temptation

Notre Dame has done one hell of a job these last couple of years. They’ll need a miracle to creep into that top 3 elite group but should not be ashamed at all.

I always keep receipts. You claimed 8 wins. No surprise THAT they lost at Iowa but HOW they lost at Iowa would concern me as an IU fan.

Thought about a question this weekend. Put your coaching caps on. How much emphasis do you place on special teams, specifically kickoff and punt returns? The rule changes have made the kickoff much less dangerous at the collegiate and pro level but not so much when it comes to the punting unit. Injuries can occur at anytime but is it worth the risk? One train of thought is that it is a three phase game and special teams is important and should be treated as such. Another is that possession of the ball is the most important concept and you just need someone back there that has reliable hands. I ask, as my favorite collegiate team had WR1 returning punts this past weekend and he is now out for the season due to an ACL tear suffered on a punt return. Seems like on a scholarship roster of 80+ guys you could find someone else to put back there who could be slightly less talented, but also not as important to your offensive/defensive first unit yet still reliable. What say you?

Still pegging this as a 6-7 win outfit. The Cincinnati game will tell a lot in determining the rest of the season. Win that one, and they could be right back on track. Lose it and who knows. I know its only one week but the Maryland/Michigan State/Rutgers games could possibly be more difficult than anticipated. Minnesota, on the other hand might be a bit easier now that their stud tailback is done for the year. I never had them beating Michigan, Penn State or Ohio State to begin with but the possibilities are endless in the other games.

"Lift Every Voice and Sing" seems to roll off the tongue better than "The Black National Anthem." Doesn't really bother me to be honest. The latter title seems to promote division and create more strife. Words matter more so than ever in our society it seems and this is no exception. As for the "messaging", I can also swallow that pill a bit easier now that they are not putting specific names on helmets. Especially, when some of the folks' whose names were being utilized were found to be in the wrong. Terrible decisions and choices often lead to dire consequences.

I tend to agree. The pick sixes make the final score look much more lopsided than it was, but to counter that there were 2-3 other passes that could have been picked off. Feel good week for the Hoosiers with Idaho coming to town. Then the big one against Cincinnati. Need to get up big this weekend and give Tuttle some more snaps...the might need him sooner than they think.

Not to mention prestige and being under a microscope on a daily basis.

You’ll rarely, if ever catch me defending Notre Dame but if you don’t think there is a difference between being the DC at Cincinnati and the DC at Notre Dame, I can’t help you.

Perhaps by "one level" he meant the AAC as opposed to Notre Dame. Different animal.

Correct and many are overreacting but had that game gone the other way, the pitchforks would have been our first thing this morning. Mike Norvell is not exactly known as an elite play caller and made his own fair share of questionable decisions but Freeman’s “prevent D” in the 4th quarter nearly made Norvell look like a savant.

Wait until we’ve seen a month worth of action and release the first college football poll the first Monday in October. Offseason perceptions and projections of teams (which is nearly impossible after the year that was 2020) play too large of a role in these “rankings.” Case in point: How many times do we have to see Oklahoma trot out a JV defense before we realize they are not an elite outfit?

Purple face.

I’ve heard multiple folks applaud Freeman’s recruiting ability yet question his in-game coaching ability. The three-man front scheme down the stretch was head scratching to say the least. Also heard whispers he is the coach in waiting once BK walks away. Take it for what it’s worth.

And the one interception was a Hail Mary at the end of regulation. Some people just have unrealistic expectations.

4-0 for the Temp last week. Here we go! Brownsburg at Avon: If a rivalry game cannot bring out your best, what can? Brownsburg seems to have retooled and is a conference title contender once again, whereas Avon is reeling in a bad way, particularly on the defensive end. I don't see things getting much better this week for the Orioles. Brownsburg rolls 34-14. Hamilton Southeastern at Fishers: Another rivalry matchup of two surprising resurgent teams on tap. Both teams trending in the right direction and this one should be an instant classic with an incredible atmosphere. I'll go with the Royals in a squeaker, 24-21. Noblesville at Westfield: Noblesville appears to be more than just a bye week for HCC foes as they gave Fishers all they could handle last week. Westfield romped over a good Zionsville team and should be able to put Noblesville away early. The Millers' best shot is to control the clock with their ground game. I'll say 'Rocks 30-17. Zionsville at Franklin Central: Similar to Carmel in the MIC, Zionsville should have a feel good week on their hands after getting beaten by Westfield last week. Like Noblesville, Franklin Central is not a complete pushover but I don't think they have enough for the Eagles. Zionsville 27-14. Similar to what I did for the MIC, I think the HCC's "tiers" are not as clearly defined but I will try my best. Tier 1: Brownsburg, Westfield Tier 2: Hamilton Southeastern, Fishers, Zionsville Tier 3: Noblesville Tier 4: Avon, Franklin Central

The Temp is 5-0 picking MIC vs MIC games thus far this season but things get a tad more interesting this week. Ben Davis at Center Grove: Two high octane offenses meet up on the southside. BD has gotten rolling, especially on the offensive end since its opening week loss to Brownsburg and the CG machine just continues to roll on to what appears to be a second consecutive 6A title. I know this gets tiring, but in a matchup like this, I believe that the two offenses are fairly similar in terms of explosion, but CG undoubtedly has the better defense which is the difference once again. CG wins 45-13. Carmel at Pike: I won't pretend to know the specifics of the Carmel QB situation but believe they can "get by" this week despite those questions. This will be a feel good game for the 'Hounds to get last week's bad taste out of their mouths. Gimme Carmel 31-7. Lawrence North at North Central: The jury is still out on LN for this guy. A squeaker over a now 0-3 Avon team, followed by an off week and a blowout win over township rival LC. NC, on the other hand, continues to take it on the chin week after week, which still surprises me. This is a true toss up game. Gimme LN 20-17. Warren Central at Lawrence Central: As expected, Warren is getting better each week out. Lawrence Central, on the other hand, may have peaked in their week 2 win over Lafayette Jefferson, though a couple more opportunities could arise later this season. I'll take Warren 41-14. Looking like a four tier league in my opinion. Tier 1: Center Grove Tier 2: Ben Davis, Carmel, Warren Central Tier 3: Lawrence North Tier 4: Lawrence Central, North Central, Pike

I mean there is only ONE direction to go from a team with 17 D1 players who got trounced in the semi state…

I agree with this. They’ll be a player in 5A, if Cathedral ever comes back to the field.

LOL @ this take. This, I will agree with. Freeman seems like one hell of a recruiter but had some obvious flaws tonight.

That should count as three wins. They beat the dead coach. They beat the guy with the robotic leg. They even beat the kid with the rare disease.

Not throwing dirt on Andrean just yet.

I got two carries in the 4th quarter.

Andrean, Hobart, and Crown Point.

Fordham.

Thought Brohm got too cute a couple of times, but decent win for the Boilers.