I don't think a lack of physicality and aggressiveness was the issue at all. They were plenty physical.
But when you can't threaten your opponent vertically at all, then it doesn't really matter how physical you are, because the defense can just beat you with numbers.
Think back to 2017. I don't think anybody can question the physicality and aggressiveness of guys like Nelson, McGlinchey and Hainsey. They were big, physical and mean dudes. But because ND couldn't threaten teams with any semblance of a passing game, eventually, teams adjusted. Defenses were able to just pin their ears back, attack the line of scrimmage with little regard for Wimbush beating them vertically, and it worked, because Wimbush couldn't beat them vertically.
Same thing in 2023. Hartman was a better thrower, but the weapons at receiver were practically non-existent, especially for games like Duke, Louisville and Clemson. The OL wasn't great last year, but it wasn't for a lack of physicality or aggressiveness. I'd say size was more the issue inside with guys like Correll and Coogan, but Craig and Schrauth came in and improved that drastically, all while bringing some added nastiness.
As for the defense, this was definitely not an issue. They constantly played with aggressiveness and kept ND in a lot of games when the offense sputtered. But they can only do that for so long. We saw that in the Louisville and Clemson game. A defense running on fumes, while the offense continuously puts them in bad spot after bad spot.
The big issue is that ND needs to find some semblance of a vertical passing game to take the load off of the run game, and more importantly, the defense. We can't be in a situation where the defense has to carry the team for 4-5 straight weeks, while the offense does nothing.
