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Irony - a tale of two game ending decisions

  • Michigan fights and claws its way back in the most improbable way, with a QB who has no business beating you with his arm. With time running out, most people, including Herbstreit, say the smart play is to move the ball to the middle and bring in your field goal kicker. Go for the tie, because you're at home, and momentum is clearly in your favor as ND can't stop you any more. Why throw the ball in the end zone? It's not like you have Michael Floyd with a clear match-up advantage on a fade route, and your QB will never win any accuracy contests. If that ball is picked off, you'll be second-guessed for weeks.

    Does that scenario sound remotely similar? Sure there are differences, including the track record of the field goal kickers, but this was a chip shot. The biggest commonality is the notion that "if it can go wrong for Notre Dame, it will."

    signature image

    I may not be pretty, but I'm fast..... POTW 1/31/11 - 2/6/11

    HamOnWry22 ●

  • Tulsa.

    signature image signature image

    God. Country. Notre Dame.

    jimlafrance

  • Notre Dame is the most innovative program in all of college football. We find new spectacular ways to lose every week. I'm starting to think it's a rare talent.

    POTW 8.8.11-8.15.11/ Co-Founder Gringo Mafia

    GIGA

  • Tulsa's DB's turn their heads to see the ball, ND's don't. Easy decision for Mich. I figured more could go wrong with a fg.

    JoePH ●

  • HamOnWry22 said...

    Michigan fights and claws its way back in the most improbable way, with a QB who has no business beating you with his arm. With time running out, most people, including Herbstreit, say the smart play is to move the ball to the middle and bring in your field goal kicker. Go for the tie, because you're at home, and momentum is clearly in your favor as ND can't stop you any more. Why throw the ball in the end zone? It's not like you have Michael Floyd with a clear match-up advantage on a fade route, and your QB will never win any accuracy contests. If that ball is picked off, you'll be second-guessed for weeks.

    Does that scenario sound remotely similar? Sure there are differences, including the track record of the field goal kickers, but this was a chip shot. The biggest commonality is the notion that "if it can go wrong for Notre Dame, it will."

    "Why throw the ball in the end zone? It's not like you have Michael Floyd with a clear match-up advantage on a fade route, and your QB will never win any accuracy contests. If that ball is picked off, you'll be second-guessed for weeks".

    Ham, usually your assessments are right on the money but here you missed. Michigan threw because they did have a clear advantage. Gary Gray, their favorite pinata, was the DB. Why not go for it? I'm sure they believed they had a TD all the way.

    ClutchCargo

  • There was no respect, Ham. We were reeling, and even a terrible decision was rewarded. Kinda reminds me of MSU last year too. We make idiots look like geniuses.

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    ND '05 CMC Title: "Piper and Keeper of the Shoulders and Director of anti-CTNDfan activities" POTW for 12/4/06 & 10/18/10

    illestdomer2005 ●

  • Well, I guess it's pretty telling when it looks like a pass from Denard Robinson is considered a better percentage play than throwing to Michael Floyd against a 5'10" corner.

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    I may not be pretty, but I'm fast..... POTW 1/31/11 - 2/6/11

    HamOnWry22 ●

  • For me the difference was in the completely opposite psyche of the teams: ND, with its hyper- cerebral Kelly approach; and UM with Robinson's opportunism evident on every play. ND depending on high precision, high complexity football; and UM playing loose and for broke.

    Kelly's system, if it ever runs according to how he envisions it, may be one for the ages. The problem is, it may take an age to fine tune it. Right now, ND is like an Italian sports car from the 50's -- unbeatable on paper, but generally in the shop.

    What's inarguable is that Kelly has so far failed to get this particular group of players to play with focus and up to their abilities for a full four quarters. The team flinches at critical junctures and repeatedly makes the same mistakes.

    How about what would have been the real second RIddick TD, the one that got called back, in effect, because of the delay of game penalty. The reason something like that finally occurred was because of all the other plays Rees almost failed to get off.

    As for the D, I think they thought the game was over at 24-7. They had already punched out. Reminded me of when the Red Sox came back against that 3-0 deficit against the Yankees. The Yankees felt that they had already won. Once that momentum shifts, you're toast.

    Risksorter

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