Aug 31 | Texas A&M

[NDMatt91]

I'd actually be surprised if we won. We've struggled in big road games under Freeman and A&M still has a lot of talent.

 

[CANONIZEFATHERSORIN]

Feel like we lose this one and then rattle off 9 or 10 straight wins

 

[GoldenAura]

I’m confident that Denbrock will be able to make in-game / halftime adjustments way more effectively than Parker when dealing with Elko’s defense.

The team just needs to be able to handle that crowd, which to open the season, I assume at night, will be insane. If they can handle it, I feel good about our chances.

 

[stlnd01]

I hear what you're saying, but there are intangibles in play here that Freeman needs to overcome.

This will be a raucous crowd, with a very good head coach trying to get his new job off to a great start. Not to mention, in a playoff or bust type of season for a young head coach, starting 0-1 would be a disaster.

Why?
Our schedule sets up very favorably after A&M. Even if we lose we really should be 8-1 going into Florida State, and an opening night loss in a tough road environment can be easily overlooked by season’s end.
It’s the second loss that would be the problem for our playoff hopes. We likely won’t have the wins to overcome that.

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

Why?
Our schedule sets up very favorably after A&M. Even if we lose we really should be 8-1 going into Florida State, and an opening night loss in a tough road environment can be easily overlooked by season’s end.
It’s the second loss that would be the problem for our playoff hopes. We likely won’t have the wins to overcome that.

Immense pressure the rest of the way if we start 0-1. Still some tough games on the slate, including L'ville, USC, FSU. As you said, the schedule is a bit weaker, so there's no guarantee 10-2 gets us in without a CCG, either.

1-0 start with a win @ A&M as a quality win, on the other hand, and probably would be enough on our resume to get us in at 10-2.

 

[irish4ever]

I think we win, but I'm not going to say that it's hard for me to see how we could lose this game. I can't imagine us losing to UMass. This is an SEC team with a lot of talent, at their place, probably at night, with a good/great head coach looking to start his program off with a win. He also knows a lot about our probable QB's shortcomings.

Yeah, Dumbo Fisher BOUGHT a lot of talent and some are still there. ND can't sleep-walk this one!

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

A&M finished #16 in SP+ last year despite playing with a back up QB most of the season and an interim HC the last 3 games. They just play in the SEC West.

Played everyone tough, included Bama and LSU & Ole Miss on the Road

View attachment 3055649

I see a theme, for last year at least: rank inside the top 20 to beat A&M

 

[NDpendent]

They had 27 transfer out and 27 transfer in, 17 freshman in the 2024 class, only 9 of which were early enrollees plus a new coaching staff. There is a lot of meshing that needs to happen with their team and we have them as their first game. I'm feeling confident we pull off this win.

Edit. And they only have 76 on their scholarship chart

 

[stlnd01]

Immense pressure the rest of the way if we start 0-1. Still some tough games on the slate, including L'ville, USC, FSU. As you said, the schedule is a bit weaker, so there's no guarantee 10-2 gets us in without a CCG, either.

1-0 start with a win @ A&M as a quality win, on the other hand, and probably would be enough on our resume to get us in at 10-2.

Clearly, winning the game would be better than losing it. I’m just not sure losing it would qualify as a “disaster.” Is all.

 

[HouseofPain]

You cannot consider your program a National contender when you are worried about losing to Texas A&M.

 

[ulukinatme]

You cannot consider your program a National contender when you are worried about losing to Texas A&M.

A&M is usually a middling SEC West team, this is true, but they're no slouch and they occasionally have some really good years. They have a proven coach that develops and we've seen his work first hand. While A&M has had roster issues, they likely have more talent to work with than Elko had at Duke. College Station is a super hostile environment to walk into also, and it will be particularly hostile for a matchup with the Irish at night to start the season when hope is high. We have a lot of things going for us, but this very well could be the most dangerous game on our schedule. You have zero film to really work with Week 1, a new coach can hit you with anything. There's a lot of variables at play.

 

[Hautian Domer]

A&M is usually a middling SEC West team, this is true, but they're no slouch and they occasionally have some really good years. They have a proven coach that develops and we've seen his work first hand. While A&M has had roster issues, they likely have more talent to work with than Elko had at Duke. College Station is a super hostile environment to walk into also, and it will be particularly hostile for a matchup with the Irish at night to start the season when hope is high. We have a lot of things going for us, but this very well could be the most dangerous game on our schedule. You have zero film to really work with Week 1, a new coach can hit you with anything. There's a lot of variables at play.

This. Perplexing team. They are also good for one good let down and upset a year. They had an elite team during the covid season

 

[condoms SUCk]

You cannot consider your program a National contender when you are worried about losing to Texas A&M.

AMEN, I get being realistic (yes it will be a tough game) but good grief ppl on here already giving up on the team for this game before summer ball gets here.
As of right now, this will be a defensive slug fest, no doubt. A&M's offense isn't going to be elite at the start of the season and our offense will have a new QB who the opposing HC knows inside and out. So as a previous poster mentioned maybe the first to 20 really does win.

 

[Irish#1]

I would argue that this wouldn't be a signature win. A&M coming off a 7-6 season, coaching change, roster upheaval, and we should be favored even at their place.

Not in the sense of beating UGA or Bama on the road, but given the love for the SEC and that many still think A&M is still closer to Johnny Football level than average, I think pollsters and the committee would look at it as a signature win.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Not in the sense of beating UGA or Bama on the road, but given the love for the SEC and that many still think A&M is still closer to Johnny Football level than average, I think pollsters and the committee would look at it as a signature win.

Only if TAMU competes for the West & wins 10 games.

 

[stlnd01]

Only if TAMU competes for the West & wins 10 games.

Yeah. If it’s like most years, A&M will be a tough out at home and it would feel like a big win to us but by season’s end they’ll be 8-4 and ranked like 18th and we’ll get no real credit for beating them.

 

[Edge]

Play of oline is always huge key to winning big road games. I have concerns.

 

[condoms SUCk]

Notre Dame at Texas A&M Spring Talk | TexAgs

Notre Dame at Texas A&M Spring Talk discussion on the TexAgs Texas A&M Football forum.

texags.com

If y'all wanna check out thier forum.

 

[BobbyMac]

I’m just hyped to see ND’s first game vs a future Big 24 West opponent.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Remember to check out kolaches to soak up the previous night's booze on game day and sunday morning.

Sent from my SM-J337U using Tapatalk

 

[NDQuebec]

This game gives me the creeps:

1. Elko-He is a very good grounded coach. He almost beat ND last year at Duke, and he has much more talent to work with this year. He also knows Riley and his faults and will know how to exploit them.

2. Talent-Say what you will, but TA&M has a pretty talented team. All of their 3 QBs are pretty talented, so if Weigman doesn't start due to injury, the dropoff will be small. The whole team has talent at every position except maybe the Oline.

3. Their edge rushers vs ND's tackles-Strength vs Weakness

4. It's their home game

5. Vegas has them as a 1.5 favorite

 

[IrishMoore1]

If history is any indication, we will for sure get A&M's best shot + a hostile environment at night. Not an easy way to start the season.

At least this time, we will have a competent QB and OC.

 

[IrishMoore1]

Notre Dame at Texas A&M Spring Talk | TexAgs

Notre Dame at Texas A&M Spring Talk discussion on the TexAgs Texas A&M Football forum.

texags.com

If y'all wanna check out thier forum.

From that forum:

Any 2nd string on A&M's OL and DL are short white dudes who don't do anything. When I look at Notre Dame I dont see any of that. So there's that.

Notre Dame's starters across the OL look MUCH more competent than A&M's starters. We have upperclassmen like Zuhn, Crownover, and Fatheree who wouldn't hold a candle to ND's OTs and that's after ND just lost a 1st and 2nd rounder talent at both endcaps.

 

[dublinirish]

From that forum:

ND going against 22 Joe Schmidts


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DCDomer]

If history is any indication, we will for sure get A&M's best shot + a hostile environment at night. Not an easy way to start the season.

At least this time, we will have a competent QB and OC.

The Sturmabteilung will have had 8 months to practice their mating calls. Should make for some great clips on Twitter the night before the game.

 

[T-Boone]

ND should win it but it’ll worry us sick in the week leading up. I’ll talk myself into under dogs status.

 

[arndtjc]

This game gives me the creeps:

1. Elko-He is a very good grounded coach. He almost beat ND last year at Duke, and he has much more talent to work with this year. He also knows Riley and his faults and will know how to exploit them.

2. Talent-Say what you will, but TA&M has a pretty talented team. All of their 3 QBs are pretty talented, so if Weigman doesn't start due to injury, the dropoff will be small. The whole team has talent at every position except maybe the Oline.

3. Their edge rushers vs ND's tackles-Strength vs Weakness

4. It's their home game

5. Vegas has them as a 1.5 favorite

With all due respect brother, it’s April 24th. Go enjoy your Summer and don’t worry about ND football until they start releasing 10 second snippets of Kenny Minchey running with the 1s along with a Salerno brother two weeks before kickoff

 

[Ndaccountant]

This whole Elko vs Riley thing is funny to me. Elko is a new coach, teaching a whole new system to a brand new roster. Riley and the offense has to learn a new system too, but I think the advantage is Riley considering that I think Elko will not be able to fully take advantage of the situation given the circumstances.

 

[Crazy Balki]

A&M finished #16 in SP+ last year despite playing with a back up QB most of the season and an interim HC the last 3 games. They just play in the SEC West.

Played everyone tough, included Bama and LSU & Ole Miss on the Road

View attachment 3055649

I'm just gonna go ahead and say it.

The SEC West wasn't all that good last year. Yes, Alabama used their regular voodoo magic to upend Georgia, but let's be real, outside of that, they looked very beatable all season. They had multiple close shaves against mediocre teams like South Florida (17-3), Arkansas (24-21) and a miracle finish to beat 6-7 Auburn.

Miami was barely above .500 and they whooped A&M.

More than half of their schedule, the half they won, are teams who finished with losing records.

In reality, the SEC was really down in 2023. Georgia was the standout, and Alabama was good/not great, but Georgia laid an egg in the SECCG, and the rest of the conference ranged from okay to abysmal.

 

[IrishTusker]

We played at OSU reasonably well in 2022, considering it was Freeman's first game eve as a HC. I don't think the environment is so intimidating. Yeah, he struggled on the road last year, but in my view that was more about problems with the offense (OC, Hartman's picks at UL) than with Freeman specifically. I would say 12-0 is a reasonable expectation vs. this schedule. 11-1 would be okay, anything less would be disappointing (even 10-2 + playoff appearance).