Tailgate Approved

I always seem to root for linebackers as "my guys." Ausberry was someone I thought highly of from my first look. In general, I think this team goes deep from a likability perspective.

It went right over my head, but that's a "me" problem.

I admire your optimism. I disagree that any of those coaches would be interested in wading into CFB for ND, but it would be interesting if they would.

On balance, it's probably more helpful. Saban was 1/1. No longer competing with him makes things a bit easier for everyone. If another top coach (say, Dabo) goes there, he will probably struggle to handle the situation, and his previous employer (Clemson) would likely suffer a dip, too. So, that would make two weakened competitors (in theory). If they take Freeman, it hurts big. I believe in what Freeman is building, but I don't think it would survive his leaving without taking a big hit.

And now, this:

As I was reviewing the list of signed commits, I was reminded of this conversation we had almost a year ago. I'm sure our past selves would be very pleased to see ND ended up getting both Lambert and Prescod!

I think it's worth noting that entering the portal does not necessarily mean they'll transfer. For example, Houston Griffith ended up staying a couple years ago.

I'm looking for the offense to bounce back in a big way against a meh defense, and I'm looking for the defense to continue their consistently good play. If we see complimentary ball, ND wins easily. It doesn't have to be close.

I want the players to convince the coaches that they're the better team in every contest for the rest of the season. (The coaches should have already believed this, but I thought they coached scared against OSU.) I think these players know the team is special. If they can convince the coaches to trust them and let them play to win, I'll back them to run the table (CFP included, if we're that lucky).

Coaching cost us the game. The players were good enough to win (and deserved it). This coaching staff is bringing in players that can win. That's the start of the foundation.

Sports fandom is like wearing a costume. We're pretending to be part of the team as we watch the games. The most fun Halloweens are the ones where you commit to the bit, right? You get lost in the "character" and start to feel like the role you're playing. Eventually, the role playing ends and you go back to being you. That's kinda how I feel about things. I'm an ND fan, but that's not my identity. It's a part of me that I use to entertain myself, but it is not the core of me.

I'm not going to get angry at the students and fans expressing their joy by rushing a field. Kids should have fun. I also hope that we get to the point where wins against top 10 teams at home are the expectation. With some luck, the foundation of that belief will continue to get built up tomorrow (and against USC).

Victory.

Hartman. If he plays great, ND can beat anyone. That's the power of the position. So, it will be a bunch of fun to watch him play great.

It looks like that's the plan. There's a "Who's first?" T-shirt in between a Deuces and a Bear Down shirt in the picture linked here. https://twitter.com/TomLoy247/status/1697769299404898598?s=20