Questions for Irish

I'm just trying to hijack this thread as high up the page as possible to warn other latecomers: don't bother reading further down; Irish has already responded in a very reasonable fashion to a few serious questions, despite a load of antagonistic (but friendly?) jabs.  What follows is mostly just a bunch of similar posts from fellow MGoBoarders who can't be honest with themselves.

Irish - it's being reacted to strongly because it does sound something like an excuse, but anybody who watched the game and is actually trying to think would use the exact phrase "dodged a bullet" to describe Michigan's good luck yesterday.  If, without injuring any college kids or breaking any laws, we could guarantee that every opponent was forced to play at least 2 possessions with a newborn fawn playing quarterback, fuck yeah we would want that to happen.

And yesterday's game did not play like "whoever scores last wins" all the way through.  It started off something like that, but then there was a period when it seemed a lot like Michigan would win by 20 because ND's QBs just weren't going to be able to answer.  And then the second half started and shit turned around real quick and M just barely righted the ship and started stopping Crist and Co.  

Of course I won't say that Michigan would've lost if it weren't for Crist's injury, but I'm not a fucking joker so I'll admit that his absence certainly hurt ND and if I were a ND fan I'd absolutely think he could've made the difference.

So, fellow M fans - I just recommend that you don't kid yourselves and waste Irish's time and abuse his good nature by acting like Crist wouldn't have changed ND's expected value of total points scored (or like that's not an important value). That makes you sound like a liar and/or a sore winner - just take the win and maintain your integrity.  Also, don't act like you're proud of Michigan's ability to injure quarterbacks.  That just makes you sound like a dick.

If everything else played out exactly the same (including Michigan missing two very makeable field goals) and Crist was in the whole game, sure, you probably get 4 more points.  If that's your argument, I'll let you hang on to that.

However, when Michigan absolutely had to, they scored points.  Crist in or out, nothing changes that.

Anthony Morelli (may God rest his soul) that injuries are just bad luck

I agree that the game would have been different with Crist in, but I honestly don't think that would have definitively given you the edge to win. For starters, completely changing the first half would have completely changed the outcome of the second half. Crist did a pretty good job on his first 3 scoring drives (The 95 yarder was a good throw, but that's not exactly a quality drive, its just a single good pass to the TE with screwed coverage), but much like ND could occasionally stop us, its not like we couldn't stop Crist, which is why the game was 21-17 for like 20 minutes before the last two TDs of the game.

Definitely hate to see your QB go down like that, and you may very well have won that game if he had played all 4 quarters, but you most certainly not would have run away with it. Injuries are all a part of the game, as we have know at Michigan all too well. We've got some god players injuried right now too, and just because they haven't been able to play this year yet doens't mean they are any less of an impact to our team than Crist. At least some of our injured players were out making an impact last year, where Crist had only one game against Purdue to his credit to show what he's worth, so in a way, yes, you did "dodge a bullet" as well. Just like Crist could have led to more points, maybe Hemmingway could have led to more points. Having Woolfolk might have meant we at least get a tackle at midfield on Rudolph's 95 yarder.

I don't mean to be a douche here, and I'm saying this with the utmost respect, just as I did tot he ND fans around me at the game. The internet just isn't good for showing civility effectively sometimes, and I'm sure its mutual for you, especially only a day removed from a game you almost had. Whatever the case though, Crist not getting injured wouldn't have changed how close the game was, and we're not any more lucky he went out than we are unlucky to have some of our own players out; that's all part of the sport.

BTW, FWIW, you guys are were a good group to go on the road for. Very polite and respectful, and had a good time interacting with Irish fans around me. I'm also glad that you guys are believing in Kelly for the most part the way too many of us haven't in RR. Being from West Michigan, I feel ualified to say he's a very good coach, and he will have you back to the BCS soon. Good luck the rest of the year, and good luck against Sparty. Can't wait for the night game next year. Should be exciting. ;)

Its not like Woolfolk is an unkown freshman, he has been playing for a couple of years now and was pretty effective at CB last year. He is a definte upgrade over what we have on the field right now so would have been a difference in the game.

Saying Crist could have changed the game by having played 4 quarters is absolutely the same as saying Woolfolk could have made a differnce had he been in the game. You are using a circular argument here because only what actually happened is known, what is unknown has no bearing on any debate because its all "what ifs".

LOL

Only a fucking domer.

Guess our losses post Tate injury didnt count either?

Haha!!! classic.

i love hearing it.  Your whining reinforces that WE WON.  however, IMO, you are embarrasing yourself somewhat with the coulda/shoulda/woulda's and not a full loses.  In my experience, you'd get full agreeement from ND fans everywhere, just not amongst your opponents.  Stay as long as you like. 

Just that he didn't have the ball before it went in the endzone, which would negate the Touchdown. Which he didn't. They don't THEN have to prove some Notre Dame guy DIDN'T pick it up. Touchback, our ball, 7 less points.  Unless you've found that angle that shows some ND guy ended up with it.

I'm not saying it wasn't a huge factor...I'm saying is the drive numbers don't show what other factors may have changed if he played. If you think players and coaches do the same job when you're up 2 TDs vs. a crappy QB than they do in a tight game with a good one, you're crazy.  Sure, there's a measurable change in QBs. But there's a Butterfly Effect too.  Which can't really be measured, which makes what if's silly.

Actually, I'm more curious how happy you are that he put Crist back in. It didn't seem like his injury was something you should be playing another half of football with. Dude was working the glassy-eyes the whole first half. Being Notre Dame, and a place that tries to hold itself as a place a step above, much like Michigan, were you glad to see your coach risk him for a (tangible) chance at beating us?