There's MONEY INVOLVED.I hadn't even thought of that angle. I was just thinking this was MF's boy, his big prize QB transfer. Even though he already had one in SH with mixed results. I guess on account of TB and Pyne just weren't good enough. And now it's RL's turn with probably even more hype, and more expertctations. So naturally he'd be hesitant to pull him. Because it reflects upon him. Even though if your goal is the playoff, things have already begun to skew sharply in the opposite direction with RL at the helm. So maybe you need to think again.
But you're suggesting it's more strategic that. We have to think about the donors' more capricious sensibilities, perhaps. We can't let them think we don't know what we're doing, and blowing their wad on a QB who's on the bench after two games with the rest of the season nearly a formality already. Yeah, I guess that totally could be the case as well.
Just one comment on Riley, the passer.You evaluate the individual’s performance irrespective of whether or not you lost.
The defense didn’t totally do it’s job in my and other people’s opinion. It’s more nuanced than just the 16 points on the board.
I think Riley was a more proven passer at Duke, especially when you consider his worth in the run game.
Perhaps ND wouldn’t beat Purdue with Angeli. Maybe ND would. Same thing with Leonard. No player is guaranteed to have a good or bad game.
I think people are over looking the sub par offensive line.
"Where were all of these geniuses in 2021 and 2022?"An apologist to me is someone who is unreasonable in defense of something. I don’t think I’m that. I’m freely acknowledging that he did not have a good game in the passing game against NIU although I don’t think he was as terrible as others — and that’s only natural because few people are going to watch every snap 10-30 times like I do. Sorry, but not even talking about myself, I’d rather take someone’s opinion who gave a close rewatch of the game than some ignorant fan who just watched the game live and is now all pissy because Notre Dame lost (not necessarily directed at you).
My whole deal is that you win and lose as a team. You brought up the defense. I offered that the defense was not that that good in order to demonstrate nuance. NOT to deflect blame away from Leonard towards the defense!
Here’s some more nuance: ND’s defense against Navy was not as good as the scoreboard would indicate in both 2021 and 2023. It was better than the scoreboard would indicate against Navy in 2022. Why? Nuance! If one wants to effectively evaluate, you don’t just look at the scoreboard or W/L record.
You yourself are admitting that you’re basically just going off of winning the NIU and Purdue games. It’s not a sound way to evaluate an individual player.
I could be giving a very similar defense of Angeli or any other QB. I did defend Angeli when one of the board clowns took a gratuitous shot at Angeli by calling him “checkdown Steve”. I gave a nuanced, detailed response but ended up deleting it.
Few people would have wanted to read me bashing Freeman in 2021 and 2022 and yet here I am in 2024 defending him. I call it like I see it. But now lots of people are bashing him because I guess its okay now that he lost to a third, vastly inferior opponent. Where were all of these geniuses in 2021 and 2022? No where because they can’t see nuance.
Lots of good throws to deep crossers and out routes caught on the far numbers. Some good deep balls. Check out the 2022 Wake Forest/Duke game.Just one comment on Riley, the passer.
Look at his Duke sophomore year highlight reel.
HE THREW DIMES on SIDELINE FLY ROUTES where there was TIGHT COVERAGE.
WHAT HAPPENED in the interim?
???
Oh I know they’re out there. I was just trying to say that now people are up in arms when there were clear issues to me in 2021 and 2022. I’m talking more scheme issues rather than his lack of experience."Where were all of these geniuses in 2021 and 2022?"
HERE I IS. I'm ONE OF THEM.
I carry both my GENIUS - 2021 and GENIUS - 2022 cards in my wallet -- right next to my dog-eared COVID vaccine card.
I wanted Freeman on the 3:10 to Yuma with Russel Crowe, the day after Swarbrick hired him.
No offense to Freeman. A more decent guy is almost UNIMAGINABLE. I just didn't want Gerry Faust type Fall Saturdays.
It happens. One's desire clouds perception.Oh I know they’re out there. I was just trying to say that now people are up in arms when there were clear issues to me in 2021 and 2022. I’m talking more scheme issues rather than his lack of experience.
I recall you getting grief after the 2022 Clemson game for having the audacity to question what happened towards the end of the game. But now almost everyone has massive questions about Freeman only when it became super obvious.
I salute the diligence of anyone who suffered through analysis of the Pyne-Coan attack of 2021. Although it's still more interesting than this fourth quarter.Oh I know they’re out there. I was just trying to say that now people are up in arms when there were clear issues to me in 2021 and 2022. I’m talking more scheme issues rather than his lack of experience.
I recall you getting grief after the 2022 Clemson game for having the audacity to question what happened towards the end of the game. But now almost everyone has massive questions about Freeman only when it became super obvious.
Not enough time in live game action where throwing it away becomes second nature.Angeli takes too many sacks imo.
If self preservation is the critical factor, than a coach protecting his job is going to supersede and trump the underlying pressure to start an NIL star.I take your point, but will they always have the INTESTINAL FORTITUDE to exercise that authority?
A guy like Freeman looks to me SUSCEPTIBLE TO PRESSURE. I'm just speculating here for the sake of discussion, but I'm more than familiar with INFORMAL CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION.
Plus, Freeman may have been the one most vociferously URGING FUNDERS that Leonard, for instance, IS THE GUY. So, besides the money issue itself, there's the COMPOUNDING egg-on-face/loss-of-face knock-on-effect as well.
I can't see how in the end it can't help but be -- to whatever extent -- a COMPLICATING FACTOR.
Fair enough.If self preservation is the critical factor, than a coach protecting his job is going to supersede and trump the underlying pressure to start an NIL star.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it !