How good (or bad) are we?

[solo]

The blowout losses at this point are a real concern for me. When I look at how USC, Michigan, and LSU played versus the good teams on their schedule and the bad teams on their schedule, and compare that to how they played versus us, our game with them compares more favorably to the bad teams on their schedule.

Of course, I don't think we are a bad team, but it does make me wonder just how far we have to go to compete with the elite. Those teams stomped us just as bad they stomped the worst teams in their conference. We also struggled against some mediocre teams like UCLA and Mich State.

I'm thinking that we are presently a borderline top 25 program. We compete much more favorably with other fringe teams like GT and PSU than the big boys.

 

[NDOM]

The blowout losses at this point are a real concern for me. When I look at how USC, Michigan, and LSU played versus the good teams on their schedule and the bad teams on their schedule, and compare that to how they played versus us, our game with them compares more favorably to the bad teams on their schedule.

Of course, I don't think we are a bad team, but it does make me wonder just how far we have to go to compete with the elite. Those teams stomped us just as bad they stomped the worst teams in their conference. We also struggled against some mediocre teams like UCLA and Mich State.

I'm thinking that we are presently a borderline top 25 program. We compete much more favorably with other fringe teams like GT and PSU than the big boys.

I agree man. I say at best we are a #20-25 team. AT BEST. until we can beat the Usc's, Michigan's, and Lsu's and manhandle teams like Ucla and Michigan State then were just plain ok. Notre Dame is Overrated year in and year out because they play a pathetically weak schedual and the 3 teams that are good on the schedual run 40+ points on the board all the time. oh and Rick Minter needs to go. Period.

 

[Junkhead]

It seems as if every team plays their best game against ND. Every opponent is always up for the game since they are always on national TV.

 

[marv81s]

Like Weis stated after the disaster, we are a nice 10-3 team, but you don't win championships being a nice team.

We'll be among the elite again in a couple years. Even if we don't get the players today (aka Donald, Edwards, Wright, etc) we still have a damn good class right now of recruits and we have a few more in the wings that aren't announcing today.

We are a good team, just not an elite yet. Our next recruiting class is going to be another top 10 class, so we will be in good shape for a run in '08 and in great shape for a title run in '09. Weis will get us there!

If someone would have told you when Weis took over after Ty's last year and the shit year those two were, Would you be happy with back to back BCS bowl games? What would you have said then? If they would have said, in Weis's first two years that the ND team would be 19-6, would you have believed them based on what you saw the prior year. I know I would have told that person to get the hell out of town and give me some of what your smoking.

We'll be amongst the elite again in a couple years, even if we only end up with one kid today, keep the faith!

 

[kjones]

I agree with marv, but unfortunatly, we're gonna see a lot more weeping and gloom and despair around here because it's gonna be a long time till next season. By then most of these same people will have convinced themselves that we are NC caliber already and the Clausen is a lock for the Heisman.

 

[solo]

I agree man. I say at best we are a #20-25 team. AT BEST. until we can beat the Usc's, Michigan's, and Lsu's and manhandle teams like Ucla and Michigan State then were just plain ok. Notre Dame is Overrated year in and year out because they play a pathetically weak schedual and the 3 teams that are good on the schedual run 40+ points on the board all the time. oh and Rick Minter needs to go. Period.

I don't agree with the "weak schedule" part. Our schedule ALWAYS ranks in the top 25, ALWAYS. If you don't believ me on that check out sgarins website to look at historic team SOS. I already did so. 20th is the lowest our schedule has rated in the last 5 years. The last 2 years, many of our opponents let us down, still our schedule was top 20. And the last 2 years schedules were the easiest ND schedules I can remember in a while.

Sure, we schedule a few patsies, but so does everyone else. When you consider that the average BCS conference team schedules 3 patsies OOC and also plays the 3 cellar dwellars in their conference, that is 6 games against cupcakes for your average team. I think when you start looking at who everyone else plays, our schedule looks a lot tougher.

Now, I do agree that ND gets over rated frequently. That's because we are still riding the reputation of our glory years and are the mosty recognizeable name in sports. The fact that both sports writers and the bowls can make money off the ND brand helps too. The ND brand simply sells, period. So when we look like we are getting good, guaranteed people are going to be writing about us and moving us up in the polls.

So while I agree that ND is often over rated, I can't agree wiht your comment that our schedule is easy.

 

[marv81s]

nobody should expect much of anything in '07. By the truest meaning, '07 is going to be a rebuilding year and ND will go to a 2nd tier bowl. To expect another 10 win season, your setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

[Fighting_Irish9]

We had top 15 talent (maybe even top 10), we are a good not great team.

Weis has shown nothing to garner all this "genius" talk and if people returned to the world of reality they would see this type of season should have been expected. Weis has a lot to learn about being a head coach and college football. We need to give him time to do so before acting like he is a God, and before jumping on him.

This is a good team, Weis isn't a miracle worker, the players we have produced as they should, going 12-1 or 13-0 would have made Weis a "miracle" worker however that didn't happen. We had the type of season a team with this talent should have

 

[Timugen]

We had top 15 talent (maybe even top 10), we are a good not great team.

Weis has shown nothing to garner all this "genius" talk and if people returned to the world of reality they would see this type of season should have been expected. Weis has a lot to learn about being a head coach and college football. We need to give him time to do so before acting like he is a God, and before jumping on him.

This is a good team, Weis isn't a miracle worker, the players we have produced as they should, going 12-1 or 13-0 would have made Weis a "miracle" worker however that didn't happen. We had the type of season a team with this talent should have

Your evaluation of the talent as top-15 or top-10 totally ignores the lack of depth. Our 22 starters may be top-15 talent (arguable on defense,) but once you get past the starters, the only real talent on the team is a bunch of raw, inexperienced talent in the freshmen.

 

[dankus]

We had top 25 talent maybe, we are a good but not great team.

Weis has shown nothing to garner all this "genius" talk, except mold a mediocre QB into a possible #1 draft pick who set 36 school records and if people returned to the world of reality, where ND the two years before Weis was a paltry 11-13 and the two years under Weis with virtually the same players are 19-6, they would see these types of seasons should be celebrated. Weis still has some to learn about being a head coach and college football, but he is doing a great job in recruiting and getting the talent out of his currentplayers. We need to give him time to do so before acting like he is a God, but he is on his way to becoming a great coach.

This is a good team, but Weis isn't a miracle worker and National Championship aspirations were a bit far-fetched, but the players we have produced a better than expected season. Going 12-1 or 13-0 would have made Weis a "Football God", but that didn't happen. We had the type of season a team with this obvious lack of talent shouldn't have, as apparent during the Willingham era, but Weis somehow made it work.

I fixed your post, there were obvious mistakes. Hope you don't mind.

 

[Knute Rockne]

I know it was definitely a down year, with expectations failed. However, when you consider the previous regime had a difficult time beating teams like Stanford, Purdue and Boston College, it was yet another step forward.

Hopefully, next year they can get a win over either USC or Michigan, if not both.

 

[solo]

"We had top 25 talent maybe, we are a good but not great team."

AND WE WILL FINISH THE SEASON SOMEWHERE AROUND #20. SO NO GENIUS IN THAT.



"Weis has shown nothing to garner all this "genius" talk, except mold a mediocre QB into a possible #1 draft pick who set 36 school records and if people returned to the world of reality, where ND the two years before Weis was a paltry 11-13 and the two years under Weis with virtually the same players are 19-6,"

WE WILL SEE WHAT TYPE OF COACH WEIS IS WHEN BQ IS GONE. EVEN CHUCK AMATO LOOKED LIKE A GREAT COACH WHEN HE HAD RIVERS AT QB

"they would see these types of seasons should be celebrated."

I WOULD RATHER GO 2-10 AND BEAT USC AND MICHIGAN THAN 10-2 AND HAVE THOSE TEAMS HAND US OUR JOCKSTRAPS. THERE WILL BE NO CELEBRATION HERE.

"Weis still has some to learn about being a head coach and college football, but he is doing a great job in recruiting and getting the talent out of his currentplayers. "

I AGREE. THOUGH I DON'T THINK HE IS GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THE DEFENSIVE PLAYERS WE HAVE. OUR DEFENSE PLAYS BELOW THEIR SKILL LEVEL.

"We need to give him time to do so before acting like he is a God, but he is on his way to becoming a great coach."

I AGREE.

"This is a good team, but Weis isn't a miracle worker and National Championship aspirations were a bit far-fetched,"

TOTAL AGREEMENT

" but the players we have produced a better than expected season."

NOT REALLY. I EXPECTED US TO COMPETE WITH EVERYONE ON THE SCHEDULE BUT TO LOSE 3 GAMES. WE FELL SHORT.

"Going 12-1 or 13-0 would have made Weis a "Football God", but that didn't happen. We had the type of season a team with this obvious lack of talent shouldn't have, as apparent during the Willingham era, but Weis somehow made it work."

ACTUALLY, WILLINGHAM HAD A SIMILAR SEASON IN YEAR ONE. HE WON 10 GAMES BUT GOT SPANKED BY THE BEST TEAMS ON THE SCHEDULE.

YOU SEE, WEIS NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THAT HIS SALARY LEVEL BRINGS CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS. I BELIEVE THAT HE IS THE ONLY $3M PER SEASON COACH THAT HASN'T WON A NC OR EVEN A BOWL GAME. AND HE IS CERTAINLY THE ONLY $3M COACH THAT HASN'T BEEN COMPETITIVE IN A BOWL GAME. WEIS IS WAY BETTER THAN WILLINGHAM. BUT HE HASN'T PROVEN THAT HE IS AS GOOD AS STOOPS, TRESSELL, CARROLL OR THE COACHES IN HIS SALARY BRACKET. AND I BET IF ASKED, HE WOULD ADMIT IT.

 

[kjones]

ACTUALLY, WILLINGHAM HAD A SIMILAR SEASON IN YEAR ONE. HE WON 10 GAMES BUT GOT SPANKED BY THE BEST TEAMS ON THE SCHEDULE.

Are you serious? Boston College was one of the best teams on our schedule? And did you watch that season? I was a student during that time and we won all our games with Bob Davie's defense. The offense was terrible and defensive touchdowns and special teams touchdowns won almost all our tough games. Don't try to posthumonously give TY a "good job" for something he didn't earn.

 

[GREENJERSEYS'07]

I agree with marv, but unfortunatly, we're gonna see a lot more weeping and gloom and despair around here because it's gonna be a long time till next season. By then most of these same people will have convinced themselves that we are NC caliber already and the Clausen is a lock for the Heisman.

well I don't know about the clausen bit(don't even know if he'll start),but as far as the NC caliber,I'll be the first to admit I have it.I have it every year,that's why we play the games.Do I honestly think we'll get there next year?no,but if(yeah,if) they lose a game,I won't kick the dog over it.

I expected it in '04 and after the byu game,I said there's michigan next and guess what?notre dame won.To make a long story short,I wasn't very happy after the purdue game,but I didn't kick the dog.I think I did throw something at the cat after that darn near 100 yarder from orton to stubblefield.I thought about it(kicking the dog) after the boston college or the pitt game,I can't remember.Notre dame did beat tennessee though and that game was in knoxville.

I'm up for next year.I just have this feeling for some reason that it won't be as bad as some think.I guess the only thing I'm a little upset about is the toughest part of the schedule is in the first half of the year,but no FAUSTism here "I'm gonna make it".through the year.

hell,I made it through '94,if anyone can make it through '94 then...