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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · 2d

so many clutch interceptions and more almost picks than any Irish CB I can remember (in part what happens when you get targeted a lot)

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · 2d

USC Review:
-the final score could have been so much worse for the Trojans
-OL dominance set up Love & Price's historic days on a day CJ Carr didn't have it
-I owe Chris Ash an apology
-Don't take a break now when bad blood is peaking and SC has villains

open.substack.com/pub/spreadsh...

Notre Dame - USC Review: The Irish Dominate the Trenches, Keep the Shillelagh Until the Trojans Want Another Fight

Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price ran at will while the defense shut down USC's run game, putting the pressure on Jayden Maiava and Lincoln Riley and then forcing them into critical mistakes

open.substack.com

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · 6d

Welp

MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Aug 19

Clemson and LSU getting the 2nd / 3rd most votes to win the title is insane

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · 8d

scenario that’s totally in play

Arkansas sucker punches A&M tomorrow, the dumbest football minds you know posit that Notre Dame‘s playoff hopes are now dead (lol still nope)

MB @mbryan.bsky.social · 8d

ND - USC Preview:
-Limiting Maiava & the Trojan passing attack
-Will SC abandon the run again?
-Why converting scoring chances may decide the game
-CJ Carr could feast, but has to protect the ball
-Hoping for an inhospitable atmosphere for these cowards

open.substack.com/pub/spreadsh...

Notre Dame - USC Preview: A Possible Last Dance with Playoffs on the Line

Two elite offenses take the field in South Bend, with the Irish and Trojans both power rated as top-15 teams. What will decide this chapter of a historic rivalry in danger of being cancelled?

open.substack.com

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · 16d

Boise State review:
💥 With Leonard Moore back, the best Chris Ash's defense has looked (low bar). Is this bend but don't break formula sustainable?
👀 CJ Carr on an ok day (struggling with deep ball) still super productive
🥍 Jordan Faison making a leap

open.substack.com/pub/spreadsh...

Boise State - Notre Dame Review: A Defensive Revival Saves a Disjointed Green Out

The Irish defense turns back the clock, setting the tone on a day the ND offense uncharacteristically missed scoring opportunities and a ref show destroyed any rhythm

open.substack.com

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Reposted by MB

Chris W @rakesofmallow.bsky.social · 20d

☘️new pod☘️

@mbryan.bsky.social and @andrewsmith.bsky.social break down Notre Dame's win over Boise State. The offensive line and running backs continue to thrive, and hey is the defense officially good again? Let's discuss.

open.spotify.com/episode/76Vo...

Instant Reaction: Notre Dame 28 Boise State 7

open.spotify.com

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 24

Purdue Review:
-Highlights from a dominant offensive performance
-Lots of scary passing defense (Chris Ash) charts
-A brief look ahead at Arkansas

open.substack.com/pub/spreadsh...

Notre Dame - Purdue Review: Half-Successful Getting Back on Track

A near-flawless performance by the Irish offense fueled a runaway win, but Chris Ash's passing defense struggles continued and let the Trains hang around early

open.substack.com

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 22

answers here are basically a personality test of how much you like history / toxic rivalries / geography considerations

and congrats, everyone has passed the test so far (iykyk)

MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 22

SEC inspired....if you could pick 3 annual matchups to lock in for Notre Dame, who would they be?

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 22

there's probably a bigger range or philosophy you can apply for ND as an independent, but my personal picks would be USC, FSU, Purdue

keep games with history, solid strength of schedule floor, supplement with the rotating home and homes like Bama, Florida, A&M, Clemson + ACC rota

MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 22

SEC inspired....if you could pick 3 annual matchups to lock in for Notre Dame, who would they be?

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 17

Texas A&M Review:
-Diving into the many issues with a low havoc, high explosives allowed Chris Ash defense
-CJ Carr's strong early returns, especially on passing downs
-Pros and cons of the ND run game revival (fix short yardage!)
-A case for hanging in there

open.substack.com/pub/spreadsh...

Notre Dame - Texas A&M Review: Into the 2-Loss Chaos

The Irish drop another wild toss-up game against the explosive Aggies. A bleak defensive effort spoiled the offensive rebound, and now Marcus Freeman must salvage another rough September

open.substack.com

Reposted by MB

Chris W @rakesofmallow.bsky.social · Sep 17

great Notre Dame/A&M breakdown by @mbryan.bsky.social but wanted to underline/bold the section on early scheduling, cannot abide the complaining about it. heck, there's a case you want to catch top teams early before they're fully formed, too.

spreadsheetsandtailgates.substack.com/p/notre-dame...

The schedule will keep having hard September games, and the Irish need to figure out how to win them

“Notre Dame needs to schedule some early warm-up games” was a popular reaction to the 0-2 start. While I agree the Irish should exercise their influence to avoid the big opening showdowns on the road that have been popular lately, having some big September games is part of the cost of independence. Future schedules with announced dates will feature September home and homes with Texas, Alabama, Clemson, and Florida. A little too late to change course here!

It’s also a reactionary take to the worst possible scenario coming true. If the Irish had handled their business, they could be cruising into this week with a long runway to keep improving and a couple of mulligan losses in hand and the two toughest games out of the way. Marcus Freeman’s list of September losses is one of the few major blemishes on his resume, and he has to figure out a way to better understand his team’s capabilities at the start of the year and scratch wins out of these early challenges.

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 14

saw texts from the future about the final play, couldn’t watch, and sat outside under a dark Texas sky listening to the rest of the game watch react and stayed out there a long time.

We are so back (to getting stabbed in the chest by the team you care about)

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 14

call him CAsh because that man needs his contract bought out today (I am unwell)

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 11

A semi-preview of Texas A&M, looking at the 5 most important areas for the Irish to win on Saturday:

open.substack.com/pub/spreadsh...

The 5 Most Important Stats for Notre Dame to Win Against Texas A&M

Monitoring the categories the Irish need to win in the home opener - early down efficiency, limiting the Aggies explosive receivers, creating havoc, and taking advantage of scoring chances

open.substack.com

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 10

lanning is good, find where I said he sucks!

the words literally just say I’m done with this fluffing til he gets it done on the biggest stages (no the big ten title that cost $2 to get in doesn’t count)

If you love it, good for you, keep it moving

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 10

thank you Oregon fan, you are right he wasn’t in the playoff two years ago because he lost to his rival twice in the two biggest games like I said, please feel free to check back in and try to dunk on this in January

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 10

i need a moratorium on Dan Lanning hype speeches trending until he wins a playoff game.

tip of the cap for eviscerating Mike Gundy after he talked too much, but can’t do this “elite motivator“ stuff when last two seasons had a CFP blowout loss and your rival beating you twice to miss it

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Reposted by MB

Chris W @rakesofmallow.bsky.social · Sep 8

☘️new pod☘️

@mbryan.bsky.social stopped in to talk about our levels of concern about different Notre Dame football factors going forward (feeling differently about offense vs defense). We also hit on some general thoughts on the season thus far.

open.spotify.com/episode/4G93...

a man in a blue jacket is talking into a microphone with the word violence written on it .

ALT: a man in a blue jacket is talking into a microphone with the word violence written on it .

media.tenor.com

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MB @mbryan.bsky.social · Sep 4

Miami Review Newsletter is Live:
-Pulling apart a game the advanced stats saw as a coin flip
-The key areas where Chris Ash couldn't replicate Al Golden's formula
-ND early down run rate the lowest of the regular season since the 2024 game we don't talk about...

open.substack.com/pub/spreadsh...