Rivals had a transfer tracker list of best QB’s today. In my opinion the only legitimate talent to consider currently is Guarantano. He has the physical skills, has one season of eligibility which will create a bridge year for our young QB’s to prepare, and has played big time SEC football. I equate this to Oklahoma taking Hurts for one year to allow Rattler to be ready, we have the same potential to allow Buchner to prep for a year after missing his senior year. This isn’t plan A, but when Phil transferred this should be considered the best option for plan B. I’m very happy with our recruiting the last few years but we need one short term solution just like McCloud provided at CB this season.

Just curious about about what you all think. I believe it could be because ND has no titles since 1988, no major bowl wins since 1994 and 5-19 against top 5 teams in the last 24 games. Plus blow out loses in 2012 BCS game, also in 2018 playoff game and in the ACC title game last week. I know we beat Clemson 6 weeks ago when they were #1 but it feels like all those positive vibes are out the window now with the bad lose on Saturday against a healthy Clemson. At some point you have to show up and win or be at least competitive against the elite teams. This could be the biggest game for perception of what the ND program really is in 20 years. We have had a great run these last 3-4 years but the next step needs to taken on Jan 1st to be taken seriously in the future when playing the elite.

Is Alexander an elite coach? Is he an elected recruiter? I haven’t read much about him. Seems like WR recruiting is better the last 2 cycles, but have we seen great production and development out of the WR group? Claypool was very good last year. Some WR have stepped up at different times this season.

Is he the guy we need to get to the next level?

I'm thinking this game ends up 45 - 3'ish.

Money line is -275: If this game is played 365 times, Cincy might come out on top once.

Ceyair Wright, Steve Angeli and musings from the 2021 class.

2020 ACC Championship Game Tops Record Books as Most-Viewed ACC Championship of All Time, Averaging 10,180,000 Viewers



The 2020 ACC Championship Game between then-No. 2 Notre Dame and then-No. 3 Clemson was one for the record books, as the rematch between the Fighting Irish and Tigers registered 10,180,000 viewers across all TV and streaming platforms to rank as the most-viewed conference championship game this weekend and the most-viewed ACC Championship of all time.

Excluding additional streaming on the ESPN App, the ACC Championship Game averaged 9,919,000 viewers on ABC, up 149 percent year-over-year. Saturday’s ACC Championship marks the first time since 2007 that ABC aired the most-viewed conference championship game across all networks.

Saturday’s ACC Championship audience peaked with 11,646,000 viewers from 5:15 - 5:30 p.m. ET, as Clemson scored in the closing seconds of the first half to take a 24-3 lead heading into halftime. Saturday’s conference championship game was nearly flat from the teams’ regular season meeting, a 2OT thriller in November, and ranks as the second-most viewed college football game of the season.

As expected, Greenville (22.9) was the top-rated market followed by Birmingham (22.7). The ACC Championship host city, Charlotte, registered a 12.9 local rating, with the top 10 available markets reaching double digits Saturday:

Both Notre Dame and Clemson are set for the College Football Playoff semifinals on Friday, Jan. 1. The No. 4 Fighting Irish take on top-ranked Alabama from Arlington, Texas at the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Capital One at 4 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN Radio and the ESPN App. No. 2 Clemson faces No. 3 Ohio State at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome for the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl at 8 p.m. on ESPN, ESPN Radio and the ESPN App.

Majority of us posters and even Mods, were highly disrespectful of Lawrence. DJ isn't Lawrence and to assume not having him the first time ND faced Clem even though DJ played well, was a huge oversight by a lot of us.

Clemson is a very different and way better team with Lawrence at the helm and a lot of us dismissed his importance.

I know some won't admitt it, but it's cool.

Joins Tom Allen (Indiana), Matt Campbell (Iowa State), Luke Fickell (Cincinnati) and Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern).

This award embodies the three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity, both on and off the field. Considering The Dodd Trophy represents more than just a coach’s performance on the field, a coach in his first year, who has not had a full season to establish his own impact on APR and the local community, is not eligible to win.

One former winner of The Dodd Trophy was named a finalist as Brian Kelly (2018) was selected to this year’s list. This represents Fitzgerald’s third selection as a finalist (2017 and 2018), while Allen, Campbell and Fickell are finalists for the first time.

In an odd twist; the year where ND won the big one (at least that was the feeling in early November) we are now faced with two demons to exercise.

First, we have to take the asterisk off the asterisk. The Clemson game (ver 2.0) not only devalued our win in November, it fed the narrative that ND can’t hang with the big boys and sh-ts themselves in big games.

Second, we cannot be pants so bad that late 2Q the announcers are talking about TAMU or Oklahoma or Cincinnati as more deserving.... we can’t have an hour of this team ‘doesn’t belong’ and this program ‘doesn’t belong’.

How we avoid that is not getting blown out, down 10 at halftime, that’s fine... down 17 with the ball in the 4Q, that’s fine... game still in the balance. We may lose by 20+ but it has to be progressive not explosive.

This might be the one time that how we lose - even if we lose big - matters. There is so much riding on not being a tackling dummy for 3 hours on New Years.

If that matchup happens

A big roundup of Notre Dame players All-ACC teams, PFF postseason awards, Freshman All-American and other honors

?

Of COVID-19? They obviously would have to postpone both games?

Story: https://notredame.rivals.com/news/irish-in-the-nfl-quenton-nelson-named-to-his-third-pro-bowl

Does ND have a difference maker at QB to replace Book? Is it realistic for Buchner to start? I'm not trying to pile on Book or whatever in this thread because we're past that he is done. But I think QB play has held ND back under BK so just wandering what the future holds at the QB position.

Kyren Williams and Michael Mayer made 1st Team.

1st team:
Liam Eichenberg, Aaron Banks, Tommy Kraemer, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Kyle Hamilton

2nd team:
Robert Hainsey, Kyren Williams, Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa,

3rd team:
Ian Book, Michael Mayer, Jarrett Patterson, Nick McCloud

Full teams and honorable mentions (ND has 7)

I went to a business wearing my ND mask. When I walked in I immediately saw a guy decked out in everything Bama. He and I exchanged “Good luck” and I went in to say that I wasn’t sure we will be able to hang with them. He said, “Well, your coach sure does. Did you hear what he said?”. He showed me a meme of his face with a quote attributed to him. The quote was something to the effect that this was not the 2012 BCS and Bama players should be scared to play them because we are going to whoop that a**. I told him he might want to check out the truth behind this because it does not sound like something the would say. I believe I am correct but he absolutely believed this was true. Have you seen this?

It’s embarrassing to hear this question but sadly understandable. Hope the staff/team will give Bama a war in their matchup.

After watching the game we need Wright bad. If he’s a top 100 talent he will play day one. I believe if we just flip the QBs it would of been a real close game. We didn’t execute in redzone and a drop 4th down pass.( Davis should of slowed up) There is zero margin for error.

Our two best playmakers coming in are Styles and Kollie. I think Styles will help a lot with the PR game. Give us another playmaker to go with Tyree, Johnson, and a healthy Austin.


I use to post under undirish3 for years. I got a new handle and my brother posts under the old handle.

Never in the seven-year College Football Playoff history has there been a bigger underdog, or maybe even in major bowl annals.
https://notredame.rivals.com/news/notre-dame-faces-ultimate-what-tho-the-odds-situation

....Because Kelley calls this team his best squad and to be a 20 underdog in a Championship final is frustrating to say the least.
ND's offensive game plan needs a lot of help with some new type of quick release plays to counter Alabama's quick rush.

The fifth-year senior left tackle was named the winner of the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, which has been awarded annually since 1953 to the most outstanding blocker in the ACC, selected by a poll of the league’s head coaches and defensive coordinators. The trophy is given in memory of William P. Jacobs, who served as president of Presbyterian College from 1935 to 1945.

With 38-career starts, Eichenberg ties for the most on Notre Dame’s offensive line, and has also earned an AP All-ACC first team selection. The Fighting Irish lead the ACC and rank eighth in the FBS in time of possession, controlling the ball for 33:57 minutes of game time. Behind its powerful offensive line, which has been named a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, Notre Dame won the time of possession battle in 10-of-11 games this season. The 33:57 time of possession average leads the ACC by more than two minutes per game.

Eichenberg has twice been honored as ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week, joining three other Irish O-Lineman who earned the distinction. Out of 10 regular season games, the Irish offensive line has been honored following five games. In addition to his two ACC weekly honors, Eichenberg has been named a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy.

The Notre Dame offensive line has paved the way for a 1,000 yard rusher in redshirt freshman Kyren Williams, who has collected 1,061 rushing yards through 11 games. Additionally, Notre Dame had two other players rush for 400+ yards in freshman running back Chris Tyree with 480 yards and graduate student quarterback Ian Book with 430 yards. As a unit, the Irish rank third in the ACC and 21st nationally in rushing offense (217.6 ypg).

Over the years we've always been known as Tight End U. However, with 3 Butkus Award Winners in 9 years, could we have some stake at being called Linebacker U?
Could we also argue as O-Line U in that same span?