Way Too Early Pre-Season Garbage.

[kmoose]

You pick that, and not Stewart calling Joe Schmidt a "standout?" I guess technically the term could apply, but not for the reasons SM implied.

How about Corey Robinson headlining the returning skill position guys? All of 16 catches in 13 games, and he's "headlining" the WR position?

 

[Irishman77]

Always negative guy takes negative take. Shocking.



Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. Seriously, Irishman77 could see a flower in a shitstorm, so this really is shocking. I agree with some (defense - ugh), disagree with other points (Alabama is on another level with talent and coaching and still barely won; we had Clemson on the ropes at their house - our offense was just as potent so I'm not sure what the envy is about their offense; injuries do matter. They just do. I don't see how anyone can say they don't), but Irishman definitely brought it strong.

I agree with you that our offense is right there. I am just sick of trying to do 10 different things rather than take what the d is giving us. Too many times we abandon the run and force more pressure on our defense.

I agree that injuries matter, but why do the guys that are on the field look like someone just ran over their dog or move like they got the flu.
Sick of the timid demeanor!

 

[ThePiombino]

No way way we deserve a top-10 ranking. Too many questions on D. If we answer those and just win games, there's no doubt we're in at the end of the year. But let's see some actual improvement on the D first...

 

[ulukinatme]

According to UND, Schmidt was 4th in tackles on the team with 65 to Jaylon's 112. Shumate (66) and Redfield (68) also had more tackles that Schmidt. Schmidt finished with 58% of Jaylon's total while playing a position from which he should have led the team in tackles. In case you were wondering, 58% is much closer to "half" than 75%.

Is UHND current through the end of the year? Schmidt is showing as 78 tackles on cfbstats.com. ESPN also has Joe down for 78, so I'd be more inclined to go with that number.

 

[kmoose]

According to UND, Schmidt was 4th in tackles on the team with 65 to Jaylon's 112. Shumate (66) and Redfield (68) also had more tackles that Schmidt. Schmidt finished with 58% of Jaylon's total while playing a position from which he should have led the team in tackles. In case you were wondering, 58% is much closer to "half" than 75%.

I don't know what you were reading at und.com, but whatever it was, you must have been misreading it. Page 6 of this pdf is the defensive statistics:

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nd/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2015-16/stats/season_stats.pdf

That's from und.com

Those are also the same numbers as are found here:

Notre Dame Football :: UND.COM :: The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics

Note: One link is a pdf, one is html based. But both of them are the only stats that I am aware of, on und.com

 

[GoIrish41]

Is UHND current through the end of the year? Schmidt is showing as 78 tackles on cfbstats.com. ESPN also has Joe down for 78, so I'd be more inclined to go with that number.

I don't know what you were reading at und.com, but whatever it was, you must have been misreading it. Page 6 of this pdf is the defensive statistics:

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/nd/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2015-16/stats/season_stats.pdf

That's from und.com

Those are also the same numbers as are found here:

Notre Dame Football :: UND.COM :: The Official Site of Notre Dame Athletics

Note: One link is a pdf, one is html based. But both of them are the only stats that I am aware of, on und.com

OK. So the middle linebacker, who should lead the team in tackles (especially when he is the guy who NEVER comes off the field) had 68% of the OLB's production -- 78 tackles to 114 tackles. That's still not good. Which was the point being made. He will be replaced by someone who will almost certainly have more production next season.

 

[IrishLion]

It is a travesty that Jaylon only had one sack on the season lol.

 

[kmoose]

OK. So the middle linebacker, who should lead the team in tackles (especially when he is the guy who NEVER comes off the field) had 68% of the OLB's production -- 78 tackles to 114 tackles. That's still not good. Which was the point being made. He will be replaced by someone who will almost certainly have more production next season.

Of course, let's not bother to mention that the OLB you are comparing him to is an All-American and the Butkus award winner as well. The best linebacker in the entire nation, and some former walk-on is supposed to have more tackles than him, just because he lines up at the Mike? If you don't think that this defense was predicated on allowing Jaylon Smith to fly around the field, clean of any Offensive linemen trying to block him, then you're fooling yourself. Just because Schmidt is the Mike, that doesn't automatically mean that he should lead the team in tackles. He shouldn't be the 5th or 6th leading tackler, for sure.......... but he wasn't. I hope we get better production out of the Mike next year, but it's not like Joe Schmidt didn't produce at all. And you are comparing his numbers to one of the greatest linebackers to ever play at ND(and that's saying something: Teo, Crable, Buoniconti, Golic, Stonebreaker, et. al).

 

[Whiskeyjack]

For those inclined to discount our narrow Top-5 road losses:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Beating team No.90 on the road is equivalent to beating No.50 on a neutral floor and No.20 at home. Via <a href="https://twitter.com/kenpomeroy">@kenpomeroy</a>:
<a href="https://t.co/6iSAaAI8ON">https://t.co/6iSAaAI8ON</a></p>— Brian Fremeau (@bcfremeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/bcfremeau/status/687751101148467201">January 14, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[House16]

For those inclined to discount our narrow Top-5 road losses:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Beating team No.90 on the road is equivalent to beating No.50 on a neutral floor and No.20 at home. Via <a href="https://twitter.com/kenpomeroy">@kenpomeroy</a>:
<a href="https://t.co/6iSAaAI8ON">https://t.co/6iSAaAI8ON</a></p>— Brian Fremeau (@bcfremeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/bcfremeau/status/687751101148467201">January 14, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I don't think you can transfer home-court/field advantage from basketball to football that neatly...

 

[gkIrish]

Clemson Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide lead the 2016 Way-Too-Early Top 25

Here is ESPN. UM at 4? They will have an unknown at QB, their LB corps graduates.. Am I missing something? Maybe since OSU lost everyone they can make that ass whippin more respectable?

ESPN released an updated ranking this afternoon. ND #9.

Alabama Crimson Tide is No. 1, Clemson Tigers move up in post-spring Way-Too-Early Top 25

 

[IrishLion]

Stewart Mandel put his out, and OH BOY SEC.

Alabama, Florida State, Clemson top new Top 25 | FOX Sports

LSU at #4
Tennessee at #8
Ole Miss at #10
Georgia at #17
Texas A&M at #25

^All overrated, some laughably so.

 

[greyhammer90]

Did I miss something with Michigan?

 

[gkIrish]

Did I miss something with Michigan?

If you did, so did I.

 

[greyhammer90]

If you did, so did I.

Their defense was good at the beginning of the year. The only other thing I remember is punt fumble and getting bent over by OSU in the Big House.

I understand pre-season is all hype anyway but it's pretty annoying.

 

[gkIrish]

Their defense was good at the beginning of the year. The only other thing I remember is punt fumble and getting bent over by OSU in the Big House.

I understand pre-season is all hype anyway but it's pretty annoying.

I honestly don't even know who their starting QB is...

(ignore that ND does not have a starter either)

 

[DONTH8]

Did I miss something with Michigan?

It's because their 24/7 writers know how to sit on secrets.

 

[Shamrock Theories]

ESPN released an updated ranking this afternoon. ND #9.

Alabama Crimson Tide is No. 1, Clemson Tigers move up in post-spring Way-Too-Early Top 25

The omission of TCU has to just be an error, right?

 

[ACamp1900]

The omission of TCU has to just be an error, right?

Not until they move to the SEC...

 

[GoIrish41]

The omission of TCU has to just be an error, right?

Thought the same of the addition of TAMU. Maybe they got the wrong Texas team.

 

[koonja]

3 top 15 teams for us. Even on a light year our schedule looks way tougher than someone in the Big 10's.

 

[irishfan]

I honestly don't even know who their starting QB is...

(ignore that ND does not have a starter either)

QB is John O'Korn who is a transfer from Houston. He was AAC Frosh of the year in 2013 and was quite good. Then lost his job in 2014. Rudock wasn't exactly a good QB and Harbaugh turned him (and every other QB he's ever worked with) into a good one by the middle of the year. He's pretty talented and should win the job. Either way the QB play should be on par to what it was last year.

Harbaugh is IMO a top-3 coach in the country and they're in year 2 of his system. They don't have to go to Utah to open the season this year (OOC schedule is a joke) and it's a pretty easy B1G schedule for them. I would guess they go 10-2, but 11-1 wouldn't surprise me. Not sure why people would doubt Harbaugh. All the guy does is win.

 

[Irish Insanity]

Did I miss something with Michigan?

If you did, so did I.

Pretty sure I read that they had something like the 3rd easiest schedule.

 

[kmoose]

Their defense was good at the beginning of the year. The only other thing I remember is punt fumble and getting bent over by OSU in the Big House.

I understand pre-season is all hype anyway but it's pretty annoying.

I hope they go 0-12, but you have to understand; they won 10 games in Harbaugh's first year, with much the same talent as they had while going 5-7 the previous year.

 

[ACamp1900]

QB is John O'Korn who is a transfer from Houston. He was AAC Frosh of the year in 2013 and was quite good. Then lost his job in 2014. Rudock wasn't exactly a good QB and Harbaugh turned him (and every other QB he's ever worked with) into a good one by the middle of the year. He's pretty talented and should win the job. Either way the QB play should be on par to what it was last year.

Harbaugh is IMO a top-3 coach in the country and they're in year 2 of his system. They don't have to go to Utah to open the season this year (OOC schedule is a joke) and it's a pretty easy B1G schedule for them. I would guess they go 10-2, but 11-1 wouldn't surprise me. Not sure why people would doubt Harbaugh. All the guy does is win.

I hope they go 0-12, but you have to understand; they won 10 games in Harbaugh's first year, with much the same talent as they had while going 5-7 the previous year.

I don;t think grey or anyone else is questioning them being 'good'... but third in the country????? I think THAT's the sticking point, and that's ridiculous.

 

[Irish YJ]

QB is John O'Korn who is a transfer from Houston. He was AAC Frosh of the year in 2013 and was quite good. Then lost his job in 2014. Rudock wasn't exactly a good QB and Harbaugh turned him (and every other QB he's ever worked with) into a good one by the middle of the year. He's pretty talented and should win the job. Either way the QB play should be on par to what it was last year.

Harbaugh is IMO a top-3 coach in the country and they're in year 2 of his system. They don't have to go to Utah to open the season this year (OOC schedule is a joke) and it's a pretty easy B1G schedule for them. I would guess they go 10-2, but 11-1 wouldn't surprise me. Not sure why people would doubt Harbaugh. All the guy does is win.

Don't they have a new DC?

Only possible losses for them @MSU, @OSU, Big 10 Championship. I think they will handle MSU this year. OSU is at the end of the year giving Urban time to grow, so that should be an interesting game.

 

[Wild Bill]

Maybe they expect Peppers to dominate and carry the team into the playoffs. He's been std free so far this off-season so there's reason to be optimistic.

 

[ACamp1900]

Maybe they expect Peppers to dominate and carry the team into the playoffs. He's been std free so far this off-season so there's reason to be optimistic.

 

[Crazy Balki]

I hope they go 0-12, but you have to understand; they won 10 games in Harbaugh's first year, with much the same talent as they had while going 5-7 the previous year.

While that's somewhat true, looking at their schedule from last year exposes them as frauds. They won 10 and lost 3. Those three losses were to the only respectable teams they played all year, minus maybe BYU. Utah looked great for a while, but then USC (a team we beat) exposed them badly. They finished as a pretty good team, but a team we'd likely handle. I don't know if there will ever be a playoff team as unworthy and overall as bad as Michigan State. I'll admit that Michigan should've won that matchup, but the fact remains that MSU wasn't a good team last year and slipped in by virtue of Urban Meyer laying the mother of all eggs from a coaching standpoint against them. Then of course, Ohio State woke up and curbstomped the skunkbears.

And yes, I'm aware they played Northwestern. Northwestern was a complete joke last season. The fact that they were 10-3 is not a testament to their success, but a testament of just how downright atrocious the Big Ten West is. It's bad....REALLY REALLY bad.

 

[gkIrish]

While that's somewhat true, looking at their schedule from last year exposes them as frauds. They won 10 and lost 3. Those three losses were to the only respectable teams they played all year, minus maybe BYU. Utah looked great for a while, but then USC (a team we beat) exposed them badly. They finished as a pretty good team, but a team we'd likely handle. I don't know if there will ever be a playoff team as unworthy and overall as bad as Michigan State. I'll admit that Michigan should've won that matchup, but the fact remains that MSU wasn't a good team last year and slipped in by virtue of Urban Meyer laying the mother of all eggs from a coaching standpoint against them. Then of course, Ohio State woke up and curbstomped the skunkbears.

And yes, I'm aware they played Northwestern. Northwestern was a complete joke last season. The fact that they were 10-3 is not a testament to their success, but a testament of just how downright atrocious the Big Ten West is. It's bad....REALLY REALLY bad.

Curious how you feel about ND's season? How exactly was it different than what Michigan did? Were we frauds, too?