NDSMC78 said:

Making the playoffs is mediocrity? Got it.

Click to expand...

They should change this sign to "Notre Dame Fighting Irish 12-team Playoff Seasons" and "Play Like A 12-team Playoff Team Today"

So they can cash in on these "playoff seasons" while winning 10+ games vs the garden variety schlep in the ACC & G5.

It's wild to me that they still have a real chance at this point to not be penalized at all for losing at home to Northern Illinois. And yes I know that’s extremely unlikely considering the other games that are going to happen. It just looks weird to see them at 6 right now, but I know they (likely) will have to drop at the end.

BleedingBlueNGold said:

I really like this take. We have collectively as a fan base accepted mediocrity.

Click to expand...

........And? I mean what's the alternative? We're fans. What control do we REALLY have over how good the team is. You either stop watching, or you accept it. I really don't think the people in decision making positions need the fans to tell them whether or not the team is good. It's a weird way to even look at it anyway as the overwhelming majority of fans of ANY sports team "accept" what they are, regardless of the results on the playing field because to most people, that's all it is. It's just a hobby to take up free time and the results are what they are. And the hardcore fans aren't happy either way; either the team is losing and they're upset or the team is winning and they're upset because they're not winning by enough.

I've certainly accepted "mediocrity" with football at Notre Dame, and why? Because that's what they've been for a loooooong time now. Mediocre with some legitimately good seasons sprinkled in here and there. But a real chance to win the championship? That's not what Notre Dame has consistently been for a very long time now and if someone wanted to be really critical of Notre Dame football you can go even further back and say they've won 4 National Championships in the last 74 years, 3 of those 4 in or before 1977. They're not a modern powerhouse program. They're just not. But hey, they're a "name". So yippee and all.

Anyone on this board that was alive the last time they won a championship is AT LEAST 36 years old. But the expectation is to win championships? In what reality? Even if you're a consistently good team, it's REALLY hard to win a championship. In any sport. And Notre Dame is not a "consistently good team" in this new era of college football where there's a ton of parity and they're not the only team on national television every week.

I'm not saying they can't win a championship. They can. But the days of them living up to the expectations that a # of you here put on them....I don't know man. I just don't know what reality you're seeing. Because those days are long gone. They're not just another name to you because you love Notre Dame, and whatever. That's fine. But what the hell do 18 year olds coming out of high school right now care about the "tradition" and name of Notre Dame when they have to go to their grandfather for it, and even he is getting to the point where it's getting hard to remember.

echowaker said:

One game against a team that was playing pretty much all backups just isn't a large enough sample size for me. I think Lambert is a better overall athlete. Again, it's a great problem to have,quality across the board.

Click to expand...

Oregon states DL were all starters

Get Nasty said:

I would add Jagusah to that mix, if healthy, lock to start, just not sure what spot. He is an absolute unicorn physically at the position. Could be the biggest, strongest, and most athletic olinemen on the team

Click to expand...

Not sure he is more athletic than Lambert or Black but debatable

Get Nasty said:

We'll only get the 6 seed if penn state loses.

IMO, 5 seed will be big ten championship loser, 6 seed penn state, 7 notre dame

Click to expand...

We have a decent chance to jump penn state at the end. Definite no. But possible

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

BleedingBlueNGold said:

I really like this take. We have collectively as a fan base accepted mediocrity.

Click to expand...

Making the playoffs is mediocrity? Got it.

BleedingBlueNGold said:

I really like this take. We have collectively as a fan base accepted mediocrity.

Click to expand...

Come on chase. Are you that desperate for attention you need your other accounts to agree with yourself, absolutely pathetic.

Get Nasty said:

I personally think people (including Tex) are downplaying center like it's an easy spot to learn. Coogan has been working on it for a bit now (not full time obviously until recently). Snapping isn't easy, honestly, i think coogan has a very slow snap and Riley is covering up a lot of poor snaps. Craig IMO was doing better than coogan is now (other than his holding penalties), especially snapping. I'd be impressed if Knapp can win the center spot over a healthy Craig. More so than Knapp beating out Baker.

Click to expand...

Agreed. I think they went with Coogan because he has lots of game experience. Putting say Otting in there would have given you 3 starters learning on the job. The snaps certainly haven't been ideal. Practice,practice,practice. We're speculating on Knapp moving inside. Who knows. Wherever he ends up he'll have a full year of experience and will only get better. Again, good problem to have.

chaseball said:

Isn't the goal to win an NC?

ND has been ranked 5th-7th before ... (in fact they've been ranked three times in the top 4 under BK in the FBS postseason)

the goal shouldn't be to "host a playoff game" but to win the playoff.

Just kind of getting tired of the "hosting" rhetoric that seems to be going around ND nation right now.

I can see it now

"2024 was successful bro, we hosted a playoff game"

you get nothing for hosting a playoff game or winning the first 3 rounds in the playoff.

you think the top dogs in the BIG10 and SEC are hyping up "the chance to host a playoff game" ? no .. they got their minds dead set on bringing home a national title victory to their fans.

Click to expand...

I really like this take. We have collectively as a fan base accepted mediocrity.

chaseball said:

its fans like you that perpetuate the mediocrity at Notre Dame.

ND is the big bad wolf of college football ... when did it become acceptable to be the perpetual underdog/Cinderella program of college football ?

Click to expand...

How is wanting to host a playoff game a Cinderella? Wouldn't hoping you get the 12 seed be Cinderella thinking?

savvyandsassier said:

So Jagusah lost his spot at LT, then. It's Guerby Lambert instead. And jagusah slides over to G. That makes the picture even grimmer for our boy, the upstart true frosh phenom Anthony Knapp. But he beat the odds once before, chances are he'll beat them again.

Click to expand...

When did he lose his spot at LT? Myself and many others think he's better off at guard.

We've been wrong before. I and many thought fisher is better suited as a guard, but he's playing RT for the texans and started a bunch (he did i think lose starting job last week).

echowaker said:

A front of left to right of Lambert,Schrauth, Craig or Knapp, Jagusah and Wagner could be tremendous. Combine that with an extremely talented RB room and look out.

Click to expand...

I personally think people (including Tex) are downplaying center like it's an easy spot to learn. Coogan has been working on it for a bit now (not full time obviously until recently). Snapping isn't easy, honestly, i think coogan has a very slow snap and Riley is covering up a lot of poor snaps. Craig IMO was doing better than coogan is now (other than his holding penalties), especially snapping. I'd be impressed if Knapp can win the center spot over a healthy Craig. More so than Knapp beating out Baker.

Because it would be progress towards the ultimate goal.

echowaker said:

One game against a team that was playing pretty much all backups just isn't a large enough sample size for me. I think Lambert is a better overall athlete. Again, it's a great problem to have,quality across the board.

Click to expand...

got to meet Lamberts family, super nice family. I was impressed by jagusah's athleticism vs oregon state. He did make a number of mistakes.

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

This is premium content. Please subscribe to view.

savvyandsassier said:

So Jagusah lost his spot at LT, then. It's Guerby Lambert instead. And jagusah slides over to G. That makes the picture even grimmer for our boy, the upstart true frosh phenom Anthony Knapp. But he beat the odds once before, chances are he'll beat them again.

Click to expand...

I guess you don't care for folks having opinions. That's kind of the purpose of being here no ? Young players win jobs all the time everywhere. Isn't the idea to find the best 5 who function as a unit cohesively ? ND is in an envious position with an abundance of talent in their O Line room. The battles should be fierce.

chaseball said:

I dont really have any specific links or resources on this one.

I follow a lot of ND outlets on x/twitter. I listen to a lot of podcasts. And everybody is talking up "hosting a playoff game" as this ultimate achievement at Notre Dame or something. Its talked about as if it would define a successful season. I think Notre Dame/ND PR/ND insiders are trying to set this expectation/narrative.

"Hey we might not be bama/georgia/osu/texas/oregon/etc. (the new modern powers in college football) but we hosted a playoff game this season!"

My instinctive response when i hear this rhetoric is an eye roll so hard that my eye balls feel like theyre going to come out of their socket.

At ND its no longer about recruiting the best talent from coast to coast in the top football states, developing consensus all americans, winning heisman trophies, graduating first round talent to the NFL in bunches, and competing for the most prestigious hardware the sport has to offer.

Modern ND is about scooping up the tier 1s castoffs/rejects/Plan Bs & Cs (on the cheap because of "ideals" and "values"™ ), watering down the schedule vs crap teams in the ACC & G5, finishing the season with the most hollow 10+ win season possible, "hosting a playoff game", and then happily getting smoked by a modern power in college football that is actually investing in a top tier product.

But hey, I hear the girls fencing team is top notch at ND these days

Click to expand...

Login to view embedded media