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Man, that was such a stressful game! Like, it for real had to have taken at least 1+ years off of my life! 😵😂
Offense: They did a great job for 3.5 quarters. Leonard was solid, but that INT was terrible! RBs were amazing, as always! Love, good lord! And Price stepped up when Love went down. WRs were good, but not great. The good thing was they did what they needed to! I was so glad Thomas didn’t see the field again after that fumble! TEs were the star receivers on offense really! I will give it to Denbrock for utilizing them really well! Honorable mention was Faison! 35 points baby, so very nice job offense!
Defense: Man, they really had no answers for Maiava and the USC receivers, and gave up way too many big plays! But, they buckled down and made two massive plays when it mattered with the back to back pick sixes! That was epic! Championship Level!!!!!
Special Teams: Good lord Jeter sucks! Please Biagi, start Yoakam already! Punting was okay. And man, was that fake punt beautiful! Bucnher can still sling it! 😂
Overall, this was an amazing win! Wow!!! 🤩 Playoffs, here we come! 😆
By the way, it looks like I’ll be going to the first round playoff game on 20 December 2024! I’m so excited, because this will be my first ever game at Notre Dame stadium in South Bend! 😝

The Battle Inside The Tackle BoxNotre Dame's Evolving Offensive Philosophy: "More Space Equals More Yardage"In 2024, Mike Denbrock has introduced a new offensive philosophy to Notre Dame football that centers around one simple but powerful principle: “More Space Equals More Yardage.” This approach marks a stark departure from last season’s style, which was designed to play downhill and maximize the talents of now-NFL-bound power back Audric Estime. Instead, Denbrock has built an offense around balance, speed, and the ability to capitalize on small, well-timed spaces — a strategy that has already paid dividends.Replacing Estime's power is a trio of dynamic backs who bring different skill sets to the table: powerful quarterback Riley Leonard, elusive running back Jadarian Price, and the home-run-hitting all-purpose back Jeremiyah Love. While Estime’s bruising style of running has been swapped out for more speed and finesse, the emphasis on physicality is still very much alive.The new offense is not about running through defenders, but rather around them, relying on smart blocking and misdirection to create the necessary space for explosive plays. One prime example of this came against Virginia, when Love turned a routine first-down carry into a 76-yard touchdown, running through defenders. The play worked because the offensive line had done its job — opening up small gaps that allowed Love to hit top speed, and the presence of the dual-threat quarterback, Riley Leonard, made the defense hesitate for just a moment, creating the space necessary for the big play.The QB run threat, specifically with Leonard’s running ability, forces defenses to hesitate just enough, knowing that they can’t commit entirely to stopping the running backs. With each running play offering two potential ball carriers — Leonard or one of the backs — defenses are forced to second-guess, giving the offensive line an additional advantage in their blocking assignments. The result? More yardage on every play, and more opportunities for big runs that can change the course of a game.Depth and Resilience: A Strength in AdversityWhen blue-chip tackle Charles Jagusah went down, Irish fans were understandably concerned. But the concerns only grew when starting center Ashton Craig and premier guard Billy Schrauth were also sidelined. Losing key players on the offensive line could have derailed the offense, but Coach Joe Rudolph and the staff have done an exceptional job in developing depth. Backup linemen have stepped up, ensuring that the offense continues to function at a high level.Despite the injuries, the line has consistently opened up space for the running backs and given Leonard enough time to pass the ball effectively. While you might not see defenders flat on their backs after every play, you’ll consistently see gold helmets working in sync to give the running backs the room they need to make plays. The plays are drawn up to maximize space — not just physical strength — ensuring that even when the offensive line isn’t 100%, the team can still execute its game plan.Looking Ahead: Playoff Dreams Still AliveAs November winds down, the Irish find themselves in a strong position, with their playoff hopes still very much alive. But to reach the College Football Playoff, they’ll need to win the battle inside the tackle box, controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.With their unique blend of explosive running backs, a mobile quarterback, and an offensive line that continues to improve under adversity, the Irish have everything they need to compete at the highest level. It’s clear that this offense thrives on space — and in the crunch time of late-season games, every yard counts. With the coaches and players in place, it’s hard not to like their chances of finishing the season strong and achieving their playoff goals.In the end, more space might just be the key to making those dreams a reality

Offense started off strong, and hardly let up at any point. Defense shut that Daily and Army “potent” rushing attack down with the quickness. Special Teams stepped up with a blocked punt by Young.

We’re here. One Shot. One opportunity even.Scouted them last nightGood playersGood speedIf I’m Golden I bring the Caleb Williams plan from last year. Be ok with the run, not the deep shot.Not a good week for a shaky FG kicker so I hope they have a plan or don’t need one.

* All times are Central Time ZoneThursday Night6:30 - NC State @ Georgia Tech - ESPN - Would love to see Ga Tech go on a roll and end up rankedMorning Games (Saturday)11:00 - #5 Indiana @ #2 Ohio State - FOX - An argument could be said that it does not matter who wins this game, but I think IU winning helps ND the most here. A 2-loss OSU team in the regular season will drop below ND11:00 - #9 Ole Miss @ Florida - ABC - Could Florida pull up another upset?11:00 - #13 SMU @ Virginia - ESPN2 - Mostly because SMU is in play, I do not see the upset happening, but I would love to see it11:00 - Wake Forest @ #8 Miami - ESPN - Doesn’t effect ND at all, but lets see how good Miami looksAfternoon Games (Saturday)2:30 - Kentucky @ #3 Texas - ABC - Upset would be fun to watch, but there will be a SEC team seeded above ND regardless of who it is.2:30 - #4 Penn State @ Minnesota - CBS - Gonna root hard for the Gophers, at least make it a very close game2:30 - #14 BYU @ #21 Arizona State - ESPN - Should be competitive and the BIGXII may not get a BYE2:30 - #16 Colorado @ Kansas - FOX - Kansas looking for another upset2:30 - Wisconsin @ Nebraska - BTN - Should be very competitive3:00 - Pittsburgh @ Louisville - ESPN2 - Sucks that Louisville lost, but if they win these next two games, they could be ranked againEvening Games (Saturday)6:00 - #19 Army @ #6 Notre Dame - NBC - Go Irish! This will be at Yankee Stadium.6:30 - #7 Alabama @ Oklahoma - ABC - Another upset I would like to see, but Bama is looking good right now6:30 - #15 Texas A&M @ Auburn - ESPN - Need A&M to keep winning and possibly play for the SEC CG.6:45 - Vanderbilt @ LSU - SECN - LSU is on its 3rd straight loss. Can Vandy pull off another big upsetLate Night Game (Saturday)9:30 - USC @ UCLA - NBC - Another scouting opportunity for our final opponent, rooting for USC to win here and possibly be ranked next week.

We saw the formula against NavyAttack the Option/Force TurnoversGet a lead quicklyOwn the tackle box and the line of scrimmage@Mike its up to you if you want use the AP ranking #16 or the CFP ranking #24 for Army

College Football Playoff RankingsWeek 13 CFP Rankings with playoff seedings in parenthesis.Oregon (1)Ohio State (5)Texas (2)Penn State (6)Indiana (7) Notre Dame (8)Alabama (9)Miami (3)Ole Miss (10)Georgia (11)TennesseeBoise State (4)BYU (12)I will update these rankings every Tuesday night.AP Top 10OregonOhio StateTexasPenn StateIndianaNotre DameAlabamaGeorgiaOle MissTennesseeCoaches Poll Top 10OregonOhio StateTexasPenn StateIndianaNotre DameAlabamaGeorgiaOle MissMiamiESPN FPI Top 10TexasAlabamaOhio StateNotre DameGeorgiaOle MissPenn StateOregonTennesseeMiamiFull Rankings can be found herehttps://www.espn.com/college-football/rankings

The “Golden Era” of DefenseAl Golden was Marcus Freeman’s choice to become his defensive coordinator after Freeman became Head Coach. Golden has turned out to be a wonderful choice. His leadership experience coaching both at the NFL and college level has resulted in a scheme that is player driven and uses the defenses strengths to limit the high-powered spread passing attacks that have become popular across the nation.                Golden’s first strength was that he recognized that this was meant to be the “Notre Dame Defense” not the “Al Golden Defense”. Marcus Freeman got elevated to head coach after one season of being Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator.  Notre Dame’s former Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick recognized with Freeman’s energy, magnetism and recruiting success that he would be a top name on other team’s wish list. When Brian Kelly left for LSU, Jack took the risk and elevated Freeman before another team could hire him away. Freeman realized he would need coordinators that had more coaching experience than he did. Al Golden had both college and NFL coaching experience and loves Notre Dame.The first thing Golden and Freeman agreed on is the importance of man-to-man defense. During a lot of the Weis and then Kelly Era Notre Dame began to accept a “bend but don’t break” defensive philosophy. Schematically this means you’re in a two deep zone set up for about eighty yards of the field. The object of “bend but don’t break” defense is to allow yardage in non-scoring areas of the field then as soon as your opponent enters scoring range you begin to be more aggressive. This passive approach allows teams to win the field position game and control time of possession. Freeman, Golden and the defensive staff reject “bend but don’t break defense” in favor of a more aggressive style of defense that depends on great coverage from the secondary and active, fast, and aggressive linebackers.On any given Saturday with seventy-five yards to go you will see Golden’s defense with a single safety deep, his corners in press man coverage and his other safety disguising what he’s doing. Risky? Yes. . But in his 4-2-5 they almost always have a nickel defensive back inside and the linebackers are lighter and faster than usual.  The pressed corners are taught that they have help inside so deep routes are forced out of bounds with outside leverage and everything inside is met with multiple hustling defenders.This defense is easily in the top ten and some metrics have it in the top 5. Ask Florida State who passed for just 88 net yards last week, facing a Golden Era defense is no easy task. As Al Golden likely earns himself another shot at head coaching somewhere soon it’s important that we appreciate this “Golden Era” of defense.Additional Reading

What matters more to the Playoff Selection Committee, good wins or “good” losses? And is a 1-loss team always better than a 2-loss team?In 2014, the first season that featured a four-team playoff, ESPN aired the initial rankings in primetime on October 28th. At that point in the season, Notre Dame was 6-1, with its only blemish being a controversial 4-point loss to #2 Florida State, the defending national champions. At that point in the season, Notre Dame only had one Top 25 win on its resume (a 17-14 win over #14 Stanford after a 4th-and-11 touchdown pass from Everett Golson to Ben Koyack with one minute left). Still, despite the dearth of quality wins, many media members pegged Notre Dame as a borderline Top 5 team given the near miss against Florida State two weeks prior. The Committee had other ideas. Notre Dame appeared 10th in the initial rankings, and they never rose higher, as the 2014 season turned into a disaster in November after a 55-31 thrashing at the hands of Arizona State was followed by three consecutive losses. In the first season of the Playoff, the Committee’s rankings signaled that it valued good wins more than “good” losses. Flash forward ten seasons, and that premise seemed to hold true for most of the four-team playoff era, as the Committee generally rewarded teams with the best wins over teams that could only tout “good” losses. In 2024, this same issue is creeping to the forefront. For example, how does the Committee evaluate 8-1 Penn State, a team that lacks quality wins (zero Top 25 wins), but has a “good” loss to 8-1 Ohio State. Despite lacking quality wins, Penn State was 6th in the first rankings by virtue of its “good” loss to Ohio State. Notre Dame was ranked 10th despite having two Top 25 wins. Notre Dame’s loss to Northern Illinois seemed to drag the Irish down, as they found themselves ranked lower than five other 1-loss teams (Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Penn State, Tennessee), despite having more Top 25 wins than four of them (Texas and Penn State have zero, while Tennessee and Ohio State have one).Not only is there a question of how the Committee compares good wins to “good” losses, but there is also a question of whether 1-loss teams will continue to be looked upon more favorably than 2-loss teams. That was always the case in the four-team playoff, but in the twelve-team playoff, it is a question that has yet to be answered. That may change this week.While Notre Dame moved up to 8th in this week’s AP Poll after a 52-3 demolition of hapless Florida State, things have gotten murkier as the SEC. The 16-team power conference currently features a glut of teams (eight) with two or fewer conference losses. The 2024 Playoff is shaping up to be a battle between Notre Dame and the SEC for a coveted spot in the 12-team playoff. How does the Committee compare the 1-loss Irish to the 2-loss teams from what is widely-regarded as college football’s best conference?While it’s unclear what the Committee will do with Notre Dame this week, statistics (and the “eye test”) support Notre Dame not only maintaining its Top 10 ranking but moving up. Week 11 saw Miami (previously ranked 4th) suffer its first loss against Georgia Tech, a team that Notre Dame beat by 18 points two weeks prior, Georgia (ranked 3rd) suffer its second loss to Ole Miss by 18 points, and Alabama (ranked 11th) beat 15th ranked LSU 42-13 in Baton Rouge. What does the Committee do with 1-loss Notre Dame and the following 2-loss SEC teams: Alabama, Ole Miss, and Georgia?If the Committee still values quality wins over everything else, then Notre Dame should be ranked 8th or 9th, moving ahead of 1-loss Miami and 2-loss Georgia. Notre Dame has two Top 25 wins, with the road win at Texas A&M looking better each week and the Louisville win becoming more impressive after the Cardinals thumped Clemson in Death Valley last weekend. The problem for Notre Dame is that its two Top 25 wins are equaled by Georgia (Clemson and Texas) and Ole Miss (South Carolina and Georgia). While Georgia has two impressive wins, their two losses (and other near misses) probably relegate them to a spot behind Notre Dame, which is reflected in the AP Poll where Notre Dame is ranked 8th and Georgia is ranked 11th. The key question is whether Alabama and Ole Miss, which both rank behind Notre Dame in the AP Poll at 9th and 10th, respectively, stay behind the Irish in the second College Football Playoff rankings set to be released tonight. It’s hard to argue against Alabama moving past Notre Dame (and others) because the Tide have four Top 25 wins (Georgia, South Carolina, Missouri, LSU), which is more than any other team in the country. While Ole Miss has the same number of Top 25 wins as Notre Dame, it has a second loss. How the Committee ranks these SEC teams compared to Notre Dame will say a lot about whether Notre Dame can move up enough to host a First Round Playoff game.For Notre Dame fans, while the last seven weeks have been filled with Irish blowouts, the Northern Illinois loss remains in the minds of the voters. That loss is, by far, the worst loss among the true College Football Playoff contenders. Yet, Notre Dame should be in a position to host a Playoff game by virtue of its two Top 25 wins and its average 34-point margin of victory over the last seven weeks. While Notre Dame’s strength of schedule has been a talking point (and deservedly so), Notre Dame’s offensive and defensive rankings are impressive. FEI, which accounts for disparate SOS by ranking teams based on opponent-adjusted efficiency, ranks Notre Dame 14th on offense, 5th on defense, and 8th overall, behind only Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, Ole Miss, Alabama, Penn State, and Georgia, and ahead of Indiana, Miami, Tennessee, and BYU. So, the question remains, will Notre Dame continue to be punished for the Northern Illinois loss and get jumped by one or two 2-loss SEC teams this week, or will the Committee continue to value Notre Dame’s wins more than its bad loss?

Very sad to hear, and my heart goes out to his family!Rest easy, Coach! ❤️

Senior Day! Hopefully the IRISH win this one for the seniors. Virginia is dangerous because they just upset #18 Pittsburgh in a close game I believe 24-19. The good news with that is they just played a hard fought 4 quarter game and ND had a bye and FSU who didn’t play up to their standard. Trap game as always but I think the ranked win by UVA and what is at stake for Notre Dame should get their attention.I guess they will release the press conference link while I’m working on Monday. I liked when they released them early but no such luck.@Mike I’ll need some help/retraining on the tagging with the new software@NYGoldenDomer could you update the ranking on Tuesday if its needed@Baldy if you see the press conference on youtube on Monday will you link it? I’ll be working to at least 2 PM.My work family sweet people and lots of Penn State fans with disabilities are holding a tailgate party at the office.Should I:A. Go. Listen to the Notre Dame game on the radio in my office. Game starts at 3:30 PM(same as ours). I know streaming apps but my office wi-fi is less than optimal and I want them to project PSU streaming for the people.B. Stay Home. Watch ND as normal, be here for the thread.C. Watch the other game put on a happy face and watch ND later.Thanks for the input!FaithFeatured Image

As is my custom I'm getting this thread up before the Bye week.Scary team. Unsuccessful athletic, could be in spoiler mode.Show them the whole NIU game. Blast the Seminole theme song. Whatever you need to do, Freeman!What are the keys to the game on November 9? (7:30 PM NBC) 

Riley Leonard showed his faith as he Led the Irish to Victory in Kyle Field at Texas A&M, 23-13 in week one. Fans were uneasy as Leonard’s passing statistics did not live up to expectations. The new Irish offense engineered by Mike Denbrock was not humming. The defense had to carry the Irish.                When the Irish lost to Northern Illinois in week two the bandwagon became empty. Fans were ready to fire Denbrock, put Freeman on the hot seat and bench Leonard. The next week the Irish really confused people by putting up 60+ points at Purdue but it is just Purdue they cannot be any good. Every time Riley gets inside the 10 yard line its almost an automatic touchdown. What is going on here?                Miami of Ohio scores first.. Oh, no not again. Just kidding! The Irish went on a scoring run and by the fourth quarter were easily in victory formation, 28-3!Louisville comes to us, and we give them the ball after fumbling the opening kickoff. Assuredly our winning run would end here. Not so fast! Riley hits a deep pass to Greathouse on the way to victory. The Irish learn about the Hustle of Leonard Moore who tracks down the Louisville QB, like he was in slow motion and Leonard Moore was in fast forward and forces an important fumble. The Irish win the turnover fest by a touchdown,                During this time, we are convinced Riley is awful. Stats are unimpressive while the wins pile up. Teams still cannot stop Riley Leonard in the redzone but scoring points is an overrated statistic, right? We need the Heisman with our wins after all. Stanford comes across the country  only to be sent back 49-7.                The Irish must be in trouble now. Georgia Tech beat Florida State  in Ireland. Wait their QB is injured that must mean the Irish will score a ton. 31-13. Cam Ward would have put 60 on them. Wait, Georgia Tech might of scored 45 on Miami too.                Navy, they pass now. How will the Irish ever prepare? Navy had six turnovers. Riley kept scoring touchdowns. 51-14.                The Irish enter November. Leonard has not seen a bench yet. But he is seeing a bunch of end zones 19(11 rushing eight passing) total touchdowns with three interceptions in all. Many lost faith in Riley in September but he has not lost faith in GOD, the team. the fans or himself. We would do well to follow Riley Leonard’s example of perseverance in the face of adversity

Sorry Guys ND doesn't have the live press conference link up yet. Things i'm concerned about. Why is Navy so good? Will our normal 4-4-3 Navy defense(very different from our 4-2-5 base)  be employed? This is the game where you usually see an extra linebacker in the slot for the pitch man. That would typically be ausberry because he has lb/safety experience. If Navy can throw do you just walk Schuler up closer to the line instead?   What's on your mind?   I'm hoping 35-21 Irish. What say you?

 

This is a bit early. So I will need to post the press conference link next Sunday. @Mike the rankings will change.   The Irish look to improve on a lucky  top 15 win after the Bye week. The new offense has large gaps in production. How long will the defense be able to keep the Irish afloat? Hope the stats show an improved team after the bye week.

@Mike the rankings will change. Big week. Are the Irish contenders or pretenders? Can the coaches adjust if adjustments are needed. Do they step up or play down to this big moment. How many big hits can Leonard take?

  @Mike as usual the thread titles are yours. 3rd straight week of a new member finding this thread.  All credit to you,    Now on to Football. Another chance to put a big number up and get all 4 qbs in if ND plays up to their Standard. i ALWAYS expect bad news on the injury front. The Fighting Chuck Martin's. I love that dude. @Mike Chuck Martin was on Brian Kelly's original staff. Coached safeties and eventually crossed over to be the offensive coordinator on the team that got throttled by Alabama in 2012. He took over for Kelly at Grand Valley State and led the Lakers to several National Titles at that Level. Came to ND and helped make the team tougher but in the end wasn't known for scheme. Made the news for saying a big program stole his kicker early in the year. I won't be around to take presser notes. But if @Baldy could do his X genius. I'd be a grateful teammate. @tneun89 and @InLikeFlynn what are the keys to victory? @NYGoldenDomer How do we get back up these rankings?   Thanks. Please . Register! if you've been reading. Love you all!

Guys I probably won't be around to take notes on this this live but here's the link.   Starts at noon. @Mike feel free to edit the thread title.

Not a great slate of games this week. There are some mid to low-tier games that should be very competitive, but not a factor in the grand scheme of things. * All times are Central Time Zone Friday Night 7:00 - #20 Arizona @ #14 Kansas St - FOX - possibly the best matchup of the weekend between ranked teams Morning Games (Saturday) 11:00 - #4 Alabama @ Wisconsin - FOX - Bama has not looked great so far, but I believe they will win this by double digits 11:00 - #16 LSU @ South Carolina - ABC - SC has been up and down this year, but we all want to see LSU lose this one 11:45 - #24 Boston College @ #6 Missouri - SECN - Probably going to be a blowout, but it's the only other ranked matchup of the weekend Afternoon Games (Saturday) 2:30 - #18 Notre Dame @ Purdue - CBS - Go Irish! 2:30 - #9 Oregon @ Oregon St - FOX - Oregon has not looked great and it is on the road against their rivals 2:30 - Texas A&M @ Florida - ABC - Should be a very competitive game, if Florida loses, there could be a coaching change soon Evening Games (Saturday) 6:30 - #1 Georgia @ Kentucky - ABC - This is the "primetime" game of the night, but I don't think it will be a good game 6:30 - Indiana @ UCLA - NBC - This should be a very competitive game against two teams that have looked good against inferior competition 6:30 - Colorado @ Colorado St - CBS - This was a fun game to watch last year, and will probably be entertaining again 6:30 - UCF @ TCU - FOX - Both of them are very solid teams and it should come down to the 4th qtr.

Home opener Saturday!  

We won in a very tough place, with a lot of question marks on offense. QB)  I thought Leonard was clutch, he's a gamer and you can see his coolness during the game.  He was talking to his guys, never looked overly frustrated about negatives.  I think the plan was to not make him do too much, short/quick passes, and manage the game.  He did what asked IMO and it worked.  Also had some nice runs when things broke down.  RB)  Love and Price had our only two TDs, and both occurred on long runs.  Price had a long gain called back, but Love hit a big gain the next play after that penalty.  It was frustrating most of the night.  Love could've had a TD catch if he ran that route better in 2H.   OL)  Welp, it was about as I expected it to be, a mismatch of their strength vs our weakness.  Our guys played hard, there wasn't a lack of effort out there, just lack of experience and proper gelling of the line.  This game will pay big dividends as the season moves along, it truly was a baptism by fire. TE/WR)  I hope Fasion is alright, we need him.  Collins was a good get and was Mr Reliable tonight, keep that up.  It was tough going for the passing game.  I did see good efforts to try and block on run plays though.  Got to get TEs more involved with seam routes.  All will get better with Leonard as season progresses. Defense, very impressed all the way around.  Our depth is impressive at all three levels.  Two picks but only one sack I think.  We were getting pressure, and we worked their OL hard causing fatigue and injury issues for them.  Some missed tackles here and there which will get better. Special Teams)  again hope Fasion is OK, need him on PR.  Aussie punter is kind of mixed reaction to him right now.  Our kicker is clutch with 3 FG, looked very relaxed out there and does his job.

The show will be on Peacock and premieres on August 29th. Here's the trailer  

Begins Wednesday July 31, 2024   MODS: Help me build the literature here. First one is from the South bend tribune https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/sports/college/football/2024/07/18/notre-dame-football-opens-camp-with-texas-am-opener-in-sight-marcus-freeman-riley-leonard-mike-elko/74337563007/