Texas A&M Postgame

[sfk324]

This is the second loss, unlike NIU. Likely season ending. It is what it is.

My guy, if you think this loss is worse than NIU than I don't know what to tell you.

 

[NotKoon]

How fucking sad is it that we are back to the Charlie Weis logic of "damn we would've been better off if that kickoff return didn't get called back"

 

[MacIrish75]

NIU was last year and worse. People really need to take a breath. It sucks because it was a completely winnable game. If you think this is going to turn into a 4-8 debacle, you really need to get a grip.

Okay, so coming off of last season, 7-5 is cool for you?

Idk what your expectation level is, but we aren’t Iowa.

 

[BilboBaggins]

Pass Rush is a 0. That’s it that’s everything. At the end of the day they cannot do anything with four. Man/Cover 2/3/4. Doesn’t matter what the coverage is if they cannot make the QB uncomfortable at all.

This.

 

[notredomer23]

I just don’t get why you guys are calling this particular loss season ending. No I do not believe ND is going 10-2. 10-2 ND this particular year is in. They benefit from having a high preseason ranking and 2 very close losses.

ND still has everything to play for. They just don’t have the coaches or horses or leadership to do it unfortunately.

 

[Rudy89]

Be lucky to make a bowl. Fire all the coordinators & if we don’t make the playoffs next year fire freeman. Either way he needs to be on the hot seat. Good coaches returning this many starters from a team that made the national championship don’t start 0-2 period, end of discussion.

 

[Irish2155]

I’ve said it already during the game so won’t beat a dead horse but it completely felt like a Charlie Weis game. No D, can’t execute a PAT, heart wrenching self inflicted loss.

Why didn’t Hobbs just pick that ball in the end zone on the last drive, btw. Catches like I swing a bat right handed.

 

[Honey Nut Irish]

You all need to touch grass. This year was never about the playoffs. Just need to keep getting better.

Today’s offensive game plan would have cruised to a win in Miami.

If you all can’t handle this then maybe ND really should join a conference.

 

[IrishTusker]

Taking my fan hat off for the moment:

It was an incredible game. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched a football game where there was that much tension in the last 5 or so minutes. We could have iced it many times, sure, but they had missed opportunities too. Both of these teams are good. National champion good? I think not. But I think both would be competitive playoff teams.

Putting my fan hat back on:

Fuck fuck fuck

Ok, taking it off again:

ND has a big structural problem here. Basically no other team in the country was facing a win or your season might be over scenario in weak two. No other team has had such a challenging start to this season. And that’s not a fluke, it’s the reality of being independent in an era where conference championships are everything. We need to play and beat good teams. Good teams won’t schedule us later in the season. So we will consistently be facing situations where we’ll have huge games early on. And that’s a really tough place to be when your team hasn’t found its identity yet.

I like this team long term. The defense is obviously worse than it was last year but there’s potential there. The offense looks very good, and should look a lot better as everyone gets more confident with Carr and the O line gels.

But, fan hat back on, it really really sucks that the season may not be salvageable. At the very least, it’s out of our hands at this point.

It isn't the reality of being independent. It's just stupid scheduling. An 11-1 or 12-0 ND team will always get in a 12 team playoff regardless of the SOS.

And conference championships have never mattered less.

 

[ACamp1900]

My guy, if you think this loss is worse than NIU than I don't know what to tell you.

It’s much worse

 

[MacIrish75]

I just don’t get why you guys are calling this particular loss season ending. No I do not believe ND is going 10-2. 10-2 ND this particular year is in. They benefit from having a high preseason ranking and 2 very close losses.

ND still has everything to play for. They just don’t have the coaches or horses or leadership to do it unfortunately.

What about these first two games would lead you to believe that we will somehow win the rest?

 

[Jeffwantpoppers]

Watts is missed. He would have had a few picks in this game

 

[AKRowdy]

I called an 0-2 start,… now comes the fun part,… watch recruiting

Recruits aren’t like fans. They don’t make split decisions. Especially with NIL. Glad you aren’t a recruit or coach. Good lord emotions changing with the wind.

 

[IA4irish]

What frustrates me the most is we have seen players on this defense play WAY better than they are currently. These guys have championship run pedigree and they are running around looking slow and lost. That has to be on coaching. Shame on Marcus for allowing that to happen. Golden and Ash had some parallels on their resumes. They clearly are not the same

 

[sfk324]

Okay, so coming off of last season, 7-5 is cool for you?

Idk what your expectation level is, but we aren’t Iowa.

This team isn't going 7-5. Get a grip.

 

[IrishLax]

1. So we can all agree now that Chris Ash was an awful hire and has tanked the season. Anyways it's so much worse than just "scheme"... it's that the entire side of the ball is disorganized and confused now. This is what I said back in July and a few people jumped down my throat about it:

Defense... I'm keeping my lips sealed until I actually see the product on the field... but the whispers are slightly discouraging. Haven't even started fall camp yet so who knows. I expect a big step backwards on that side of the ball.

The "whispers" were that the veterans hated the changes. That's it. No other context, no "why" they hated the changes, just a throwaway comment I was told by someone who would know. But! People speaking in random conversation tend to say things straight... they aren't sugar coating it for the media or public consumption. I think we all see now that we added complexity/complication for no upside... we give up more big plays while creating less negative plays. We have more busts while creating less confusion. It's just fundamentally unsound defense.

2. This seems to be trending towards a 2016 style season where a really talented team collapsed due self-inflicted bullshit coupled with a poor defense. With 2 minutes left and a 6 point lead, why are you leaving Hobbs 1v1 with their most explosive player? On 4th and goal from the 11, why is Bowen 1v1 with a Tight End? Why is Bowen in the game at all? People are not being put in position to succeed. Everyone is regressing on that side of the ball.

3. I'm very interested to see if the team "quits" because of Ash or if Marcus Freeman has the ability to pull them out of a tailspin. But this is a Gerard Parker situation x100 right now. Why? Because Parker was replacing a Rees and had a new QB that didn't know anyone. Ash is replacing one of the best DCs that ND ever had who was really respected and well liked.

That's all I got. This team had championship level pieces in many areas and pissed it all away because they hired a dude who was out of work because he sucks. And that guy is turning a Top 5 defense *with 8-9 returning starters from the playoff run* into one that will surely finish outside the Top 25.

 

[NorthDakota]

Woof.

Woof is right. The defense simply isn't good. I would say I wonder why Miami and Tamu didn't run the ball more, but it didn't matter because they could throw on us easy enough.

ND had an opportunity to end the game 5 minutes in and didn't take it. They had opportunities throughout and took none until the end... and then had a special teams mistake.

There is something broken here. On defense I think the line just isn't very good. On offense, mostly the same thing. It's going to be hard to win games without pressure and without imposing your will.

There was a pretty blatant hold at the end that *may* have given TAMU the winning TD but you can't give up 41 points and complain.

 

[Jeffwantpoppers]

It’s much worse

I’m sorry but you are not a serious person with this statement.

 

[ACamp1900]

You all need to touch grass. This year was never about the playoffs. Just need to keep getting better.

Today’s offensive game plan would have cruised to a win in Miami.

If you all can’t handle this then maybe ND really should join a conference.

You need to act like you give a shit

 

[IRISHDODGER]

We’ve lost three straight games and will lose in Arkansas too, calling it now,….. better win next week or it’s a major collapse

damn you!

I’ve been feeling Arkansas will beat ND too. Mostly b/c I need to learn a lesson about getting to absorbed & upset about 18-22 year old kids winning a football game that has zero impact in the big scheme of things. Ugh, I dread the shit I’m gonna get from my Ark friends (and worse just the general idiotic fanbase) when they beat ND.

 

[irish4ever]

Christian Gray is WAY overrated! He gets beat constantly and can't tackle worth a fuck! And who in hell let that worthless Buchner be the snap holder? Fuckin' Biaggi and Ash need to be reconsidered. After two games, because of their "guidance, we SUCK and are going to be playing in the Pinstripe Bowl or something of the sort IF lucky. FUCK, here I WAS excited about this season a few weeks ago. Oh well.

 

[Pete]

How fucking sad is it that we are back to the Charlie Weis logic of "damn we would've been better off if that kickoff return didn't get called back"

This is so fucking true. They called the hold and I was like damn, that’s going to hurt.

 

[notredomer23]

What about these first two games would lead you to believe that we will somehow win the rest?

I literally said in there twice I don’t believe they will lol. But I don’t get the “season is over” crowd off this loss.

 

[MacIrish75]

You all need to touch grass. This year was never about the playoffs. Just need to keep getting better.

Today’s offensive game plan would have cruised to a win in Miami.

If you all can’t handle this then maybe ND really should join a conference.

Hopefully your 281st post on this site is your last.

 

[sfk324]

It’s much worse

LOL. No. It isn't. This is an objectively dumb take.

 

[Rudy89]

Offense was better than expected, and CJ is probably going to be a star.

Otherwise, yikes.

If he doesn’t transfer because he’s tired of being on a team of losers

 

[ACamp1900]

LOL. No. It isn't. This is an objectively dumb take.

No. Bc the program changing class is now on the line,… yours is an objectively dumb take. What was on the line tonight outweighed anything last fall

 

[IA4irish]

I’ve said it already during the game so won’t beat a dead horse but it completely felt like a Charlie Weis game. No D, can’t execute a PAT, heart wrenching self inflicted loss.

Why didn’t Hobbs just pick that ball in the end zone on the last drive, btw. Catches like I swing a bat right handed.

I completely agree it felt like a weis era game. Praying for some type of defensive miracle when I knew it wasn’t going to happen

 

[MacIrish75]

I literally said in there twice I don’t believe they will lol. But I don’t get the “season is over” crowd off this loss.

The problem for us is its playoff or bust. We don’t have a conference to fall back on. It sucks, but barring a miracle we’ve got some pretty slim margins.

 

[Sea Turtle]

I hate to say it, but now, with 8 quarters of game time I think we need to accept the ceiling on this team is 8-4.

I can’t sit here and say I feel comfortable expecting them to beat Arkansas, USC, and I’m not totally sure they won’t wiff on one of the (Pitt, Cuse, Boise State) games.

I don't think it's the ceiling but it's a very real possibility.

We can't just reload like Ohio State or Georgia but we schedule like we can.