Great article, which many of you have read, comparing the trajectory of the Notre Dame, Alabama programs from the 20s to the present. The article ends by asking if ND can catch up. The answer is no. Not only has ND fallen behind Alabama, they have fallen behind most of the major powers in the college football world. I hope I am wrong, but I don't see the Irish becoming a dominant national football power again in my lifetime (currently 66).
Notre Dame Alabama Story
- Thread starter mmboys07
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If ND wants to be a major football school they easily can. It has nothing to do with catching up. These other programs know football is the big money grab. ND knows football is the big money grab as well. The difference? ND wants students athletes. Most of the other schools want athletes only. If they choose be students, great but it's not a priority. At ND and a few select schools being a student it priority number one, everything else is second. So can the Irish compete for championships while maintains academic integrity? My answer is 100 percent yes! ND can still attract top athletes who want to be more than football players. The administration is not going to sell its soul just to win at all costs. Well, what's the problem with NDs football program?
The above is the 64 thousand dollar question. In my humble opinion the answer is simple. ND is running the wrong offense. ND is a finess pass happy team and has been that way since Willingham arrived. It's not what traditionally wins games for the Irish. They need a run first, power game with some option and play action pass type offense. ND can get get elite offensive linemen. They can get elite running backs and tight ends. They can always get QBs. Ara's teams and Lou's teams won with power not finess. They also had very physical defenses that punished opposing teams. Find a coach that can recruit those type of players and instill an attitude of perfection, the the Irish will be tops again. Kelly is a good coach. His philosophy doesn't work for ND. Going to play football at Notre Dame is not the same as going to Bama, OSU or FSU. ND needs to play football that fits the for them. They don't need to be Oregon or Baylor. Kelly has some really good linemen and outstanding running backs. Yet he focuses on throwing 50 times a game. It makes no sense. Get the right coach and the wins will follow.
The above is the 64 thousand dollar question. In my humble opinion the answer is simple. ND is running the wrong offense. ND is a finess pass happy team and has been that way since Willingham arrived. It's not what traditionally wins games for the Irish. They need a run first, power game with some option and play action pass type offense. ND can get get elite offensive linemen. They can get elite running backs and tight ends. They can always get QBs. Ara's teams and Lou's teams won with power not finess. They also had very physical defenses that punished opposing teams. Find a coach that can recruit those type of players and instill an attitude of perfection, the the Irish will be tops again. Kelly is a good coach. His philosophy doesn't work for ND. Going to play football at Notre Dame is not the same as going to Bama, OSU or FSU. ND needs to play football that fits the for them. They don't need to be Oregon or Baylor. Kelly has some really good linemen and outstanding running backs. Yet he focuses on throwing 50 times a game. It makes no sense. Get the right coach and the wins will follow.
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ND is right where the powers that be up in the Administration want it. They give lip service to competing for titles in football, BUT they have it roped tighter than a hangman's knot around a bad guy's throat.
Absolutely the Irish will be back on top. The Bama Program, hell(Carroll yrs) SC for that matter proves it possible.
The ND brand at some point will demand it...Just as Bsma's did
Agree. The #1problem with ND football is......they have done a terrible job of hiring head coaches for the past 20 years.
Think about this - 20 years of bad coaching hires.
One could begin to think this has been done by design. Could ND have done a worse job if this actually was their intention? I doubt it.
Just 1 example: Swarbrick hiring Kelly was bad enough - but the 6 year extension - for a coach who has never won a major bowl game in 6 (now 7) seasons and arguably has 1 "big" win (against a 3-loss Oklahoma team) - very difficult to understand.
we have everything we need to win it all except the HC and maybe some of the staff.
We have the talent; if not as much as Alabama close enough. We obviously have the facilities. We certainly have the name.
Where was Alabama before Saban? Where did USC go after Carrol?
It all comes down to the HC in todays College Football.
We have the talent; if not as much as Alabama close enough. We obviously have the facilities. We certainly have the name.
Where was Alabama before Saban? Where did USC go after Carrol?
It all comes down to the HC in todays College Football.
How many schools are on par with Alabama on a consistent basis? Not many, if any at all. They will beat Clemson again tonight and they will have the #1 recruiting class for (I believe) the 6th year in a row.
Until Saban retires they will remain on top.
Until Saban retires they will remain on top.
Jeez no hope. We might as well close up shop then. Until the program is gone there is always hope. That's what being a fan is, "hoping." ND doesn't win big every year and I'm glad I got to see ND win a natty and play in the natty (in the modern bowl era.) I expect us to be back in the next 3-5 years but I know we won't be in it every year nor do I expect it.
No one is expecting ND to be on a par with 'Bama
'Bama has not won the NC title every year (it only seems that way).
In the ten years that Saban has been at 'Bama they have won 4 NC Titles (after tonight's game that may be 5)......remarkable to say the least.
In Kelly's 7 years at ND, he has not won even 1 significant BOWL Game.....not 1.
If ND had their FB act together they could - in the odd year when 'Bama does not win the NC title - at least compete for the title.
The UND seems to satisfied with merely creating the illusion of being a competitive FB program - as long as all that money keeps rolling in.
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They've won championships because they're in a conference. ND isn't in a conference so you can't compare the two. Stanford hasn't come close to a natty and they won't. They are a team to be respected and it stops there.
If ND lost three games a year during Kelly's tenure (which is what Shaw averages), there would be those on here stating "He can't get them over the top" or some such drivel. Those that want Kelly gone today say they just want to be competitive, but when that happens and there's no natty then they'll complain about that, just like what happened at Georgia with Richt.
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