Irish Limp Past Boston College 19-16
It felt like a night gone mad. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish quite possibly played its worst and sloppiest game of the season against Boston College in a 19-16 victory.
Irish Cuisine: Redzone Turnovers
Notre Dame coughed up 5 turnovers with 3 of those coming inside the redzone. It’s a disease- nay… it’s a plague. Five times, Notre Dame reached back into the 2014 season and tried to help Boston College pull off some kind of incredible stunner.
The amount of turnovers was so great, there is hardly any one thing or one person to blame. Instead of blame, Irish fans should be asking “why?”. Why has this team played so incredibly flat? Why has this team that has so much to play for, been so casual about how they go about fighting for that goal?
Those are pretty serious questions with only one game left in the season. They’re even more dire with a 10-1 record and a #4 ranking (for now).
Nov 21, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston College Eagles linebacker Matt Milano (28) picks up a fumble by Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Josh Adams (33) in the second quarter at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Irish Infirmary
Another game, and another list of injured Irish players. The list, of course, is feasting on even more starters. Running Back, CJ Prosise got a high ankle sprain, and he won’t be able to play next week, and then cornerback KeiVarae Russell suffered a stress fracture in a leg bone- and he won’t be available next week.
HAVE THE FOOTBALL GODS LOST A BET TO THE CHINESE CHECKERS GODS? Only something that ridiculous can explain Notre Dame’s incredible streak of bad luck and injuries. And if you want o get even more depressed about it, those injuries are the ones we know about. All across this team guys are brutally hurt, but playing anyways. That makes for a tough journey when everyone who is limping is carrying a guy that can’t walk.
Nov 21, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly watches as running back C.J. Prosise (20) is helped off the field after being injured in the second quarter against the Boston College Eagles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports
Big Picture Statement
When Michigan State beat Ohio State earlier in the evening, it kind of felt like Notre Dame could breathe a little easier as it tried on its college football playoff top 4 pants. And maybe it really did as undefeated Oklahoma State finally lost. However, with the sloppy win and still about a dozen other doomsday scenarios in place for the Irish, it continues to be naive’ to believe that Notre Dame simply has to win out.
Or is it?
Do we really know how the playoff committee is judging Notre Dame? Jeff Long has spoke about how Notre Dame is solidly in the top 4, but what about now? If the Irish are ranked in the top four Tuesday night, then a win over Stanford at Stanford should be all they need. If the Irish are outside the top four, then a convincing win over Stanford and a little help across the board will be needed.
It’s still a puzzle, and one that is harder to see as the pieces get put together. And people thought a playoff would diminish the regular season- FOOLS!