Forde Ignores History, Chooses ND over Michigan

I like the idea of the team going in there feeling like they have something to prove.  A lot of people picked UConn and that turned out ok.  We're not exactly going to be able to sneak up on teams, but I like the idea of this team coming into the game as the scrappy underdog for one more game, at least.

Ehh another guy that just talks but doesn't know what he is talking about. Can't wait to be 2-0 at ~ 7:00 pm est. on Saturday night.

It's fine.   I would rather be predicted to lose this upcoming weekend so we can have the chance to once again show the college football nation that we are a good team.  It's so much better to be the underdog so they can play with a chip on their shoulders (not that they wouldn't anyway). 

Hopefully Carvin Johnson will be able to go this weekend.  He seemed to do well in his brief play before injury. 

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to eat it.

I'm not sure how he's ignoring history. RR's best team barely escaped with a win against Brian Kelly in his first year at Cincinnati? I'd have to say that Brian Kelly has a hell of a lot more talent at ND than at Cincinnati and RR does not have the team, particularly defense, that he had in 2007. That alone says that Brian Kelly should probably win. Then, take into consideration the home/away records of the two and I'd say he's going with history on this.

That may be, but history also shows that homefield advantage is strong in this series.  He's ignoring one data point while respecting overall trends.

...when we were running smoothly on all cylinders (only one punt for Pete's sake), I think this will be one of those tougher games with it coming down to 2 or 3 big plays deciding the outcome (or a few missed field goals). I think we'll struggle to find a rhythm offensively being on the road and all. 

It's a toss up for me, but I feel we'll eek it out in the end. Score prediction:  21 - 17 Michigan. (Likely wet conditions will keep the scoring down in this one, I think.)

Maybe Forde did look at the history and saw that UM has only won in South Bend 4 times since the series resumed in 1978 - 1978, 1986, 1994 and 2006.

I hope everyone picks against us and this team plays w/ a chip on its shoulder the entire season.

To be fair, it looks like he has UM beating the 4-point spread.

Denard is almost as fast in wet conditions...Dane Crist's passing...we'll see

No surprise here.  Forde is another ESPN "expert" that reads his notes that have been prepared for him.  The more people against us, the better.  This chip that's on our shoulders has us playing fast and hungry!!  Get em' boys!!!

I usually think Forde is an idiot as well, but picking ND at home in a close game seems immensely reasonable.  Somebody should check to make sure he actually wrote the article and not some stand-in.

I do think UM pulls the came out, but it will hinge not on Denard's running but on his (and Tate's) ability to throw the ball.  ND's linebackers are decent and they will be ready for the running attack (and the long grass), so it will be imperative for UM to be able to make them pay with screens and play-action.

The key to the game is simple....if either team can get consistent pressure without having to send 6 or 7 guys at a time will win this game. Niether DLine really caused havoc last week and if it goes that way again...based on history it's hard to take our back 7 and assume they will hold up for 60 mins..on the flip side though Purdue had no running game at all to test ND's run defense.

The D that asserts itself first should win this game comfortably I think....based on one game though that is a complete toss-up.

As somebody upthread has already pointed out, since the 1978 re-start of the series, we have only 4 victories in South Bend. They go along with 8 losses and a tie. That certainly doesn't mean we have no chance, but if we win it will definitely be bucking the recent historical record.

I think Forde should both ignore and pay attention to history. He should pay attention to the history RR has with Kelly, and to RR's history when he has a team actually running his system, tempered by the history RR has on the road here at UM. 

I think Forde should ignore UM's history at ND pre 2008.  Why does how many wins UM had at ND under Carr or Bo matter when we have a new coach, new system, new coach at ND, new system in ND -basically new everything? History only has any bearing on the present to the extent those in the present let it - it's called 'contemporaneous causation'. I don't think any of our players, or ND's players, are thinking about how many wins or losses UM had against ND in South Bend in the 80s. Or in the 90s. They care about 2008,  2009 - and 2010. That is all that matters to them. 

ND beat Purdue at home last week. Nothing else in that paragraph had anything to do with this year's M or ND teams. The 08 and 09 M teams lost on the road because they weren't very good anywhere, not because they were that much worse on the road than they were at home. If he thinks that this year's M team is just as bad as the last two, he should say why.   

Ty Willingham's first season record: 10-3

Charlie Weis' first year: 9-3

It wouldn't surprise me if ND wins 8 or 9 games.