The "Stare Down" Was A Huge ND Pre-Game Mistake In My Opinion

gwilliams

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Aug 29, 2011
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Don't most stadiums have different place that the players enter (different tunnels)? If so, then that stare thing must be something they do at home and the few places with one tunnel.
 

TideMan09

Hall of Fame
Jan 17, 2009
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I had a feeling the game was over as The Irish stood there looking at our Boys going out the Tunnel..It was obvious they were already "Processed"..They already had the look..

Does anyone have a video clip of the stare down..I've looked & haven't found it..I thought it was awesome..
 

TheRealPokeChop

Hall of Fame
Jul 7, 2010
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there was only one tunnel and both teams had to use it. I dont think it was an attempt to start the team down, just happened that way since they came out second.
 

pnhs1311

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Aug 5, 2007
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To tell you what I thought when Alabama was going past the Notre Dame players, It looked like we were really taking our time. Our players were happy, skipping, strutting, a few at a time and it seemed to go on for quite a while. Then the Notre Dame players all entered the field in one large quick cluster. On Fox and Friends yesterday morning, one of them stated that the game was won when Notre Dame's players stood and watched Alabama file past.
 

WMack4Bama

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Nov 7, 2008
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Let's be real here. The captains came out ahead of Coach Saban. And if ND was standing there and the first thing they saw was Warmack's stomach....yeah...the game was over at that point.

That dude's belly is gonna go down in Alabama lore.
 

JeffAtlanta

All-American
Aug 21, 2007
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The game is won Sunday thru Friday. Seriously.
That's true, but the game can be lost on Saturday due to emotional state.

Notre Dame's stare down in the tunnel was actually very effective against undisciplined teams in the 80's like Miami & FSU. Notre Dame's tactics can cause players on most college teams to lose focus on the big picture and instead focus on playing head games.

The same thing worked in the UGA-UF game this year. UF could have easily won the game, but their players couldn't resist trying to fight the UGA players. Much of it was retaliation, but it still took them out of their game.
 

BamaGreek

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Jan 6, 2007
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I wondered what that was about. I thought they were staring in disbelief.
I really believe this. Notre Dame players did get to that hallway first and did have to wait for the Alabama team to come out first. Saying that, I think the Notre Dame players were in awe and a little nervous when they saw the Alabama palyers up close and realized that had to play them. I hear Eddie George talking this morning on the radio and he watched the scene play out in the tunnel area too and he said he felt at that moment, psychologically Notre Dame lost the game.
 

kayakerjess

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Sep 9, 2005
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I didn't realize that they stopped on purpose to stare us down :rolleyes:

The first thing I thought of was how LSU's buses were stopped on the interstate in NOLA last year to let the Bama team come through. I thought, how fitting. They stopped another team to let the real champs go first :D
 

JDCrimson

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Feb 12, 2006
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According to Tom Roberts on the radio leading up the the game, Alabama was almost an hour behind schedule in arriving at the stadium due to intense traffic congestion going to the stadium. Apparently, the escort detail for the team buses was less than desired or even what they are used to on regular game weekends.
 

CrimsonTheory

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Mar 26, 2012
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I wasn't event thinking that "stare down" was used for intimadation purpose. I thought they just wanted to see what a Nat'l Championship team look like.
 

100%Crimson

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Feb 4, 2004
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Personally, I loved the scene in the tunnel. I couldn't help but think some of the ND players were quite intimidated at that point. It was like Alabama saying, "Come on boys, you guys gonna play or stare all night?"
 

Crimson Cat

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Nov 26, 2006
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Yes...ND got to the stadium really early...I thought it was odd at the time.
Bama had to share the field with ND on warmups but ND had what seemed like an 1 1/2 hrs on the field by themselves. I can't imagine how they'd played without all those warmups. ;)

I also heard something about the Alabama buses getting delayed in traffic on the way to the stadium which irritated Coach Saban. Worked out okay though. :)


Edit: Thanks JDCrimson for the explanation...:)

When you're smaller, weaker, and less talented than your opponent, staring doesn't help.

Did anyone notice how much earlier the Notre Dame team arrived at the Stadium than the Bama team? Seemed like they had been there for awhile when they showed the Bama buses arriving.
As for the stare-down thing, I didn't realize that's what it was...I thought it weird they had both teams coming out of the same tunnel lined up like that though with ND players watching Bama exit. Whatever, Bama came out pumped and wasn't intimidated at all.
 
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TideMom2Boys

Hall of Fame
Nov 17, 2010
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Here is a clip of it. It definitely backfired.

Looked like how a little brother watches his big brother play football and hoping they can get out there one day.
 

bamafaninOhiO

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May 11, 2010
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Heck I just thought it was done that way because of the arrangement. Teams had to exit the same tunnel, and Alabama had to go first because we were the "road" team. In any event, our guys seemed not to even notice that they were there.
thats all it was, we entered first and they were waiting in the tunnel so they could enter....not a staged 'stare down' or anything.
 

92tide

TideFans Legend
May 9, 2000
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Here is a clip of it. It definitely backfired.

Looked like how a little brother watches his big brother play football and hoping they can get out there one day.
they weren't trying to intimidate us, they were staring at warmack's belly. its trance inducing (at 13-14 seconds)

i also love how jesse went by with his helmet off.
 

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