Is Notre Dame being overrated?

[NDAlumSon]

The article is up 5/23/06 1:15am, but the link is bad right now.
http://www.collegefootballnews.com/default.htm

 

[Fitzgerald]

Offseason stupidity. When ND is good, the anti-ND contingent has to get their licks in during the offseason, because once the games start...

That said, no one knows if anyone is overrated until the season starts. And if they're overrated, they won't be so for very long. College football polls react fast. I'd say that last year's 9th ranked team, returning most of a prolific offense, with an improved defense, a good freshman class, the single best player in the country, and a coach who now has his feet wet in NCAA, while most of the other top teams have lost significant parts of their teams, is a good pick for preseason number one.

 

[brucejcarr]

WE ARE WAY OVERRATED RIGHT NOW. We got torched by OSU in the Feista Bowl and lost 2/3 of our Linebacking core. If this defense does not improve against the pass, this is going to be a very long season. Sure, we can out score some teams, but when the game is on the line the defense has to shut the door. Can anyone say that this Defense can do that right now?

 

[scooper]

The problem with ratings, this year moreso than most, is that things are wide open. You can list some teams with reasonable expectations and each will have major question marks.

Ohio St-lost 9 starters on defenders. The replacements will be talented, but we are talking about replacing an all time great LB corps and some very good DB's.

ND-Defense?

Texas-Lost a few defenders and Superman Vince Young

USC-Similar to Ohio St in that they have talent stepping in for the lost guys, but there is only on Reggie and the QB is a question mark at this point. They had similar defensive questions as ND.

LSU-may be the most well rounded of the contenders this year.

WVU-who knows what will happen if a team actually steps up and challenges them?

It's hard to pick a concensus #1.

 

[NDAlumSon]

Bad Link still?

Bad Link still?

Has anybody even read it?
Almost 12 hours later and they still haven't fixed the bad link?
Maybe Pete Carroll's check bounced ?!?

I've e-mailed them multiple times now, to no avail.

 

[Aerosmith777]

my only thing is, who's ND being overrated against? Personally, I don't see the team in college football right now that has a better chance of running the table next year.

To me, the most overrated team in the country right now is OSU. They lost 8 starters on the defense that won most of their games last year, including the defense's 4 best players, a good reciever and a couple of offensive lineman. I don't think OSU is nearly as good as everyone's making them out to be.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

my only thing is, who's ND being overrated against? Personally, I don't see the team in college football right now that has a better chance of running the table next year.

To me, the most overrated team in the country right now is OSU. They lost 8 starters on the defense that won most of their games last year, including the defense's 4 best players, a good reciever and a couple of offensive lineman. I don't think OSU is nearly as good as everyone's making them out to be.

I am fully in agreement with you on this.

A couple of buddies and I went through our own top5 yesterday...and to be perfectly honest I struggled with it. So many of the top teams lost a lot of people. We were one of the few that did not.

I struggle with giving us #1, but then, I struggle with giving ANY team #1 right now.

This year proves the point that pre-season rankings are dumb.

 

[jiggafini19]

Based on schedule and returning starters, I have to go with West Virginia as the easy pick. By beating UGA last year, they showed me they can play with anyone. When they lost to Virginia Tech, they were pretty green compared to what they were in January. And they're running that spread offense with a mobile QB.

Remember the four BCS winning QBs last year: Vince Young, Troy Smith, Michael Robinson and Pat White.

Everyone else at the top has suffered major losses. As for Notre Dame, I don't know. A win over Michigan would put them in the driver's seat until they head out to Los Angeles, but too many questions need to be answered in my mind.

Rhema McKnight durability?
Right tackle starter?
The defense?
Third WR option?

These were spring ball questions that never got completely answered. Maybe that was the way Weis wanted it, ala the NFL strategy of keeping things "secret."

Predicting ND that high, love em or hate em, will sell the magazines.

 

[NDAlumSon]

Pete Fiutak of CFN:
"Georgia Tech is really good; the Irish could easily lose the road opener in Atlanta. Everyone appears to be blowing off games against Michigan and Penn State like they were against Idaho and Florida Atlantic. The Irish always have problems against Michigan State, and now Drew Stanton and the boys are even better and the game is in East Lansing. Purdue is better, Stanford is better, and UCLA and North Carolina are good enough to come up with an upset. Even if the Irish somehow get through the front 11 unscathed, there's still that little matter of playing USC at USC to finish things off."

Me:
Purdue and Stanford don't worry me, nor do the Spartans (Man, to be a fly on the wall for that pre-game speech from Charlie!) considering how fired up the Domers should be in light of that "flag incident."
The rest I agree with.

 

[Aerosmith777]

yeah, but WVU has proven to be too schizophrenic to me in the past. Too often they're bad in the years they're supposed to be good, and good in the years they're supposed to be bad. That's not the mark of a really well-coached team, IMO. Now, if they go out and run the table this year I'll have to eat my words and I'm fine w/ that, I just wanna see it on the field first.

And I know ND has big holes to fill, I just honestly don't see anyone else, on paper at least, that I like more. And believe me, I HATE predicting the home team to win it all b/c it makes me feel like a homer, but I really just don't like any of the other top teams this year. OSU lost too much on defense, Texas and USC have a lot to replace on offense, PSU has a QB to replace, and I told you my reservations about WVU. Although, now that you've mentionned them, I think I would pick WVU as the #2 team heading into this season. Them or maybe OU, but I gotta see how their QB performs through the first couple games of this year first though.

 

[Aerosmith777]

Pete Fiutak of CFN:
"Georgia Tech is really good; the Irish could easily lose the road opener in Atlanta. Everyone appears to be blowing off games against Michigan and Penn State like they were against Idaho and Florida Atlantic. The Irish always have problems against Michigan State, and now Drew Stanton and the boys are even better and the game is in East Lansing. Purdue is better, Stanford is better, and UCLA and North Carolina are good enough to come up with an upset. Even if the Irish somehow get through the front 11 unscathed, there's still that little matter of playing USC at USC to finish things off."

Me:
Purdue and Stanford don't worry me, nor do the Spartans (Man, to be a fly on the wall for that pre-game speech from Charlie!) considering how fired up the Domers should be in light of that "flag incident."
The rest I agree with.

I really don't worry about Tech to be honest. I may have to eat my words, but that team just doesn't scare me against this Irish team. Same goes for North Carolina. Stanford at South Bend doesn't worry me, and neither does MSU in East Lansing ironically.

Michigan always worries me, UCLA will be tough I think, and Penn State is sorta an X-factor, I'm not sure what I think that team's gonna be this year. And then there's USC. Those 4 games I think are gonna be what decided whether they go back to the Fiesta Bowl or not though. I'd be very dissappointed this year if they lost to any of the other teams on their schedule.

 

[Óglaigh_na_hÉireann]

I'll admit that I'm slightly afraid Jeff Samardzija may turn out to be a one-hit wonder.

I DON'T think that will be the case, however. But I'm still concerned, because the guy came from out of nowhere last year. But I DO think he has the talent to build upon what he accomplished last season.. not to mention he'll begin the year with a solid confidence and more experience under the belt.

 

[LuckoftheIrish86]

I'll admit that I'm slightly afraid Jeff Samardzija may turn out to be a one-hit wonder.

I DON'T think that will be the case, however. But I'm still concerned, because the guy came from out of nowhere last year. But I DO think he has the talent to build upon what he accomplished last season.. not to mention he'll begin the year with a solid confidence and more experience under the belt.

I can see what your trying to say and I agree with you, I have thought of the possibilities that McKnight actually putting up better numbers this year than Samardzija. All depends on the knee but the recovery program sounds like it was a success, did not rush anything.

 

[NDAlumSon]

Is Notre Dame being overrated?

To answer the question succinctly: No.
Now whether or not a pre-season No. #1 is the cards I think it is immaterial.
Somebody's got to be. Plus it does, as someone mentioned, sell magazines.
But there is no question ND is a top 5-7 team. They will be better than last years squad and last years squad was pretty good.
I don't really agree with the argument around here that OSU, USC, et. al. will be substantially weaker because they lost players to graduation/draft. You have to remember that the big programs have depth and by depth I'm talking about underclassmen who were highly recruited, highly rated, all-conference, all-state, top 100, top 250, high schoolers who have been waiting their turn. ND doesn't have that luxury thanks to "Tyrob Davingham".
Will OSU be as strong on defense this year? Probably not, but don't expect a huge dropoff.
Will Penn State be substantially weaker on offense now that Robinson is gone. Maybe, but I wouldn't count on them being the "Blue and White Sisters of the Poor".

Bottom line in IMHO, regardless of the service academies, this is one hell of a schedule we have full of potential potholes.

 

[NDAlumSon]

I really don't worry about Tech to be honest.

Be careful!
Remember what Dwayne Jarrett and Ted Ginn Jr. did to us last year?
Calvin Johnson is better than both of them !

 

[Aerosmith777]

Be careful!
Remember what Dwayne Jarrett and Ted Ginn Jr. did to us last year?
Calvin Johnson is better than both of them !

well, he might be better than Ginn right now, but I can't put him w/ Jarrett yet. But even so, he doesn't have Matt Leinart or even Troy Smith throwing to him. And he doesn't have Reggie Bush, Lendale White, Steve Smith, Santonio Homes, and/or Antonio Pittman to stretch out the defense on the rest of the field.

 

[bmf175]

Until the first game of the season or even after the first 2 or 3 games I firmly think EVERYBODY is overrated.

 

[Fitzgerald]

Be careful!
Remember what Dwayne Jarrett and Ted Ginn Jr. did to us last year?
Calvin Johnson is better than both of them !

Really? Because his numbers suck. I'm not scared of that kid and neither should ND be. He had about half the numbers of our second-best wideout last year. That's not very intimidating, however good he is. It means his QB and coach can't get him the ball.

And as to Samardzija coming out of nowhere, well, so did Quinn. They were both top recruits who hadn't exactly made a name for themselves. Quinn's performance was as surprising as Samardzija's, but nobody's saying he was a fluke. The Irish offensive studs will get their numbers.

 

[Aerosmith777]

And as to Samardzija coming out of nowhere, well, so did Quinn. They were both top recruits who hadn't exactly made a name for themselves. Quinn's performance was as surprising as Samardzija's, but nobody's saying he was a fluke. The Irish offensive studs will get their numbers.

ehh...yes and no I think. Quinn was recruited w/ a lot of fan-fair, people expected him to be good. I don't think the bar was set quite so high for Samardzija when he was an incoming freshman.

 

[maison bleu]

Until the first game of the season or even after the first 2 or 3 games I firmly think EVERYBODY is overrated.

Me too.

 

[ant80]

OSU's Defense

OSU's Defense

my only thing is, who's ND being overrated against? Personally, I don't see the team in college football right now that has a better chance of running the table next year.

To me, the most overrated team in the country right now is OSU. They lost 8 starters on the defense that won most of their games last year, including the defense's 4 best players, a good reciever and a couple of offensive lineman. I don't think OSU is nearly as good as everyone's making them out to be.

Actually, we lose 9 starters on defense, including all of the secondary and LB core. It seems that you guys don't know what OSU defense is made of. Here's an evaluation for you

Line: The line is much bettern than last year. We lost 2 players on the D, and neither were drafter. We are returning Patterson, Pitcock, Gholston and Wilson, not to mention the new stud DE, Rose. Overall, this is a much better pass-rush group than last year. The line will be the strength of this year's OSU defense.

Secondary: Widely regarded as the weak link in the defense last year, it still withstood the talent of QBs such as Young, Henne, Bassanez and Quinn. I'll go on the limb and say that this year's secondary is going to be about as strong (or weak) as last year's. I do expect some drop off though, but not too great. Of course, Whitner's loss will hurt, but Youbouty was actualy not as good as everyone thought he was.

Linebackers: Laurinites took over for Carp during the Michigan and ND games, and there was NO drop off. We have two 5th year seniors returning for the MLB position, D'Andrea (if he is healthy) was actually beating Schleigel in 2004 before he got injured, and Kerr led the big 10 in tackles during his freshman year in Indiana before he transfered to OSU. There will be a huge drop off at the WLB position though, but we have enough depth at the LB position coming in, that it might not end up being that much. That being said, the three LBs we had were the best 3 in the entire school history. I expect a lot of drop off at this position, and fully anticipate this being the weak link in this year's defense.

Intangibles: The major disadvantage this young defense has, is that they haven't played together as a team. But I expect them to be gelled in time of the Iowa game. Whether they will be good enough for Penn State, and more importantly, Texas, I have no idea, but am quite optimistic, because Texas has to change their entire offense because they lost one player, and because of the new QB rotation.