The Irish pulled off a rather predictable 40-14 victory yesterday against the Washington State Cougars. I say predictable in the sense that the Irish were expected to dominate – which they did – and because I knew they wouldn’t totally blow the Cougars out of the water (which helped me win $30 since I took WSU +28). For whatever reason, ND doesn’t have it in them to run up the score Tecmo-style, so I felt good about taking the points in this one.
This was a good win, if not for the sole reason that the Irish pulled off a victory without having it go down to the game’s final moments. However, this win did not come without its cost. ND suffered a handful of setbacks that came in the form of key injuries, including a rolled ankle for their best offensive lineman, Trevor Robinson, and a possible destroyed knee to their QB of the future, Dayne Crist. Plus, uber-star Jimmy Clausen aggravated that stubborn turf toe injury he’s been nursing since the Michigan State game.
Luckily, Navy strolls into town next week, which should make for another fairly easy victory. But a very tough Pittsburgh squad awaits the Irish the week after, which could spell doom for a squad looking to play its bowl game on New Year’s Day. Plus, the Irish Spring practice period just got a lot more interesting. Assuming Clausen jumps at the chance to make millions next year in the NFL, the Irish could literally be without a healthy scholarship QB on the roster for the critical Spring period. Doh!
By the way, I need to say something. I am a Dallas Cowboys fan, which means I’ve been forced to root for guys I didn’t like. That is, through dedication to my team, I’ve had to cheer on the likes of Terrell Owens, Michael Irvin, and Deion Sanders, guys who are clearly assholes but whose talent helped my squad achieve success. Unfortunately, I now find myself in a similar position with this year’s Irish. Despite their immense talent, I think Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate are pricks. They are selfish, cocky players who are in it for themselves and nobody else. This means Clausen will no doubt follow the dollars to the NFL after the season instead of sticking it out with his team and his coach for a possible national championship run next year. And I’m quite certain Tate will follow the yellow brick road to play major league baseball next year, which will leave the Irish – and college football – without two of the most potent offensive players in the game. I suppose I can’t begrudge their desire to get paid, but I can lament the situation as a dedicated fan of the sport and the team. But for their skills, I’d say good riddance!
