Excuse Me! But Didn't Notre Dame Just Get a Big Win

If I told you a month ago that Notre Dame would snap it's six-game home losing streak to Michigan State, what would you say? I think most would take it. I know I would.

What if I also told you in that game Jimmy Clausen would really establish himself as the face of the team with his leadership and toughness, what would you say? Again I think most would have said great.

What if I told you that Notre Dame's defense would hold a lead and come through when the game is on the line? Would that excite you a little?

Finally, what if I said that Charlie Weis coached a great game in a close one? What would you say?

The reason I bring this up is because there really has been a lot of negative feeling about Notre Dame coming off a win over a rival. I expect that from haters, but it is even coming from Notre Dame fans.

There is a lot of downplaying the win because it was against a team that lost the week before to Central Michigan. Well let me tell you that the Chippewas are one of the most underrated teams in the country and they have the most underrated quarterback in the country.

Others downplay the win because the defense did struggle for most of the game. They did come through at the end but for the most part they struggled. Okay, I will admit that I am disappointed in the number of missed tackles and foolish penalties on defense. But I think these aspects can be fixed, but that is another article.

Others are understandably down because of how banged up the team is. Michael Floyd is done for the year. Clausen has turf toe but is expected to play. Even Armando Allen has a mild sprain in his ankle. That I must admit does scare me, but the Irish do have other weapons like Golden Tate and Kyle Rudolph.

The point here is that I understand there are some things to be concerned about. However, I think Notre Dame has done a lot of positive things through three games. They have one of the best offenses in the country and a possible Heisman candidate at quarterback. So try not to be so negative.