WN Regrets

As WN was perusing over some past columns, there are some predictions or statements WN made that seem silly or wrong in retrospect. Others are sort of ominous. Anyways, WN will post some of these as they come up.

For starters, here's one from a column about 3 1/2 years ago on college football:

First, a quick note on the worst play of all time. Central Michigan was at home, trailing Boston College by 7 (31-24) with a little under 2 minutes to go. They had scored touchdowns on their last 2 possessions to close a 21-point gap. They had the ball at BC's 34, 1st down and 10 with the ball on the right hash mark. They lined up 5 linemen and 3 receivers on the left side of the field and lined up their quarterback, running back and a receiver near the ball (it appears the receiver may have been a tight end snapping the ball to the QB). BC put several players on the left, one player (a linebacker) over the snapper and a bunch of players in coverage. CMU snapped the ball, the snapper and running back and the receivers on the left side of the field go out for a pass. The linebacker - unblocked! - runs straight at the QB (the freshman backup QB), who scrambles and throws a horrible pass into a group of BC defenders for a game-killing interception.

Here's what the coach had to say: "It is one of those plays where we thought that we would get a shot at either BC calling a timeout or getting someone open, which in that situation was Damien (Linson) or Obed (Cetoute). Dan (LeFevour) [the freshman backup QB - WN] tried to make too much happen. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a large reservoir of experience to pull from [being a freshman backup QB - WN], but after tonight he has a lot more. It wasn’t one play. [It was one horrible, dumbass play - WN] One play is what is generally looked at because it was at the end of the game [and because it was the worst play in college football history - WN], but there were a number of instances throughout the game where we needed to make a couple of plays here and there that we weren’t able to make.”

WN agrees with Jason Whitlock: this guy ought to be fired. It's one thing to call it when it was a terrible play. It's another thing to call it when you're on a roll and don't need it. It's another thing again to call it with a freshman backup quarterback. When you won't even come out and say that it was a horrible decision and you cost your team a shot to win the game, that's when it becomes a fireable offense.

The coach in question: yes, Notre Dame's most-recent hire, Brian Kelly. Yikes! (Also, Washington's ill-fated fake FG attempt last season may have overtaken this play as the worst of all-time. Still.) Suddenly feeling sick about the next season of Notre Dame football.