Marcus Freeman Is Building A Championship Program

[Drinking The Green Koolaid]

I was reading The Athletic this morning and saw an interesting bit from Bruce Feldman, a college football writer I respect, about what MF is doing with the ND football program. Here is what Feldman said:

"14. Last Saturday’s trip to South Bend was a blast. It was just an awesome scene in a very special place. It was actually the first game I’ve seen at Notre Dame since the Bush Push game and the atmosphere was terrific. The school has done a wonderful job with the game day experience. Marcus Freeman has had to learn on the job over the past year-and-a-half and no doubt there have been some rocky moments, but I get the sense he’s building something pretty special there. The Irish have a lot of athletes on both sides of the ball. Can they do what Jim Harbaugh has eventually gotten Michigan to, and elevate this program from very good to great? Maybe. That was the sticking point that the Brian Kelly regime never was able to get past in South Bend. The recruiting and development piece of all that takes a lot of time, as it has in Ann Arbor. I am curious to see where this program goes now that it has some real momentum — and some time to catch its breath.

"The Irish have the No. 8-ranked recruiting class according to 247Sports. It’s led by QB C.J. Carr, the No. 36 overall prospect, and top-50 WR Cam Williams. Notre Dame hasn’t finished higher than No. 9 since 2013 — the year it signed Jaylon Smith."

I know Marcus still has his doubters here, but I am all aboard the Marcus Freeman train. Has he made some mistakes? Most certainly. Will he make more in the future? Probably. But I have a sense of optimism I haven't had for many, many years, and when I read something like this from a writer I believe knows a thing or two about college football, I am bullish on the future. When I see former ND greats like Joe Montana, Tim Brown and Jerome Bettis on the sidelines for a game, as they were this past weekend for the USC game, that tells me that former players sense something special is happening, too. I had my hopes with Brian Kelly, but it became obvious to me after a couple of seasons that he wasn't likely to get the job done. I still had hope, but deep inside I just didn't think--in fact, I knew--it wasn't going to happen. But when I see what Marcus Freeman is doing with the program, I feel differently. If C.J. Carr or Kenny Minchey turn out to be the QBs I think they can be, and we can bring in more guys like Cam Williams at the skill positions, watch out. Have patience my fellow ND fans--a commodity that is often in short supply here--a national championship is going to happen with Marcus Freeman.

Maybe I had too much Koolaid this morning, but that is how I see things.

Carry on.

 

[sjb75]

I was reading The Athletic this morning and saw an interesting bit from Bruce Feldman, a college football writer I respect, about what MF is doing with the ND football program. Here is what Feldman said:

"14. Last Saturday’s trip to South Bend was a blast. It was just an awesome scene in a very special place. It was actually the first game I’ve seen at Notre Dame since the Bush Push game and the atmosphere was terrific. The school has done a wonderful job with the game day experience. Marcus Freeman has had to learn on the job over the past year-and-a-half and no doubt there have been some rocky moments, but I get the sense he’s building something pretty special there. The Irish have a lot of athletes on both sides of the ball. Can they do what Jim Harbaugh has eventually gotten Michigan to, and elevate this program from very good to great? Maybe. That was the sticking point that the Brian Kelly regime never was able to get past in South Bend. The recruiting and development piece of all that takes a lot of time, as it has in Ann Arbor. I am curious to see where this program goes now that it has some real momentum — and some time to catch its breath.

"The Irish have the No. 8-ranked recruiting class according to 247Sports. It’s led by QB C.J. Carr, the No. 36 overall prospect, and top-50 WR Cam Williams. Notre Dame hasn’t finished higher than No. 9 since 2013 — the year it signed Jaylon Smith."

I know Marcus still has his doubters here, but I am all aboard the Marcus Freeman train. Has he made some mistakes? Most certainly. Will he make more in the future? Probably. But I have a sense of optimism I haven't had for many, many years, and when I read something like this from a writer I believe knows a thing or two about college football, I am bullish on the future. When I see former ND greats like Joe Montana, Tim Brown and Jerome Bettis on the sidelines for a game, as they were this past weekend for the USC game, that tells me that former players sense something special is happening, too. I had my hopes with Brian Kelly, but it became obvious to me after a couple of seasons that he wasn't likely to get the job done. I still had hope, but deep inside I just didn't think--in fact, I knew--it wasn't going to happen. But when I see what Marcus Freeman is doing with the program, I feel differently. If C.J. Carr or Kenny Minchey turn out to be the QBs I think they can be, and we can bring in more guys like Cam Williams at the skill positions, watch out. Have patience my fellow ND fans--a commodity that is often in short supply here--a national championship is going to happen with Marcus Freeman.

Maybe I had too much Koolaid this morning, but that is how I see things.

Carry on.

In which world is Jim Harbaugh's Michigan program "great?"

"Carry on."

 

[Drinking The Green Koolaid]

In which world is Jim Harbaugh's Michigan program "great?"

"Carry on."

That was Feldman's characterization, not mine. And there are many pundits who think Michigan will be national champions this year. I am not a fan of Harbaugh's, but whether you care to acknowledge it or not, UM is pretty good this year. Based upon the lackluster schedule UM has played (and that is probably a kind description) I am not conceding them a NC quite yet, but we will see how good they are when they play their last 3 games against PSU, Maryland and OSU. We will learn then whether UM is a contender, or a pretender.

 

[HDK]

Like ND with Kelly, Michigan took the long view with Harbaugh. I think it very well could pay off this year.

ND and Freeman still have a long ways to go, and given the senior-heavy roster we have, I think we can expect a pretty significant setback next year.

Doesn't mean he won't be a great coach, it's just going to take five or six years.

 

[IrishExpert2288]

Michigan to my knowledge has not won a CFP game. They got blasted vs Georgia, and laid an egg vs TCU last year.

Marcus Freeman is recruiting well, but his teams have suffered from the same inconsistency that has plagued all the prior ND head coaches, who lacked any prior head coaching experience.

Big wins, essentially get nullified by bad losses. ND was knocked out of the CFP race the 2nd week of September last year, and ND was knocked out of the CFP race the first week of October this year. As much as Brian Kelly is despised by the posters on this forum, the reality is ND either made the CFP, or was in the CFP race into November during the season’s of 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021.

What ND did in those CFP games is a certainly a much different conversation. It was thought Marcus Freeman would bring the extra juice, enthusiasm, charisma on the recruiting trail to get ND the talent, to have success in the CFP, instead of getting blasted.

But to have success in the CFP, you have to qualify for the CFP, and to qualify for the CFP, you have to be in contention for the CFP. And to be in contention or qualify for the CFP late, you have to avoid bad losses like (Marshall, Stanford & Louisville)

Marcus Freeman reminds me very much of Gerry Faust on a personal note. He seems by all accounts to be a good man, good father, and he seems to LOVE ND. Like Gerry Faust he is impossible not to like, he is impossible not to root for, and as a fan, you not only want to see ND do well, but you want to see Marcus Freeman do well.

I heard a sports psychologist say one time, during a 12 game season, you can get your team to a peak state about 5 times. The truly great coaches get their teams in a peak state for the biggest games (Lou Holtz)

But great coaches also sense when their teams are flat, they push buttons to get their teams enough artificial juice to avoid those upsets that end National Championship aspirations.

I will be looking for Marcus to gain that knowledge to sense when his teams are emotionally flat, then provide them with some external motivation to get them over the hump in Louisville type games. A game by the way ND led 10-7 in the 3rd quarter.

Go Irish ☘️

 

[Golson5]

Michigan to my knowledge has not won a CFP game. They got blasted vs Georgia, and laid an egg vs TCU last year.

Marcus Freeman is recruiting well, but his teams have suffered from the same inconsistency that has plagued all the prior ND head coaches, who lacked any prior head coaching experience.

Big wins, essentially get nullified by bad losses. ND was knocked out of the CFP race the 2nd week of September last year, and ND was knocked out of the CFP race the first week of October this year. As much as Brian Kelly is despised by the posters on this forum, the reality is ND either made the CFP, or was in the CFP race into November during the season’s of 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021.

What ND did in those CFP games is a certainly a much different conversation. It was thought Marcus Freeman would bring the extra juice, enthusiasm, charisma on the recruiting trail to get ND the talent, to have success in the CFP, instead of getting blasted.

But to have success in the CFP, you have to qualify for the CFP, and to qualify for the CFP, you have to be in contention for the CFP. And to be in contention or qualify for the CFP late, you have to avoid bad losses like (Marshall, Stanford & Louisville)

Marcus Freeman reminds me very much of Gerry Faust on a personal note. He seems by all accounts to be a good man, good father, and he seems to LOVE ND. Like Gerry Faust he is impossible not to like, he is impossible not to root for, and as a fan, you not only want to see ND do well, but you want to see Marcus Freeman do well.

I heard a sports psychologist say one time, during a 12 game season, you can get your team to a peak state about 5 times. The truly great coaches get their teams in a peak state for the biggest games (Lou Holtz)

But great coaches also sense when their teams are flat, they push buttons to get their teams enough artificial juice to avoid those upsets that end National Championship aspirations.

I will be looking for Marcus to gain that knowledge to sense when his teams are emotionally flat, then provide them with some external motivation to get them over the hump in Louisville type games. A game by the way ND led 10-7 in the 3rd quarter.

Go Irish ☘️

Dumb

 

[burmafrd1943]

Dumb

which means he is right since you are always wrong

 

[burmafrd1943]

I was reading The Athletic this morning and saw an interesting bit from Bruce Feldman, a college football writer I respect, about what MF is doing with the ND football program. Here is what Feldman said:

"14. Last Saturday’s trip to South Bend was a blast. It was just an awesome scene in a very special place. It was actually the first game I’ve seen at Notre Dame since the Bush Push game and the atmosphere was terrific. The school has done a wonderful job with the game day experience. Marcus Freeman has had to learn on the job over the past year-and-a-half and no doubt there have been some rocky moments, but I get the sense he’s building something pretty special there. The Irish have a lot of athletes on both sides of the ball. Can they do what Jim Harbaugh has eventually gotten Michigan to, and elevate this program from very good to great? Maybe. That was the sticking point that the Brian Kelly regime never was able to get past in South Bend. The recruiting and development piece of all that takes a lot of time, as it has in Ann Arbor. I am curious to see where this program goes now that it has some real momentum — and some time to catch its breath.

"The Irish have the No. 8-ranked recruiting class according to 247Sports. It’s led by QB C.J. Carr, the No. 36 overall prospect, and top-50 WR Cam Williams. Notre Dame hasn’t finished higher than No. 9 since 2013 — the year it signed Jaylon Smith."

I know Marcus still has his doubters here, but I am all aboard the Marcus Freeman train. Has he made some mistakes? Most certainly. Will he make more in the future? Probably. But I have a sense of optimism I haven't had for many, many years, and when I read something like this from a writer I believe knows a thing or two about college football, I am bullish on the future. When I see former ND greats like Joe Montana, Tim Brown and Jerome Bettis on the sidelines for a game, as they were this past weekend for the USC game, that tells me that former players sense something special is happening, too. I had my hopes with Brian Kelly, but it became obvious to me after a couple of seasons that he wasn't likely to get the job done. I still had hope, but deep inside I just didn't think--in fact, I knew--it wasn't going to happen. But when I see what Marcus Freeman is doing with the program, I feel differently. If C.J. Carr or Kenny Minchey turn out to be the QBs I think they can be, and we can bring in more guys like Cam Williams at the skill positions, watch out. Have patience my fellow ND fans--a commodity that is often in short supply here--a national championship is going to happen with Marcus Freeman.

Maybe I had too much Koolaid this morning, but that is how I see things.

Carry on.

Championship teams do not fall apart in the 4th qtr
Championship HCs do not make multiple dumb mistakes when the game is on the line
Maybe these are just more growing pains and I hope so
BUT just because we blew out one team after getting blown out by another team is no indication of building a championship team

 

[Golson5]

which means he is right since you are always wrong

Wow that was a good one

 

[Golson5]

which means he is right since you are always wrong

Wow that was a good one

 

[Golson5]

which means he is right since you are always wrong

Wow that was a good

Championship teams do not fall apart in the 4th qtr
Championship HCs do not make multiple dumb mistakes when the game is on the line
Maybe these are just more growing pains and I hope so
BUT just because we blew out one team after getting blown out by another team is no indication of building a championship team

Guess you weren't around for "Clemsoning"

How many mistakes, blown games and not winning big games did they go through before they won a NC ?

This point is ridiculous

 

[NDblitz]

Like ND with Kelly, Michigan took the long view with Harbaugh. I think it very well could pay off this year.

ND and Freeman still have a long ways to go, and given the senior-heavy roster we have, I think we can expect a pretty significant setback next year.

Doesn't mean he won't be a great coach, it's just going to take five or six years.

I remember Harbaugh outcoaching himself with some head scratchers early in his tenure too. And he had about 10 more years of HC experience than Freeman at the time.

 

[NDblitz]

Championship teams do not fall apart in the 4th qtr
Championship HCs do not make multiple dumb mistakes when the game is on the line
Maybe these are just more growing pains and I hope so
BUT just because we blew out one team after getting blown out by another team is no indication of building a championship team

Go watch Harbaugh the first few years at Michigan. And you might change your mind. And that was after being a HC at USD and Stanford and The Niners.

 

[NCDomer1]

I have said all along MF will be a great coach, but the growing pains along with portal restrictions hamper the progress. The defense is senior laden, but I am sure ND can find a few lineman and line backers through the portal to fill in the gaps.
Michigan, OSU and PSU combined have not played as many ranked teams as ND. They have feasted on weaker competition for the last decade.
I am curious to see what the new AD is going to do as far as recruiting restrictions are concerned. Holtz got 10 partial qualifiers a year so what is wrong with that?

 

[NCDomer1]

MF is recruiting speed a lot better than BK did. ND looks faster than it did in previous years.

 

[Holycrossover3]

In which world is Jim Harbaugh's Michigan program "great?"

"Carry on."

I would say it’s currently in a great spot. They are currently at the peak of where Kelly was able to get ND. Consistently competing for the CFP.

I would agree that it isn’t “great,” but if he can continue this run of winning the Big 10 and being top 5 team after McCarthy leaves, then, it will be great.

Also dependent on this year, if they win the Big10, beat OSU again and win a CFP game… that’s a lot of if’s as they’ve played nobody this year but we shall see.

 

[BleedingBlueNGold]

I’ve always likened Freeman’s coaching arc to Dabo’s at Clemson. I don’t think we win in the next couple of years. But by year 5 we should be DOMINANT akin to Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama. It took Dabo 5 years to make his Clemson team DOMINANT. It took him 7 years to win his first Natty.

Everything looks like it is going in the right direction with Freeman all things considered. The guys he recruited seem to have a different gear, they stand out on the field, and I only see that getting better. He has made ND a place where guys WANT to go. ND is winning out the rest of the year and we’re bringing in another top tier recruiting class. This is what we have been waiting for.

 

[burmafrd1943]

Go watch Harbaugh the first few years at Michigan. And you might change your mind. And that was after being a HC at USD and Stanford and The Niners.

so Harbaugh has won a NC?
Guess I missed that

 

[burmafrd1943]

Wow that was a good

Guess you weren't around for "Clemsoning"

How many mistakes, blown games and not winning big games did they go through before they won a NC ?

This point is ridiculous

One exception proves the rule
Did not expect you to figure that out since you are pretty dim

 

[NDblitz]

so Harbaugh has won a NC?
Guess I missed that

No he hasn't. Exactly my point. And he had plenty of blunders at Michigan the first 3-4 years. Albeit as a HC with over 10 years experience.

 

[NDblitz]

Kirby, Dabo, also had a learning curve to start.

 

[Fightingirish595]

In which world is Jim Harbaugh's Michigan program "great?"

"Carry on."

Anyone with a pulse knows that’s a top 5 program right now lol.

 

[Golson5]

One exception proves the rule
Did not expect you to figure that out since you are pretty dim

How did Ed O look before they won a NC

Georgia got their doors blown off by 31 in his first year. He also lost to mighty Vanderbilt and GT

You are clueless

 

[sjb75]

Anyone with a pulse knows that’s a top 5 program right now lol.

I thought "great programs...." needed to win a title, or at least play for a title.

"LOL."

 

[4-4-3]

Michigan to my knowledge has not won a CFP game. They got blasted vs Georgia, and laid an egg vs TCU last year.

Marcus Freeman is recruiting well, but his teams have suffered from the same inconsistency that has plagued all the prior ND head coaches, who lacked any prior head coaching experience.

Big wins, essentially get nullified by bad losses. ND was knocked out of the CFP race the 2nd week of September last year, and ND was knocked out of the CFP race the first week of October this year. As much as Brian Kelly is despised by the posters on this forum, the reality is ND either made the CFP, or was in the CFP race into November during the season’s of 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021.

What ND did in those CFP games is a certainly a much different conversation. It was thought Marcus Freeman would bring the extra juice, enthusiasm, charisma on the recruiting trail to get ND the talent, to have success in the CFP, instead of getting blasted.

But to have success in the CFP, you have to qualify for the CFP, and to qualify for the CFP, you have to be in contention for the CFP. And to be in contention or qualify for the CFP late, you have to avoid bad losses like (Marshall, Stanford & Louisville)

Marcus Freeman reminds me very much of Gerry Faust on a personal note. He seems by all accounts to be a good man, good father, and he seems to LOVE ND. Like Gerry Faust he is impossible not to like, he is impossible not to root for, and as a fan, you not only want to see ND do well, but you want to see Marcus Freeman do well.

I heard a sports psychologist say one time, during a 12 game season, you can get your team to a peak state about 5 times. The truly great coaches get their teams in a peak state for the biggest games (Lou Holtz)

But great coaches also sense when their teams are flat, they push buttons to get their teams enough artificial juice to avoid those upsets that end National Championship aspirations.

I will be looking for Marcus to gain that knowledge to sense when his teams are emotionally flat, then provide them with some external motivation to get them over the hump in Louisville type games. A game by the way ND led 10-7 in the 3rd quarter.

Go Irish ☘️

Excellent summary of the role of inconsistency as per ND coaches who lacked prior head-coaching experience.

The challenge is to learn fast enough to OUTRUN that lack of experience. So, far, NO ND COACH, as we all know, has succeeded at this.

Freeman may be a quick enough study to end up a winning coach at ND – almost ALL ND coaches have been – but can he be “WINNING ENOUGH?” Of that, I’m still skeptical.

The challenge is TWO-FOLD:

First, you not only have to beat the teams you’re expected to beat; you must also beat RANKED TEAMS.

So far, Freeman is what – 6-5 against ranked teams? Which to me says that, as compared to other ranked teams, ND under Freeman has been SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE. But slightly above average isn't NC caliber.

Second, THERE’S ALMOST ZERO MARGIN FOR ERROR which means that you also can’t lose MORE THAN ONCE to a ranked team – plus, it’d better be early.

So, in a season where ND plays 4 ranked teams and loses to TWO of them, it’s GAME OVER as per NC contention. Which is exactly what just happened.

Freeman must accomplish what Kelly did over his last 6 years after he’d “settled in” – WIN WINNABLE GAMES – PLUS – do something Kelly DIDN’T DO – perform NEARLY PERFECTLY against ALL RANKED teams.

While Holtz proved to be excellent at both, HE FAILED QUITE A BIT AT BOTH as well. Hence, ND’s SOLE NC during his tenure.

In order for Freeman to win an NC – or even compete regularly for one – he’ll need to draw on his own apparent ability to get his teams UP for big games as well as develop Holtz’s and Kelly’s consistency against beatable opponents as demonstrated during their great 63 and 9 and 54 and 9 runs, respectively.

To achieve this, Freeman will need to GET LUCKY in two critical areas – RECRUITING and SCHEDULING. If he can’t achieve consistent TOP 5 CLASSES while having to play against an average of FOUR RANKED OPPONENTS a year, I can easily see him not “MAKING IT.” Especially given ND's fanbase's OUTSIZED EXPECTATIONS.

And before any of this can even happen, he needs to clear the INCONSISTENCY HURDLE fast enough so that he doesn’t LOSE HIS JOB along the way.

 

[Golson5]

Excellent summary of the role of inconsistency as per ND coaches who lacked prior head-coaching experience.

The challenge is to learn fast enough to OUTRUN that lack of experience. So, far, NO ND COACH, as we all know, has succeeded at this.

Freeman may be a quick enough study to end up a winning coach at ND – almost ALL ND coaches have been – but can he be “WINNING ENOUGH?” Of that, I’m still skeptical.

The challenge is TWO-FOLD:

First, you not only have to beat the teams you’re expected to beat; you must also beat RANKED TEAMS.

So far, Freeman is what – 6-5 against ranked teams? Which to me says that, as compared to other ranked teams, ND under Freeman has been SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE. But slightly above average isn't NC caliber.

Second, THERE’S ALMOST ZERO MARGIN FOR ERROR which means that you also can’t lose MORE THAN ONCE to a ranked team – plus, it’d better be early.

So, in a season where ND plays 4 ranked teams and loses to TWO of them, it’s GAME OVER as per NC contention. Which is exactly what just happened.

Freeman must accomplish what Kelly did over his last 6 years after he’d “settled in” – WIN WINNABLE GAMES – PLUS – do something Kelly DIDN’T DO – perform NEARLY PERFECTLY against ALL RANKED teams.

While Holtz proved to be excellent at both, HE FAILED QUITE A BIT AT BOTH as well. Hence, ND’s SOLE NC during his tenure.

In order for Freeman to win an NC – or even compete regularly for one – he’ll need to draw on his own apparent ability to get his teams UP for big games as well as develop Holtz’s and Kelly’s consistency against beatable opponents as demonstrated during their great 63 and 9 and 54 and 9 runs, respectively.

To achieve this, Freeman will need to GET LUCKY in two critical areas – RECRUITING and SCHEDULING. If he can’t achieve consistent TOP 5 CLASSES while having to play against an average of FOUR RANKED OPPONENTS a year, I can easily see him not “MAKING IT.” Especially given ND's fanbase's OUTSIZED EXPECTATIONS.

And before any of this can even happen, he needs to clear the INCONSISTENCY HURDLE fast enough so that he doesn’t LOSE HIS JOB along the way.

Yawn

 

[HRC08]

In which world is Jim Harbaugh's Michigan program "great?"

"Carry on."

No doubt.

 

[Drinking The Green Koolaid]

Excellent summary of the role of inconsistency as per ND coaches who lacked prior head-coaching experience.

The challenge is to learn fast enough to OUTRUN that lack of experience. So, far, NO ND COACH, as we all know, has succeeded at this.

Freeman may be a quick enough study to end up a winning coach at ND – almost ALL ND coaches have been – but can he be “WINNING ENOUGH?” Of that, I’m still skeptical.

The challenge is TWO-FOLD:

First, you not only have to beat the teams you’re expected to beat; you must also beat RANKED TEAMS.

So far, Freeman is what – 6-5 against ranked teams? Which to me says that, as compared to other ranked teams, ND under Freeman has been SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE. But slightly above average isn't NC caliber.

Second, THERE’S ALMOST ZERO MARGIN FOR ERROR which means that you also can’t lose MORE THAN ONCE to a ranked team – plus, it’d better be early.

So, in a season where ND plays 4 ranked teams and loses to TWO of them, it’s GAME OVER as per NC contention. Which is exactly what just happened.

Freeman must accomplish what Kelly did over his last 6 years after he’d “settled in” – WIN WINNABLE GAMES – PLUS – do something Kelly DIDN’T DO – perform NEARLY PERFECTLY against ALL RANKED teams.

While Holtz proved to be excellent at both, HE FAILED QUITE A BIT AT BOTH as well. Hence, ND’s SOLE NC during his tenure.

In order for Freeman to win an NC – or even compete regularly for one – he’ll need to draw on his own apparent ability to get his teams UP for big games as well as develop Holtz’s and Kelly’s consistency against beatable opponents as demonstrated during their great 63 and 9 and 54 and 9 runs, respectively.

To achieve this, Freeman will need to GET LUCKY in two critical areas – RECRUITING and SCHEDULING. If he can’t achieve consistent TOP 5 CLASSES while having to play against an average of FOUR RANKED OPPONENTS a year, I can easily see him not “MAKING IT.” Especially given ND's fanbase's OUTSIZED EXPECTATIONS.

And before any of this can even happen, he needs to clear the INCONSISTENCY HURDLE fast enough so that he doesn’t LOSE HIS JOB along the way.

Those are some fair criticisms, however, I disagree with the supposition that MF will have to "get lucky" with recruiting. Freeman is good at recruiting because he works incredibly hard at it; that is not luck. And that is something BK simply did not do. He delegated the hard work of recruiting to his assistants. I do not follow recruiting as closely as many here do, but when I read recruits now commenting that they have enjoyed the relationship they have developed with Freeman during the recruiting process, I contrast that with what I read from recruits during Kelly's tenure. Rarely, if ever, did I read about recruits commenting upon their relationship with Kelly. That was likely because Kelly simply didn't put in the time or the energy to create one. And I remember reading that Kelly didn't text recruits because he didn't want to engage in that form of communication. MF, on the other hand, has embraced the use of social media. Like it or not, kids expect that these days, and a coach who ignores social media does so at his own peril. MF has been unsuccessful in closing the deal on a few 5*--Keon Keeley and Peyton Bowen come quickly to mind--but that wasn't for want of effort. Overall I am pleased with how well MF has recruited, and I expect he is going to start landing a few 5*. I expect Cam Williams may end up as one in this class. Let's hope we keep him. We need to do better at the WR position, but I think help is on the horizon.

As for scheduling, that will be in the hands of the new AD. I guess we will see how that plays out, and whether Bevacqua and the new university president are less resistant to the use of the portal and NIL.

 

[McCallen ND NYC]

Those are some fair criticisms, however, I disagree with the supposition that MF will have to "get lucky" with recruiting. Freeman is good at recruiting because he works incredibly hard at it; that is not luck. And that is something BK simply did not do. He delegated the hard work of recruiting to his assistants. I do not follow recruiting as closely as many here do, but when I read recruits now commenting that they have enjoyed the relationship they have developed with Freeman during the recruiting process, I contrast that with what I read from recruits during Kelly's tenure. Rarely, if ever, did I read about recruits commenting upon their relationship with Kelly. That was likely because Kelly simply didn't put in the time or the energy to create one. And I remember reading that Kelly didn't text recruits because he didn't want to engage in that form of communication. MF, on the other hand, has embraced the use of social media. Like it or not, kids expect that these days, and a coach who ignores social media does so at his own peril. MF has been unsuccessful in closing the deal on a few 5*--Keon Keeley and Peyton Bowen come quickly to mind--but that wasn't for want of effort. Overall I am pleased with how well MF has recruited, and I expect he is going to start landing a few 5*. I expect Cam Williams may end up as one in this class. Let's hope we keep him. We need to do better at the WR position, but I think help is on the horizon.

As for scheduling, that will be in the hands of the new AD. I guess we will see how that plays out, and whether Bevacqua and the new university president are less resistant to the use of the portal and NIL.

Koolaid - solid posts as always. In your opinion, what’s the probability of Freeman building a championship team during his tenure?

 

[4-4-3]

Those are some fair criticisms, however, I disagree with the supposition that MF will have to "get lucky" with recruiting. Freeman is good at recruiting because he works incredibly hard at it; that is not luck. And that is something BK simply did not do. He delegated the hard work of recruiting to his assistants. I do not follow recruiting as closely as many here do, but when I read recruits now commenting that they have enjoyed the relationship they have developed with Freeman during the recruiting process, I contrast that with what I read from recruits during Kelly's tenure. Rarely, if ever, did I read about recruits commenting upon their relationship with Kelly. That was likely because Kelly simply didn't put in the time or the energy to create one. And I remember reading that Kelly didn't text recruits because he didn't want to engage in that form of communication. MF, on the other hand, has embraced the use of social media. Like it or not, kids expect that these days, and a coach who ignores social media does so at his own peril. MF has been unsuccessful in closing the deal on a few 5*--Keon Keeley and Peyton Bowen come quickly to mind--but that wasn't for want of effort. Overall I am pleased with how well MF has recruited, and I expect he is going to start landing a few 5*. I expect Cam Williams may end up as one in this class. Let's hope we keep him. We need to do better at the WR position, but I think help is on the horizon.

As for scheduling, that will be in the hands of the new AD. I guess we will see how that plays out, and whether Bevacqua and the new university president are less resistant to the use of the portal and NIL.

In fact, I don't think I criticized FREEMAN at all. My criticisms -- and they weren't harsh -- were of Kelly for not doing well enough in big games and Holtz for not winning more NC's considering the talent he had. But, again, I FULLY APPRECIATE what both accomplished.

As for Freeman, I was delineating his CHALLENGES.

Regarding recruiting, I don't think Freeman has yet produced a class so superior to Kelly's classes that one can HONESTLY SAY ND is now recruiting at a HIGHER LEVEL. That may be the FEELING, but I don't think it's yet a REALITY. Nor do I think it is by any means GUARANTEED.

Note what I wrote: TO WIN AN NC I WOULD EXPECT ND TO NEED TOP 5 CLASSES WITH SOME REGULARITY. Just as is generally the case as with OTHER TEAMS THAT WIN ONE. Kelly was adamant that doing that an ND was a non-starter given the ACADEMICS factor. Can Freeman pull a magic rabbit out of ND's shiny TOP HAT?

WE'LL SEE.

And by the way, there may be a LUCK FACTOR there as well, namely who will ND's next President be and what will his attitude be towards winning NC's.

I'll also stick by my LUCK CRITERION regarding SCHEDULING. As NIL and the portal DISTRIBUTE TALENT MORE EVENLY, ND -- unless it opts more and more for the CUPCAKE TRAIL -- will face TOUGHER TEAMS overall with the VERY REAL chance of losing more of what were previously considered WINNABLE GAMES.

Freeman may or may not be talented, but he's DEFINITELY NOT SUPERMAN which, to me, makes it unlikely that he'll be able to COMPENSATE SINGLEHANDEDLY for all of the STRUCTURAL CHANGES now occurring in CFB.

He has a VERY TOUGH CHALLENGE AHEAD.

 

[IrishExpert2288]

Yawn

The fact you found my fair and accurate post. "Dumb" and boring only illuminate your massive immaturity and lack of common sense.

I do, however, want to thank you for pointing out in bright neon lights, your embarrassing lack of knowledge regarding ND football. After taking the opportunity to review some of your other nonsensical and ridiculous rantings,

I find it amazing someone could post so much, yet never say anything remotely interesting or accurate, Most posters I have run into here are pretty good, but you are a waste of time. Say hello to the ignore button

 

[Golson5]

The fact you found my fair and accurate post. "Dumb" and boring only illuminate your massive immaturity and lack of common sense.

I do, however, want to thank you for pointing out in bright neon lights, your embarrassing lack of knowledge regarding ND football. After taking the opportunity to review some of your other nonsensical and ridiculous rantings,

I find it amazing someone could post so much, yet never say anything remotely interesting or accurate, Most posters I have run into here are pretty good, but you are a waste of time. Say hello to the ignore button

Dumb

 

[christophero]

It's too early to say. Last week was a big step, but Louisville still happened. A top 10 recruiting class is a great start. If we win out that will certainly change my outlook.

 

[burmafrd1943]

How did Ed O look before they won a NC

Georgia got their doors blown off by 31 in his first year. He also lost to mighty Vanderbilt and GT

You are clueless

show me a team that got blown out and won a NC the same year.
I am curious at how stupid you are

 

[Golson5]

show me a team that got blown out and won a NC the same year.
I am curious at how stupid you are

Who the hell is saying we are going to win a NC this season??

What are you stupid or something.....

 

[burmafrd1943]

In fact, I don't think I criticized FREEMAN at all. My criticisms -- and they weren't harsh -- were of Kelly for not doing well enough in big games and Holtz for not winning more NC's considering the talent he had. But, again, I FULLY APPRECIATE what both accomplished.

As for Freeman, I was delineating his CHALLENGES.

Regarding recruiting, I don't think Freeman has yet produced a class so superior to Kelly's classes that one can HONESTLY SAY ND is now recruiting at a HIGHER LEVEL. That may be the FEELING, but I don't think it's yet a REALITY. Nor do I think it is by any means GUARANTEED.

Note what I wrote: TO WIN AN NC I WOULD EXPECT ND TO NEED TOP 5 CLASSES WITH SOME REGULARITY. Just as is generally the case as with OTHER TEAMS THAT WIN ONE. Kelly was adamant that doing that an ND was a non-starter given the ACADEMICS factor. Can Freeman pull a magic rabbit out of ND's shiny TOP HAT?

WE'LL SEE.

And by the way, there may be a LUCK FACTOR there as well, namely who will ND's next President be and what will his attitude be towards winning NC's.

I'll also stick by my LUCK CRITERION regarding SCHEDULING. As NIL and the portal DISTRIBUTE TALENT MORE EVENLY, ND -- unless it opts more and more for the CUPCAKE TRAIL -- will face TOUGHER TEAMS overall with the VERY REAL chance of losing more of what were previously considered WINNABLE GAMES.

Freeman may or may not be talented, but he's DEFINITELY NOT SUPERMAN which, to me, makes it unlikely that he'll be able to COMPENSATE SINGLEHANDEDLY for all of the STRUCTURAL CHANGES now occurring in CFB.

He has a VERY TOUGH CHALLENGE AHEAD.

Frankly since starting next year making the playoffs will be dead easy, the schedule is no longer going to matter that much. Now you still need to be at least top 10 to be absolutely sure to get in but that frankly is not going to be that hard.

 

[burmafrd1943]

Who the hell is saying we are going to win a NC this season??

What are you stupid or something.....

Talking to morons like you is challenging.
Until Freeman has a year where he does not get blown out he is not building a championship program.
Is that simple enough for you?

 

[Golson5]

Talking to morons like you is challenging.
Until Freeman has a year where he does not get blown out he is not building a championship program.
Is that simple enough for you?

You obviously were the moron because you couldnt comprehend. No one said anything about a NC this year. You're just stupid or something and thought that in your pea brain.

Okay so this year then. We havent been blown out.

Got it. You're saying we are Building a Championship program this year

 

[francade]

There’s no doubt that freeman has a tough road ahead but comparing him against Kelly isn’t what we should be doing. I think any good coach can do what kelly did at ND. We should want more of what Rockne, leahy, ara & holtz did at ND, which was win titles and big games against elite competition.

 

[deadirishpoet]

I was reading The Athletic this morning and saw an interesting bit from Bruce Feldman, a college football writer I respect, about what MF is doing with the ND football program. Here is what Feldman said:

"14. Last Saturday’s trip to South Bend was a blast. It was just an awesome scene in a very special place. It was actually the first game I’ve seen at Notre Dame since the Bush Push game and the atmosphere was terrific. The school has done a wonderful job with the game day experience. Marcus Freeman has had to learn on the job over the past year-and-a-half and no doubt there have been some rocky moments, but I get the sense he’s building something pretty special there. The Irish have a lot of athletes on both sides of the ball. Can they do what Jim Harbaugh has eventually gotten Michigan to, and elevate this program from very good to great? Maybe. That was the sticking point that the Brian Kelly regime never was able to get past in South Bend. The recruiting and development piece of all that takes a lot of time, as it has in Ann Arbor. I am curious to see where this program goes now that it has some real momentum — and some time to catch its breath.

"The Irish have the No. 8-ranked recruiting class according to 247Sports. It’s led by QB C.J. Carr, the No. 36 overall prospect, and top-50 WR Cam Williams. Notre Dame hasn’t finished higher than No. 9 since 2013 — the year it signed Jaylon Smith."

I know Marcus still has his doubters here, but I am all aboard the Marcus Freeman train. Has he made some mistakes? Most certainly. Will he make more in the future? Probably. But I have a sense of optimism I haven't had for many, many years, and when I read something like this from a writer I believe knows a thing or two about college football, I am bullish on the future. When I see former ND greats like Joe Montana, Tim Brown and Jerome Bettis on the sidelines for a game, as they were this past weekend for the USC game, that tells me that former players sense something special is happening, too. I had my hopes with Brian Kelly, but it became obvious to me after a couple of seasons that he wasn't likely to get the job done. I still had hope, but deep inside I just didn't think--in fact, I knew--it wasn't going to happen. But when I see what Marcus Freeman is doing with the program, I feel differently. If C.J. Carr or Kenny Minchey turn out to be the QBs I think they can be, and we can bring in more guys like Cam Williams at the skill positions, watch out. Have patience my fellow ND fans--a commodity that is often in short supply here--a national championship is going to happen with Marcus Freeman.

Maybe I had too much Koolaid this morning, but that is how I see things.

Carry on.

Well.........the schedule looks favorable next year, but with an inexperienced QB there will be growing pains unless you use the portal again.....than why would any QB sign with ND