This is not trolling, I'm just curious as to what the answer is.

Why do you think Notre Dame hasn't been successful so far this year?

Please please PLEASE don't turn this thread into a pissing match, I would like to hear actual discussion from ND fans.

first year coach, new system

No defense. Same story different year. Although I think their D is much better this year but their offense has regressed.

Jesus still clings to His Jewish roots and really couldn't give a shit about ND.

Offense has struggled at times with the new offense. Defense has played better then last year, but still is below par.

Lack of overall speed/playmakers on defense, implementing the spread offense, 1st year starter at QB.

lhslep134;501302 wrote:This is not trolling, I'm just curious as to what the answer is.

Why do you think Notre Dame hasn't been successful so far this year?

Please please PLEASE don't turn this thread into a pissing match, I would like to hear actual discussion from ND fans.

Playing 3 Top 25 teams. The overall speed is down at Notre Dame. Having a 1st year quarterback, and you there defense is just not good right now.

Admissions standards and Tom Lemming.

karen lotz;501432 wrote:Admissions standards and Tom Lemming.

Elaborate?

lhslep134;501450 wrote:Elaborate?

Figured I would throw those out before the regulars come on here and say it. Everyone says ND can't get top athletes because of strict admission policies. And then there are those that say the recruits that they do get in are overrated by ND homer Tom Lemming. My post was pure sarcasm.


Really though, like its been said already, not enough playmakers on defense. Te'o has been better than last year although he has also missed some very key tackles. Ian Williams has probably been the most consistent player on the team at nose guard. Secondary is thin and was hurt by injuries to 2 of the 4 safeties on the roster. The corners have also been a little dinged. Offensive struggles have a lot to do with learning a new system with a QB who has started 4 (not counting last years Purdue game when Clausen was hobbled with his toe). They have looked unstoppable at times and at others they have looked lost. 2 fumbles inside the 10 yard line also played a very large part in the first 2 losses.

I think he was being facetious. The admission standards is what everyone uses to say they can't recruit. Personally I feel it makes the advocate of the cause look like an idiot.

They haven't done so well because:

1) New coach. Two new systems. Switching from a pro offense to an immensely-complicated spread takes time. Switching form a 4-3 to a 3-4 isn't cake either, especially for DE's and OLB's.

2) OLB's and S's are struggling mightily. Brian Smith's skill set is limited to blitzing, that's about it. He's a liability in space and in coverage. The safeties have no depth, literally, andhavebeen injured.

3) Schedule. Notre Dame's opening schedule will just about always be front heavy because of their independence. Michigan's quarterback is unbelievable in the truest sense of the word. Michigan State is very solid and Stanford is ranked in the top ten.

Put it all together (learning new systems on both sides of the ball whilst playing a tough schedule) and it's a recipe for problems. That said, they very easily could be 3-1 so let's not pretend this is a 2007-esque Notre Dame squad. You can see the improved fundamentals with each passing play.

They are coming into the lighter part of the schedule, I expect plenty of W's within the next two months.

The cupboard is bare because Ty was there.

Again, cc stick to cross country please. I know its hard to fathom that there is more to a sport than running half naked through the woods, but it's true. If you honestly think every system in football is the same and boils down to "It pass and run, how hard is it?" there is no point of you commenting.

ccrunner609;501609 wrote:New coach? Is he a noob to being a head coach? Lame ass excuse.

New system? Are they not playing with a football? It pass and run, how hard is it?

Players struggling? Dont they have a roster full of 6* recruits?

Schedule.....LOL. They played 2 B10 bottom feeders and a PAC 10 school.


STFU.

You really are a fucking idiot.

Tiger2003;501681 wrote:You really are a fucking idiot.

Co-sign.

Ya I hate Notre Dame, and alot of you know that. But they will be back just like Michigan is on the way. People on here that know the game knew they were going to struggle this year. Going from a pro offense to a Spread is a huge deal, and switching the defense. Brian Kelly will get the guys he needs at Notre Dame and they will be back playing for a bid to the BCS Title game.

Notre Dame so far has played the best schedule. 3 Big 10 teams and a Pac 10 team, nobody else can say that. Yes I know being independent is the reason but 3 of the 4 are ranked and undefeated right now.

Give the Irish a year or so and they will be back.

ccrunner609;501701 wrote:^^^We heard that shit how many years with Weis?

There is a difference in the way this team is competing and playing this year and the attitude of the team is changing. Kelly also actually has a plan that has worked in the past, unlike Weis. Obviously someone with your (limited) knowledge of actual sports can't understand that.

Word.

If you can't watch a Notre Dame game and see the difference between now and under Weis, you shouldn't be allowed to watch football. Too many dumb people speaking like they know what they're talking about already.

Tiger2003;501681 wrote:You really are a fucking idiot.

That comment may cost you one demerit.

A lot of valid points as to why ND is 1-3 yet they could easily be 3-1.

Kelly is different in many ways compared to Weis and other past coaches. His attention to detail is one of the main things, he even set a standard on how the players lockers should look. I also believe that Kelly has reminded his players who ND is and what it stands for, he said himself that he was shocked at how many players didn't know ND's full history. I still see many similarities between Kelly's first year and Holtz's first year. He has these guys believing that they can win it's just a matter of taking the next step and making the extra plays to pull out a tight victory.

sjmvsfscs08;502058 wrote:Word.

If you can't watch a Notre Dame game and see the difference between now and under Weis, you shouldn't be allowed to watch football. Too many dumb people speaking like they know what they're talking about already.

Therein, lies the problem. Most of the douchebags that troll these ND threads only watch Notre Dame's highlights on Sportscenter and haven't watched a down of an actual game. It's easy to say ND looks like shit based on the three highlights ESPN decides to show.

ccrunner609;501701 wrote:^^^We heard that shit how many years with Weis?

There's a big difference because we were just assuming that Weis could be a successful college head coach because he was a successful NFL offensive coordinator. Kelly on the other hand is a proven college head coach who has built programs and been successful everywhere he's been. It will be harder for ND to get back because the landscape of college football has changed drastically in the last decade. A coach can't walk into a player's living room wearing an ND polo and automatically sign a top recruit. So many more teams are on national television every week that Notre Dame is no longer the most visible team. It's harder now to recruit top players to a team that has struggled for nearly a decade to come there over a school like Texas, USC, Florida, or Ohio State. It will take baby steps over a few years like what Nebraska has done. It isn't going to happen overnight.

Now, I think that we're also beginning to realize that Weis really wasn't as good of a recruiter as everyone made him out to be. Everyone talked about how Weis was a vastly superior recruiter that Willingham, yet his best seasons were with Willingham's players. I think ND's struggles this year just serve to prove that Weis didn't recruit as well as most thought. I think the fact that Crist had a concussion during the Michigan game probably also cost them that victory. They also have a lot of new starters this year, and instead of improving on what they did last year by being able to work on more things in the offseason, they had to go back to square one with a new offensive and defensive system. Most programs would have some hiccups when a new coach with a new system comes in, especially when that team doesn't have the same talent as some of the elite teams out there.

krambman;502162 wrote:There's a big difference because we were just assuming that Weis could be a successful college head coach because he was a successful NFL offensive coordinator. Kelly on the other hand is a proven college head coach who has built programs and been successful everywhere he's been. It will be harder for ND to get back because the landscape of college football has changed drastically in the last decade. A coach can't walk into a player's living room wearing an ND polo and automatically sign a top recruit. So many more teams are on national television every week that Notre Dame is no longer the most visible team. It's harder now to recruit top players to a team that has struggled for nearly a decade to come there over a school like Texas, USC, Florida, or Ohio State. It will take baby steps over a few years like what Nebraska has done. It isn't going to happen overnight.

Now, I think that we're also beginning to realize that Weis really wasn't as good of a recruiter as everyone made him out to be. Everyone talked about how Weis was a vastly superior recruiter that Willingham, yet his best seasons were with Willingham's players. I think ND's struggles this year just serve to prove that Weis didn't recruit as well as most thought. I think the fact that Crist had a concussion during the Michigan game probably also cost them that victory. They also have a lot of new starters this year, and instead of improving on what they did last year by being able to work on more things in the offseason, they had to go back to square one with a new offensive and defensive system. Most programs would have some hiccups when a new coach with a new system comes in, especially when that team doesn't have the same talent as some of the elite teams out there.

That's a fair assesment but I disagree about Weis' recruiting. I'll make the same point I've made in the past.......a lot of these players who came in under Weis were sought after by just about every major CFB program in the country. Their talent level is there, development never took place and IMO that's where Kelly will make his biggest impact.

Well, I thought it was unfair to play the "ND could be 1 and whatever" card last year so I'm going to be consistent this year and say they are what they are.....1-3.

Do things "look" better on the field? Yes, I think so. However, the results aren't there to back that up. The defense appears a lot better in regards to fundamentals (except for a few guys missing tackles) but it's a lack of playmakers and speed that does them in on that side of the ball. I'm not seeing nearly as many blown coverages and piss poor technique defensively as we saw under Weis. And 3rd down defense is a killer. They've got to find a way to get off the field on 3rd down. I guess what it really boils down to is recruiting and developing fast playmakers for the defense. Unfortunately, that's probably gonna take some time.

Offensively, I think ND will be fine as players become more acclimated with the spread. And there's no substitute for experience and confidence.....which will both come in time. Crist has at times looked great. Other times, he's appeared confused and tentative. Just unsure. We have several capable backs but Allen gets dinged up frequently and Wood has oodles of potential but he looks scared at times and he can't pick up the blitz for shit. Jonas Gray? Meh. He's just okay. Hughes will get a look this week....probably to help with pass protection.

WR's are definitely a strength and I'd like to see Floyd targeted more but some improvement with Dayne's deep ball might help with that. Rudolph is probably the best TE in the country. Riddick has made a nice transition to WR but that drop early in the Stanford game that would've resulted in a 1st down shows that Theo has still got some work to do. Sure, players drop passes sometimes but that was inexcusable. Tai-ler Jones will be a stud and is pretty good now for that matter. I guess we'll see Jackson and Goodman this week as Duval "Claude Rains" Kumara is turning out to be nothing more than a disappointment. That's a shame.

The o-line....well, they haven't been awful but they've definitely struggled at times. Crist takes some shots.....

I think the special teams, minus the fake FG play at MSU and Cierre Wood returning punts like a bitch, has been pretty good. Particularly the KO and PR coverage.

Kelly has done a decent job thus far from what I've seen. Again, it's not showing in the win column and there have been a few head scratching moments regarding playcalling. However, we're only 4 games into his coaching career at ND so good or bad.....I'm not going to get too up or down. I made that mistake early on with Weis and won't do it again. That doesn't mean I won't get excited or disappointed but just not going to go overboard either way.

Let's hope they can get a much needed win on Saturday night.

There were plenty of valid points there, I and agree with them to different degrees.

The biggest thing for me though is fundamentals, and there has been a huge improvement. Offensively, Kelly is keeping it vanilla. This offense doesn't resemble Cincinnati last season, that takes awhile to get to. I thought I remember him saying in the off-season that it takes three years to get 100% of the playbook in. It's not rocket science, but in a way it almost is.

But what really gets me is Ohio State fans harping "1-3! 1-3! 1-3!" ad nauseum...

Jim Tressel's first season at Youngstown State he went 2-9 (and then 4-8 in his third year). His first season at Ohio State he went 7-5.

Nick Saban's first two seasons at Michigan State were 6-5-1 and 6-6, respectively. His first season at Alabama was a 7-6, 6-6 in the regular season.

Mack Brown went 1-10 his first season at Tulane and had back-to-back 1-10 seasons at North Carolina his first two years.

Pete Carroll's first season at Southern Cal was 6-6.

Bob Stoops opened up with a 7-5 record at Oklahoma.



In short, people need to calm the hell down.