[81alum]

I enjoy hearing from knowledgeable fans of our weekly opponents and welcome NDIrish and his input.  NDI is a little chauvinistic toward his team and university--but that is expected of all football fans and I do not hold that against him.

But NDIrish also needs to understand that respect and civility does not mean agreement.  I do think that Notre Dame is a reputable major university by academic standards, and I do think that Notre Dame has done fairly well on the APR front. 

I think my problem with Notre Dame is that its fan base tends to be so rabid that it contributes to an unhealthy ethos in which athletes behave like they are above the rules, coaches scream and rant, and fans are bellicose.  I can't blame NDIrish for this, since he seems reasonable to me.  But I do not much like the company he has to keep.

As far as football is concerned, I am worried about this game.  I think the Notre Dame offense seems marginally superior to ours at the moment, and our defense seems somewhat superior to Notre Dame's.  I would expect a low scoring game that could be determined by turnovers, special teams, or penalties.  I also think the critical factor will be to observe which offensive line does a better job.  Ours has had issues and Notre Dame's has been patchwork.  Which ever line can come together and improve its game compared with last week will probably contribute mightily to a win.

[81alum]

I enjoy hearing from knowledgeable fans of our weekly opponents and welcome NDIrish and his input.  NDI is a little chauvinistic toward his team and university--but that is expected of all football fans and I do not hold that against him.

But NDIrish also needs to understand that respect and civility does not mean agreement.  I do think that Notre Dame is a reputable major university by academic standards, and I do think that Notre Dame has done fairly well on the APR front. 

I think my problem with Notre Dame is that its fan base tends to be so rabid that it contributes to an unhealthy ethos in which athletes behave like they are above the rules, coaches scream and rant, and fans are bellicose.  I can't blame NDIrish for this, since he seems reasonable to me.  But I do not much like the company he has to keep.

As far as football is concerned, I am worried about this game.  I think the Notre Dame offense seems marginally superior to ours at the moment, and our defense seems somewhat superior to Notre Dame's.  I would expect a low scoring game that could be determined by turnovers, special teams, or penalties.  I also think the critical factor will be to observe which offensive line does a better job.  Ours has had issues and Notre Dame's has been patchwork.  Which ever line can come together and improve its game compared with last week will probably contribute mightily to a win.