NCAA Football

[Old Red]

Freeman was considered one of the best up and coming coaches in the industry. He would’ve been hired quickly if Notre Dame didn’t promote him to HC.

 

That still doesn’t make him what should have been the top candidate for ND one way, or the other.

[Old Red]

Recruiting is so important . If you can't recruit well, you are not going to win. And it certainly helps recruiting if you can play like N.D. did last night.

 

All the turnovers last night made ND look better than they really are. It’s still the same team that barely lost to Ohio State, and also barely got by Duke, and was outplayed all night by Louisville. If your content with 8-4, 9-3 fine, but I’m not.

[dgalehouse]

All the turnovers last night made ND look better than they really are. It’s still the same team that barely lost to Ohio State, and also barely got by Duke, and was outplayed all night by Louisville. If your content with 8-4, 9-3 fine, but I’m not.

 

I want to see another National championship before I shuffle off this mortal coil.

[Old Red]

I want to see another National championship before I shuffle off this mortal coil.

 

I do too.

[Old Red]

Air Force is flying high. Undefeated at 6-0, and in the top 25 at 22.

[moonslav59]

He is really young, and is really good players coach/recruiter. He has a lot of talent coming in and I do think he’s getting better every week. I know it’s hard to be patient in college with a team expected to compete each year, but there was some “growing pains” expected with Freeman. However, He already has as many top 10 wins as Brian Kelly had in 12 years. I like Freeman

 

I do, too. He may have a learning curve, but I do feel better about our future than I have in a long time.

[moonslav59]

That still doesn’t make him what should have been the top candidate for ND one way, or the other.

 

Who was a better hire?

[Old Red]

Who was a better hire?

 

Do you really think there wouldn’t be a long list? I like Freeman, but I just think there were many out there in football land, who would have been more qualified, and especially more experienced if the brain trust actually did some searching, and didn’t do a quick knee jerk hire when they were blindsided by Kelly. It’s not like ND hasn’t made some bad hires before. Faust, and Weis come to mind.

[moonslav59]

Do you really think there wouldn’t be a long list? I like Freeman, but I just think there were many out there in football land, who would have been more qualified, and especially more experienced if the brain trust actually did some searching, and didn’t do a quick knee jerk hire when they were blindsided by Kelly. It’s not like ND hasn’t made some bad hires before. Faust, and Weis come to mind.

 

Why would you even ask me a question like that?

 

Of course, there would be a long list of people who would love to be the coach at ND.

 

You make a lot of assumptions about not searching and knee-jerk reactions. You act like interviews are the most important aspect about finding the right person. It might be, in some cases, especially on close calls where many candidates are similar and already liked by the hiring team.

 

Notre Dame is a unique university. They would likely not even consider over half of any good coaches that inquired about the job opening.

 

To you, "more qualified" is what you want. That's not a bad thing to have. It's not always the best thing.

 

They obviously liked Freeman. Maybe they liked him more than anyone else, and didn't need to "search" anymore. Maybe they felt he might sign elsewhere, if they waited.

 

You "like Freeman," so we got someone you like. I'm not sure why you assume we'd have done better with someone who seems to have more "qualifications."

[moonslav59]

Some near upsets in the top 15, but nothing major.

 

#3 Ohio St squeaked by #7 Penn St

#6 OK beat UCF by 2.

#8 Texas held on vs HOU.

#11 ALA came back and beat TN by 14.

#14 UT beat #18 USC by 2

 

Not much change in the Coaches' Poll:

1. GA (15 players drafted from last year's team)

2. MI

3. Ohio St

4. FSU

5. Wash

6. OK

7. TX (first 1 loss team)

8. ORE

9. ALA

10. Penn St

11. Ore St

12. Ole Miss

13. UT

14. ND (first 2 loss team)

15. LSU

16. MO

17. NC

18. Louisville

19. AF (7-0)

20. Duke

21. TN

22. Tulane

23. UCLA

24. USC

25. James Madison (7-0)

 

Blue= ND played, this year

Edited October 22, 2023 by moonslav59

[Old Red]

After a much needed break ND is back at it this week, so we’ll see how things shake out the rest of the year. I would like to see one of the younger QB get a little playing time the rest of the season.

[Old Red]

ND already talking about the transfer portal for a QB in 2024. Wow!

[moonslav59]

I doubt we bench Hartman, unless a game is out of reach.

 

We may still have a chance for a nice bowl invite.

[moonslav59]

ND can't take any game lightly, but winning out the rest of the season seems very possible.

 

I'm not sure any other top 25 team has played against 4 other top 25 teams, and the Fighting Irish went 2-2 in those games (4 straight games on their schedule).

 

14-17 Ohio St.

21-14 @ Duke

20-33 @ Louisville

48-20 USC

 

6-2, right now with these games to play:

 

Pitt (vs a RB who transferred from ND)

@ Clemson (not the great team it was a few years back)

Wake Forest

@ Stanford

 

They need to be careful not to take any of these teams as push-overs.

 

10-2 likely gets them into a top bowl game.

 

 

 

[moonslav59]

Kansas upset #6 Oklahoma.

 

#13 Utah is beating #8 Oregon, so maybe ND jumps up 2 slots, this week. (OKL may still rank higher.)

[Jasonbay44]

ND already talking about the transfer portal for a QB in 2024. Wow!

 

Why wouldn’t they be looking at that? Hartman is a senior and with the new transfer rules, a lot of good QBs become available. For example, Bo Nix, Michael Penix, and DJ Uiagalelei all transferred to new schools and are thriving.

[Old Red]

Why wouldn’t they be looking at that? Hartman is a senior and with the new transfer rules, a lot of good QBs become available. For example, Bo Nix, Michael Penix, and DJ Uiagalelei all transferred to new schools and are thriving.

 

I not saying they shouldn’t. It’s just that recently they haven’t had much success in developing their own.

[dgalehouse]

Another impressive performance by N.D. Absolutely pummeled Pitt. Aggressive defense and a strong pass rush. And I have to say that Jason Garrett does a great job as color analyst. He has a good voice, is knowledgeable and does his homework. When we mention announcers it is usually in a negative way, but Garrett is really good.

[moonslav59]

Clemson is coming alive vs ND.

 

It's not over, yet, but it is not looking good for the Irish.

[moonslav59]

Bad loss. I'm not sure why we went away from the running game, and Hartman sucked, today.

[Jasonbay44]

Hartman was awful. So was the offensive coordinator.

[Old Red]

Hartman was awful. So was the offensive coordinator.

 

I didn’t see the game today, but by the stats it did not look good for Hartman.I said a couple of weeks ago that one of the young QB should get some playing time, and after today especially.

[moonslav59]

I didn’t see the game today, but by the stats it did not look good for Hartman.I said a couple of weeks ago that one of the young QB should get some playing time, and after today especially.

 

Hartman has fallen apart.

 

He had no INTs in his first 6-7 games, and now has 7.

[dgalehouse]

Reality check for N.D. Still have a ways to go to be a consistently good team.

[moonslav59]

Reality check for N.D. Still have a ways to go to be a consistently good team.

 

I'm not sure they can ever get there, again, as long as they keep their rigorous academic levels.

[Jasonbay44]

Hartman has fallen apart.

 

He had no INTs in his first 6-7 games, and now has 7.

 

It also makes no sense that Audric Estime, one of the best backs in the nation only touched the ball 3 times the entire 2nd half.

[moonslav59]

It also makes no sense that Audric Estime, one of the best backs in the nation only touched the ball 3 times the entire 2nd half.

 

Agreed. I mentioned that earlier. Why stop what was working?

[moonslav59]

Bowl Rankings & games remaining:

 

1. Ohio St. (Mich St, MN, @#3 Mich)

2. Georgia (#9 Ole Miss, @ GA Tech)

3. Michigan (#10 @ Penn St., @MD, #1 Ohio St)

4. FSU (MIA Fl, @ FLA)

5. Wash (#18 Utah, @#12 Ore St., Wash St.)

 

1 loss teams

6. Oregon (USC, #12 Ore St.)

7. Texas (@TCU, @IA St., TX Tech)

8. Alabama (@ KY, @AUB)

9. Ole Miss (@#2 GA, ULM, @MS St.)

10. Penn St. (#3 Mich, @ Mich St)

11. Louisville (VA, @MIA Fl, KY)

 

Then Conference championships games.

 

[moonslav59]

A few near misses in the top 10, but no losses by any top 12 team.

 

Big games remaining:

 

Next week:

GA @ TN (who just lost to Mizzou)

WSH @ ORE St

 

Thanksgiving weekend:

ORE St @ ORE

Ohio St @ Mich

FSU @ FLA

ALA @ AUB

 

Then, conference games...

(Likely match-ups)

Ohio St/ Mich winner v Iowa

GA v ALA

FSU v Louisville

WASH v ORE or ORE St/AZ

TX vs OK, KSt or OK St

 

[Bellhorn04]

Somebody riddle me this one:

 

How in the hell does a university sports program have so much money to burn that they can sign a football coach to a $95 million contract extension, and then fire him with $77.6 million still owing to him? (Texas A & M)