Preseason Top 25 Polls

[Whiskeyjack]

SI's Andy Staples just published his post-spring Top 25. He puts ND at #5.

 

[koonja]

Best part is Michigan outside of the top 10 at 16.

 

[IrishSpartan]

SI's Andy Staples just published his post-spring Top 25. He puts ND at #5.

My roommate Trae Waynes made the spring star for MSU!

 

[phork]

I can't believe Stanford is so high.

 

[BGIF]

Riddick didn't make the list of significant personnel losses despite being ND's:


Leading Rusher (Carries, Yds, YPA)
#4 Receiver (#3 Receptions, #4 Yds)
Leading All-Purpose Runner

 

[FLDomer]

SI's Andy Staples just published his post-spring Top 25. He puts ND at #5.

MSU #14!!!! Is this guy serious!?!?!

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Riddick didn't make the list of significant personnel losses despite being ND's:


Leading Rusher (Carries, Yds, YPA)
#4 Receiver (#3 Receptions, #4 Yds)
Leading All-Purpose Runner

This hit me when Cierre made it. No disrespect, but other that the OK run, I think most of his offense could actually have been replaced. And the reason that Theo should have definitely been on the list was becasue of the look on the SC defensive back's faces, and how slow they were getting up in the fourth quarter of that game. Running backs; a dime a dozen, big games, a million bucks; that kind of toughness, priceless!

Furthermore, he must have been going on reports from spring games for the spring stars. So you know that there is nothing substantial about this reporting. A hundered teams playing with themselves gives you no idea how they are going to do with competition, and if he missed so much of what ND did in spring camp naming Troy Nicklas and only Troy spring star, WOW! No wonder BK hid everything from the media! LOL!

 

[greyhammer90]

We would've definitely lost the BYU/Stanford game without Riddick and his running was the breaking point for USC IMO. He was huge last year.

 

[nlroma1o]

Is OSU really going to be that good this year? They got sooooooooooo lucky last year. Not impressed with their schedule either.... God i hate those guys...

 

[greyhammer90]

Is OSU really going to be that good this year? They got sooooooooooo lucky last year. Not impressed with their schedule either.... God i hate those guys...

They'll probably be better than they were last year and their schedule will be weaker. I don't think they are actually a top 5 team, but they have to be in the top 5 most likely to go the NC.

 

[nlroma1o]

They'll probably be better than they were last year and their schedule will be weaker. I don't think they are actually a top 5 team, but they have to be in the top 5 most likely to go the NC.

Well thats lovely. They have to slip up somehwere. They got way too lucky last year. Someone will beat them.

 

[koonja]

They'll probably be better than they were last year and their schedule will be weaker. I don't think they are actually a top 5 team, but they have to be in the top 5 most likely to go the NC.

They lost their starting QB to some freak medical issue, their TEs are gone (no?) and Chase Thomas is finally gone, not to mention their great RB. I don't think they're a top 5, maybe even top 10 team.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

They lost their starting QB to some freak medical issue, their TEs are gone (no?) and Chase Thomas is finally gone, not to mention their great RB. I don't think they're a top 5, maybe even top 10 team.

Wait a minute, are we talking tOSU or Stanford?

 

[koonja]

Wait a minute, are we talking tOSU or Stanford?

I'm talking Stanford. OSU will play us in the NC game. Book it.

 

[greyhammer90]

They lost their starting QB to some freak medical issue, their TEs are gone (no?) and Chase Thomas is finally gone, not to mention their great RB. I don't think they're a top 5, maybe even top 10 team.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I'm talking Stanford. OSU will play us in the NC game. Book it.

Just don't leave us in the dust, bro?

(And you said I was hard to understand.)

 

[koonja]

Where did I lose you guys?

 

[greyhammer90]

Where did I lose you guys?

I responded to a comment talking about OSU saying that OSU wasn't a top five team. Then you responded to my comment saying that "they" weren't a top 10 team. Except you were talking about Stanford. You didn't say you were switching the topic.

 

[Ndaccountant]

They lost their starting QB to some freak medical issue, their TEs are gone (no?) and Chase Thomas is finally gone, not to mention their great RB. I don't think they're a top 5, maybe even top 10 team.

Nunes was not the starter. Hogan is.

 

[koonja]

You mean OSU dosen't mean Stanford?

You guys are crazy.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

I responded to a comment talking about OSU saying that OSU wasn't a top five team. Then you responded to my comment saying that "they" weren't a top 10 team. Except you were talking about Stanford. You didn't say you were switching the topic.

Was he? Were you K-man?

 

[koonja]

Nunes was not the starter. Hogan is.

Is Hogan the guy that can run?

 

[Ndaccountant]

Is Hogan the guy that can run?

Hogan is the one that led them the last few games last year. He was better, IMO, in throwing and running and Stanford was a much better team with Hogan than when we played them.

 

[RuntheBall]

Speaking of Michigan, is Derrick projected to start at RB as a true frosh (non-EE, if 247 is correct)? That may explain a bit of their running problems, but I think we should be able to bottle Green is his 2nd game if indeed he does start/ get serious PT.

 

[PANDFAN]

Speaking of Michigan, is Derrick projected to start at RB as a true frosh (non-EE, if 247 is correct)? That may explain a bit of their running problems, but I think we should be able to bottle Green is his 2nd game if indeed he does start/ get serious PT.

fitz is their starter but has been out...so basically it is green to play a major role

 

[irishroo]

Speaking of Michigan, is Derrick projected to start at RB as a true frosh (non-EE, if 247 is correct)? That may explain a bit of their running problems, but I think we should be able to bottle Green is his 2nd game if indeed he does start/ get serious PT.

Certainly a strong possibility. I'd compare Michigan's RB situation to ours, actually. Quite a bit of talent on the roster, no real separation so far by any of them, and a big-time RB talent coming in in the fall. Quote from Hoke:

"Fitz (Toussaint), he’s made really good strides. He probably could have done a little more, but I think his progress is pretty good. I think Thomas (Rawls) made a nice run in there today, had a really nice cut. (Dennis) Norfleet made a guy miss in the hole. I think Drake (Johnson) ran hard, and Justice (Hayes) protected well a couple times there, but we’re a work in progress. Has there been any separation? I don’t think so yet. We’ll go through some of it in the fall."

 

[CraigKrenzel]

SIAP, just seeing this

SIAP, just seeing this

Speaking of way to early ESPN, Kiper's first big board for 2014:

7. Louis Nix
13. Stephon Tuitt
20. Aaron Lynch

His comment on Lynch: "Just imagine for a moment how scary the Notre Dame defensive line would be in 2013 if Lynch had stayed in South Bend. He's added some bulk to his frame since his breakout freshmen campaign, and that should allow him to drive blockers and not become over-reliant on his burst to create separation as a pass-rusher."

Some other notables from our schedule:
3. Marqise Lee
8. Taylor Lewan
23. Kyle Van Noy

For perspective on the last couple Big Board debuts: A look back at Mel Kiper’s very first 2013 big board from back in May 2012 – Blogging the bEast

 

[phork]

Stewart Mandel has OSU as having the best chance to upset the SEC this year... ORLY?

 

[Whiskeyjack]

His comment on Lynch: "Just imagine for a moment how scary the Notre Dame defensive line would be in 2013 if Lynch had stayed in South Bend. He's added some bulk to his frame since his breakout freshmen campaign, and that should allow him to drive blockers and not become over-reliant on his burst to create separation as a pass-rusher."

I thought Lynch dropped a lot of weight to maximize speed for USF's 4-3. Last I read, he's sitting around 255.

 

[WakeUpEchoes]

Where to start...

It was cold as shyte and snowing, they served cold coffee inside the stadium. The hot pretzels were cold. Everything about that damn place was cold. Except the bathrooms. The bathrooms reaked of **** even though there was hardly anyone there. Wait you probably want to know about how the team looked don't you...

I am no where near an expert, so take this with a grain of salt.

Punters are god awful. FG kickers were kicking into a strong cross wind and suprisingly made the majority of their kicks.

They didnt play a normal game like we do at the blue and gold game. They played 2 20 min halfs that were just restarted from the LOS where ever the coaching staff wanted. It was really more of a practice or run through than a game.

Offense primarily worked out from deep in their own territory. Lots of short quick out routes. I think there were 2 or three deep balls. Gardner was pretty accurate on the day from what i remember, but the back ups were horrible. Other than gardner their completion percentage was pathetic. Their run game was pretty no existent.

The D line was def getting a big push on their o line, which was expected. Dbacks looked pretty good at keeping the ball in front of them, but the play calling was very vanilla. Nothing really to challenge the d backs that much. I dont remeber how the linebackers did.

This is a good assessment. Most of my buddies went to the spring game, and I watched it on Big Ten Network later that night. It wasn't really a "game," more of a live practice.

Gardner looks pretty good and should be significantly improved. I think the guy to watch out for on offense is Funchess, their big TE. He had some big catches and could get up. Other than that, they really don't have any explosive skill players, and their receiving core is pretty awful.

With Jake Ryan out on D, nothing much to write home about there either.