MGoBlog ND Preview

[IrishLax]

2011 Opponents: Notre Dame | mgoblog

 

[phork]

Haha I was just going to post this.

 

[Rocket89]

One is generic 3-star Cam McDaniel.

Yup, that's what he is. Not Texas 5-A Player of the Year, he's generic.

 

[IrishLax]

It's just funny how many errors they have in that write up. Like saying Shembo is battling Fox instead of Spond and saying we lack depth at ILB... when we are skipping ILB in this cycle precisely because we have way too many.

 

[Veer option]

WOW. I thought the reporting on Bleacher report was bad.

 

[Riddickulous]

I don't see anything wrong with these evaluations. They're actually pretty fair.

Although I think they're seriously underrating Tyler Eifert, especially when you consider how Kyle Rudolph dominated last year. They'll have new linebackers and their safeties are garbage, so I'm thinking Eifert will have a huge night.

 

[IrishLax]

The scores are actually quite accurate. Just some of the facts/stats/players they list are wrong. And the comments section is pretty funny.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Rees seems like a better long-term fit for the system (and is obviously a couple years younger), so although Crist will probably still start, expect to see him Rees in the lineup from time-to-time.

Clearly he's never seen Rees try to run. He gave our QBs a 4/5, which is probably generous based on last year.

2/5 at RB? Our depth is an issue, but we'll see how accurate that rating is after Cierre puts the wood into scUM for 120 yards.

2/5 for WR without Floyd? Our receiving corps isn't below average without #3.

4/5 for OL is probably fair.

Although Sean Cwynar had nearly as many tackles as Ian Williams last year despite much less playing time, the depth is unproven and/or non-existent, with Irish kicking specialists having nearly as many tackles last year as returning backup DTs.

This guy doesn't understand how a NT functions.

3/5 for DL seems low to me, since we were 13th in the nation against the run last year, but after Denard gashed us for ~250 on the ground, I can forgive a skunkbear for not knowing that.

5/5 at LB seems high to me. Te'o is a proven elite, but our #1 and #2 at DOG share 0 starts, our starting WILL is weak in coverage, and our starting CAT hasn't really broken out yet.

4/5 at CB is probably accurate, but could be even better if our pass rush improves.

3/5 for ST is probably accurate based on last year, but not for the reason given. He knocks Turk's power, which is fair, but the kid is accurate and our coverage team is usually very good. If we can improve in Punting and Returning, we could be a 5/5.

The Purdue blogger was much more accurate than this ND preview.

 

[anarin]

I thought most of this was michigan fan garbage... especially loved the photo of armando allen (his foot stepping out)

 

[Irish Man3]

I thought the write up itself was fine. Some Michigan fans (like some ND fans) are a little misguided in their knowledge of opposing schools. I don't see anything in this post that's to crazy, besides maybe D. Robinson being the best player in the country.

In my opinion, without Michael Floyd our WR unit is a 2/5 at best. You underestimate how much attention Floyd takes in that secondary. Take him out of the fold and its a lot tougher for the other guys on the field.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

In my opinion, without Michael Floyd our WR unit is a 2/5 at best. You underestimate how much attention Floyd takes in that secondary. Take him out of the fold and its a lot tougher for the other guys on the field.

What does 2/5 mean? That roughly 60% of FBS schools are better in this category? Even without Floyd, our receiving corps is better than average. I'd give us a 4 with him, and a 3-3.5 without him.

 

[BGIF]

I thought the write up itself was fine. Some Michigan fans (like some ND fans) are a little misguided in their knowledge of opposing schools. I don't see anything in this post that's to crazy, besides maybe D. Robinson being the best player in the country.

In my opinion, without Michael Floyd our WR unit is a 2/5 at best. You underestimate how much attention Floyd takes in that secondary. Take him out of the fold and its a lot tougher for the other guys on the field.

^

There are some quibbles but hey, Steele doesn't mention Spond either. It was written by an opposing fan and very fair. It's in more depth than most of the reviews I've read by the guys that paid to write them. He notes the uncertainity at QB, lack of depth at RB (well noting Wood's ability), lack of depth at CB, and the significance of Floyd to the ND Receiving Corps. He does not seem to grasp the role of a NT versus a DT. I thought the commentary on Kamara was off (injuries) but perhaps he was being charitiable.

His Heisman shot(s) were on the mark if you read the posts on this board since the Spring.

As for our receivers, they have lots of potential but doing a writeup now that's all it is, potential. Floyd will draw double coverage, that means somebody's open. Hopefully Crist (or other QB) has learned to LOOK for the open guy and not just force it to Mike. It doesn't matter how good the other receivers are if the QB doesn't use them.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

As for our receivers, they have lots of potential but doing a writeup now that's all it is, potential. Floyd will draw double coverage, that means somebody's open. Hopefully Crist (or other QB) has learned to LOOK for the open guy and not just force it to Mike. It doesn't matter how good the other receivers are if the QB doesn't use them.

I wasn't arguing that our receiver corps sans Floyd could light the world on fire. But a 2/5 rating "without Floyd" implies below FBS average to me, and I have a hard time buying that. Most teams would love to have our 2-deep at WR.

 

[BGIF]

What does 2/5 mean? That roughly 60% of FBS schools are better in this category? Even without Floyd, our receiving corps is better than average. I'd give us a 4 with him, and a 3-3.5 without him.

It's a simple grading system not a percentile. On your percentile basis your 4 puts ND in the Top 24. Steel lists ND Receivers as #6 in the Nation.

You really think the receiving corps the drop off without Floyd is that small? If he is out for any reason, I expect ND to run the ball more rather than to distribute Floyd's catches to the other guys.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

It's a simple grading system not a percentile. On your percentile basis your 4 puts ND in the Top 24. Steel lists ND Receivers as #6 in the Nation.

You really think the receiving corps the drop off without Floyd is that small? If he is out for any reason, I expect ND to run the ball more rather than to distribute Floyd's catches to the other guys.

I guess it's just an imprecise way to rate units. If Steele rates our WR corps as 6th in the nation, then it should probably be a 5 with Floyd (top 24). Without him, the unit certainly drops; to a 4 (25-48) or maybe even a 3 (49-72). But a 2? That would put us somewhere in the 73-96 range, and I simply cannot see our talent at WR ever producing that poorly.

 

[BGIF]

I wasn't arguing that our receiver corps sans Floyd could light the world on fire. But a 2/5 rating "without Floyd" implies below FBS average to me, and I have a hard time buying that.

I think you're trying to be too precise with a "1 to 5" fan rating system. Like I said there are some quibbles but a pretty fair assessment whether by an ND fan or the opposition.

Most teams would love to have our 2-deep at WR.

They love having to face it without Floyd more.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I agree I'm probably reading too much into what was obviously a very off-the-cuff rating system, but it's July! Cut me some slack. :stickoutt

Based on my 1-5 scale, do any of our units merit less than a 3? I don't think so.

 

[Domina Nostra]

I thought it was a pretty good assessment for a fan of one of our arch-rivals. I agree with a lot of things said above (quoted below).

My take:
QB: 4/5 is too high
He is too generaous with the QBs. He could be right on, but I think it is kind of an unknown position. All four guys are question marks. Crist has a 5* potential. Rees has a competitive streak and can make clutch plays, but he also looked like a true 3* freshman a lot of the time. Hendrix has not thrown a whole lot in game situations, even in highschool. Golson likely has no idea what is going on, and needs to add some bulk.
RB: 2/5 is too low
"Our depth is an issue, but we'll see how accurate that rating is after Cierre puts the wood into scUM for 120 yards." Wood is going to shock some people. IMO, Gray is not nearly as mediocre as most people think. If he focuses, which often happens with seniors, that will be a very good 1-2 punch.
WR: 4/5 with Floyd is too low, but 2/5 is way to low without him. Their is talent behind Floyd, but we lack swagger.
OL: I agree with the 4/5
DL: 3/5 is way too low.
EJ and KLM are going to dominate this year, and people have no idea about the world of pain they are going to experience with Mr. Nix and Lynch. However, losing Sean for any period of time will be a big blow. I happen to believe that Kona, Haffis, and the other boys will be fine playing by committee. 5/5.
LB: 5/5 seems high. "Te'o is a proven elite, but our #1 and #2 at DOG share 0 starts, our starting WILL is weak in coverage, and our starting CAT hasn't really broken out yet." I think his prediction will ultimately prove right, but I think 4/5 is more accurate until they show it.
DB: 4/5 is too high. Things could go really wrong here. This is our Achilles heal. An injury at CB could be disastrous, and if Walls was so mediocre, why was he starting last year over Blanton? BJ and AC could change my mind quickly.
ST: 3/5 is perfect for last year (5/5 field goals. 4/5 extra points. 3/5 kick offs. 3/5 kick returns. 2/5 punts. 1/5 punt returns) but too low for this year. We have a 3-headed monster kicking for points. There is no reason we will need to put up with mediocre place kicking or punting now that KB is there to challenge. Kick returns should at least hold steady (perhaps improve with GAIII???) and punt returning literally has to get better because there is nowhere to go but up (Cam McDaniels, welcome to DI football)

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Agreed on all accounts. Well said, DN.

 

[military_irish]

I thought the illustrations and "cute" comments were funny. I don't put too much in any preseason analysis because it's all guessing. Fun to read though.

Armando Allen (pictured at right), who completed his 12th and final year of eligibility last season

Pretty funny.

Star MLB Manti Te'o (pictured making a great tackle at right)

I thought this was pretty humorous too because the picture clearly shows Te'o getting stiff armed.

 

[Chicago Irish Fan]

after Cierre puts the wood into scUM for 120 yards.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I c wut u did thar...

Credit to BGIF for the play on words.

 

[Fan of the Irish]

I actually found this to be fairly interesting, though I think he needs to switch his rating for QB and RB. I feel a little more confident in our RB's than I do the QB's. Other than that I would say his other ratings were pretty fair (especially considering it was written by a scUM fan)

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I actually found this to be fairly interesting, though I think he needs to switch his rating for QB and RB. I feel a little more confident in our RB's than I do the QB's. Other than that I would say his other ratings were pretty fair (especially considering it was written by a scUM fan)

If Dayne stumbles out of the gate, our RBs could very well perform better than our QBs as a unit. But I think the scUM blogger was mainly rating experience and depth; by those measures, QB definitely looks better than RB.

 

[koonja]

I don't see anything wrong with these evaluations. They're actually pretty fair.

Although I think they're seriously underrating Tyler Eifert, especially when you consider how Kyle Rudolph dominated last year. They'll have new linebackers and their safeties are garbage, so I'm thinking Eifert will have a huge night.

I agree, especially with the questions at QB and RB. We are seriously thin at RB and if Wood gets hurt, we have no one with decent experience behind him... And at QB, Crist was ok but not that impressive last year. He did tend to miss open players, especially on short routes. Unfortunately, it looked that way again in the blue-gold game this spring. I know that was a small sample, but it is what it is.

 

[Riddickulous]

I thought this was pretty humorous too because the picture clearly shows Te'o getting stiff armed.

The thing about that photo is that Manti Te'o made the tackle. The play went for like a two yard gain.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Wide Receivers...

Wide Receivers...

What makes you guys think (as an outsider observing our program) our receiving core deserves anything above a 2 if Floyd wasn't there??? Ridick playing the slot and 40 catches = good and with potential to do more this year. After that?

Taylor - decent freshman year, really tapered off though (injuries, hit the wall).
Goodman - non-factor so far, and we know this.
Toma - hasn't done much, plays behind Riddick
Massa - LOL - you expect a Michigan writer to rate him high?
#1 - I can't even remember his name - you think that writer will?
Atkinson- Oh wait, he's playing RB to start the year, never mind
DD - talented freshman, unproven, a 4 star that won't register with outside fans yet

Seriously, as an opponent, who scares you from that core outside of MAYBE Theo Riddick? Last year, in the bowl game, our WRs caught a grand total of 3 passes outside of Floyd. 3. And you guys want higher than a 2??? Sh!t, we're lucky it wasn't a one.

Now, the potential is there, don't get me wrong, but I think the writer isn't far off at all.

Reminds me of a couple of years ago, when Irish fans in 2009 thought we'd have one of the top secondaries IN THE COUNTRY with the return of Darren Walls, and argued that on this site and others as well. Outsiders laughed but we told them to wait and see, this unit was the shiznit. And of course that secondary went out and puked all over the field the entire year.

Our receivers may prove them wrong, but take off your ND glasses for a second, and you'll see, at this point in time, heading into camps, this writer has a point...

 

[Domina Nostra]

What makes you guys think (as an outsider observing our program) our receiving core deserves anything above a 2 if Floyd wasn't there??? Ridick playing the slot and 40 catches = good and with potential to do more this year. After that?

Taylor - decent freshman year, really tapered off though (injuries, hit the wall).
Goodman - non-factor so far, and we know this.
Toma - hasn't done much, plays behind Riddick
Massa - LOL - you expect a Michigan writer to rate him high?
#1 - I can't even remember his name - you think that writer will?
Atkinson- Oh wait, he's playing RB to start the year, never mind
DD - talented freshman, unproven, a 4 star that won't register with outside fans yet

Seriously, as an opponent, who scares you from that core outside of MAYBE Theo Riddick? Last year, in the bowl game, our WRs caught a grand total of 3 passes outside of Floyd. 3. And you guys want higher than a 2??? Sh!t, we're lucky it wasn't a one.

Now, the potential is there, don't get me wrong, but I think the writer isn't far off at all.

Reminds me of a couple of years ago, when Irish fans in 2009 thought we'd have one of the top secondaries IN THE COUNTRY with the return of Darren Walls, and argued that on this site and others as well. Outsiders laughed but we told them to wait and see, this unit was the shiznit. And of course that secondary went out and puked all over the field the entire year.

Our receivers may prove them wrong, but take off your ND glasses for a second, and you'll see, at this point in time, heading into camps, this writer has a point...

I think the writer has a point that there is nothing a high D1 program will fear in our receiving core without Floyd. No one has proved much of anything. Still it is being pretty stingy to project us in the bottom 20-40% of D1 schools, considering Jones, Riddick, and Eifert were all essentially newbies last year; improvement should be expected as Kelly is good with receivers; and their are some other coveted guys on the roster with talent.

 

[johnnykillz]

They're going to hate having taken Riddick for granted.

Golden Tate version 2.0 inbound this season guys.

And Cierre will gash them.

 

[JDAtlanta]

I would be amazed if the writer stated, "we barely beat them last year. Crist missed a bunch of time or ND would have beaten us. ND really improved after the mid-point in the season. ND hardly lost any significant players from last year. Their S&C program took hold. We are going to get our asses kicked this year."