, at the end of the commercial, the My Pillow guy once again haunts this poor couple’s bathroom by appearing in the mirror only to tell the guy he’s sleeping better and then tell him he’s looking good, which the couple replies to with “feelin’ good,” which is then rhymed again with My Pillow guy saying “I knew ya would!” That’s just electric as hell, folks.</p>
<p id="WbKm4j">The commercial closes with a nice little jingle where My Pillow claims to be giving people “the best night’s sleep in the whole wide world.” That is a bold claim for sure and doesn’t sound right, but I don’t know enough about pillows to dispute it.</p>
<div id="56KOuf"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qn0uYtCScsw?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="NgWkkf">Overall, I love sleeping and thus love pillows, and think the My Pillow commercials are so bad and awkward and seem sort of like a scam, which makes it an even stronger commercial to show during a prime time college football game on your network. A solid #5, for usre.</p>
<h2 id="SMI7yc">4. <a href="http://HootersMoneyball.com">HootersMoneyball.com</a>
</h2>
<div id="MSvBHG"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/P63ZEgSH8R8?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="MlNcMP">Even after the ambiguous and weird beginning of the ad is cleared up with an explanation of what the commercial is for, I still do not exactly know what this is. I thiiiiink it’s sports gambling through Hooters; which, if that’s true, that’s hilarious and amazing.</p>
<p id="pCQ1Fb">I’ve never been to a Hooters, but the idea that they said “we should take the name of a movie about baseball sabermetrics, smash it together with our brand name, and make it a website where guys can gamble money on football” is absolutely perfect, and I am so glad I got to hear about it. This country is the best.</p>
<p id="Mhe8wb">Add on bonus points for the sexual tone in the beginning and the clips they show of people watching games at Hooters near the end, and it’s just fantastic television. They give reasons to go to Hooters and one is “the best fans on the planet,” and I of course need some clarification. Are these fans of Hooters itself? Or are they saying the best fans of all teams go to Hooters to watch games? If so, how can they possibly measure/prove that? </p>
<p id="FkjH56">I also really dig the incredibly awkward fist-bump-and-explode interaction between a Hooters waitress and a male “fan” in a generic green football jersey near the end of the ad — that was stupendous and is DEFINITELY the kind of relationship I always have with my waitress in a sports bar.</p>
<p id="B5ZvUg">So yeah, <a href="http://HootersMoneyball.com">HootersMoneyball.com</a> is too funny of a URL to advertise on the ACC Network during a Notre Dame vs. Duke football game — it HAD to make the top 4, folks.</p>
<h2 id="6GEjXp">3. LaserX Laser Tag</h2>
<div id="TqqpDx"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jEAfTWknCwU?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="hy2lL5">This looks like something I would have LOVED to have as a kid with all my neighborhood friends. Hell, it looks like something I’d LOVE to have now to use while running around downtown Chicago with friends — laser tag is pretty great.</p>
<p id="OJl4Pw">But moving past the obvious fact I would buy this, there were some fantastic things said in that commercial. </p>
<p id="FLz0WZ">First, they claim to be the “#1 home laser tag game on the planet,” which is a crazy claim that I don’t think they can legally back up, similar to some of the claims made above by <a href="http://HootersMoneyball.com">HootersMoneyball.com</a> and My Pillow. Secondly, I love the phrase “your neighborhood is the arena!” That’s what I’ve always dreamed of.</p>
<p id="prWXjx">Third, I like that instead of just two team choices, a third choice is just “GO ROGUE,” which to me sounds like you’ll just be running around executing people left and right because they don’t know what team you’re on.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xFHta3M0WcF2jrmakNwuWBy3zvk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19363326/Screen_Shot_2019_11_10_at_8.52.53_AM.png">
</figure>
<p id="9fb0SO">I also adore when they’re showing all the different laser guns and they mention the “Compact Micro Blaster.” WHO WOULD WANT THAT SHITTY LITTLE THING?? Especially when the next ones they mention are the Fusion Modular Blaster (500-foot range) and the “LaserX Morph Blaster” that morphs into a training machine and has 300-foot range as a gun.</p>
<p id="b8OM3c">Furthermore, I want to thank this ad for introducing me to the phrase “blaster-to-blaster,” and for the “unlimited number of players” reveal wherein they have kids shoot down into the living room and onto the stairs via beams of color reminiscent of Power Rangers. Ahhhh I miss Power Rangers so much...</p>
<p id="h7ydm7">Anyway, at $49.99 plus processing and handling, this seems like a total steal for anyone trying to sprint around outside with their friends and shoot lasers at each other, all while GOING ROGUE and fighting BLASTER-TO-BLASTER.</p>
<h2 id="97EK2I">2. MTailor</h2>
<div id="46dBGU"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ReAuRagt7bQ?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="3akk3b">“Guys, how frustrating is it to find a great pair of jeans?”</p>
<p id="vEEzky">That’s how this infomercial for MTailor opens, and it is so poorly worded, it’s fantastic. I know what she meant — how frustrating is it to <em>try</em> to find a great pair of jeans? But instead she just says that it’s frustrating to find a great pair of jeans, which to me is counterproductive for the entire sales pitch here. It would actually be wonderful to find a great pair of jeans, ma’am. I disagree with your premise. </p>
<p id="jDRRW5">Not a great start.</p>
<p id="ybfJk2">She starts talking about the issues people can have in the fit of their jeans, and the camera pans over this guy’s ill-fitting pants...and as I watched alone in my apartment, I felt compelled to blurt out to literally no one, “Are those even jeans?!?” They do not look at all like a pair of jeans anyone has ever owned, in the history of jeans. What in the world is he wearing?</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/hgfq-9e9TqIbhmMHwK9KkM-uJv8=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19362888/Screen_Shot_2019_11_10_at_12.43.03_AM.png">
<figcaption>ARE THOSE EVEN JEANS, MAN???</figcaption>
</figure>
<p id="B2jwfG">“Stop spending HOURS trying stuff on.”</p>
<p id="JWNGQF">How long does it take other people to try on jeans? Am I the only person who is able to try on a pair of jeans in just a couple minutes? Is the amount of time spent trying on clothes really the selling point here?</p>
<p id="ImZuGN">“MTailor measures you digitally and is 20% more accurate than a professional tailor.”</p>
<p id="F7toU6">By what metric? How does one measure “accuracy of tailors”? I have so many questions on how they came to that statistic, and can’t even begin to fathom how they did it. Also how would a phone app ever be more accurate at measuring someone than a professional tailor measuring them in-person? That just cannot be true, folks.</p>
<p id="fhMvuN">Anyway, I don’t know if I would ever use this app or buy jeans through MTailor, but the commercial is so bad and ridiculous and funny that I couldn’t help but rank it this high.</p>
<h2 id="ZWOdnl">1. ProjeX Projection Gaming Arcade</h2>
<div id="OZDIJb"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ehyRO_YygEw?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="fJwI4r">Only one of the commercials last night made its way into my text conversations with friends in terms of products we agreed we wanted, and that was, of course, ProjeX Projection Gaming Arcade.</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HjqAyHq1nAzd4b0JpqYKJzgWBRM=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19362892/Screen_Shot_2019_11_10_at_12.50.19_AM.png">
</figure>
<p id="Ih5IUZ">And once you watch that video, it’s easy to see why. Whether it’s the amazing tag lines that pull the consumer in — “When it’s lights off, that means it’s GAME ON!!!” — or the fact that this appears to be a game designed to succeed in the 1999 toy landscape, the ProjeX commercial is a superb mix of over-the-top corny and way too simple of a concept to succeed today with all the video game systems out there. I love it so much. I NEED a video game that just projects ducks onto my wall.</p>
<p id="CYXEKm">I truly want to turn my house into a projected gaming arcade, and really enjoy things that are “A BLAST TO PLAY!” Also, it rules that when they’re explaining that no TV is needed and it’s super easy, the text on the screen just says:</p>
<figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/rzhVQukFWnMvGIfrZcrID1rUyLc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/19362896/Screen_Shot_2019_11_10_at_12.56.11_AM.png">
</figure>
<p id="bBCpg1">You can “swap slides to blast different targets” and then they only mention two options — ducks and UFOs. Of course, I’m happy they covered the Big Two things that we are always shooting guns at (ducks and UFOs) , but couldn’t they have included a lot more options for kids to choose from, to keep things interesting? Also, I love that when they say it has “intense sound effects” you just hear a duck quacking. Amazing stuff.</p>
<p id="9i5mED">Finally, this thing costs $49.99 plus processing and handling, which is the same price as the laser tag set despite including much less, I believe. That makes it funnier and I definitely want to buy this if it means my friends and I can stare at a dark wall and shoot at ducks and UFOs from the safety of our own home...that’s a no-brainer.</p>
<p id="XRJp2w">***</p>
<p id="KGKV6P">Well everyone, that’s what I’ve got. Feel free to #EmbraceDebate and disagree/argue about this in the comments, and please let me know if anyone wants to play ProjeX with me in the near future. I plan on ordering it this week!!!</p>
https://www.onefootdown.com/2019/11/10/20957407/definitive-ranking-accn-ads-my-pillow-hootersmoneyball-projex-mtailor-laserx-bettis-saban-aflacPat Rick