I think we are a BCS team. Our Offense is not good enough to go undefeated. I hope our defense don't breakdown. there has to be a lot of nicks and bruises right now.

 

Anyhow, I've became a fan of ND brady quinns senior season so i'm fairly new.

 

Both weis and ty had years where ND was undefeated late into the season. reading your comments it seems that none of you have much respect for ty and charlie as coaches. So my question is, we're you non believers when they were off to great starts or did you know it was fools gold then? How do your feelings differ today then in the past?

Quinn's senior year was good, but also painful. I am happy at 6-0 but I feel a lot like you do. I am concerned the O is not good enough for an NC run. But then, the SEC is stacked with great Ds with decent offenses. We will see.

 

I don't want to look ahead, but Oklahoma looks like a big ass brick wall.

Quinn's senior year was good, but also painful. I am happy at 6-0 but I feel a lot like you do. I am concerned the O is not good enough for an NC run. But then, the SEC is stacked with great Ds with decent offenses. We will see.

 

I don't want to look ahead, but Oklahoma looks like a big ass brick wall.

 

Take the 06 offense with this defense, wow.

 

We never seem to have the horses on both sides of the field, my thought is that trend is changing.

Take the 06 offense with this defense, wow.

 

We never seem to have the horses on both sides of the field, my thought is that trend is changing.

 

2013-2016 wll be awesome

I think we are a BCS team. Our Offense is not good enough to go undefeated. I hope our defense don't breakdown. there has to be a lot of nicks and bruises right now.

 

Anyhow, I've became a fan of ND brady quinns senior season so i'm fairly new.

 

Both weis and ty had years where ND was undefeated late into the season. reading your comments it seems that none of you have much respect for ty and charlie as coaches. So my question is, we're you non believers when they were off to great starts or did you know it was fools gold then? How do your feelings differ today then in the past?

 

Quinn was an opposite sort of season. You knew you could score on anyone, but didn't know if you could stop anyone, which was mostly true.

 

2006 ND could be compared to 2012 W. Virginia.

 

As far as a difference, Kelly seems to have a plan in place, a plan that has produced unbeaten teams in previous stops. Davie was never a head coach before ND. Ty had one good season at Stanford and Weis was never a head coach.

 

Kelly gets what it takes to win at the college level. Can he get enough athletes to ND to do it on a regular basis? Only time will tell. But he knows what he needs to do, which is build the O-Line, the front 7 on D and sprinkle in enough skill players to win games.

If anybody tells you Davislove that they were always skeptical & critical of charlie & TY they are lying---

 

Ty was not want we wanted but he came in and as the first black coach seemed to get a nice buzz for recruiting and then had that miracle stretch of 8 wins in a row right off the bat---it is true that the teams late season collapse raised eyebrows but we mostly were optimistic.---Ty simply trashed that optimism and stomped on it--his attitude was demoralizing--his attention to GOLF was shocking--his second and third season became an exercise in futility---TY HAD LITTLE SUPPORT BY THE END!

 

Charlie came in and promised the world---a nasty team with a schematic advantage because he was supercoach----And damn that opening game against PITT , i still remember being short of breath when shark layed out for his endzone TD catch---his 2005 season was the BEST since 93---WE WERE ALL OPTIMISTIC AGAIN----2006 turned sour in game two when Michigan ROUTED US and then called charlie predictable--that season was a turning point when the LAST TWO GAMES HAD ND RUN OUT OF THE STADIUM BY USC & LSU---The fourth down call early in the sugar bowl was simply STUNNING!!

 

We held out hope as a group with critics developing all at thier own pace---for some the 3 win season was enough--but for others the recruiting "SEEMED" pretty good and TY DID LEAVE US with a short roster---charlie still had gratis---BEATING AFTER BEATING made it tough--in year four the HAWAII BOWL WAS THE LAST SIGN OF HOPE THAT CHARLIE COULD STILL RIGHT THE SHIP---but no defense---syracuse--confusion--a bad attitude--his trial--his book --his inability to back up his bragging--"just see us in a couple of years"---It was a battle between those like me who tried to find excuses and hope from charlies struggles and those who simply were done with him and his attitude and his assistants and his disappointing seasons-----IT TOOK LONGER THEN TY BUT CHARLIE HAD MEAGER SUPPORT AT THE END.

 

 

Kelly has done things differently---we went from a sketchy beginning to some OUTLADISHLY SPIRITED AND QUALITY RECRUITING---DOUBTS WERE HERE AND ARE STILL HERE---but this season has the potential to wipe the slate of all doubts about Kelly---he can recruit--he LOVES defense---and he has us going better each year---thats a recipe for success and support.

 

I go back through 7 coaches and decades of teams- i remember when winning was the norm--and i'll tell you HOW I FEEL ABOUT 6-0---

 

I FEEL MARVELOUS!!!!___

 

aloha's go irish!

Edited October 17, 201212 yr by hawaiiirish

They're good enough to win 10 games, and the two big games -- Oklahoma and USC -- will be measuring sticks for our program.

 

There's no question we're headed in the right direction, and the payoff is coming. I still think that the flaws on this team will end up costing them against OU or USC, but if we can manage to win one of those games...man. That would be impressive.

 

Regardless, I thought this was a 7-5 or 8-4 football team. I wanted to see enough from the team to feel better about the coming years. Sitting at 6-0, and looking good to get to AT LEAST 9 wins -- and probably 10 -- I couldn't ask for much more.

 

Coupled with the fact that I am seeing a lot of good things -- the defense especially, but also play from young offensive players like Golson, GAIII, Daniels, Niklaus, etc. -- and the fact that recruiting is going swimmingly, I feel very, very good about where the program is. I don't think we're a national championship caliber team right now, but I absolutely think we are one of the 6 or 7 best football teams in the country, and hope we get a chance to prove that in a BCS bowl this year.

 

They're exceeding my expectations, but not in the way Weis' teams in 2005 and 2006 did. With those teams, I felt like we could beat the crappy teams we faced throughout the year, but had NO CHANCE against the big boys (and the USC, Michigan, and LSU games in 2006 confirmed that). With this team, I feel like they could go up against anyone and be in the game. It's a much different feel to this team -- I don't think it's smoke and mirrors whatsoever.

 

And that feels good.

Kelly gets what it takes to win at the college level. Can he get enough athletes to ND to do it on a regular basis? Only time will tell.

 

I would say indicators are definitely pointing up so far on his ability to attract the athletes he needs to compete consistently on a top level.

 

As to the 6-0 start, I feel great about it. Now, Oklahoma is going to be a real test - and yes, I'm looking past BYU, which is OK because I'm a freaking fan - and will certainly color perception of the season; if ND stands at 8-0 after that, then my (and most) expectations for the season will take an exponential turn upwards.

 

:yo:

our offense is still a work in progress, qb position is still not settled yet and running game is still lagging behind which is still mind boggling considering our OL was suppose to be a team strength.

 

i think our defensive front seven is good but maybe not great yet. both miami and stanford have very good OLs and ND got only 1 sack and very few qb pressures in the two games. when faced against a good OL i'd like to see ND do more.

 

im not quit sold on our secondary yet but i do feel they are coming along well. up to this point ND hasn't played a real good passing team yet. purdue threw on them, msu was breaking in a new qb and new wr's, michigan can't throw, miami's wr's dropped a lot of ball and where able to take ND deep quit often and stanford was breaking in a new qb. so what happens when ND plays a true passing game like OU or USC?

 

ND is doing well but the 6-0 start is due to good football and some lucky breaks.

I was skeptical of both Ty and Charlie as "championship" caliber HCs.

 

From what I observed, and could read, both had weak leadership and communication styles. Both had an incomplete or inadequate understanding of what it took to build and maintain a sustained, organization.

 

Ty... well, he spoke kind of like a mystic... he was not a good, communicative representative of ND within campus, to alumni, or critically, to recruits. Thank God for Davie's recruits, and for the one good class he got based off the performance of mostly Davie's recruits.

 

Ty did have some really good assistants, although I didn't appreciate it at the time (Mattison being one of them). But, like his first season... all smoke and mirrors. And it is telling that he is now a womens (volunteer) golf coach. His commitment to golf, while at ND, was greater than his commitment to the program.

 

 

Weis... he is an awesome OC.. and cares deeply about ND and his kids. But he was/(is?) no HC. Weis didn't know how to build a coaching team. And he didn't know how to develop young players. His recruiting was good, but not great.. he got awesome talent in some areas, but was left holding the bag too often. I also never liked his NJ "I know Bill Parcells" schtick either.

 

Most impressive thing to me about Kelly is that he has a tried and tested philosophy on how to build, managed and deliver a complete football program. Moreover, he has the organization and communication skills to execute effectively on this philosophy. He has the leadership and communication skills to get the right coaching team for him. Martin, Longo and Diaco are winners... they all seem to share an excellent working relationship, probably because they all have clear roles.

 

Kelly has a charismatic personality... not completely sold if he has charm. Lou was great for charm...

I have to disagree partially Hawaii. I was certainly excited about Weis, but I loathed Ty from the announcement. I thought ND rushed to fire George O'Leary for an infraction that approximately 70% of the world does. I'm not advocating lying on a resume, but if my memory is correct, inaccuracies from 20 years earlier were treated like the discovery of a body in his trunk. I think he said he played football for three years and that he had a Masters degree in education. He had done neither. That dumbass White didn't vet the candidate and let the media push him into a "when did you stop beating your wife" position. ND acquiesced, and we suffered the Ty years. At the time, Ty had one decent season a Stanford and was hired to reinforce the integrity of ND. It was an obvious move by a peter principaled AD and President of the University. Had ND handled it a different way, I'm certain the bottom would not have been as deep. That single moment led to decade and a half in the CFB wasteland. It's hard to believe anyone is that stupid. It's almost as if it was done on purpose. Dr. White should be sued for perpetuating fraud against ND.

 

Sorry for the rant. I'm stuck at an airport and need to vent.

Edited October 17, 201212 yr by econ87
Spelling

Take the 06 offense with this defense, wow.

 

We never seem to have the horses on both sides of the field, my thought is that trend is changing.

 

I'll take the '05 offense =)

If anybody tells you Davislove that they were always skeptical & critical of charlie & TY they are lying---

 

Ty was not want we wanted but he came in and as the first black coach seemed to get a nice buzz for recruiting and then had that miracle stretch of 8 wins in a row right off the bat---it is true that the teams late season collapse raised eyebrows but we mostly were optimistic.---Ty simply trashed that optimism and stomped on it--his attitude was demoralizing--his attention to GOLF was shocking--his second and third season became an exercise in futility---TY HAD LITTLE SUPPORT BY THE END!

 

Charlie came in and promised the world---a nasty team with a schematic advantage because he was supercoach----And damn that opening game against PITT , i still remember being short of breath when shark layed out for his endzone TD catch---his 2005 season was the BEST since 93---WE WERE ALL OPTIMISTIC AGAIN----2006 turned sour in game two when Michigan ROUTED US and then called charlie predictable--that season was a turning point when the LAST TWO GAMES HAD ND RUN OUT OF THE STADIUM BY USC & LSU---The fourth down call early in the sugar bowl was simply STUNNING!!

 

We held out hope as a group with critics developing all at thier own pace---for some the 3 win season was enough--but for others the recruiting "SEEMED" pretty good and TY DID LEAVE US with a short roster---charlie still had gratis---BEATING AFTER BEATING made it tough--in year four the HAWAII BOWL WAS THE LAST SIGN OF HOPE THAT CHARLIE COULD STILL RIGHT THE SHIP---but no defense---syracuse--confusion--a bad attitude--his trial--his book --his inability to back up his bragging--"just see us in a couple of years"---It was a battle between those like me who tried to find excuses and hope from charlies struggles and those who simply were done with him and his attitude and his assistants and his disappointing seasons-----IT TOOK LONGER THEN TY BUT CHARLIE HAD MEAGER SUPPORT AT THE END.

 

 

Kelly has done things differently---we went from a sketchy beginning to some OUTLADISHLY SPIRITED AND QUALITY RECRUITING---DOUBTS WERE HERE AND ARE STILL HERE---but this season has the potential to wipe the slate of all doubts about Kelly---he can recruit--he LOVES defense---and he has us going better each year---thats a recipe for success and support.

 

I go back through 7 coaches and decades of teams- i remember when winning was the norm--and i'll tell you HOW I FEEL ABOUT 6-0---

 

I FEEL MARVELOUS!!!!___

 

aloha's go irish!

 

Fond memories Hawaii. You know what is sad? I used to love Ty's sideline demeanor. I thought he was cool and collected, a level headed guy who knew how to handle stress and manage a game. Turns out that most of the time he was looking relaxed on the sideline because he was fantasizing about shooting a 60 on the back nine.

 

I remember the same discussion with my mom (A big ND fan also) about how Coach xyx is not going to win an NC this year, but they are going to win one. I was skeptical about BK, and I have been far more critical, but he has made me a believer.

The defense is no question national championship caliber so that's a good start. Atm I don't think the offense is good enough and will cost us one of the ou or usc game because they did not do their part. I am really hoping we run the table, and who knows if we play good against byu on offense we might get some swagger and confidence. I think the offense/oline will cost us atleast one game this year. However I still think we can run the table and optimistic we can improve. Bcs game forsure, national title game still a possibility.

I don't want to look ahead, but Oklahoma looks like a big ass brick wall.

 

That's exactly how I feel. I'm really happy with where we're at. I think with the exception of OU, we should win every game, including U$C. But having watched OU this season, I just don't see any way we get past them with our offense, in Norman.

 

Of course stranger things have happened. The defense could pick six a couple of times and give us a good chance. But I'm just trying to be realistic and not get my hopes up.

We never seem to have the horses on both sides of the field, my thought is that trend is changing.

 

I agree that it is changing but until it does i will always take an elite defense and average offense as opposed to vice versa. I think that if you truly have an elite defense then they will keep you in any game.

I was prepping myself for 8-5, now 10-2 seems very realistic. Yes, we could go undefeated, that's always a *possibility* with each season. This year it is much closer than anytime I can remember, honestly. 2002 was obvious from the get go - we were a good team, but not complete and also very lucky. 2005 was a breath of fresh air and I no longer had palpitations when the O took the field. But then that D... We all know what happened since then. This year's team is completely different. I think the O is better than it gets credit for considering:

 

The defenses we've played

A first year starter who happens to be a redshirt freshman who saw nothing last year like he is running now, so I think it's fair to think of him as truly a noob.

The expectations of going from "decent" to "zOMG we could win a NC"

 

That's a lot to bear for this team, I think. IF Golson settles down and plays a complete game like we've seen glimpses of, I am not scared of either OU or USC. Whether or not that happens - and my belief in whether it can happen - is why I think 10-2 is far more likely than 12-0.

 

And Manti Te'o is one of the best men to ever grace the sport, period.

I am honestly shocked. When I published my record prediction, I was used to factoring in the 2-3 games that we should win but don't. This years team has found a way to win and so, when you add that to the equation, it equals a 10 win team. I am so happy for our guys and I'm proud that when I'm accosted at work from rival fans that its for a good reason.

 

I know that Bk said that transitions to producing a championship team starts with the defense and he has certainly proven thy he can make it happen. The next step is to produce a lethal offense to compliment it and he is making strides doing so.

I'm So happy to hear you say that echo.

 

My pride starts on both lines. The defensive line has been Rock Solid. Say what you want about the offensive line, but in the 4th quarter they are pushing people around.

 

The "heartbeat of a football team, the lines, are strong"

 

 

Our skill on offense is not quite there yet, either because they are young or are role players yet the role players always come in and give you all out effort. I think without a Floyd the coaches have to earn their money more. TJ is emerging as number #1 option though:)

 

and our young secondary is keeping it simple and as low risk as possible but they are playing fast.

 

 

This ND team is physically tougher then most recent versions too. My favorite statistical indicator of this is we have more rushing tds then pass tds..

 

Show me a team that can run in the redzone and I'll show you a physical team.

Edited October 18, 201212 yr by FaithInIrishForever

I'm just enjoying the success one game at a time, just like the team seems to be.

 

I remember back in 2002. Dad and I were just happy that Notre Dame was heading East twice and that we'd get to go two games that year! We watched Notre Dame win in Willingham's first game at The Meadowlands against Maryland, but the offense was rather inept and only managed field goals to go along with a special teams punt return. By the time they returned to play Navy, they were 9-1 but had just come off a horrific loss to a very average BC team. Notre Dame trailed a terrible Navy team (2-10) by a couple of scores late in the 4th quarter. I even remember an announcement about a weekend of liberty being offered by the Brigadier General if Navy won the game! Well, Notre Dame ended up winning the game on a long touchdown pass to Omar Jenkins with about two minutes remaining in the game, but it was clear we weren't a very good football team. We ended up being blown out by USC and then by NC State in the Gator Bowl.

 

Today, I don't have the same pang in my gut that I had about the 2002 team. This year's version seems to clearly be a team, to have that "je ne sais quoi"; however, I've learned never to get too excited or to look ahead. It's such a fragile thing that can fall apart so quickly and so completely.

 

This weekend, I'm going to get together with Dad's bestfriend and watch the football game with him and my son (BWQ will be watching from above). I'm going to just enjoy the game with the man who helped instill a love of Notre Dame in me and with the little boy to whom I'm passing the torch.

 

Go Irish!

When Ty's '02 team beat FSU, I was CONVINCED that the smoke and mirrors nature of the other 7 wins was just a mirage....then the Kelly-Green Killing took away my breath...how in the hell could we be THAT bad on offense and where the hell did Kelly Green come from???

 

It was after the NC State shellacking that I began to question whether or not Ty would have what it took...then the recruiting rumors and underwhelming 2003 performance sealed the deal for me...I was not screaming for Ty's head, but when it rolled by surprise in '04 I really thought we would land Urban Meyer and that would be a great move for ND...did NOT turn out so well on that front!

 

Charlie coming in and making 2005 such a memorable year - literally an inch or two from Lambert tipping the pass to Jarrett away and avoiding the Bush-Push entirely...I remember watching that game and the sack on second down (that was two plays before the pass to Jarrett) had me going apeshit...I had just finished my basement theater/media room and I was literally banging on the ceiling from the stadium seating like a drum, then....despondent....followed by that split second when I thought the clock had run out and the game was over.....and then the agony of the push...

 

But I was still sure that Charlie had been a great hiring, going into 2006 as the #2 team in the nation, all the talk about getting a rematch with tOSU for the title that year in the pre-season...even the GT game did not make me too nervous, and when Charlie hit his high water mark by utterly bitch-slapping Joe Pa's team, I really did believe the 2006 team was going to break the string of championship futility. Then came the 47-26 beat down at home by the Skunkbears and things looked really bad....but making it to L.A. that year at 10-1 for the USC game (and the amazing survival/comeback against UCLA) had once again gotten me to believe that a win against USC would make the team turn the corner....the USC/LSU beat downs to close the season had me start doubting Charlie and really worrying about his prospects in Year 3...even WITH Jimmy Clausen coming in for 2007....

 

The 3-9 disaster, from the needless drama with the QB (Sharpley should have started with Clausen red-shirting and getting healthy) to the utter collapse of the offense from '06 to '07 to the being TAUNTED BY PURDUE FANS and I was despondent once more. I was officially off the Charlie bandwagon when his fourth year again showed he had no idea how to recruit and develop a championship defense. I thought it was time for him to go once the disaster against Syracuse was over...and yet he lasted another year beyond that only to once again gut me with the loss to UConn....home losses to lesser programs is ALWAYS a dire sign, but REPEATED home losses to inferior programs is a sure sign a coach is done. Charlie was done...

 

Brian Kelly was not my first choice, but early on in the coaching search I had a gut feeling the smoke about Stoops was just that...smoke and it would be Kelly. The addition of Chuck Martin to the staff was something I was excited about very early on just because of his record at GVSU and what I was able to read from his interviews and his response to the question of why ("It's Notre Dame and Brian Kelly asked me...I just said how soon do you need me there?") The first year was rough...but the victories over a ranked Utah team, USC and Miami to end the year had me thinking things were looking up...

 

Last year's turnover-fest to start the year (10 total against USF and UM) and that abomination in Ann Arbor during the 4th quarter was enough to make me puke. I really believed we were an 11 win team last year, yet we seemed to be incapable of avoiding the ritualistic shitting of the proverbial bed. Coming into this season I thought 9-3 / 10-2 was really possible, so my expectations are firmly in play...the defense is better than I had hoped for and the offense is less consistent at this time than I hoped for, but what has given me encouragement is the coaching job that has addressed the secondary and turned a panic-inducing question mark into a solid unit and seeing Brian Kelly evolve into a more composed and in control head coach in year 3.

 

We may not win the title in Kelly's 3rd year, but the arc of the program is moving in a totally different direction than it was in year 3 of the last two head coaches (I am sorry, but O'Leary simply does not count since he never even signed a recruiting class...) and that trajectory is undoubtedly a positive one!