Brian Kelly Revisited (RIP BOZO)

[rtrn2glory]

Is Pitt really that good? I see they're scoring a ton.

 

[irishff1014]

Is Pitt really that good? I see they're scoring a ton.

Their QB is have a pretty good year. 19 TDs to 1 INT and a 72 percent completion rate.

 

[Blazers46]

Will be interesting to look back on this season with 20/20 hindsight.

Currently 5-1 with that loss being to current #3 team in country that's very very likely to go undefeated and make playoffs.

What if we finish with just 1/2 losses - would you consider it Kelly's best coaching job to date?

Goes back to the Coach is like the Cook analogy. Brian Kelly bought all the groceries and this is the meal he’s serving us with those ingredients. He’s responsible for the mess he’s coaching.

 

[Blazers46]

Everyone thought there would be 3-4 losses due to the strength of schedule. As it turns out virtually every team on the schedule (besides Cincinnati) is mediocre to bad. ND should be 10-2 at worst this year, even with the shitshow on offense.

Here is what's left:

USC - interim coach and they seem to have basically mailed it in
UNC - 3 losses against bad to mediocre teams
Navy - has 1 win
UVA - got destroyed by UNC and Wake Forest
GT - 3 losses including a massacre at the hands of powerhouse Pitt and a loss to Northern Illinois
Stanford - 3 losses including blowouts by Arizona St. and Kansas State

I would build in one more loss because I think it's going to be Buchner starting games with Coan closing, and I think he could have a 3 turnover day at some point (which I can totally live with personally).

I feel like the best case scenario for ND now is:
1. Go 11-1 or 10-2;
2. with Buchner getting most of the snaps;
3. along with the 6 other true freshmen we just saw getting lots of snaps as well;
4. Playing in and winning a NY6 bowl

So what you are saying is ND will go 11-1 or 10-2 and get smashed by an above average team in a bowl game… like maybe Kentucky.

 

[Irish#1]

Goes back to the Coach is like the Cook analogy. Brian Kelly bought all the groceries and this is the meal he’s serving us with those ingredients. He’s responsible for the mess he’s coaching.

48-9 since 2017 including 5-1 this year. So we've devolved into calling this a mess? lol

 

[Sea Turtle]

48-9 since 2017 including 5-1 this year. So we've devolved into calling this a mess? lol

The offense is a mess, not the entire program. Notre Dame seems to be about the only team that has trouble scoring points. Everybody is dropping a lot of points and ND is always having to grind away.

Winning is the most important thing and no one is saying that BK hasn't won a lot of games.

 

[GowerND11]

The offense is a mess, not the entire program. Notre Dame seems to be about the only team that has trouble scoring points. Everybody is dropping a lot of points and ND is always having to grind away.

Winning is the most important thing and no one is saying that BK hasn't won a lot of games.

I'm not denying there are issues. We all know there are. However, it's clear that PJ was a baby at ND, or we'd have a veteran mobile QB behind this line. Add to that the fact that WRs aren't sticking, which could be a coaching issue, or it could be they don't want to wait their turn (this is becoming common across the country).
Here's a partial list of the school with more trouble than ND (47th):
UCF
Auburn
Washington
NC State
LSU
FSU
Nebraska
Utah
BYU
PSU
Texas A&M
OK St
Stanford
Minnesota
Purdue
WVU
Miami
Clemson (125 out of 130).

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

[TWEET]https://twitter.com/verypiratey/status/1447961241054502914[/TWEET]

 

[GATTACA!]

So what you are saying is ND will go 11-1 or 10-2 and get smashed by an above average team in a bowl game..... like maybe Kentucky.

I saw a projection of ND vs NCST in the peach bowl, which would be best case scenario for us. Adding it isn't raining of course.....

 

[IRISHMAN]

I saw a projection of ND vs NCST in the peach bowl, which would be best case scenario for us. Adding it isn't raining of course.....

that would be a good bowl game for ND and it would be winnable too. very pleased that ND was somehow able to go 5-1 in the 1st half of the season, very possible that ND could finish the 2nd half of the season at 4-2 to go 9-3 on the year. imo that would be a great season, considering how bad ND has been up to this point and very fortunate not to be 1-5 at this point.

 

[Irish du Nord]

that would be a good bowl game for ND and it would be winnable too. very pleased that ND was somehow able to go 5-1 in the 1st half of the season, very possible that ND could finish the 2nd half of the season at 4-2 to go 9-3 on the year. imo that would be a great season, considering how bad ND has been up to this point and very fortunate not to be 1-5 at this point.

Honestly think it's too winnable. I saw Michigan, would like that to be honest

 

[GATTACA!]

that would be a good bowl game for ND and it would be winnable too. very pleased that ND was somehow able to go 5-1 in the 1st half of the season, very possible that ND could finish the 2nd half of the season at 4-2 to go 9-3 on the year. imo that would be a great season, considering how bad ND has been up to this point and very fortunate not to be 1-5 at this point.

Losing two with the soft schedule we have left would be a massive failure.

 

[irishff1014]

that would be a good bowl game for ND and it would be winnable too. very pleased that ND was somehow able to go 5-1 in the 1st half of the season, very possible that ND could finish the 2nd half of the season at 4-2 to go 9-3 on the year. imo that would be a great season, considering how bad ND has been up to this point and very fortunate not to be 1-5 at this point.

I see Stanford as a loss. They have already upset two teams and we always struggle with them.

 

[Irish#1]

I see Stanford as a loss. They have already upset two teams and we always struggle with them.

We beat them handily the last two years, but it hasn't always been easy. They beat Oregon, but Oregon is more a finesse team and not physical like ND and they don't have the D.

 

[irishff1014]

We beat them handily the last two years, but it hasn't always been easy. They beat Oregon, but Oregon is more a finesse team and not physical like ND and they don't have the D.

I hope that this bye week helps some of the guys get some rest and hopefully fill in some gaps from watching film.

 

[ulukinatme]

We beat them handily the last two years, but it hasn't always been easy. They beat Oregon, but Oregon is more a finesse team and not physical like ND and they don't have the D.

I've love to take Oregon in a bowl. I'd be a bit worried about our inconsistent offense, but I wouldn't worry about slowing down the Ducks defensively if we're physical. Oregon almost always folds when they play a physical team. I was a bit surprised when they beat tOSU this year honestly, but tOSU isn't coached by Meyer anymore and that defense has been suspect for awhile.

 

[Rogue219]

Assuming ND finishes out with wins against GT and Stanford, I think this has been a hell of a job by this coaching staff. I think the timing fell into place because they've dealt with some injuries and have been able to play some guys against some teams who are mediocre, but ND is on the cusp of another double digit win season and have put themselves into good position to be going to a major bowl game.

Credit to Kelly because a month ago I was like a lot of other people thinking this season wasn't going to be very good. Two more to go.

 

[Irish#1]

This may be Kelly’s best effort to date. Most expected 8-4 or 9-3. He’s taken a team a team hammered by injuries and still won. Not to mention he’s getting freshmen experience for next year.

 

[irishff1014]

Assuming ND finishes out with wins against GT and Stanford, I think this has been a hell of a job by this coaching staff. I think the timing fell into place because they've dealt with some injuries and have been able to play some guys against some teams who are mediocre, but ND is on the cusp of another double digit win season and have put themselves into good position to be going to a major bowl game.

Credit to Kelly because a month ago I was like a lot of other people thinking this season wasn't going to be very good. Two more to go.

Others and I have said that the mental ability to win some of these games was something we failed to see out of his teams. So that is a big plus.

 

[ulukinatme]

This may be Kelly’s best effort to date. Most expected 8-4 or 9-3. He’s taken a team a team hammered by injuries and still won. Not to mention he’s getting freshmen experience for next year.

It's crazy that this was supposed to be a transition year and people are talking possible playoffs. That Cinci game was really winnable too, I think if Drew starts we win.

 

[GowerND11]

This may be Kelly’s best effort to date. Most expected 8-4 or 9-3. He’s taken a team a team hammered by injuries and still won. Not to mention he’s getting freshmen experience for next year.

And yet people are still complaining all season long about Kelly and that we are only winning 11 games, and not blowing teams out.

 

[Rogue219]

Two things are happening right now: They are winning games and getting reps for guys who are coming back next year. That's huge. If Kelly has irked me over the years on anything, it's that they don't give underclassmen a lot of good opportunities to contribute.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

It's funny to look back on the schedule this fall and remember how bad this team looked/felt in September. Beating FSU, Toledo, and VT by 3, losing to Cincy, struggling for 3/4 of the game against Wisconsin. I think as fans, we worry a lot about the national perspective/subjectivity in the playoff era but it takes a certain mentality to win close games that go down to the wire.

Not only that, but the feel of this team in November is completely different. We are more balanced offensively, havoc plays defensively are way up, and the past two weeks even the tackling looks better.

The future is bright. We are getting some young studs mixed in playing vital roles and have are putting together an elite couple of recruiting classes in '22 and '23. "Let's close that gap." - CBK

 

[NDdomer2]

I just couldn't imagine being some of the fans on here. I feel like they have never enjoyed watching a ND game because of the necessity to be upset about something.

I can respect the ones that made their claim about this team after first qtr/half of the season and are sticking to it but I think there was a lot of rush to early judgement that are avoiding their deserved and reserved plate of crow.

The team from the players to the coaches certainly arent without fault but were talking about 5th straight year of 10+ wins (6 of last 7 and 7 of last 10). Not one of those previous teams was without fault somewhere yet this one seems to be by and large the most complained about.

Quite honestly they have been one of the more fun teams to watch.

Enjoy it while its here, that's for sure, and just pray that the more consistently we knock on the double digit win door the national championship will be on the other side one time.

 

[Free Manera]

And yet people are still complaining all season long about Kelly and that we are only winning 11 games, and not blowing teams out.

True, but like what else are we supposed to do. It's not fun to just come on and be like "ND is good again, maybe this is our year probably not but enjoy the ride." We need to get on the Hedonistic treadmill and want MORE it's the American way.

 

[GowerND11]

True, but like what else are we supposed to do. It's not fun to just come on and be like "ND is good again, maybe this is our year probably not but enjoy the ride." We need to get on the Hedonistic treadmill and want MORE it's the Notre Dame fan way.

FTFY

 

[Free Manera]

FTFY

Ha! It really isn't just an ND thing though. Ask the Bama fans on here what their message boards are like after losses or even unimpressive wins.

 

[GowerND11]

Ha! It really isn't just an ND thing though. Ask the Bama fans on here what their message boards are like after losses or even unimpressive wins.

Oh I know. It's bonkers what success does to a program in a weird way...

 

[Rogue219]

I just couldn't imagine being some of the fans on here. I feel like they have never enjoyed watching a ND game because of the necessity to be upset about something.

I can respect the ones that made their claim about this team after first qtr/half of the season and are sticking to it but I think there was a lot of rush to early judgement that are avoiding their deserved and reserved plate of crow.

The team from the players to the coaches certainly arent without fault but were talking about 5th straight year of 10+ wins (6 of last 7 and 7 of last 10). Not one of those previous teams was without fault somewhere yet this one seems to be by and large the most complained about.

Quite honestly they have been one of the more fun teams to watch.

Enjoy it while its here, that's for sure, and just pray that the more consistently we knock on the double digit win door the national championship will be on the other side one time.

I was definitely on board with starting to look around for a new OC and new OL coach. Those situations have improved immensely in the last month or so. I think part of what we've seen this year from our fanbase is the major disappointment of yet again ending the season with humbling losses to elite programs. Then you see 9 guys get drafted and think there is something broken in the program that prevents it from ever winning a championship again. That has trickled into this year a little bit because despite what we thought was going to be a reset, they're right there again. They pulled out some close wins early, were right there against UC at home and have kept winning since.

I think his program is incredibly solid right now and a big reason for that is Kelly putting the dynamite to it after 2016 and starting over. Every season since has been double digit wins.

Being an Independent, this fan base has nothing to look forward to other than National Championship or at the least a January bowl game. One loss derails the season in some capacity from a relative standpoint. That bar has been set forth by the A.D. and the head coach. ND plays for National Championships. They're not a conference, so year in and year out the goal is such.

The biggest thing missing has been the elite guy behind center that can get them over the hump. Apart from that, I really like where the program is at. My gripes are minor. The results keep coming and that's what counts, even if parts of the process are not perfect.

 

[pumpdog20]

It's crazy that this was supposed to be a transition year and people are talking possible playoffs. That Cinci game was really winnable too, I think if Drew starts we win.

Or maybe with the improved line play & quick passing we're doing now, we still win with Coan.