Guys - Let's Take a Realistic Approach

[Irish Grandeur]

Everyone seems so down right now and rightfully so. However, how many of you predicted a 9-3, 8-4, 7-5 season at the beginning of the year? I believe my prediction was 'ND shouldn't lose a game but 10-2 would be a good season all things considered' - I was blasted for being a 'homer'.

I will not consider this a bad season for several reasons:
1. ND ranked in the Top 4 CFB poll in November.
2. S&C did wonders with this team in less than a year.
3. D-line was no-names going into the year and over performed.

Very disappointing losing 2 of the last 3 games when hopes were so high. Let's give this staff another year to get ND over that hurdle and into the playoff mix.

 

[DieHard_Irish]

Cooler heads always come out the day after, but I’m still Question #2. We again wilted in November. Was that S&C? I don’t know ... but we wilted and DLine pressure wasn’t consistent at the end

 

[Fifthhorseman25]

What people are so pissed about is that once again on national TV in primetime ND and BK lay an egg. Game 12 and the QB still can not hit wide open receivers and can not read a defense. Yes some blame goes to the QB but some also goes to the staff that hasn't developed him.

And once again we get the "next year" refrain. When does next year become this year?

 

[Toby Smart]

What people are so pissed about is that once again on national TV in primetime ND and BK lay an egg. Game 12 and the QB still can not hit wide open receivers and can not read a defense. Yes some blame goes to the QB but some also goes to the staff that hasn't developed him.

And once again we get the "next year" refrain. When does next year become this year?

I agree with your comments. You pretty much described how I feel. And, I can feel this way without losing any sleep and retaining a cool head.

 

[Irish Grandeur]

Cooler heads always come out the day after, but I’m still Question #2. We again wilted in November. Was that S&C? I don’t know ... but we wilted and DLine pressure wasn’t consistent at the end

Yes, they faded in November. ND has played a tough schedule this year and it took its toll. Gus Malzahn said it best yesterday - few teams can play their best in November and Auburn is one of those teams playing their best. If Bama is the 'gold standard' of CFB and wore down then why wouldn't ND wear down playing a much tougher schedule?

 

[justified1]

Everyone seems so down right now and rightfully so. However, how many of you predicted a 9-3, 8-4, 7-5 season at the beginning of the year? I believe my prediction was 'ND shouldn't lose a game but 10-2 would be a good season all things considered' - I was blasted for being a 'homer'.

I will not consider this a bad season for several reasons:
1. ND ranked in the Top 4 CFB poll in November.
2. S&C did wonders with this team in less than a year.
3. D-line was no-names going into the year and over performed.

Very disappointing losing 2 of the last 3 games when hopes were so high. Let's give this staff another year to get ND over that hurdle and into the playoff mix.

Realistically, S&C made quantum leaps forward.
Elko looks like he is a good to very good DC.
Rankings are so subjective it is hard to guage ‘realistic’ progress.
The problem is that there is an impasse to winning against the top tier teams.
There is a problem. Ignoring it will not make it go away.

 

[Irish Grandeur]

What people are so pissed about is that once again on national TV in primetime ND and BK lay an egg. Game 12 and the QB still can not hit wide open receivers and can not read a defense. Yes some blame goes to the QB but some also goes to the staff that hasn't developed him.

And once again we get the "next year" refrain. When does next year become this year?

Going 9-3 coming off a 4-8 season is a pretty darned good turn around. Everyone seems to have gotten so caught up in the rankings and 33 Trucking that they forgot ND was coming off a horrible season with less NFL talent than the season before.

Let's get a quality win in the bowl game, bring in a quality recruiting class and move on.I believe BK is finally learning how to compete with the big boys. The last few years he has over-recruited and, this year he began playing true freshmen to get them game experience. Next year's team will have experience, depth and fortitude.

 

[goose3960]

Going 9-3 coming off a 4-8 season is a pretty darned good turn around. Everyone seems to have gotten so caught up in the rankings and 33 Trucking that they forgot ND was coming off a horrible season with less NFL talent than the season before.

Let's get a quality win in the bowl game, bring in a quality recruiting class and move on.I believe BK is finally learning how to compete with the big boys. The last few years he has over-recruited and, this year he began playing true freshmen to get them game experience. Next year's team will have experience, depth and fortitude.

#

 

[Irish Grandeur]

Realistically, S&C made quantum leaps forward.
Elko looks like he is a good to very good DC.
Rankings are so subjective it is hard to guage ‘realistic’ progress.
The problem is that there is an impasse to winning against the top tier teams.
There is a problem. Ignoring it will not make it go away.

ND (BK) is not ignoring the problem. He has made huge changes in his coaching scheme. Lots of true freshmen playing, over recruiting, and developing depth. I see a head coach that is stubborn but willing to change when change is good. It's almost as if ND hired a new head coach with all of the changes he has made over the last few years.

 

[goose3960]

#clueless. 8 years of history ain't enough? Yawn.

 

[Irish Grandeur]

#clueless. 8 years of history ain't enough? Yawn.

Are you the same man you were 8 years ago? Have you learned to do things better in your life with experience? Why would you put an arbitrary timeline on BK? That man is working his tail off every single day for ND - can you say that much?

 

[justified1]

ND (BK) is not ignoring the problem. He has made huge changes in his coaching scheme. Lots of true freshmen playing, over recruiting, and developing depth. I see a head coach that is stubborn but willing to change when change is good. It's almost as if ND hired a new head coach with all of the changes he has made over the last few years.

We have seen BK’s level of expertise. Willingness or not is not the issue. “Can do” would more be the problem. And “can & do” are interrupted by “not”. Not all players are of equal talent, and neither are coaches.

 

[Irish Grandeur]

We have seen BK’s level of expertise. Willingness or not is not the issue. “Can do” would more be the problem. And “can & do” are interrupted by “not”. Not all players are of equal talent, and neither are coaches.

ND has the talent and, finally, a coaching staff to utilize the talent. Yes, they petered out down the stretch but 4-8 is a lot to overcome in one year. BK's onto something and it's good for ND. Let the man do his job and believe he has ND's best interest at heart.

 

[notredamerises23]

Grandeur, you’re not going to get logical response here. People here don’t understand that there is no realistic hire who would be guaranteed to do better than Kelly. There just isn’t. There were lots of positives this year and a lot to look forward to next year,

 

[TOMMY_23]

I knew these kind of posts were coming.

Brian Kelly is a blessed man. 2-10 in big road games, the program has done nothing in his eight years..... Yet he still has his cockroaches out defending his ineptitude.

 

[TOMMY_23]

Are you the same man you were 8 years ago? Have you learned to do things better in your life with experience? Why would you put an arbitrary timeline on BK? That man is working his tail off every single day for ND - can you say that much?

I take it you are working at the Gug?

 

[TOMMY_23]

Grandeur, you’re not going to get logical response here. People here don’t understand that there is no realistic hire who would be guaranteed to do better than Kelly. There just isn’t. There were lots of positives this year and a lot to look forward to next year,

How about just getting a coach that can develop a QB? Kelly certainly can’t.

 

[HRC08]

Cooler heads always come out the day after, but I’m still Question #2. We again wilted in November. Was that S&C? I don’t know ... but we wilted and DLine pressure wasn’t consistent at the end

Good point: Not many sacks after getting five against NC State. Adams and the oline has nothing left lastnight either. Zero push.

 

[notredamerises23]

How about just getting a coach that can develop a QB? Kelly certainly can’t.

Who? Name him. Will he have multiple 10+ win seasons (Kelly might with a bowl win) playing ND’s schedule and dealing with ND’s recruiting limitations? Will he play in a title game? Will he have ND in the CFP top 4? There are ZERO guarantees or ANYONE out there doing that. We could become Nebraska with the wrong hire.

 

[HRC08]

ND has the talent and, finally, a coaching staff to utilize the talent. Yes, they petered out down the stretch but 4-8 is a lot to overcome in one year. BK's onto something and it's good for ND. Let the man do his job and believe he has ND's best interest at heart.

Lastnight looked along like the previous 7 years though. Red Zone melts downs, missed tackles, getting hit in the back field on 3rd and less then 3, turnovers in droves, Kelly stealing the play sheet from his assistant coach, players looking like zombies and just as much passion, giving up long passes and long runs, etc
Huge step back the past 3 weeks.

 

[Irish Grandeur]

Lastnight looked along like the previous 7 years though. Red Zone melts downs, missed tackles, getting hit in the back field on 3rd and less then 3, turnovers in droves, Kelly stealing the play sheet from his assistant coach, players looking like zombies and just as much passion, giving up long passes and long runs, etc
Huge step back the past 3 weeks.

Those ND guys were giving their best. They held Love to their best of ability, Stanford may have played their best passing...who knows.

 

[HDK]

Going 9-3 coming off a 4-8 season is a pretty darned good turn around. Everyone seems to have gotten so caught up in the rankings and 33 Trucking that they forgot ND was coming off a horrible season with less NFL talent than the season before.

Let's get a quality win in the bowl game, bring in a quality recruiting class and move on.I believe BK is finally learning how to compete with the big boys. The last few years he has over-recruited and, this year he began playing true freshmen to get them game experience. Next year's team will have experience, depth and fortitude.

The problem, as I see it, is that Kelly's only consistency is his lack of consistency. So you have a year like this one, where we are gangbusters for six weeks and pedestrian the next six weeks. That inconsistency also seems to play out every other year. This was an up year until the November meltdown, while 2016 was a down year. 2015 was another up year and so on. It's not exact, but it's pretty clear.

It's too bad but we are stuck with him. I think he hangs around for a couple more years before retiring, with a gentle nudge from the administration.

 

[HRC08]

Those ND guys were giving their best. They held Love to their best of ability, Stanford may have played their best passing...who knows.

Lots of plays in the first half that started and ended with Adams running into the back of the center or guard. No Jet Sweeps to Steph. He’s good for 10 every time (3 times?) he’s run it this year. Let’s run another 32 dive with a guy that looks like he has 200 pound legs. The left side of the line sure didn’t look like they want to be drafted in the first round. #20 for Stanford are them alive all game long. Just like the LB for UGA did... I assure you Holtz’s players would have double team and ground him into the dirt just to make a point. Nothing from our guys. Nothing from our coaches, except Kelly. Even Kelly was sarcastic with Heistand on the sideline like get a clue, Harry.

 

[Irish Grandeur]

Lots of plays in the first half that started and ended with Adams running into the back of the center or guard. No Jet Sweeps to Steph. He’s good for 10 every time (3 times?) he’s run it this year. Let’s run another 32 dive with a guy that looks like he has 200 pound legs. The left side of the line sure didn’t look like they want to be drafted in the first round. #20 for Stanford are them alive all game long. Just like the LB for UGA did... I assure you Holtz’s players would have double team and ground him into the dirt just to make a point. Nothing from our guys. Nothing from our coaches, except Kelly. Even Kelly was sarcastic with Heistand on the sideline like get a clue, Harry.

I agree that ND has to get away from playing into Shaw's hands. Shaw has definitely owned BK in this series. We all expected BK to come out and take charge - that didn't happen. Shaw went to the air and his QB ate ND's secondary alive.

 

[stu4don]

You say Kelly is "finally learning how to compete with the big boys"

Really?

• We lost at home to a Georgia team playing a Freshman in his first game.
• We got destroyed by Miami under the lights with a chance to stay in the final four.
• One again, we were outcoached and beaten by Shaw's Stanford team (that didn't even need the win) that labors under the same recruiting restrictions, etc as us.
• In 2015 we swoon vs. Stanford and get killed by OSU.
• In 2012 we get embarrassed by a great Alabama team, but we were just shellacked.

I think Kelly made us relevant again (2012, 2015, 2017) but only relevant for the first nine games (except 2012) -- I will be forever grateful for our undefeated 2012 season, (the Oklahoma and LSU wins and even the close losses vs. great Fla St and Clemson) but the way the team and the players fell apart after that (and the attrition of good recruits who left or didn't stick) and the 8-win 4 win seasons was too much.

He made real strides turning it around this year. But I just feel as if he is done. I don't see another coach out there right now , but if I'm the Irish, I'm looking...

 

[HillRock86]

Going 9-3 coming off a 4-8 season is a pretty darned good turn around. Everyone seems to have gotten so caught up in the rankings and 33 Trucking that they forgot ND was coming off a horrible season with less NFL talent than the season before.

Let's get a quality win in the bowl game, bring in a quality recruiting class and move on.I believe BK is finally learning how to compete with the big boys. The last few years he has over-recruited and, this year he began playing true freshmen to get them game experience. Next year's team will have experience, depth and fortitude.

Eight years and still waiting for that quality win in a bowl game. BK has not learned to compete with the big boys in 8 years. He can't beat the teams he's supposed to beat. Next year's team with next year's schedule is a five-loss team. Fortitude, really, from Coach Kelly. What makes you think so? I know, it was that game in Miami. They showed real fortitude there. They were beaten before they stepped on the field. Maybe it was the Stanford game. They got their asses whipped again by a team that had no business beating them. Eight years is enough time to know that Kelly can't get it done. And the it is getting into and winning the national championship. Period. End of Story. He's been given more time than Willingham. More time than Weiss and more time than Davie and more resources. But hey, keep dreaming. It took the Cubs 108 years. Maybe if we're lucky, Kelly can get it done in maybe 15-20 years.

 

[47WimanND]

Again this is all true. Kelly has been stuck at his own personal coaching limit for 8 years. Cheer cheer for old 9-3/8-4 because that is who we are with this guy. The argument that you can't call for Kelly's head until you can name his replacement is just plain stupid. It's the ADs job to find the next guy. The look on Kelly's face and his players faces as they took the field in Miami were enough to convince me that he knew a loss was coming. He is unable to rise to those moments and bring his players with him.

But at 9-3 he will be back and we will continue to wilt under the bright lights.

 

[Irish Grandeur]

I am not saying that BK is the best coach out there or that ND admin should accept 8-win seasons year in and year out. I am saying that ND made a huge improvement from last year due to the staff changes they put in place. If the improvements are continued into this next year then ND should be in good shape next November to compete for a CFP spot.