[CardinalSagehen]

I doubt Shaw is trying to say the new OL coach is screwing up. I think the idea is more to say that the players have to go out there and execute despite the challenges. Sure, there's a new OL coach and he's given them some new things to learn, and sure the defenses they've faced have had some wrinkles and have competed hard. But those can't be excuses not to play well.

Correct.  I watched it on Facebook earlier today.  In context, there was no clear attempt to make this about Carberry. That would not be Shaw’s style anyway. The mood of the day (particularly a few questions later) was more consistent with something like, “you media types might try to say that it’s the new OL coach, but you really don’t know anything.”

Rayburn left out a couple edgy, cantankerous moments from the transcript, too.  Shaw responded to one question with a short diatribe about how the “national conversation” surrounding the ND game and potential CFP implications is so far removed from his world, how there is no conversation for him or the team, how the end goal is nowhere near in sight yet, yada yada.  It was slightly entertaining.  I admire his clarity of focus and mission, even though I know it’s pretty standard coachspeak.  

On a related note, Shaw seems particularly annoyed by Tom Fitzgerald at each press conference, and he doesn’t even try to hide it.

[CardinalSagehen]

I doubt Shaw is trying to say the new OL coach is screwing up. I think the idea is more to say that the players have to go out there and execute despite the challenges. Sure, there's a new OL coach and he's given them some new things to learn, and sure the defenses they've faced have had some wrinkles and have competed hard. But those can't be excuses not to play well.

Correct.  I watched it on Facebook earlier today.  In context, there was no clear attempt to make this about Carberry. That would not be Shaw’s style anyway. The mood of the day (particularly a few questions later) was more consistent with something like, “you media types might try to say that it’s the new OL coach, but you really don’t know anything.”

Rayburn left out a couple edgy, cantankerous moments from the transcript, too.  Shaw responded to one question with a short diatribe about how the “national conversation” surrounding the ND game and potential CFP implications is so far removed from his world, how there is no conversation for him or the team, how the end goal is nowhere near in sight yet, yada yada.  It was slightly entertaining.  I admire his clarity of focus and mission, even though I know it’s pretty standard coachspeak.  

On a related note, Shaw seems particularly annoyed by Tom Fitzgerald at each press conference, and he doesn’t even try to hide it.