especially in a rebuilding year. A number of very good teams finished 10 & 2 and this year will provide a lot of very interesting Bowl Games. And it was great to see the ACC demolish some more SEC teams. 2015 has been very good and 2016 should be even better! Enjoy the New Year!
10 & 2 is NOT a bad record........
- Thread starter Duo
- Start date
I am with you... I didn't think we would get to 9 wins when all the injuries happened before the season even started. The only thing I have a hard problem with is looking at next year and thinking we will be better. I definitely think the offense will improve but we better get some recruits or kids stepping up because we lose our best players on defense. Also our schedule is stronger next year with Texas, USC, Virginia Tech, Michigan St., Miami, Navy, Stanford, Duke, and NC State as our big games.
The sentiment of this post alone points directly to one problem for me. We have become oh so accepting of 10 - 2 as a good season, which is especially wrong when all we needed to do was defend 25 seconds to be 11 - 1. ND should never accept less than excellence.
Yes I agree with this. I'm sick of hearing next year. It's been since 88', next year never seems to come. Or we roll out all the excuses why
I think we are closer than we ever have been since '94 (when Lou Holtz left). By now i expected BK to have things rolling. But 10-2 season can't be defined as some great success when 9 of the teams that we play are far inferior than us in talent alone.
BK was hired to win these kind of games. You know when the lights are brigt and camera is on.. so far He has not won enough of these games. Couple that come to mind
'12 Oklahoma
'12 Stanford
'15 USC (they were missing a coach but they are still a good team)
Let's see how we do when lights are bright again on Jan 1st. BK gets a do over and he has 30 days to get it right.
We are 10-2 with zero quality wins this year. Our last big road win was 2012 Oklahoma.
I guess it's better than 3-8 or whatever Charlie Weis was that one year, but it's really nothing too remarkable. Especially with the recurring patterns (red zone ineptitude, late-season fades).
But, there have been improvements. The return game, formerly ranked last in all of college football, has actually come around. And Kelly seems to be able to get the play calls in from the sideline in time -- it took two years to figure it out, but he did. So that's an improvement too.
I guess it's better than 3-8 or whatever Charlie Weis was that one year, but it's really nothing too remarkable. Especially with the recurring patterns (red zone ineptitude, late-season fades).
But, there have been improvements. The return game, formerly ranked last in all of college football, has actually come around. And Kelly seems to be able to get the play calls in from the sideline in time -- it took two years to figure it out, but he did. So that's an improvement too.
You're all idiots for thinking BK is not the guy. I'm also a husker fan and you all have no idea how quickly BK would get picked up if he left cause he surely won't be fired nor does he need to be. If LSU wasn't so dumb who would he a replacement that would get you those 2 wins (which was also to current #1 team whom we could have beat w/ a few more minutes and to a top ten team both by less than 10.) And people are crying for a new coach. This year was great, NOT ONE person can say they would have expected this team to be 10-2 w/ frosh QB and injured starting RB. Take that for what it is and this team did well this season. I'm interested to see who starts next year, prob Malik but deshone has earned every right as well. Same with RB w Adams and folston this offense will be strong
A rebuilding year is based on the number starters lost. How many returned this year? How many will return next year? That will tell the story, not the record.
To me this year was opportunity squandered. ND fielded most talented team it has had in 20 years and this was the year to contend for NC.
Hopefully Players and coaches are feeling that lump in their stomach after this loss and don't want to feel this way again. ND has an opportunity to redeem itself on Jan 1st against a quality opponent and end the year on a high note. ND does not have an option of just being competitive that day. It has to win at all cost. For the sake of recruiting, self belief setting the next year up for a great run and so on.
How nice it would have been had ND held Stanford in last 30 seconds. ND would have been in discussion for possible playoff spot for almost 2 weeks... all the free press would have been great for recruiting.
Yes this year has been a rebuilding year in a way. Did anyone think that this team team could be 10 - 2 before this season by 4 points? Probably 2 people on this planet Bodi and Phil Steele are the only ones. But no one thought this team would be this good with this many injuries. You have a red shirt freshman QB, inexperienced tight ends, first year RBs, and the 2nd year in a defense no one understands apparently and still go 10-2. ND even won all the games they were supposed to win this year. ND nearly had a pair of 1000 yard backs this year. No one is going to want to play this team next year. Ofcourse that means Ohio St. will probably try to poach the OC and a QB this off season.
Listen, this program is good, and in the best shape in twenty years. That said, both losses are squarely on BK. He can't get a handle on the red zone offense, and couldn't manage a clock if his last name was Timex.
Overcoming losses is difficult but teams do it all the time, maybe not to the extent of this MASH unit but it happens. The other factors fall on him alone
IM
Overcoming losses is difficult but teams do it all the time, maybe not to the extent of this MASH unit but it happens. The other factors fall on him alone
IM
I doubt Bama is too scared to play us. We seem to always cling onto these subjective things.
If we are really good next year fine.. let's not make excuses when next year comes by saying well did anyone really thought team was going to go 10-2... YES that's the least ND team should do win 10 games.. as 9-10 of the opponents don't have our talent level.
What was our excuse last year for going 8-5 or
year before for going 9-4
world works on here and now not what we may do 3 years down the line
Hey.........look at it this way, there are a lot of very good 10 & 2 teams:
10 & 2 teams
Temple
Northwestern
Florida (rebuilding year this year)
Florida State (rebuilding year this year, power house contender in 2016)
Stanford
And there will be more following the Conference Championships and the ones finishing 11 & 2 headed to New Year's Day Bowls.
Lots of exciting football yet to come!
10 & 2 teams
Temple
Northwestern
Florida (rebuilding year this year)
Florida State (rebuilding year this year, power house contender in 2016)
Stanford
And there will be more following the Conference Championships and the ones finishing 11 & 2 headed to New Year's Day Bowls.
Lots of exciting football yet to come!
What do you expect when Kelly has to bring in a freshman QB and then loses him in the first game? That on top of the other injuries like Crawford, Avery, etc.etc. it is like you just want to dismiss these as fact. At the same time our offense wasn't terrible this year was it?
When Malik went down, I felt ND would lose that game and many more. I'm very proud of the way the team fought all year long.
This was not considered a rebuilding year, but when over half of your starters are lost to injury it becomes one. Only some really misinformed people and Kelly haters (they appear to be the same) cannot see the excellent results and the good news for the future under CBK.
Similar threads
