With a record of 45-20 during his tenure at Notre Dame,  it would seem that Brian Kelly has proven he(and his staff) can recruit talented athletes, and more importantly, develop them while in his program – it would seem. Kelly runs a specific offense, that requires a specific type of athlete. Over the last three years he and his staff have done a solid job of attracting the type of athlete he needs, but is that good enough for the fans of Notre Dame football?
It is no secret that it takes a specific type of young man to want to come to South Bend. The ability just to qualify for Notre Dame sets the bar high enough, and couple that with the academic standards that one has to endure while attending Notre Dame, can make the decision a burdening one for a talented teenager. In the day and age of many athletes having the mindset of football first, everything else as distant second, Kelly and staff have to endure a shrinking pool of talent in whom they can attract.
Even with the limitations set before Kelly and the Notre Dame program, they have finished in or close to the top ten in recruiting on a yearly basis, with the exception of 2012. Here is a breakdown of where Notre Dame has finished in the last four years, and the type of athlete they were able to sign, according to rivals.com.
         Finish     5-Star    4-Star    3-Star
2011      10th        2        8        12
2012     20th        1        8        7
2013      3rd        4        14        6
2014      11th        1       10        12
In 2014 there were only three non-SEC teams to crack the top eleven recruiting classes. Those teams would be Ohio State(the reigning title winner)Florida State(last year’s title winner) and Notre Dame, who finished the season at 8-5 this year. In 2013, Ohio State finished second, Florida State finished tenth, and Notre Dame finished third,  the best recruiting class under Kelly’s tenure. With an average finish of 11th over the course of the last four years, the coaching staff at Notre Dame has done a quality job of recruiting, but is finishing with an average outside of the top ten really an accomplishment, while recruiting at Notre Dame?
Based off the information above, one would imagine the Irish would have enjoyed more recent success. If you take out the title appearance in 2012, the Irish have a combined record of 33-19 under Kelly, and that is eerily close to the two previous coaches, in Weis(35-27) and Willingham(21-15). One would question than whether or not it is recruiting or development that has held the Irish back in every year, other than 2012. It’s probably safe to say a little bit of both, with recruiting being the main culprit. It’s safe to say that Irish fans have seen a much greater development of the young men coming into the program, than that of the two previous regimes, but still not at the level that was witnessed during the Holtz era.
It is easy for a casual football fan to look at the 2014 season and call it another disappointment for Notre Dame football fans, but truth is that is not reality. Although hard to endure at times for fans, Â Kelly had to deal with multiple suspensions, injuries, and a regressing quarterback. Many struggled with his apparent loyalty and patience with than starting quarterback Everett Golson, but by his own admission, back-up Malik Zaire had not given him reason to make a change. Â When given the time, he and his staff were able to implement a game plan that was good enough to take down 23rd ranked LSU, in the Music City Bowl.
If one was to give the current staff at Notre Dame a pass for 2014, due to the multiple reasons previously mentioned, than it is fair to say that the upcoming season is a fair barometer to gauge Kelly’s ability in both recruiting and player development. With the assumption that there will be no suspensions, major injuries, or regression, Brian Kelly and the rest of his staff need to deliver a quality season in 2015, if his time at Notre dame is to be considered a successful one.
This is not necessarily an indictment on coach Kelly or his ability to recruit and develop, because the Notre Dame program hasn’t enjoyed this level of success since the Holtz era. It is time though for more consistent success on a national level, and hopefully Brian Kelly and his staff can start that in 2015.
THANKS JACK
COURAGE AND INSPIRATION
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoKzCff8Zbs
GO IRISH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL4FOvIf7G8
ITS ABOUT INSPIRATION AND COURAGE
todays clip
http://archives.nd.edu/research/texts/rice.htm
thanks for the monday morning laugh
Bill Belichick is divorced. Notre Dame supports the sanctity of marriage
(there’s a rumor about that it’s a Catholic sacrament, quid vide Aquinas on the 7 sacraments from Summa Theologica) and does not hire divorced coaches, even if remarried.
Now, bj, I gots to know!!
Are you supporting your favorite fav “HIGH MORAL GROUND?”
Or are you supporting “SELL OUT TO WIN?”
Further, there is a radical concept just making its way into people who discuss things. It’s called getting your facts straight first.
The sequence, these drones do buzz on is :
Ready
Aim
Fire
Apparently they insist that fire is the third in the sequence.
It’s hard to be hopeful. We have already given up the high moral ground, they redshirt, accept junior college transfers, recruit guys who cheat, lots of guys, they recruit guys who think going to the pros is more important than a national championship at nd, they leave after three years, the assistant coaches don’t stay but look for a better financial deal, not bringing a national championship to nd, they recruit a coach who after three years of using the notre dame mantle looks for a better financial deal,
They have an athletic director that focuses on contracts for helmets, uniforms, stadium improvements, theatrical football locations, and advocates paying players, our advantage was our belief in that we were special. But they have stripped that away. They focus on money not lombardi’s moral code or the beliefs advocated by Lou. You come to the conclusion they don’t want to win or have no idea how to get there. Won’t someone protect our legacy?
ND still has relative moral high ground:
1. Redshirting has nothing to do with high ground. It is actually good for the student and the athlete and the guys that stay 5 years get a year of grad school thrown in.
2. Junior college transfers – what has that got to do with morals? Why not let a qualified kid in? Are they non-deserving?
3. Guys cheat because the school is hard. Plenty of people cheat at ND and everywhere else. The moral high ground is holding them accountable and forgiving them after appropriate retribution.
4. How do you know if a kid is going to go pro early when you are recruiting him? And if he still graduates, how can you possibly blame him?
5. Assistant coaches come and go based on the needs of the program and their needs. Our head coaches all come from somewhere other than ND. They are looking for more notoriety/money in addition to wanting to coach ND. No moral connection.
6. Coach Kelly looked at his options and then stayed. That is immoral?
7. Our athletic director is flat out brilliant and the new stadium symbolism of cradling sport in the center of scholarship is exactly what ND should be showing the world. And how is negotiating good contracts for helmets immoral?
ND is not perfect by any means, but the world constantly changes and if you don’t interact with the world and assert your values through active decision making and progress, what good are you doing?
Very well stated; however, your time would be better spent trying to scoop all the water out of the Pacific Ocean then trying to talk sense into our boy Bruce.
ND doesn’t red shirt, you have to be accepted into a master program at ND in order to get a 5th year. Look it up, idiots at NBC don’t explain the difference or the procedure correctly during games.
Lou Holtz rebranded the Irish with the play like a champion sign and other things that were not done under Ara or previous coaches.
How about bill belichick? He is 62. . Lots of nd connections. Maybe he would retire or slow down a little and come to nd. Our last pro head coach Devine won a national title? Or the other harbaugh brother?
Hey folks,take a minute and check out the Buckeyes 2015 schedule.Maybe ND should take their lead.
You are right, it is all in the scheduling. That and special teams coaching.
With the talent at ND under Kelly they should have been a top 25 team every year at the worst.
It all hinges on QB – Kelly has invested too much in Golson. The dude’s a turnover machine – like Devin Gardner. Holtz invested too much in Ron Powlus – not bad but not great- was beginning the end for Holtz. Why will Harbaugh win right away at MI? – because he’ll add 2 QB recruits to his 4 existing QBs and recruits – then he’ll coldly pick a winner. Kelly won at Cinci and CMU because he had great QB’s. He better recruit more QB’s and have the nerve to go with the winner, bench a starter or things will just slide down hill. It’s same in all college football and pros – find the QB – in fact find two or three, like Meyer did at OSU.
Yeah the defense had absolutely nothing to do with this year’s collapse. It’s all Golsons fault.
I bet Kelly bolts if they would happen to make it to the title game this coming season
Could you blame him?
Short answer, michigan state is no where near the top 10, yet they have had success. Kelly simply can’t coach up the talent we do get
In 8 seasons as MSU’s head coach, Mark Dantonio has 14 players in the NFL.
In 5 seasons as the Notre Dame head coach, Brian Kelly has 20.
Dantonio, in 8 seasons, has one losing season (6-7) and 2 seasons at 7-6.
Kelly, in 5 seasons, has never had a losing season and never finished with less than 8 wins.
Dantonio has 4 seasons with 9 or more wins and one season with 13 wins.(13-1)
Kelly has 1 undefeated regular season (12-0) and has played in a national championship game.
Success, and coaching up talent, is simply a matter of opinion.
You make my point in your first point. Besides, which has the more established program at this point in time? You’d have to say Dantonio. Each year, Dantonio is averageing 1.75 players in the NFL per year vs Brian Kelly of 4. That would indicate to me ND has better talent. So why then does Dantonio have his program in a better state the last 4 years than BK? Coaching in general coaching up talent. If you have less NFL talent and you get a better record, then you are better at coaching up talent. And these stats don’t represent a simple matter of opinion.
Or, you make my point with your first point.
“which has the more established program at this point in time?
You’d have to say Dantonio”
-I don’t have to say Dantonio… that’s your opinion, not mine.
“So why then does Dantonio have his program in a better state the last 4 years than BK?“
-Probably for the same reason BK has his program in a better state in the first 4 years.
Coaching in general and coaching up talent.
“If you have less NFL talent and you get a better record then you are better at coaching up talent”
-It’s not NFL talent until they are being paid by the NFL.
-Or it could be they’re just playing an easier schedule.
So lets assume Kelly gets better talent.
-Sounds like good coaching to me.
And then he helps get that talent to the next level.
-Sounds like more good coaching.
“And these stats don’t represent a simple matter of opinion”
-That’s your opinion.
Dantonio had a better winning % than bk the last 4 years. Also, just look at the last 2 years. The winning % for dantonio the last 2 yrs vs Kelly is even more revealing, showing a wider gap in win %. Dantonio gets less recruiting talent than bk yet they have ranked in the top 10 the last 3 years. We fell out of the rankings. I guess I must be blinded but I don’t see how these stats in the last few years reflects an opinion. Msu won the rose bowl 2 yrs ago and this past year lost to the 2 contenders for the championship. Oh, and then they beat a team some were arguing should have been in the playoff in Baylor. So at this moment in time, is msu program in a better state than nd? For all our sake, I hope we make it a moot point and get to the playoffs next year with our highly talented recruits. Talent is there so let’s coach them up beyond their star rankings.
If you want to debate if Dantonio is a better strategist, game planner, or game day coach, your point is well taken.
But that’s not what you said.
You said BK couldn’t coach up the talent we get.
I say that he does, and point to the millions upon millions that well educated, highly experienced, NFL executive owners are willing to invest in a significant number of former ND players who were coached and played under Brian Kelly to prove my point.
Another good example would be Troy Nickolas who came to ND as a defensive player, was switched to tight end his sophomore year having never played the position, “coached up”, and became a premier tight end that resulted in him being a high NFL draft choice after just his junior year.
And then there is Joe Schmidt.
A walk on.
He came to ND as a complete unknown with no fanfare or star rating what so ever.
Yet his improvement under Kelly in his ability, knowledge, and leadership, earned him the starting middle linebacker spot and proved to be vital for ND’s success.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him playing on a NFL team in the near future.
So is MSU’s program in a better state?
Possibly
Can Kelly coach up players?
Absolutely.
Good points as we are likely hung up on semantics. Yes bk can coach up players. I am of the opinion he isn’t as successful as the top tier coaches in getting the most of of the team, resulting in team success. There are always a few players here and there, but at the end of the day, regardless of health suspensions etc, 9-4 doesn’t cut it with the top 10 talent bk has successfully recruited. If you recruit in the top 10, then my theory and expectation would be to end up at the end of the year in the top 10 if not spitting distance.
I’d like to make two points. Dantonio has had more consistency in his program. The program progressed with little regression year to year. He’s only now lost a key coach. If you beat him you beat the foundation of his scheme. He can out coach you during the game.
Kelly has not been as consistent. His coaches have come and gone. Two are now with Ohio state. He’s had several ups and downs with players. Some have developed quite well but some others especially in the “next man in” category rarely seam ready.
But the main difference is game day coaching. Kelly and his staff rarely seem to adjust. He’s improved a little this past year but it mostly looks like Kelly will beat you if he’s scouted you well and if you change from what he’s scouted he cannot adjust.
Speaking of main differences…
The top paid college coach (per USA Today) is:
Alabama’s Nick Saban at $7,160,187.
The 2nd highest paid coach?
Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio at: $5,636,145
It should be remembered that Dantonio has been coaching for 35 years.
That’s 10 years longer than Kelly, who by the way, is rated 64th amoung active college coaches at $1,457,000.
Other noteable / comparible coaching salaries:
LSU’s Les Miles, a coach Kelly just beat head to head. $4,300,000
Michigan’s Brady Hoke, $2,854,00
Navy’s Ken Niumatalolo, $1,574,810
Stanford’s David Shaw,
$2,012,666
UNC’s Larry Fedora,
$1.830,00
Purdue’s Darrell Hazell, $2,090,000
FSU’s Jimbo Fisher, $3.591,667
Connecticut’s Bob Diaco, $1,5000,000
It should be remembered that Brian Kelly is not a rookie coach.
He just completed his 5th year.
He has never had a losing season at ND.
He does have an undefeated regular season.
He has been to a National Championship game.
He gets players to the NFL.
And he has been a part of
The University of Notre Dame’s 2014 national championship for graduating student-athletes in all sports–and posting the top NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figure (99) for its student-athletes for the eighth straight year.
It would appear that Coach Brian Kelly is here for more than just Fame and fortune.
It’s also interesting to note that Brian Kelly is 3-1 vs Mark Dantonio and Michigan State, winning the last 3 meetings in a row.
Shaz,
Those are great points. But do you think Kelly can bring a national championship? Dantonio is working against 50 years of MSU in the post Duffy Daugherty era. MSU had been a joke program between Daugherty and Dantonio. Truly laughable. The only decent coach was Saban and he bolted. Dantonio has made MSU THE program in Miichigan. Hopefully it stays that way and Harbaugh has a coronary.
Quoting pay scales is irrelevant because it hints that Kelly would win more if they paid him more. Using that logic, the obscene $700 million going into stadium upgrades should guarantee 3 or national championships and the return of old coaches like Jedi.
I still question whether the school and the program including the coach can be the true Notre Dame and win a national championship. And can people deal with it if that’s the case. For me it would be sad but I and my classmates experienced the last one. We have a direct connection to a Catholic school with something to prove doing it with heart soul and integrity.
With every year that goes by, the connection to that gets weaker. Two concerns then crop up. 1. Notre Dame might not win a national championship for a long time. 2. Notre Dame will compromise and become like the rest
Here is my view concisely put.
I don’t think. Brian Kelly should be replaced. But I don’t think he’ll bring a national championship. I think that Notre Dame either won’t win one for a decade or two or will compromise itself to win one.
CD,
Mark Dantonio’s first 4 years at MSU:
7-6 /3-5 Conf.
9-4 /6-2 Conf.
6-7 /4-4 Conf.
11-2 /7-1 Conf.
While the 9-4 & 11-2 seasons are good, if he had been the ND head coach during that time, he would have been crucified for the 7-6 & 6-7 seasons.
That, and the fact that even though he got MSU to a bowl game in every one of those first 4 seasons, his team also lost every one of those bowl games.
The ND fans would be calling for his head.
He never would have made it for the following 4 years where he went:
11-3 /7-1 Conf.
7-6 /3-5 Conf.
13-1 /8-0 Conf.
11-2 /7-1 Conf.
(Taking his team to another 4 bowl games, and winning every one of them)
The only thing I was hinting at with the comparison in pay scales is that every coach on that list makes more than Brian Kelly and he has beaten every one of them in head to head competition (with the exception of Jimbo Fisher, who he should have beaten, and Bob Diaco, who worked for him)
You only say pay scale is irrelevant because you’re not the one on the short side of the stick, because if you were, it wouldn’t be irrelevant.
At least not to you.
I think the “logic” that we all should be using here is… “what is the true ND “Mission”, and what are “Her priorities”?
Answer that one to yourself in truth and honesty and you will realize that “winning games” would be lucky to occupy a spot in the top 10.
ND puts Faith, building character, education, personal growth, Integrity, and the “best interest of the student” first and foremost.
You know the” best interest of the student” can be a slippery slope and not always a pleasant one. It can cost money, time, effort, and of course, wins on a football field.
If you look at that way you can see there is a bigger picture.
For me, I’m not sad that I experienced the last ND National Championship way back in “88”…
I’m sad because I took it for granted.
To answer your question…. “do you think Kelly can bring a national championship? “
A: Of course I do. This is after all, Notre Dame, where unbelievable accomplishments happen every day.
*Note* The connection you have with ND is special, and rare, and it only gets weaker if YOU allow it to.
My my my! All the bickering. Frankly that reflects the state of Notre Dame football. Shaz knows like all of us old timers when magic and electricity existed in sustained doses within the Notre Dame family and the football team. Doubtful anyone here was alive for Leahy but a few of us can remember Parseghian, Devine and Holtz. Those coaches all knew two ingredients were necessary to win at Notre Dame and win big. The first is the dedication and commitment that it’s not just football it’s the representation of Our Lady and her Son. The motivates the hard work and commitment to 4 years for a player and a career for the coach. It’s about year round motivation and dedication. And not just for football but for a chance to develop and achieve for a lifetime. Second the idea that God doesn’t give it to you but gives you the tools to make it happen on his name. That means smarts and talent. The coach has to lead but be humble enough to realize it’s not about him being right but about getting it right as a team and program.
Notre Dame has become a brand and uses the historical notoriaty of the team and its religious affiliation as marketing tools. It’s about time someone came and used innovative intellect with a philosophical return to Notre Dame’s roots. You want more wins including championships? You’d get them and a lot more with that leader. It could be magical.
C-Dog, all it really reflects is the fact that people can say what they want with pretty much complete anonymity here. As far as comparing the current coaching to the older ones, you’re looking at the past with rose-colored glasses. You might remember the “DUMP DEVINE” bumper stickers as well as I do. Like most, if not all, teams, the only time the fans quit fussing is when they win a national championship.
I think the one thing that set Ara and Lou apart from the rest (besides being extremely gifted head coaches) was that they fully understood the overwhelming power and importance of the spiritual influence that exists at Notre Dame and then knowing how to gather it all together (The religion, the school, the history, the alumni, and the student body)and instil it in the players, and incorporate it as a major part of the philosophy of the program.
In modern times, while others have tried, I don’t think anyone has done it better than those two.
Whether one considers it Spiritual or psychological, (or both) mental acuteness or Divine Intervention, anyone who saw it or experienced it immediately understood that it gave the Irish a clear advantage that no other place could offer.
It isn’t a substitution for hard work, dedication, smart play, or execution.
It is there as a source of strength and inspiration for players, coaches and fans.
Rest assured it is still there.
Waiting….
Waiting in those hallowed echoes to be awoken once again.
C-Dog,
You hit the nail on the head. Leadership from players and coaches. You need to make ND stand out as it should. It takes an innovator as a coach, AD and administration. Those who sit back on the laurels will be average at best. It is interesting that ND football has not come up with anything innovative in the past 25 years. Holtz is the one that brought back the “Play like a Champion” sign. Holtz is the one that did some research and found things from ND’s past that were not being utilized.
I was not smart enough to go to ND, my father was told by a Nun at St. Mary’s elementary school that if he didn’t root for ND he was going to hell. ND is a magical place where, the sky is the limit to what you can achieve. ND needs to understand the reason they are where they are is Knute Rockne was an innovator. When the Western Athletic conference (Big 10) barred them he went around the US playing teams. I think it’s time that the coaching staff, administration and educational staff understand that and begin to sell it. If that happens you are right the C-Dog it will be magical.
For those of you thinking the recruiting is the reason that ND is struggling, I implore you to take a look at the 2011 and 2012 classes. Tell me how many of those guys were on the field against USC last year? Very few, and most of the players lost from those classes were the highest ranked players ND had.
2013 and 2014 seem to be a lot more cohesive, and 2015 is following suit with a lot of variety and athleticism. The issue isn’t getting talent, it’s keeping it here.
Also,fire booker and higher the best special teams coach in the country.
ND needs 3 things:
1) a power run game (no more pass happy offense)
2)Better recruiting on D. Line (Improve the pass rush, stop the run)
3)Better recruiting and development of O. Line for run blocking (finally,
we got a glimpse of it vs. LSU)
Do the above and we make the playoff almost every year.
1 and 2 I can agree with (Though 2014’s class had plenty defensive line talent), but #3 makes no sense. They already recruit better than anyone on the offensive line.
3 things.
1) To succeed in any sport, you cannot beat yourself.
ND must minimize mistakes, turnovers, and penalties.
2) ND must find a way to keep the players on the field.
Reduce injuries, eliminate suspensions, and make staying 4 years a serious and tempting consideration.
3)Excel in “all” phases consistently.
Offense, Defense, & Special teams.
It doesn’t matter if your running, passing, blitzing, or running fake field goals.
Whatever it takes to succeed in all 3 area’s consistantly.
Basic football 101.
It wins games.
Lots of games.
Always has.
A good college football head coach needs to do two things exceedingly well to thrive in today’s game. He must recruit well and he must coach up his talent.
Several people have posted comments on this website that Brian Kelly seems to do okay as a recruiter for Notre Dame. For the most part, I agree. Recruiting is tremendously important for success on the field and Brian Kelly seems to be holding his own in this regard — not at the top but very near the top of the recruiting rankings.
But why the middling performance in four of the last five years if we have the talent?
Consider the following — the November 29, 2014, edition of the Sagarin College Football Ratings had North Dakota State University (a 1AA) team ranked ahead of Notre Dame. They were #35 and we were #36 on the list. [After our bowl victory and NDSU’s 1AA National Championship, the season ended with Notre Dame #31 and North Dakota State University #32 in the Sagarin Ratings]. Is anyone else bothered by the fact that in year five of the Brian Kelly coaching regime we are ranked about the same as a very good 1AA team? He has the players, maybe not enough of the very best to challenge for the title, but surely good enough players to be better than a four or five-loss team most years.
Maybe it’s the coaching staff, player development, or schemes he uses. Comparing ND’s performance on the field for the last five years with the performances of all 11 National Champions going back to 2004 including this year’s Ohio State championship team shows the following: [all data from espn.com]
1. Nine of the 11 national champions were in the top 10 in defensive yards per game allowed. Kelly’s ND teams were as high as #7 in 2012 but otherwise were no better than #30. Eight of the 11 national champions were in the top 10 in defensive points per game allowed. Kelly’s ND teams were as high as #2 in 2012 but otherwise were mostly in the 20’s in rankings. (This year they were #85 before all bowl games were played. Final defensive data is not yet available on espn.com.) Superb defense seems to be the number one key to a championship team and, except for 2012, Kelly’s ND teams have not been that close.
2. On the offensive side of the ball, all 11 national champions were in the top 25 for points per game scored (six were in the top 10). Kelly’s ND teams peaked this year at #40 and their worst offensive year was 2012 (#80). Offensive yards per game is not as pronounced a statistic for success as only 7 of the 11 national champions were in the top 25 in this category and only four champions were in the top 10. However a more telling statistic might be the ratio of rushing yards to total yards gained. All 11 national champions had at least 39% of their total yards come from their rushing attack and six had their rushing yard percentage over 50%. Notre Dame under Kelly has reached the 39% threshold only once (46% in 2012) and all other years the percentage has been in the 30’s. It seems that in this era of spread formations and up-tempo passing offenses, rushing has become more important than ever.
Maybe the most recent result (with a new emphasis on rushing) with the victory over LSU will cause Kelly to change his pass-happy ways. I believe Brian Kelly has to alter his offensive philosophy at a minimum.
There seems to be a strong correlation between success at running the ball, having a great defense, and making a championship run. I am not sure that changing the offense to more of an run-first approach will allow the defense to get better (mostly by keeping the defensive players well-rested), but both rushing prowess and great defenses are needed to reach the top and Brian Kelly has not been able to accomplish that yet (except in the magical year of 2012).
Wow! Thank you for bringing that to the page. One of the better posts on this site in a very long time.
If there was a year for Kelly to get his play calling into the 40% area…..this was the one.
At any rate here’s to wishful thinking of folston and Bryant having massively more carries in 15. Lol
Sagarin also has a 7-6 Arkansas team in the Top 10 and a LSU team that ND beat 17 spots ahead of them.
Ron,
Good point. I hadn’t noticed the relative placement of ND, LSU, and Arkansas in the Sagarin Ratings. The final AP poll had ND #26, LSU #31, and Arkansas #33. Sagarin must place great weight on Strength of Schedule (SOS)as ND SOS is 33 and those two teams both have a top 5 SOS. However, I believe the strength of the SEC teams was somewhat exposed by the bowl results, especially for the SEC West. I’m surprised that this didn’t lower the SEC teams’ SOS overall in the final Sagarin ratings.
Anyway, just the fact that a respected football statistician like Sagarin has ND ranked really close to a 1AA team depresses the hell out of me.
Sagarin is flawed in one respect. The strength of schedule is skewed to past years. Clearly this year was different for the SEC. After years of playing FCS teams and bottom feeders out of conference with one or two games against decent foes. They finally got exposed. There should be a separate SOS for out of conference games.
Notre dame will never have enough talent that wants to or can keep up with the academics.
I think that the administration Is at war with the Athletics Department. Prince Shembo and Tuit both said they had problems and ND treated them like Lepers.There have been too many incidents and very little administrative support.I was surprised to see that our AD lives in Indianapolis not South Bend. He was quick enough to grab a mike And announce that we had six suspended players expelled, suspended, hung, shot, electrocuted or whatever for conduct unbecoming a humnan being. In the first half of the seasoned they might be back next week. But whatever their crime we were never per mitted to know.
It is easy to second guess and use hindsight, BUT given the suspensions and injuries and the fact that only two games were blowouts (SC & ASU) does anyone really think that this should not have been at least a 10-2 season? The same can be said for 2015 in that all anyone can do is project a won loss record based on current facts. Without major injuries 2015 could very well be at minimum 10-2 and likely better. Just my opinion.
Great commentary by all with the exception of the personal attack. A lot of people have made the arguments (a) that teams win big with mediocre recruiting classes all the time, and (b) even 5 star players fizzle out very often. ND’s recruits are always a hit or miss despite being 4 or 5 star. It’s just that you want those one or two who turn into a Teo or a Floyd to mature and stay uninjured. That’s about the best you can hope for. The rest of them need to be taught to play beyond their natural limits and fit into a system that is structured for excellence and development.
Year one Michael Floyd DUI one game suspension, year two Reese and Calabresse arrested for public intoxication and confrontation with police, year three no issues (12-0) season. Year four Golson out two weeks before the opener, year five suspensions. I pray that year six has no offseason or pre season drama. I have had the chance to meet BK one on one a couple times. He is a great guy who loves the personal side of being a coach and dealing with young men. He takes pride in the development of the character of the player as much as the skill. I hope he stays with the Irish until he gets tired. This year will be special if the team has players who can show championship leadership. I am very excited by the reports on how Stanley stepped up as a leader for the bowl game. He needs to lead that offense of line the way Zach Martin did. I hope we can get Grace or Schmidt back on the field to lead the D with Day. With the right player leadership this team will make the final four and possible do something very special. Go Irish!
It is not so much recruiting but how well you coach them up after they get to campus. A recruit should improve every year I do not see that at ND, I see many come in and they seem to digress, rather than improve. That to me is where the issue is.
How can you say that when almost every starter is a freshmen or sophomore? Did Nix get worse from his freshmen to sophomore year? Did Martin get worse? Did Harrison Smith get worse? Did Jaylon get worse? Did Manti get worse? Your logic is pretty bad.
I don’t think that Rob is attempting to use logic, Shawn. I think he’s stating his opinions. Trying to prove one’s point of view on this subject is kind of a waste of time anyway. If you want an example of bad logic, try “your ignorant statement proves that false.”
That doesn’t make sense. An opinion may not be a solid truth, but it still requires that some form of logic is placed so that it doesn’t fall flat. An opinion without logic is like having a discussion with Pauly Shore.
I don’t think BK enjoys the recruiting process, the touching base with recruits every single day. I could be wrong and its just my opinion.
Being the head coach of Notre Dame is very different than the other elite schools in the country and to Brian Kelly’s defense I am sure he has a thousand things on his plate every day but when I look at coaches like Saban, Meyer and even Fisher they approach the process so much different. They almost attack it especially Saban and Urban Meyer touching base with these elite kids every single day. I don’t know if Kelly does that. Its almost like he feels that the “Notre Dame” brand sales itself which it doesn’t anymore. It does with some prospects but not all. I think you know what I am getting at without saying it. Being Notre Dame will open doors for our coaches on the recruiting trail but its up to them to seal the deal with the elite prospects because they dont care how great the program was 30 years ago. They want to win and they want a shot of being drafted. Plain and simple. I remember Lou Holtz saying a few years back that Notre Dame use to be able to go in just about any Catholic high school in the country and almost hand pick which players they wanted when the program was winning at a elite level every year. I don’t think the average fans realizes how much ELITE TALENT comes from Catholic High Schools every single season. Just go and take a quick look at the Rivals ranking and ESPN ranking, it will shock you. Notre Dame can’t continue to have a top 5 finish one year and then a top 15 finish for the next 3-4 seasons, not with the schedule we play every single season.
I have been saying for years that if Notre Dame is winning football games they can recruit with any heavyweight program down south and bring the super elite kids to South Bend. The year the Irish went to the title game they brought in 4 five star players and they almost had 6 five star players had they not lost out on 5 star DT Eddie Vanderdoes and 5 star LB Alex Anzalone late in the process. The program is still feeling the effects of losing those two players especially Vanderdoes.
These elite kids are not going to come to cold snowy South Bend to go 7-5 or 8-4 which has been pretty much what BK has done minus 2012.
With the schedule that Notre Dame plays we have to be in the top 5 just about every year just to compete at a elite level every year. We have not been able to do that and our record is what it is because of this. Some fans will say this can’t be done and I think that is BS and nothing but a built in excuse. What is killing Notre Dame right now is the fact they can’t bring in the elite DL that schools like Florida St, Bama and Ohio State are bringing in EVERY year. You can throw U$C in the mix as well because they are going to finish in the top 3 once NSD passes. Once the program lost Nix and Tuitt to the NFL and lost out on Vanderdoes there were no players to replace that elite talent. Players like Jones and Day are good players but you can’t build defenses around those type of players. When you do you have games like we had this year where you have to hope like hell you can out score teams like North Carolina and Syracuse.
You build programs in the trenches and Notre Dame has to find a way to bring in this next class some elite DL to stop the run and get after opposing quarterbacks. That Northwestern game was a embarrassing performance and should never happen year 5 under Brian Kelly. On offense just keep doing what they are doing because that side of the ball has been fine but the defensive line is what seperates the good programs from the elite.
Granted ND needs help n the defensive line. But the help needs to come from the defensive coordinator and Kelly. How about some creative scheming like a five man front which might help stop the run and offer a better pass rush? The Northwestern loss was clearly a coaching loss on both sides of the ball.
I don’t agree at all with what you said. It’s all hogwash. You CAN compete by getting a top 5, followed by a few top 15 classes. FSU did it, Auburn did it, Hell Oregon is lucky to crack the top 20 and they are competing constantly for titles.
Does Kelly enjoy the recruiting process? That’s irrelevant. But the fact remains is that, you are correct in that ND doesn’t sell itself like it used to, but ND’s main problem is that it can’t accommodate elite athletes that generally can’t qualify for ND. Not to mention, up until now, ND wasn’t able to set up shop in the talent rich areas and pull away the best of the best, especially in the Southeast. That will probably change with the satellite camps starting this summer. Kelly may or may not enjoy recruiting, but he is among the best, if not THE best at evaluating talent and potential. That doesn’t make him a great recruiter, but it definitely allows him to find guys who coaches like Saban or Meyer aren’t looking at hard enough, and he gets them from under their nose.
A top team never has a QB with 22 turnovers. Period.
Our talent is fine – look at Robinson – lightly recruited, is going to be a great player. Almost there already.
2012 had no injuries, and some lucky games. Like Alabama then, and OSU this year – talent still needs development and luck as well.
Settle down the QB position, and ND will compete strongly.
Winston had 18 INTs, and several lost fumbles as well, and FL. St. won all but one game. So a “top team (can) have a QB with 22 TOs. Period.” EG IS/WAS NOT the reason ND was not a top team! And not all of EGs TOs were unforced or even his mistake
( blindsided and hit from missed blocks by both OL and RBs causing fumbles and errant passes led to several, as did WRs deflecting passes to DBs). Overcoming turnovers, missed tackles and kicks, dropped passes and blown coverages is what a top team does to win without blaming every loss on ‘turnovers’. A top team can overcome turnovers- Ohio State did in the national championship game vs. a top team. I do agree that “talent (@ND) is fine . . . still needs development and (every team needs) luck as well.” And a good luck starting point would begin with fewer significant injuries. Hopefully new recruits will add even more quality depth, a discussion for us in February because one never knows who you got until AFTER NLI day.
Eerily familiar?? Are you serious? I see that others have posted comments about this so I won’t continue to lag on the writer of this column for this ridiculous sentence.
When evaluating BK you have to take into account the circumstances that have been attached to this team:
-2013 Golson is out. That’s not Kelly’s fault. The entire year was set up for a run at the NC. The offense was tailor made for Golson. With Rees we were bound to suffer.
-2014 Suspensions. Again, not Kelly’s fault that more than a quarter of his starting defense was lost. Now you can blame the talent behind the starters not being ready. But that is really because Lynch, Tuitt, and Nix all left the program (Various stages, all eventually for the NFL, and because of injuries to players. BK takes some heat…but not a lot.
PLUS, before the season started everyone was saying they would have been happy with us finishing the way we did. It was just because of the start that people became crabby when a young bunch of players started playing like A YOUNG BUNCH OF PLAYERS.
If anything I would argue that BK is an unfortunate victim of circumstance. He has been snake bitten in unfathomable ways.
2015 should give us a clearer understanding of the type of coach we have (barring disaster). I think we are all going to be very happy with the results.
‘why he continuously turns downs his “dream job”. did they ever offer meyer the job with the right incentives?
Yes they did offer him. He went to Florida because he could recruit the type of athlete he wanted. Aaron Hernandez and Percy Harvin don’t get into ND and if they do they are gone within a year. Several players at Florida tested positive for weed and served a 1/2 game suspension. At ND they are suspended for a year.
BJ why would Urban limit himself when ND pays about the same as anyone else. I say he bides his time and eventually coaches ND when the alumni demand a Championship and he can become the savior. Urban isn’t dumb.
Mr. Meyer is not coming to ND. That ship has sailed. Double down on Kelly and pray that his troops are inspired across the board!
Not a season. I believe Wood got popped for weed, and he received a 2 game suspension.
Had Meyer decided to come to ND under these circumstances, he’d probably agree. ND was a wreck, but Savvy Jack has salvaged the ship. That being said, the ship has sailed on the Meyer voyage. He’ll never coach at ND.
Other than the year they went 12-0 and played for the National Championship he really hasn’t impressed me. Those 8 win seasons are mediocre at best. Would I rather have Kelly? Of course I would. Charlie was all talk, much like Ryan & the Jets and Tyrone doesn’t have the staying power needed to maintain a top notch program anywhere.
Kelly really needs a very good, maybe great year, or he will lose the faithful. He needs a 10-2, 11-1 season with a big bowl invite to keep his head above water at ND. Can he do it. I have my doubts. Right now he has to get the QB question straightened out and he desperately needs another running back to compliment the two he has coming back and of course he has to stay away from the injury bug that really hurt their chances this year. If I were a beating man I would say 9-3 is the best he can do this coming season. Go ND!
Next year who is the three losses. I can see USC or possibly Clemson, but who else is a definite loss. Let’s look at the schedule
Texas – should win
at Virgina – should win
Ga tech – tough game possible loss
Umass – win
at Clemson – tough game
Navy – always tough
USC – tough game
at Temple – win
at Pitt – should win
at Wake – win
Shamrock series BC – should win
at Standford – should win
Based on this if ND goes 9-3 it would be a every game that is tough not going their way. I don’t see that happening. USC is the game that ND must win to make it to the playoffs.
It confounds me how many pre-season analysts dismiss ND’s 2015 schedule as not that challenging. Other than UMass and Temple, where are the locks? Using your own formula, Jack, every “should win” would be a win, something we haven’t done but once since BK arrived. No one is a “definite loss”, but several are possible losses, especially the ever-present let-down games every year that most every team has (see ND vs. NW this year).Any of the road games at Clemson, at Stanford,(and even) at Pitt, at Boston, and at yes, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus, are not locks, as-so far, this group has not established themselves as road warriors. A victory vs. the Trojans doesn’t look too promising at this point, especially following Navy.And is there much evidence we’ve figured out Navy? So to win 11, ND would have to win every road game(if they lose to USC), including Geo. Tech and Texas in South Bend. If they do that, they deserve a final four spot.
No, should wins are games ND will be favored and can win. Under Willingham and Weis there were games that were were definite losses. Even under Davie there was definite losses. SC isn’t going to be as good as you think. Angelor left for the NFL and ND was a beaten team. They can win every game on their schedule. We couldn’t have said that under Weis or Willingham. The talent is there
They were handily beaten in two games this year – ASU and USC. Louisville could have been a win, Northwestern and FSU as well. With more experience, a more dominant defense, I can easily see 10-2 or 11-1, maybe even 12-0.
That’s not smoking the ND crack pipe, that’s just taking what I saw this year and the fact players improve from year to year (in general).
I see the development of the defense and a solid running game as keys to the next season. The talent is there for a strong year.
Is it national title good? I don’t know. Not many (outside of Columbus) thought OSU would win it. I don’t think anyone had TCU making the run it did and blowing Ole Miss out of the water. I guess that’s the beauty of not being Nostradamus – we have to wait for the season to start.
I just can’t see a more experienced Notre Dame team losing games like Louisville and Northwestern again. The challenge will be in conquering the ASU’s and USC’s on the schedule and that determining a 12-0/11-1 regular season, or another 8-5/9-3 campaign.
What I saw from the bowl game was inspiring. Not because LSU has this vaunted offense averaging 48 points a game. It was the physical nature, talent vs. talent for 4 quarters and finishing the game off. LSU was/is a good team and program. They played the best in the SEC very well this year.
And they lost to Notre Dame. I’m not equating beating LSU to beating Alabama. It’s a different animal. But it’s not the David vs. Goliath it was in 2012 or years prior. Add a few more playmakers (or the emergence of them) and a dominating defense – and I’d feel comfortable with ND’s chances against anyone in the country.
I haven’t been able to say that in 20 years.
Leadership and experience were this team’s downfall thanks to all the suspensions/injuries. Just looking at this lauded 2011 and 2012 classes now makes me puke. Only half of those players remained on the 2014 team and were no hurt or suspended.
2011:
Tuitt (Early Draft)
GAIII (Early Draft)
Niklas (Early Draft)
Daniels (Suspended)
Grace (Horrific leg injury)
Lynch (Transferred)
Ishaq (Suspended)
Springmann (Career Ending Injury)
Hounshell (Multiple season ending injuries)
Those are the best of the class, and the rest either dealt with injuries or didn’t pan out. Let’s not forget (Hegarty had a stroke, Hardy was suspended for most of this year)
2012:
Russell (Suspended)
Baratti (Career most likely over)
Ferguson (Transferred)
Shepard (Left School)
Neal (Transferred)
Kiel (Transferred)
Mahone (Kicked Off)
Again, the best of the class outside of Stanley, Jones and Day (the latter of which missed time this year to injury as well).
I agree that Kelly needs a very good season this year, and the team is poised to deliver. ND was better than FSU on October 18, 2014. They were also better than LSU on December 30, 2014. What happened in between is well documented and open to interpretation. This team has the athletes, depth and coaching to kick ass consistently. If a modicum of luck is added, we could make the playoffs.
Rich, he needs a national championship, and I’m sure that’s what he’s after. We’ll see.
I love Notre Dame, football success or not. I am eternally hopeful for the program but….. We all look for a higher level of success beyond Weis, Willingham and Davie…. Hoping more for success of Holtz, Devine and Parseghian. Every program has unforeseen injuries, and suspensions; it is not really an excuse. There is a need for depth, great recruiting, development and coaching. Life has changes since Lou Holtz and Gerry Faust could lock down #1 recruiting classes year after year (like Nick Saban — and soon Urban Meyer — does today). We do have a lot of experience returning this year, not a stellar recruiting class, but a solid one. My expectations are very high this coming year. I hope Coach Brian Kelly’s plan after five years comes to fruition. Jack Swarbick’s stated intention was Notre Dame would be BCS contention EVERY year — It is time that both live up to that self defined bar.
Interesting how the better players you have the better coach you become. If you plan to compete with Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, et all you better get the same like minded horses in your stable and out on the field as soon and often as possible. This game is not rocket science.
The game is not Rocket Science… but one of the majors at ND is.
Some of these horses wouldn’t know Churchill Downs from a glue factory.
The short answer to the question the article poses is yes. Recruiting classes consistently around the top 10 will allow for ND to be success based upon Kelly’s track record of positive player development. Now the issue is why is ND not consistently finishing around the top 10. The answer cannot be quantified, however anyone who has been following ND since the Holtz era knows, the intangibles that come with ND football are more complex than any other college team in the national and I feel it would be fair to say most NFL teams. The biggest issue is not academics, undesirable weather or any coach/recruiting class. It is the fact that ND has essentially stunk for so long that the pressure to be good is, quite possibly, insurmountable. Anyone who has been a fan of ND for the time specified above knows this and quite frankly it scares us to death. Kelly is the right coach for ND and if he left tomorrow and we got the “great” Urban Meyer, he would theoretically be in the same boat. I feel Meyer, having been involved with the ND family, already knows this, which is why he continuously turns downs his “dream job”. ND has to be the hardest coaching job in all of college football and harder than coaching in most professional sports. Meyer or Saban or even Chip Kelly would be going through the same struggles as Kelly. The pressure of turning this program around after such a long tenure of sub-mediocrity on top of being far away from fertile recruit grounds and high academic standards make this winning a national championship almost unattainable for ND. I said almost. Kelly proved he could get us back there in 2012. More recently, after being embarrassing at the end of the season with all ND fans (myself included) thinking we were going to fall back into the bottomless pit, we beat an LSU team who was better than their 8-4 regular season record and will be a pretty good team in 2015. Speaking of 2015, that will be one of the most important years for ND football going forward. We have everything in place to have a great team (12-0, 11-1) giving us a shot at the playoffs. everyone feels this way not just crazy ND fans like myself. Just look at Day’s and Stanley’s reason for returning. If we fail to capitalize on this opportunity, I fear, no matter who is coaching ND, we may never climb higher then mediocrity with a stellar season here and there where we have a good record, but get destroyed when we play a great team in a bowl like in past seasons.
You should have just stuck with the short “yes” answer and been done with it.
ND is not consistantly in the top 10 because… “the pressure to be good is insurmountable”???
That says everything I need to know.
I said “possibly”. Do you have a thought or is everything I need to know about you involve simply insults and misquotes?
Insults and misquotes?
You mean like:
“any” ND fan that has been around for the time specified above knows this and quite frankly it scares “us” to death”
I am a ND fan that has been around for the time specified above, and quite frankly, I am not scared to death, never have been, so stop insulting me with inclusion in your mealy-mouth, chicken shit self-opinionated BS, and speak for your own paranoid self.
Or how about… “all” ND fans thinking we were going to fall back into the bottomless pit”?
Really? All ND fans?
Not everyone feels this way, not even all the crazy ND fans like yourself.
YOU may be of little faith and unable to see past the end of your own nose, but there were actually some here who were able to see the improving health and game time readiness of key players, clear advantages on ND’s side in certain areas, and several favorable match ups and variables that pointed to ND winning this game.
And they said as much.
Could it “Possibly” be that this bottomless pit you speak of is actually dwelling inside you and fuels all of this fear and doubt?
A lot of words and none of it answers the question. It’s rather simple of you look at it from the current perspective. Take a look at the 2011 and 2012 classes that led the team this year. Now tell me how many of those guys were starters/standout guys for ND this year? Very few. In fact of the 22 starters by seasons end, only 4-5 of them were upperclassmen. That’s all you need to know. Leadership, experience were the downfall this year due to attrition.
I’ve been around since the Parsegian days, and this sort of negative analysis is nothing new. Pretty much every one of them says that things are different now, starting in the 60’s.
Stating that BK’s record is “eerily close to the two previous coaches, yet it’s safe to say that Irish fans have seen a much greater development of the young men coming into the program than that of the two previous regimes” makes no sense. That’s like saying ND has improved on the manner in which they lose games. Yes, we lose 4-5 games every year, but man do we look good doing it!
But overall I agree with the article… recruiting is good enough, but the results are not.
How is that record after taking out the 2012 season “eerily” close to that of Weis and Ty? It is .6346 vs. .5645 and .5833 which is not “eerily” close. Plus though he lost big to USC this year and Alabama in 2012, he has not had the number of bad losses the other two had. Don’t forget he came in with little going for him and somehow pulled us out of the doldrums of 2010 to beat USC and Miami back to back. He has developed players who are succeeding in the NFL, Martin, Floyd, Harrison Smith, Theo Riddick and others who were borderline prospects. I think he is by far the best option out there and has a solid reputation with many people with more expertise than us. He had us on the verge of something special this year with a very youthful team, and I don’t mean sophomores who had been in the program for three years, but true freshmen and sophomores littering the roster and getting significant playing time.
When the injuries piled up the players that had to play were either physically, mentally or both undeveloped as of yet. Our day will come, I expect no more than 1 to 2 losses this coming year and maybe even something very special. When that happens, the recruiting will again take off.
Kelly is an average coach, with an average offensive system, he can’t develop players or qbs, he can’t score tds (look up their red zone ranks in his 5 yrs) look up the losses-from the navy blowout, to tulsa, to the NC game in which he was too busy trying to go to the Bears/Eagles rather than doing any game prep, the Champs Sports bowl…they wouldn’t lower the standards for Urban or Charlie but have for Kelly-and still can’t win 10 games. Do your reserach of your don’t agree-facts don’t lie, nor does watching the TV every Saturday for the last 5 yrs.
Brian Kelly is not a average coach, he is one of the ten best coaches in the country. If you want to call him a average recruiter you would be accurate. Because that’s our biggest problem going forward and has been for every head coach after Holtz.
I’d like to know why you think he’s an average recruiter? He has had better classes than Weis or Willingham. Simply put, it’s hard to recruit at ND now. The allure and name doesn’t attract like it used to. There are several schools with the ability to compete for titles, and ND’s academic standards get in the way of getting those high-level recruits that just want a 3-year NFL track.
I am wondering just what qualifications you have to run down Coach Kelly?
Ability to write, apparently.
@ND generate
You are clearly upset with the development of this program…I’m not tickled about certain aspects of the performance of certain teams…but that is VASTLY different from assessing the program. Lets not kid ourselves here, Nick Saban isn’t coming to South Bend, nor is anyone else, and the irony here is fans like you are part of the reason. Brian Kelly is a damned fine recruiter, motivator, coach, and THE fit for the program in terms of all the other things the ND coach has to contend with, including expectations w/o any sense of the situation. The simple fact of the matter is, you CAN’T ignore 2012, it it is absurd to do so, thus his winning percentage is excellent. He achieved this record while overcoming institutionalized losing, and a litany of circumstances. This program is in as good of shape as it has been in 25 years…what say you acknowledge that and stop acting like a 5 y/o and projecting tough losses to your assessment of the entire program and this coach…Good Grief!
You are the worst fan ever. Shut up and go be a fan somewhere else. You are too stupid to be a fan of ND.
Say hello to your brother Loch.
Every team deals with injuries. Ohio State was down to their third string QB but where able to still win at a elite level because of how well Meyer recruits every year. Using the injury card is nothing but a excuse, a cop out. In year 5 Notre Dame should not be losing to Northwestern at home regardless of the injuries. It comes down to depth and you get depth by recruiting at a elite level for several cycles in a row and Brian Kelly has not done that. Even going back to the 12-1 season the majority of that team was recruited by Weis.
I like Brian Kelly as well but he needs to recruit better. If you recruit well and build depth the winning % will take care of itself.
WOW, the “everyone deals with injurieS” is followed by you mentioning 1 player from Ohio State.
Kenny, did u pay attention at all this year? The Defense ended the year with 3, yes 3 of their initial starters AND 3 suspended players who were bona fide starters to replace. Under your premise that “every team has injuries and still competes”, using Ohio State as your example, we’re to assume if 8 starters were deleted from that defense, that they would still have “competed” at the level they did? Who would you delet? Start by taking the entire D line and go from there. Or Alabama, Oregon or Flat St., if you prefer.
Of course I watched every game but you cant use injuries as a excuse for this teams failures this season. Is it a factor…..absolutely but the biggest problem was to many true freshman forced to play because there was no one else. I am sure Kelly and every coach on his staff would be the first to tell you the same.
Losing to a team like Northwestern SHOULD NEVER happen in year 5 under any Notre Dame head coach. There was zero depth on this team this year leading BVG to play a ton of true freshman. The depth issue is because this coaching staff has not recruited the way it should which was the whole point of this article.
Did OS have as many injuries? No. But the Champs played almost all season with lots of freshmen and sophmores 13 of 24 starters are underclass-men.
Oregon moved people around all season long, Mariota is the only starter who started in the same position every game.
Much of the season the excuse was we are playing young players. Other teams played young players and won.
If all those young players improve significantly then people will forget about the disasters this season.
I think they will play better on defense. Consider that not only did the style of defense change from the previous season but so did the philosophy of how to play defense. That’s a big change.
Now they’ll have a second season under their belts and better understanding. Hopefully the staff has learned you can’t put all your eggs in one basket and will press several players to learn how to call defensive plays and line ups in case the main player gets hurt.
@Kenny: I don’t think any team in the country could go through losing 14 starters on their defense and expect to win much.
“There was zero depth on this team”…Really? Do you realize that (counting the 3 suspended defensive players) there were a total of FOURTEEN players missing from the Defensive side of the ball ALONE? Luckily, we got 3 of them back for the bowl game, meaning we were down ELEVEN players on Defense for the game, and STILL beat LSU. Hmmm…. seems to me if you were to take away 11 of Alabama’s starters and 2nd string defensive players such that only 3 original starters were playing that USC would have scored an easy 49 on them as well. And while we mention Alabama, I can’t for the live of me understand how ANYONE can say with a straight face that Saban should be applauded for “one of the best coaching jobs of his career” because he “just didn’t have the kind of team he usually has” when Alabama has ONLY had the #1 recruiting class for 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and again for 2015. He has had (counting this year) 29 5-star players, and 117 4-star players compared to Ohio State’s 13/96, and Notre Dame’s 12/84. So, the coach with DOUBLE the talent pool should be APPLAUDED for having a team that had the OPPORTUNITY to win a bowl game? Absolutely laughable. I’m sick of the Sabanites worshiping this guy. He’s a good coach, but I’d argue it’s much EASIER to field a championship team, when you have DOUBLE the talented players with which to field that team!
…it wasn’t youth that was the problem…it was youth w/o a veteran anchor in a new defensive system…and a pretty complex system at that. I was pretty frustrated with some of the Ls because both the DL and OL got owned by smaller players…that seems to have been largely repaired if the LSU game is an indication…
What is your excuse for next year?
You are right Freddie and that’s what really bothers me about some Notre Dame fans…….not all but some. Instead if speaking the truth about this past year some fans would rather point out that players were hurt and suspended. We were a average football team that was carried by Golson up until the Florida State game. Golson turned the ball over and the defense couldn’t stop a nose bleed. Regardless of injuries its next man up and when that next man up is a true freshman playing in a complex NFL style defense you get results like we had this season.
Address the recruiting issue and these problems don’t happen. Point blank period.
No it’s not point blank period, and your ignorant statement proves that false. You go on to say that ND fans would rather point to injuries/suspensions than speak the truth. Maybe that’s because injuries/suspensions ARE THE TRUTH you idiot. Simply put, you’re not going to win when you lose 9 starters on defense along with several backups. It wasn’t just that ND was starting freshman/sophomores, but there was no leadership. Ohio State had youth, yes, but they also had a plethora of leadership and continuity. Outside of QB, no one else dealt with injuries. That allowed them to mesh as a group and improve together. ND was forced to drag the next guy in and instantly start big minutes with other youngsters who weren’t really ready. By the end of the season, ND had 1 upperclassmen starting…ONE. I’m sorry that the truth may not be what you want. Clearly you don’t know the difference between making excuses and facing reality. ND was dealt a bad hand this year, arguably the worst hand imaginable. There’s simply no arguing that, and your attempts to are just laughable at best.
An ignorant statement doesn’t prove anything false, Shawn. On the other hand, as I said, 14 players lost is more depth than anyone has.