Michigan State. September 19, 2009

Holy smoking dog shit Batman! The Anti-Preview is back! I'm feeling good and ready move on, after a week of busting concrete with axe's. Just a reminder: Subway Domer Publishing can not be held responsible for its own actions- let alone yours.

Michigan State. We all know the stat. Notre Dame has lost 6 straight against the Spartans of Michigan State in South Bend. Usually, Michigan State is on fucking fire , or close enough, in the first 4-5 games of the season- before they fade out into irrelevancy. This years version of the Spartans, is on a different track. they are averaging around 3.8 yards per carry, and they lost to Central Michigan last week.

Whoa to us Irish fans. Let us not forget, that this game is never easy anymore. This game is physical. This game the recruiting stars,and homefield advantage go flying out the window. Too many times we have been burned by these Spartans. Watch with caution, but watch with hope. All streaks must end, and all signs point to this one ending in thunderous applause.

On to the good stuff...

What should you be drinking? Ahh... what will be the elixir of choice? Before I dive in, you may notice a theme building this year... beer is optional. Please keep in mind that I realize that 95% of you have your beer of choice that you have remained loyal to since sophomore year in high school. Bravo. Please consume your most comfortable glass of hops as per usual. The purpose of this segment is give you a more "spirited" option.

This week, I give you Jack. Jack Daniels. Now just the thought of drinking Jack, brings a smile to my face, but I have something special for you this week. It's called Lithium Motherfucker. Fantastic. Here's how to make it:

• 1 shot of Jack Daniels
• 1/2 of a can of Sunkist
• Mix
• Lithium Motherfuckers.

Anytime I can use Sunkist in a drink- I'm pumped. And because I'm feeling so good, here's a bonus video about Jack...


Jack Daniel's Barrel Select

What should you be eating? You people may want to kill me for this one- and I may have suggested it before, but the taste is orgasmic. Deep-Fried White Castles. Prepare for bliss:

First, make a nice beer batter using these ingredients...

1 box of frozen White Castle Cheeseburgers
1 cup beer
1 cup flour
2 eggs beaten
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 Tbsp baking soda

• Blend flour, sat baking powder and baking soda. Add beer and eggs until batter is light and frothy.
• Coat the Castles lightly, but evenly.
• Deep fry at 350 degrees until golden brown.
• Enjoy.

Here's a nice video of the enjoyment:



What should you be wearing? I'll keep this one nice and simple. Wear what we did last year... Togas! Greet our nemesis in style with a nice toga to really confuse the shit out of them. Here are gender specific videos to help you along your way:

Ladies...


Fellas...


Offensive MVP: Michael Floyd. What Floyd has done in the past two games has been truly remarkable. I could compare him to every other WR in the country right now- but it's more fun to compare him against AJ Green and Julio Jones ( you all know why). Here are the stats:

• Julio Jones: 5 Rec. 55 Yds. 0 TD's
• AJ Green: 10 Rec. 138 Yds. 1 TD
• Mike Floyd: 11 Rec. 320 Yds. 4 TD's

Hmmm.... Mike Floyd is real, real good. So good in fact, that his injuries can break this team. Last year he was more than sorely missed against Syracuse and U$C. I'm pretty sure if he plays in the final minutes against Michigan- we may have had a different outcome.

Come Saturday against the Spartans, I expect Floyd to make a huge impact. Word has it, that he is moving around really well and should be close to 100% for the game. I'm don't think MSU has anyone that can cover him- I don't think there is a corner in the country that can keep up with him for an entire game. I'm talking like, 6 receptions for 127 yards and 2 TD's- and that may be with his knee cap sticking out of his skin.

Defensive MVP: Robert Blanton. The kid makes plays. The Fighting Irish had a perceived strength this year in their secondary. With the return of Darrin Walls, and both starters from 2008 back in Raeshon McNeil and Robert Blanton- these corners were supposed to shutdown all-comers. With only two games into the year, I 'm not even close to writing off this unit, but after rewatching both the Nevada game and the Michigan game... I'm not sure these guys are playing up to their potential.

I think Blanton has become our best overall cornerback. Why he is getting rotated in like he is, is a bit confusing to me. Maybe the coaches want fresh legs, maybe they are situational rotating the corners. Whatever. Blanton should be in the game as long as possible, in my opinion. I think that RJ will end up having one of those games against MSU that will have the rest of the fans taking notice, as I have. Look for an early INT to help set the tone of the defense and the game.

The Sleeper: Toryan Smith. Michigan State is supposed to come into Notre Dame Stadium and run the football. Everyone is expecting them to play the power game. I wonder if that is really going to be the case. If it is, Toryan Smith could play a very key role in stopping the inside run. Smith is a physical hitter, and he would relish the chance for a pound 'em type game. I have a feeling MSU will try to spread it out a bit more- but we will just have to wait.

Something else to watch: How will Notre Dame's defensive line react? I want to see what kind of changes are made before and during the game to help this unit play better. By play better, I mean; keeping the offensive lineman off of our linebackers, making holes for our blitzers, and making some god damn plays themselves. This unit has the talent- I have no doubt. But, are they game-ready and battle-tested yet?

Is there a rivalry trophy on the line? Duh. I wouldn't of asked if there wasn't. It's called The Megaphone. Here's the link to a Subway Domer post from 2007 about the trophies.

So who's gonna win? IRISH 38-16. I firmly believe that Notre Dame's offense is one of the best in the country. The passing game is second to none and the running game showed big signs of life last week. As long as the defense learns from its mistakes last week and can slow down what is a mediocre running game by MSU standards, than this should be a big victory to help keep BCS dreams alive.

Michigan. September 12, 2009

Alright, my fellow Leprechauns... time for another edition of my weekly Anti-Preview. Once again I will sit here and tell you everything that you should be doing, and expecting this Saturday.

Just a reminder, Subway Domer Publishing can not be held responsible for its own actions- let alone yours.

Michigan. Stupid, stupid, skunkbears. Riding high off of a 3-9 season, a billion transfers, a "scandal" in the making, and a huge- HUGE win against Western Michigan, has Skunkbear Nation believing in themselves again and worshipping a couple of freshman quarterbacks.

Make no mistake about it... the skunkbears have a few weapons at their disposal, but Sam McGuffie is now in Houston selling crack and hanging out with Bushwick Bill. You remember McGuffie from last year. He was the only Michigan player that truly showed up.

Have faith in the Tenuta schemed defense. There are many, many ways to stop the spread, and even more when the biggest threat is the quarterback himself. Tenuta is a master game-planner and has seen this offense on more than a few occasions- Maybe Michigan does need to use 3 quarterbacks?...

What should you be drinking? The Bloody Ann Arbor (or you may also know it as The Bloody Mary). This fine cocktail is used by The Subway Domer to battle hangovers and to make breakfast a little more delightful with family and mooching friends. There are many, many ways to make this drink of whores, but here is my best advice to you... go buy some Daily's Bloody Mary Mix and:

• Fill bar glass with ice.
• Fill glass a little less than 3/4 full with mixer.
• Fill rest of glass (1 to 1.5 shots) with Grey Goose Vodka.
• Drop in a celery stick
• Put some big ass green olives on a stick and drop in.
• Devour.

Of course, some of you may want to say you "handmade" your own Bloody Ann Arbors. Follow this recipe, and you will be "close."



What should you be eating? The olives from the Bloody Ann Arbor. Need more? Alright. I guess we may need a bit more protein as we go skunkbear hunting piss ass drunk from all of the Grey Goose vodka we just inhaled. (BTW- you may want a pack of Rolaids if the Bloody Ann Arbors were a little spicy). I suggest a nice pan-fried steak such as this one:



What should you be wearing? This is just an assumption, but I'm sure you just bagged a skunkbear in the wee morning hours and after walking home in semi-straight lines from the Bloody Ann Arbors, and content after filling your belly with the steak- you may decide to go up north to that whore's lair. That place is a toxic dump and should be treated as such. You will need some of these:

I also suggest one of these bad boys that can be purchased at the Subway Domer store located on the right column of this website. Warning: Replacing the words "Fuck" with "Muck and "Michigan" with "Fichigan" will not make entry into Notre Dame Stadium an easy one. Cappy wants you to take it off... take it all off.


Offensive MVP: Kyle Rudolph- and it shouldn't even be close. I have heard two different rumors about what defensive strategy Michigan may use on Saturday. Both of which, leave Kyle Rudolph in position to run motherfucking wild all day. One of those defenses would be a press cover 2, which would open up the middle of the field and put Michigan linebacker / Irish bitch Stevie Brown matching up against Rudolph.

Rudolph is completely legit. His combination of size and speed is uncommon, but he also runs really good pass routes. If it weren't for Michael Floyd galloping all over Notre Dame Stadium last Saturday, Rudolph would have put up bigger numbers than his 4 receptions for 29 yards and a touchdown.

I expect BIG things from Rudolph as he tries to cement his status as one of the nations premier tight ends. Watch him closely, because I don't think Michigan will be able to handle him as Floyd and Tate take coverage downfield.

Defensive MVP: Brian Smith. He has to take his game to the next level. Not only should he be making the big play here and there, to be truly great he must make good plays on a consistent basis. After what looked to be a prelude to a big game against Nevada in the first half, Brian was pretty quiet the rest of the game.

At any rate, Brian was playing a key role against a spread team in his newly gained WILL position. Smith is most effective when he is more of a wildcard, and blitzing from the outside in, as opposed to the inside out. How effective he and Toryan Smith (Mike) are against the run will determine if Brian stays outside, or if he moves back in with Te'o taking over the WILL role.

Smith is primed for a big game, and even if he doesn't register 10 tackles with 2 sacks- I would put a lot of money on the table that he creates one HUGE turnover early.

The Sleeper: Robert Hughes. With Aldridge out, Robert Hughes takes over that big back / fullback role that Aldridge was playing. Not only does Notre Dame need to hang on to the football, but they also will need to hang on to drives. 3rd and 1, 3rd and an inch- you get the point. Irish fans may finally get what they have been asking for, for the past 3 years. An Allen and Hughes backfield.

Something else to watch: Sam Young and his matchup against Brandon Graham. The Fighting Irish must keep Jimmy Clausen upright to attack this defense that is talented- but young and slightly injured.

Young takes a backseat in leadership to Eric Olsen along the front five, but he can lead by example with inspired play. Last week, Sam looked like a new player as he played with fire and emotion- against Nevada. He will have to have that same type of mentality for 60 minutes, for what some may consider a bigger rival in Michigan. Watch Sam as closely as you would watch a skunkbear on the hunt. I expect big things from him and I am positive that he will deliver.

So who's gonna win? IRISH 34-20. The offense will continue to roll for the 3rd game in a row despite playing a better defense. I don't expect them to jump out to a big lead as in last years contest, but I do expect them to pull away in the second half. This is the 3rd different score prediction from me- so take it as a sign. That sign says: GO IRISH!!! Fuck Michigan!!!

Nevada. September 5, 2009

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Anti-Preview's for 2009. Much like last year, I will be previewing the game a little differently than some other websites and media outlets. For sure, I'll talk a bit about our players and the game- but you also need to know how you should be celebrating these games as well.

Like Darwin would suggest, Subway Domer is evolving in these Anti-Previews. Here's a link to what we did last year. Ahh. Last year. I'll be doing things a bit differently- most noticeably with the freshman spot. I don't have it this year. But enough of this bullshit, let's move on and get this season rolling.

Nevada. Oh, you tricky mid-majors. Nevada is coming off of a 7-6 season that included a loss to Maryland in the Humanitarian Bowl. They run a very high-powered offense that has mastered the "Pistol." If you need to know more about the pistol, read this in depth post from Blue-Gray Sky.

Nevada runs this crazy shit with a quarterback named Colin Kaepernick, who passed for over 2000 yards and rushed for over 1000 in 2008. The Wolfpack also returns 2 more 1000 yard rushers in Vai Taua (that's a lot of vowels) and Luke Lippincott. An interesting stat: in 4 of their 6 losses, Nevada scored over 30 points. In the other two losses, they failed to score 20 points. Those two losses were to Texas Tech and Missouri- that's a little different than losing to New Mexico St. and Louisiana Tech. So, yes- the offense is good... but against bigger and faster defenses, the Wolfpack puts its tail between its legs.

Speaking of defenses. I won't say much about Nevada's, other than they ranked like 119th or something in pass defense in 2008. You have my attention Betty Crocker.

What should you be drinking? I've been thinking about this for quite a long time. What drink would be fitting? After much internal debate and even more research and development... I have rationalized this drink as the Season Opener: The Goombay Smash. The biggest reason that I can offer is this (A) It has orange juice, and we should all start drinking at 8 AM for this Holiday, and (B) It has pineapple juice, and we should continue our celebration from signing day and pay tribute to Manti Te'o.

Here is the recipe as I make it:

• 8 OZ. of Captain Morgan
• 8 OZ. of Coconut Rum
• 4 OZ. of Brandy
• 16 OZ. of Orange Juice
• 16 OZ. of Pineapple Juice
• Mix all ingredients. Serve in a glass with or without ice cubes. Drop a couple of Maraschino Cherries in and drizzle with the cherry juice.
• Drink up bitches.

It MUST be noted, that The Goombay Smash can be made in a variety of ways. One alteration is the substitution of straight brandy for an apricot brandy or even Grand Marnier. The drink is fruity enough for me, to not deter from the above recipe... but feel free to experiment.

Here is a video for those who need a visual... and for those who want to make fun of weird middle-aged guys- like this guy:



What should you be eating? Wolves eat Elk, right? Well there you go. Eat Elk. There is a supplier in Chicago, that if you are passing through- you should be able to pick some up. Or you could go kill one tonight with a Wookie style cross bow. Ask Ted Nugent.

So you got your ground Elk meat, now let's make a burger. Use this recipe:
1/2 lbs Elk Burger

1 Medium Onion

1 Can Tomato Soup

! Tbsp Vinegar

3 Tbsp Brown Sugar

1/2 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 Cup Catsup

Salt, Pepper and Chili Powder to Taste

Directions:

Brown elk burger and onion. Add rest of ingredients and simmer on the stovetop for 30 minutes.
What should you be wearing? Well, if your hunting Elk, I would normally advise you to wear some camo. Something for the hunt. Something like this maybe:

But not this time. Wear anything- ANYTHING other than that awful "gold" shirt, also known as The 2009 The Shirt. There are enough different green and blue tees floating around the stadium- don't add anything new. I know my pleas will fall on a lot of deaf ears, but it had to be said.

Offensive MVP: Jimmy Clausen. Much has been said and much has been written about Jimmy. As much as anybody on the Notre Dame team- including Coach Weis, Jimmy has to perform. If Clausen goes out there and piles up a list of stats like: 24-31 339 yds. 3 TD's 0 INT's, than this team will have the confidence to walk into Ann Arbor (whore) in a week and take care of business. if he struggles- than we may not know what we really have this year. I fully expect a Hawai'i Part Deux on Saturday, and while the entire offense could shine, it's Jimmy's star that must shine the brightest. For all of the talk in these past months about jimmy becoming more of a leader and taking control of the team- I want to see it. I want to believe it. I want to snuggle up next to it and smile like a teenage girl in love. With all of the talent on this side of the ball, it is still Jimmy that will take all of the praise and all of the hate- regardless of any other facts. Clausen comes out slinging the motherfucking rock like a crackhead on a binge- that's a good thing.

Defensive MVP: Manti Te'o. I almost hate having to put his name down with absolutely ZERO plays in college. But, let's say he goes out there and makes 7 tackles, has a sack, and a forced fumble or a fumble recovery. That's a pretty good opening game for the highest profile defensive player to come to Nd in quite a long time. Solid play from Te'o could change the entire perception of a defense that I believe is being underrated throughout the country. The defense will be an aggressive unit, and Te'o just has that "it" factor, that makes these types of defenses great. I just have this feeling that Te'o lives up to all of the hype and praise that he got before he stepped foot on the Notre Dame campus. I'm feeling it.

The Sleeper: Nick Tausch. I know you're thinking that this is complete bullshit to have 2 freshman in these past 3 categories. Deal with it. Te'o is not your normal freshman (we hope) and Tausch unseated a 2 year starter at kicker and kickoffs. I want to see kickoffs into the endzone and maybe a field goal. I want to see this leg in action. The kickoff depth is so important to field position and setting the defense up for success. Tausch will have to grow up and blow up in a hurry.

Something else to watch: The defensive line rotation. The story is out there, but it is buried a bit under Te'o, the offensive line, and Jimmy. How is the defensive line rotation going to work? Essentially, the starters are in place with Lewis-Moore and Neal on the ends and Ian Williams and Ethan Johnson on the inside. We also know that Fleming will go down on the edge from his linebacking spot in the nickel. But, I want to see how guys like Newman, Hafis, and even Richardson are used in real game situations. The defensive line has more depth than at any time in over a decade. A lot of this depth is unproven and will see either their first college action or only their second year of that action. The linebackers are more athletic, and this defense may have one of the best secondaries in the country- but they HAVE TO have the defensive line do their job. With a nice rotation, I believe this defense will stay fresh and kick the shit out of most of their opponents. Just a hunch.

So who's gonna win? IRISH 49-17. Sound insane? Well, I was going to go with 49-10- but that sounded a little cocky. ND will get a nice lead, but then Crist will enter the game and throw a TD himself. I know the line is at 14, or something like that, but if the Fighting Irish don't win by at least 3 TD's... I will still give this team a big question mark. I fully expect our defense to stuff the run, and when it's time for Nevada to throw, there will be too much pressure on Kaepernick and he will throw a couple of picks. The offense rolls with a nice mix of plays that have been lost since the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Man- I'm fucking pumped.