One of these days, I’m going to figure out that Mike Royko never said, “Some things you wonder, some things you think, and some things you just know.” But I’m too delirious due to Daylight Saving Time to do it today.

Or maybe it was watching Brandon Wimbush run. I know it’s one of the two.

I know all of us here at NDN are wishing Irish Illustrated’s Tim Prister all the best for a speedy recovery.  I’ve been reading his stuff since I was old enough to purloin dad’s Blue & Gold Illustrated back in the long ago, and Tim’s contributions on the ND media scene have stood the test of time.  I always understand and respect where his opinions are coming from, even if I don’t always agree with them.  Here’s to Tim getting back in the saddle soon, and the Irish giving him plenty of cardiac-soothing blowout wins.

When you’re fighting for a playoff spot in an environment where “style points” count, I think it’s too simplistic to say only the fact ND won was important. Like it or not, how they win is going to matter. While they can control their own destiny by winning out, being a one-loss team in the land of lots of other one-loss teams means they have to go to the scorecards, and ND will have to land plenty of punches in order to look good there.

But rather than a return to spread principles, I think the offense was caught between a rock and a hard place against Wake. It was obvious from the get-go they could have named their score; Wake wasn’t going to stop them any time soon. But the defense kept spitting the bit, and with Adams less than 100 percent going in and Jones & Williams getting dinged up during the game, they couldn’t run the ball as much as they wanted and still be assured of moving the sticks. Put it this way: When you have Ian Book running draw plays, you’re really looking for ways to make the ground game work.

I thought I was watching the Fighting Irish play Wake Forest. Turns out it was a Big XII game. I didn’t know ND missed the record for most yards in a game given up by only 30, but it sure felt that way watching it. I’m still trying to figure out if Wake found something that worked, the D decided to take the game off, or what.

Having said that, I think I’m going to write this one off as an Elko/Clawson dynamic. When both staffs are as familiar with each other as they were this game, strange things were bound to be afoot at the Circle K. Burn the film, refocus, move on, do not repeat.

I think that’s 300+ yards on the ground five games in a row. That makes me happy in pants.

Speaking of rocks and hard places, I think ESPN finds itself in one this week. ND/Miami is the strongest game on the docket (at least among those to which they have access), so much so they’re sending overworked stroke victim Lee Corso down there to put on a hat. To make this work for them financially, they have to talk up Notre Dame in all ways, shapes and sizes — a resurrection from the 4-8 season, Josh Adams’ Heisman campaign, the defense’s resurgence under Elko, it all has to be on the table between now and Saturday night. But everyone knows talking up Notre Dame, a program to whose product they have limited access, usually gives ESPN’s talking heads a stifling case of the vapors. I wonder how much Alka Selzer they’re going to go through this week in Bristol? Better back up the truck.

Penn State lost in heartbreaking fashion to a team ND beat. I know that makes me even happier in pants.  But as much as I dislike James Franklin, I have to give him credit for chasing down his charges who were leaving the field before congratulating their opponents, shooing them back to shake hands with the Spartans.  He’s just a young man who hates Notre Dame, but in the agony of defeat, seems to keep his head on straight.  So there’s that.

You know it’s a function of how much you dislike a team or program that even when their success will benefit your team, you remain reluctant. If I was told a cure for all forms of cancer would be made available to the masses if I was willing to spend one game rooting for Michigan, I wouldn’t answer right away. So rooting for Miami last night because a win over them next week would boost ND’s playoff chances had me philosophically throwing up in my mouth a bit.

Speaking of which, Ohio State fell to an unranked team in Urban Meyer’s worst collegiate coaching loss? I think I need new pants.

Yeah, I know the hockey team swept the Buckeyes in their first conference series.  Having any ND team associated with the B1G still gives me hives on the unmentionables.

I think if Josh Adams is going to win the Heisman Trophy, this is the week to do it. Spotlight game on the road with playoff implications against a ranked foe with a good defense? 150+ yards and/or a 60+ yard score in a Fighting Irish win, you may as well engrave his name on it now.

Which is exactly what I think will happen.  Choo-choo indeed.