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No argument there, but I don't think we need 12-1. I'd settle for 10-3 as long as we humble our rivals along the way; Stanford especially. ...
Say ND goes 10-3 with wins over UM, USC, MSU, BC, and Stanford, just who is going to be impressed with 3 losses to the likes of USF, PIT, PU, AF, USN, WF, UMD?
MSU and BC aren't rivals? Only Southern Cal has more wins over ND than MSU. BC is the only other Catholic Div 1 team and the principal recruiiting rival in the northeast.
Check the records. ND is 4-10 since '97. ND is 11-9 All-Time against BC but only 7-9 against the Eagles since '93. ND's only won 3 of the last 10.
So if we "beat the rivals" across the board, AND Stanford than the 3 losses are going to be pretty embarrassing
Yes, ND is the more historic program. Second Winingest Percentage in Div 1, 7 Heisman's, all those NC's, mega All-Americans, scores of players to the NFL. It's a shame these recruits weren't alive the last time ND won a Heisman or a National Championship.
Stanford was 12- 1 last year. Remember the last time ND won 12 games?
1989, 21 seasons ago.
In the last 6 years when today's recruits went from the 6th grade to HS Jrs ND won all of 8 game more than Stanford. During their HS years '08 - '10 when they probably were following college ball more closely, Stanford won 4 more games than ND.
Stanford's success is only due to Harbaugh and Luck? I recall a RB named Toby Gerhardt that wasn't too shabby. Yeah Harbaugh, the Michigan guy is gone. David Shaw the new head coach is in his rookie season as a HC but he was the Offensive Coordinator that planned Luck's attack and was also his QB coach. Gerhardt excelled as a runner in Shaw's attack.
Shaw is also a Stanford alumnus having played for both Dennis Green and Bill Walsh. (I'll bet he finds a way to get that into recruiting conversations). Shaw's also had 15 years in the NFL coaching QBs AND WRs. Several of his pro players set team records while Shaw was their coach (see recruiting conversations).
Oh yead, Shaw is one of the few African American Div 1 coaches. (Think some of those recruits might relate?)
I don't know if Shaw will be as good a HC as he was a OC. Charlie Weis wasn't. ND is no place for OJT. Stanford fans don't expect a national contender out of the gate and unlike Weis, Shaw had 10 years as a Stanford assistant to learn the ropes about college ball and college age players.
I do know I'm not writing off someone with 33 years of coaching experience because he doesn't spell his name Harbaugh. A good deal of Harbaugh's success at Stanford came on Shaw's shoulders.