Sept 23 | Ohio State

[Lberry]

I'm here as well. I genuinely don't know what I'm supposed to do while I wait for Saturday.

Assume you guys are aware, but "The Independent" is rather new so sharing in case you missed it.

https://spotify.link/H2WeJHJRfDb

 

[ab2cmiller]

I just found out today via OSU beat writer who appeared on Inside ND SPorts pod that Day decided this summer that he didn’t want to relinquish play calling so he’s still the guy.

Not surprising. I get that Hartline is a great recruiter and a good WR Coach. Doesn't mean he will be a good OC or even a serviceable OC. It certainly doesn't mean that Day's just going to hand him the play calling keys. I was kind of surprised when that was supposedly the report over the summer.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Dabo, Orgeron, Fleck, Meyer, Harbaugh are all guys I can think of who were never coordinators. They have all won titles but Fleck.

I think guys like Day and Lincoln Riley are probably too talented to give up the play calling unless they have a dude that they completely trust and shares the same brain with them.

Whereas you have Freeman wanting to (and probably having to) do the CEO role at a place like ND, so he hands the keys to a veteran guy like Al Golden because Marcus himself is a first time HC.

This is a big year for Ryan Day, so maybe he wants to hold his destiny in his own hands in that regard. Crazy as it sounds, back to back 11-2 seasons have people in Columbus pretty anxious. It's mostly the two losses to Michigan, though.

 

[DONTH8]

I wonder if it's common for coaches to go to players for intel. For example, maybe Ryan Day picks the brain of Lorenzo Styles jr. Or maybe Marcus Freeman picks the brain of JJB or Thomas Harper?

Completely off-topic, but one time we had a guy transfer from our baseball team and to another college that we played the next year. Our coach was worried he'd give them our signs. In the team meeting where he was talking about it, I said, "Coach, that guy was an idiot. He didn't even know the signs when he was here!" We ended up sweeping the new school.

But to your point, it's an interesting thought. But I would guess its harder to steal signs than we think. My assumption is that those players may know a few signals, but not enough to know exactly what's going to happen. And I also assume most schools have ways of disguising their signals with potential adjustments to use throughout the game.

 

[Irish#1]

I'm here as well. I genuinely don't know what I'm supposed to do while I wait for Saturday.

Try the Gentlemen's Club. Oh wait, I forgot that's not a thing anymore.

 

[greyhammer90]

Try the Gentlemen's Club. Oh wait, I forgot that's not a thing anymore.

We used to be a proper country

 

[ulukinatme]

Try the Gentlemen's Club. Oh wait, I forgot that's not a thing anymore.

 

[NDFAN2008]

Funny thing is Ohio State fans seems so confident like we have Pyne at QB, even if we are down 14 going into the fourth I feel confident still being in the game with Hartman

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Funny thing is Ohio State fans seems so confident like we have Pyne at QB, even if we are down 14 going into the fourth I feel confident still being in the game with Hartman

I'll be shocked if we aren't scoring 20+ (maybe even 30+) points this game.
It comes down to the defense making a few important stops.

 

[Sea Turtle]

ESPN only giving us a 34.3 chance of winning.

I think it's more like 50/50

 

[Irish#1]

ESPN only giving us a 34.3 chance of winning.

I think it's more like 50/50

 

[stlnd01]

Funny thing is Ohio State fans seems so confident like we have Pyne at QB, even if we are down 14 going into the fourth I feel confident still being in the game with Hartman

ESPN only giving us a 34.3 chance of winning.

I think it's more like 50/50

Perfectly happy to be underestimated by everyone who isn’t in the Gug (or on this message board).

 

[IrishTusker]

Has anyone ever lost money betting on OSU fans being confident? When have they expected to lose a game in the past ten years? I expect a competitive game. I will be very surprised/frustrated if ND gets blown out.

 

[Terry Jillery]

My concern is not our players or our head coaches. Freeman will have them ready mentally. My concern is our assistants vs theirs. A guy like Parker with 0 OC experience at any level whatsoever pre 2023 going up against Jim Knowles. Ohio State staff is as loaded as their team. We have the QB. They have the overall advantage imo.

 

[T-Boone]

My concern is not our players or our head coaches. Freeman will have them ready mentally. My concern is our assistants vs theirs. A guy like Parker with 0 OC experience at any level whatsoever pre 2023 going up against Jim Knowles. Ohio State staff is as loaded as their team. We have the QB. They have the overall advantage imo.

Their OC is no more experienced than ours (actually less). And I don’t know who their DC is but Ally G is pretty experienced.

 

[Lberry]

My concern is not our players or our head coaches. Freeman will have them ready mentally. My concern is our assistants vs theirs. A guy like Parker with 0 OC experience at any level whatsoever pre 2023 going up against Jim Knowles. Ohio State staff is as loaded as their team. We have the QB. They have the overall advantage imo.

I feel better about Parker than Rees. But I'd feel even better with Ludwig. That doesn't mean Parker can't shine Saturday night, but with Sam/RBs/OL I'd feel very confident going into this with Ludwig.

 

[ulukinatme]

 

[Reaper97]

Their OC is no more experienced than ours (actually less). And I don’t know who their DC is but Ally G is pretty experienced.

Their DC is Jim Knowles, who was the DC at Okla St. who beat ND in the Fiesta Bowl, who ND looked at before Golden.
He was the one sites were reporting was going to be the next DC, but it fell through.
He’s really good.

 

[indianamouse]

Their DC is Jim Knowles, who was the DC at Okla St. who beat ND in the Fiesta Bowl, who ND looked at before Golden.
He was the one sites were reporting was going to be the next DC, but it fell through.
He’s really good.

Freeman's first game. We were actually whooping them for a half. I don't think he's as great as you make him out to be. He seems like another high risk, high reward type of coordinator.

 

[BabyIrish]

Seriously, enough with the rational breaking down of the game and what it takes to win. We're fans period! And we're going to fucking own the Suckeyes on Saturday. Go Irish!

 

[Irishokie]

I thought Knowles was hired away to Ohio before the fiesta bowl and didn’t coach in the game.

 

[Reaper97]

I thought Knowles was hired away to Ohio before the fiesta bowl and didn’t coach in the game.

Yep.
ND wanted him.
Remember it was being reported he was going to be the DC, then he came out & said he wasn’t going anywhere. It was because he wanted to bring others with him & ND wasn’t willing.

 

[Reaper97]

Freeman's first game. We were actually whooping them for a half. I don't think he's as great as you make him out to be. He seems like another high risk, high reward type of coordinator.

He left for OSU before that game.

He has a history of turning defenses around everywhere he goes.
Okla St was a scoring machine that couldn’t stop anyone. Then he got there and made them consistently top 20. They suck since he left.
And year 2 is when his defenses take off.
I think they are #1 this season so far.

 

[NDMD]

Freeman's first game. We were actually whooping them for a half. I don't think he's as great as you make him out to be. He seems like another high risk, high reward type of coordinator.

Freeman’s first game, and Elston’s audition where he showed why he’ll never be a DC.

 

[Lberry]

He left for OSU before that game.

He has a history of turning defenses around everywhere he goes.
Okla St was a scoring machine that couldn’t stop anyone. Then he got there and made them consistently top 20. They suck since he left.
And year 2 is when his defenses take off.
I think they are #1 this season so far.

OSU's defense looks awesome thus far. Crappy opponents but they're disruptive and have hats all over the ball.

 

[stlnd01]

Knowles is legit, for sure. One of the best. It may help that we've already faced one pretty stiff 3-3-5 in NC State.
Either way I still don't see how they account for all the things we can do on offense. This isn't like taking away a running game, or even a running game plus a tight end. We've got weapons that can kill you, everywhere, and a QB who can distribute like few others.

 

[IrishTusker]

He left for OSU before that game.

He has a history of turning defenses around everywhere he goes.
Okla St was a scoring machine that couldn’t stop anyone. Then he got there and made them consistently top 20. They suck since he left.
And year 2 is when his defenses take off.
I think they are #1 this season so far.

How many points did they give up against UM last year? Against Georgia? Was it 40 or 50? Can't recall.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Yet Hartline made Feldman's short list of candidates for Michigan State.

Someone needs to explain this to me because I'm still living in a world where most guys who end up head coaches should have at least called an offense or defense at some point in their coaching careers. PJ Fleck is a guy who did not. Deion Sanders obviously did not. They're exceptions, and I guess Hartline could be one too since he's known for his recruiting acumen, but I just don't get the hype around the guy other than that.

Wasn’t Dabo & Urban both WR coach before getting HC gigs?

 

[PutuporShutup]

Out of context… he was talking about how they want to be balanced but some games you may need to throw it a ton to win, and they’re going to do what it takes to try and win this one

But I’d the team can use it and help, cool

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Freeman's first game. We were actually whooping them for a half. I don't think he's as great as you make him out to be. He seems like another high risk, high reward type of coordinator.

He didn’t coach in the bowl game as he had already taken the OSU DC offer.