The sky isn't falling

[ndomer4 532]

I know losing Golson is alot to take right after the Vanderdoes thing but everyone needs to relax. It's not like we have no experience at qb, Rees has started and won many gamwes in his career. A seasoned veteran, may not be the most talented but we can beat ANY team on our schedule with Rees. For those of you who think Zaire is going to play... get real. Hendrix has a cannon arm and probably a better runner than Golson, so he gives us a nice dual threat option. He needs work in many areas but Hendrix is way ahead of Zaire.

 

On top of that we have a defense that's so good we can win games with the offense doing just okay. We have so much talent and speed at the skill positions that they'll make the qbs look good. That's one thing Kelly has done is build lots of depth here. These losses hurt but we reload we don't rebuild. There's no reason this team can't go to a bcs game. Rees isn't as talented as Golson but he's pretty darn smart and he's only gonna get better not worse.

 

So I think everyone needs to relax, this is still a pretty darn talented team. We got a seasoned vet at qb who's won games with much less talent than what we have now. If we lose Louis Nix for the season then I'll start to panic... but until then this teams planning on going to a bcs game.

[dsnack34 0]

Please send me some of what you are smoking. I definitely could use some today.

[ndomer4 532]

Please send me some of what you are smoking. I definitely could use some today.

 

Sorry man I'm all out now. I still think people are overreacting because of our talent on defense, at runningback, at oline, and at reciever. One thing I was defending too much in this post is Rees. He is good at managing a game and all but we need a playmaker at quarterback. i watched some Rees film from last year and forgot that he looks like the same old Rees. We could win 8-10 games with him but that's not acceptable. This is a top ten team returning lots of starters, we have higher expectations.

 

After watching some more film on Hendrix I'm comfortable backing him as our starter this year. If he can settle down, make good reads, etc.. I'm sure he can win. You could argue he's a better runner than Golson and you could argue he has a stronger arm too. Kelly needs to go all in with Hendrix and coach him the heck up because he's our best bet to run the table.

[97domer 89]

ndomer4, I'm with you on this. I would state it differently in that it is a justified overreaction. I have no problem with a momentary sky-is-falling attitude. I'm guessing (and hoping) that many will come around over the next couple of weeks.

 

Personally, I think the situation sucks but I'm glad that ND has stuck by their academic rules, even for the starting QB. I feel that any anger aimed at ND is wrong. This appears to be Golson's doing and he is getting what he deserves with a generous offer to return.

 

I thought our chances to compete for a national championship this year with Golson were pretty low and our chances are now definitely worse, but it's not like the program is falling apart. We have a proven (but not as talented) QB ready to back-up combined with a crazy-good defense. We should be right on the edge of a BCS birth; I would guess slightly on the outside, looking in.

[Scotty88 0]

Personally, I think the situation sucks but I'm glad that ND has stuck by their academic rules, even for the starting QB.

 

Yep, that about nails it.

 

Bummer there was no foresight for this but how would there be? Would feel better if there were still some spring left to fill this gap but so it goes.

[MyFightingIrish 0]

 

Personally, I think the situation sucks but I'm glad that ND has stuck by their academic rules, even for the starting QB. I feel that any anger aimed at ND is wrong. This appears to be Golson's doing and he is getting what he deserves with a generous offer to return.

 

Totally agree. I never want to see ND win at the sake of sacrificing standards and values. Golson is getting what he deserves... but the fans are not. Sucks.

[EddieAngel 615]

I think this all comes down to the shoe drop comment that someone made last week on the Vanderdoody thread. Losing EG in and of itself is not the end of the world. But we are definitely trending in the wrong direction.

 

Too many good recruits lost, too many good players lost for dumb reasons. While we might be silver linings ND people, the court of public opinion is what is going to determine the fate of a lot of recruits. And this recruiting class (And the next and the next and the next so on and so forth) will determine the future.

 

I don't need a 12 win season, especially not with an alley whipping in the NC to top it off. I think we all want to see the basics. Get a recruit, keep a recruit. Make sure your players are keeping their noses clean and getting where they need to be.

 

The sky is not falling, but you only have to pull the plug from the pool before the water runs out and the party is over. Unless you have a nice in ground pool in which case the metaphor requires a jackhammer to work.

[Baldy 1,734]

I agree with you domer. This is my opinion and what i have seen so far since Kelley has arrived is that the team has been improving each year. Maybe not in wins as far as 2010-2011 goes, but in the team as a whole; i.e., recruiting, defense, etc. I think the reason they seem to be improving is that they have learned from the mistakes made in seasons past. I feel that they will keep improving despite everything that has happened this off-season. Kelley has done it everywhere he's coached and he has a pretty good record. Only time will tell though. 95 more days and we get to see it first hand! Go Irish!!!

[hawaiiirish 62]

i think its not an overreation to lower expectations quite a bit after losing Golson.

 

Yes we have a strong defense but the offense has been a work in progress---we have good recievers but no AA like eifert or floyd--we have a good OLINE but we are starting new guys in the interior line--we have potential at RB but thats it--nobody knows about AMIR--GA3 has struggled running between the tackles--other guys coming in are unproven freshman with POTENTIAL--we lost all our yards at RB when Theo & Cierre moved on.

 

The offense has no great players and IMHO needed a QB to bring all the elements together---

 

QB IS WITHOUT QUESTION THE MOST IMPORTANT POSITION ON THE FIELD BY FAR!

 

Take Bridgewater away from louisville--take Hundley away from UCLA--take BOYD away from clemson etc---and those teams are going to be NOWHERE NEAR AS GOOD----its the reason we keep our fingers crossed about injuries that change seasons.

 

Tommy is simply NOT a BCS QB---We are going to have some tough outings on offense---i think a cieling of 8 games ---AT BEST 9 is all one can expect under REES---

 

If Coach Kelly can figure something out on offense by mixing and matching QBs --something that can make us effective enough to win 10 games then IMHO it will be a BETTER coaching job then last seson---

 

I hope he can manage that but i'm not counting on it at this point!---

 

Aloha's go irish!

[Pregame 291]

Sorry man I'm all out now. I still think people are overreacting because of our talent on defense, at runningback, at oline, and at reciever. One thing I was defending too much in this post is Rees. He is good at managing a game and all but we need a playmaker at quarterback. i watched some Rees film from last year and forgot that he looks like the same old Rees. We could win 8-10 games with him but that's not acceptable. This is a top ten team returning lots of starters, we have higher expectations.

 

After watching some more film on Hendrix I'm comfortable backing him as our starter this year. If he can settle down, make good reads, etc.. I'm sure he can win. You could argue he's a better runner than Golson and you could argue he has a stronger arm too. Kelly needs to go all in with Hendrix and coach him the heck up because he's our best bet to run the table.

3rd string RB is our starter with depth guys and two recruits who haven't stepped on campus backing him up.

 

Two returning starters in Martin and Watt.

 

Davaris and TJ who have never had to carry the load as a #1 and a converted S at the slot.

 

Color me skeptical but I'm not counting on these chickens before they hatch. Sure its great to have a lot of projected talent in these positions but I wouldn't count on any of them until they've proved it week in and week out.

[NDBadaBing 0]

As long as we have Brian Kelly there will be no sky falling. He'll coach up the holy crap out of this group and it will be another succesful season.

[piratey 6]

As long as we have Brian Kelly there will be no sky falling. He'll coach up the holy crap out of this group and it will be another succesful season.

 

No sky is falling, but expectations are falling. I thought we had a realistic shot of possibly running the table again this year. Now? I'd consider 9-10 wins to be a pretty damn successful season.

[ndomer4 532]

3rd string RB is our starter with depth guys and two recruits who haven't stepped on campus backing him up.

 

Two returning starters in Martin and Watt.

 

Davaris and TJ who have never had to carry the load as a #1 and a converted S at the slot.

 

Color me skeptical but I'm not counting on these chickens before they hatch. Sure its great to have a lot of projected talent in these positions but I wouldn't count on any of them until they've proved it week in and week out.

 

Davaris and TJ played really well against Bama. That was a good secondary, add on to that their experience I'm more than confident in them. The sky is the limit for CJ and Brown, both have size and are faster than our two starters. Lombard also returns and anyone replacing Golic will be better than him. We got 4 4 star runningbacks on our roster and one 5 star, we're fine. I know stars aren't everything but they give you an idea of your talent level, and we have alot.

 

You gotta realize that Kelly is developing the talent which our last 2 coaches never did. Kelly has won everywhere he's been, here as well and he's got alot more talent than he had at his last coaching jobs. Heck he'd be lucky to have some of our second and third string guys while he was at Cinci. I'm pretty confident in Kelly, he's been developing the guys pretty well and he's gonna have them ready to play.

[ndomer4 532]

No sky is falling, but expectations are falling. I thought we had a realistic shot of possibly running the table again this year. Now? I'd consider 9-10 wins to be a pretty damn successful season.

 

I would have been happy with 8 wins last year, you have no expectations then you don't get so dissapointed. Let's just wait for the season to start. The day we lose Louis Nix I'll start to get worried, but for now I ain't worried at all.

[Rattlesnake 54]

I just can't stop thinking about what a nightmare the BYU game was last year, and that also being the only game EG didn't play in.. but I guess the flip side of that coin would be his game against Michigan.

 

I don't know.. This really sucks.. However, I've always firmly believed winning starts with a strong O-Line and ends with a strong defense. We have both.

 

Should be an interesting season.

[nd1baby 0]

No sky is falling, but expectations are falling. I thought we had a realistic shot of possibly running the table again this year. Now? I'd consider 9-10 wins to be a pretty damn successful season.

 

Ditto. Ditto.

[piratey 6]

I would have been happy with 8 wins last year, you have no expectations then you don't get so dissapointed. Let's just wait for the season to start. The day we lose Louis Nix I'll start to get worried, but for now I ain't worried at all.

 

Defense is fine but you need to score points. BYU, Michigan State, Rutgers, Bowling Green, UConn all finished in the top 20 in points allowed. Rutgers had the best record among them, with a 9-4 record...

 

It's not even the Points Per Game that matter...it's needing that play and having someone who can make it. It's a bomb to Chris Brown. It's a cross the field throw to John Goodman in the end zone. It's a broken play on 3rd down where you scramble for the first...

 

And my concern is, Tommy Rees isn't the guy to make "The Play." And I just don't have ANY faith in GAIII or Cam McDaniel to be a feature back in a top 10 football team with our schedule. Unless Carlisle or Bryant are lightning in a bottle next year...it's going to be a frustrating season.