Maybe so. But I would definitely say next season would qualify as being portal-worthy at the QB position, if we could get someone really good. No offense to Angeli. And that would make three out of four seasons with a grad transfer starter at QB, and quite frankly it ought to have been four years straight, because in 2022 we might have been better off finding a transfer for that season as well.
The problem is Hartman wasn’t good enough to win 10 games and wasted a year of development on a 1 year guy. It’s exactly why the portal discussion is being held now because the coaches haven’t developed the QB room. How long can ND survive playing the portal and neglecting the development of the guys recruited?
At some point you need to play the guys you recruited out of high school.
That's a totally fair point. But I think that is offset by the fact that we could have done better this year, if we still had Rees let's say, not that TR is the godboy of OCs, but definitely better than Parker. And F, if we hadn't lost to tOSU, which truly was a gut-wrencher and season-changer, maybe we're undefeated and cruising toward the playoffs right now, and then bringing SH in would have been a masterstroke....
Sam Hartman??
Why wasn’t the OL good enough? Disappointing that the group maybe underachieved. Do you expect big changes next season?
Definitely underachieved after the praise the Buckeyes D line gave them
The OL looked great against OSU. Collectively all season not so great.
I like Angeli too. I always have. You're right; we don't get to see him at practice or in the QB room, but the coaches so and they are the ones who have chosen to go this route. I agree with their decision to get another QB on the roster who is capable of playing immediately. Otherwise, your #2 is a sophomore with virtually no experience at all and none with the first team offense. That just won't cut it in today's football.
The OSU game is a strange set of circumstances.
The answer is to recruit better. The point of contention is what to do until the better talent has been on campus at least a year or two, so Freeman's 3rd or 4rh season. I think that the staff could do just fine by starting a guy already on the roster. They have bought into the idea that they can be a playoff team and are a QB away. They are more than a QB away from being a true title contender. That's why I think the better route would be to pick a guy who has already been in the system and ride with that guy until it's clear that he can't get it done. Try the next guy after that. Eventually you have a multi-year starter and you play him until eligibility is exhausted.
Its more than just a transfer QB vs unknown QB's
I think our OL underperformed when faced with smaller quicker defensive lines, and/or when faced with hyper active schemes like Louisville threw at us. Maybe finals week and lack of prep or energy affected our play that night, but felt we were out coached and outplayed, and Hartman took the brunt of the criticism.
That’s fair..and why I was against bringing in Hartman from the get go if the team was going to go 9-3. I thought the rental would be worthwhile at 11-1 or 12-0. I see it as wasted year of development and believe Angelli could have gone 9-3 as well and now would be rolling into year 2 as a starter..rather than rolling the dice again in The portal.
It certainly wasn't totally on Hartman; I receiver room is simply bad, both young and inexperienced, it really didn't matter who the QB was. To say Hartman isn't championship caliber simply wasn't knowable
Hes not. And theres a lot of QBs that we could have won 11 or 12 games with.
Saying Steve Angeli was a guaranteed 9-3 season, or even could have gone 9-3, is a reach IMO.
Well we don't actually know that, that is nothing more than your opinion. I think with a quality, experienced receivers room we would have won 11 games, but that's just my opinion. Both opinions are mute, as we'll never know
And there are a lot of WR's, OC's, and better OL's that collectively could have won more games as well.
I point at a lot of people
Why? The defense and running game carried the season, ND didn’t win any games they weren’t supposed to and lost two they were favorites in. Either way, the 1 year rental for the Sun Bowl was awful anyway you slice it. QB play was average at best, elite QB play has this team in the playoff not the Sun Bowl.
The rental of Sam Hartman wasn't awful. At all. If Steve Angeli was any good in practice from January-November he would have received significant snaps.
I don't get takes like the one to which you responded. What is it that they saw in Sam Hartman that was so special?
