Looking for Insider thoughts on the primary reason ND is not in contention for a playoff spot. Offensive inconsistency? Coaching blunders?
My take is scheduling which falls at the feet of Swarbrick. ND looked gassed in the Louisville game, 7 weeks in a row without a bye and in the middle of mid term exams. Both ND and Louisville had open dates 10/21 so why not schedule then on tail end of Fall break? Even Lou Holtz teams struggled at mid term time. Stanford comes to mind in NDs heyday, as does the 1988 Navy game #8 in a row that was a tough slog for an exhausted team. I watched from the stands of Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, a hushed largely ND crowd as the officials walked all the way around the down marker several times before declaring a Navy turnover on downs and a collective exhale. Before that point a victory was uncertain even for the squad that secured NDs last natty. It seems incomprehensible how our AD would put this year’s team in that position knowing that our players need to study to maintain the academic standards that help underly the “4 for 40” mantra. Look forward to your thoughts…
My take is scheduling which falls at the feet of Swarbrick. ND looked gassed in the Louisville game, 7 weeks in a row without a bye and in the middle of mid term exams. Both ND and Louisville had open dates 10/21 so why not schedule then on tail end of Fall break? Even Lou Holtz teams struggled at mid term time. Stanford comes to mind in NDs heyday, as does the 1988 Navy game #8 in a row that was a tough slog for an exhausted team. I watched from the stands of Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, a hushed largely ND crowd as the officials walked all the way around the down marker several times before declaring a Navy turnover on downs and a collective exhale. Before that point a victory was uncertain even for the squad that secured NDs last natty. It seems incomprehensible how our AD would put this year’s team in that position knowing that our players need to study to maintain the academic standards that help underly the “4 for 40” mantra. Look forward to your thoughts…
