Natty Postgame

[Islandboi]

 

[GATTACA!]

Shane talks about the natty. Gave the boys a pep talk in the morning. Phil got to meet Freeman. He plans on donating to the FuND.

 

[Irish#1]

I generally feel a lot better after this game than the Alabama game. For one, we kind of scraped by at the end of that 2012 season to get in. Our offense was pretty shaky in reality. I think the Oklahoma win was a bit of a misnomer, it was a real good win, but not as impressive in hindsight as they had already lost to K State and they would later get demolished by A&M. It was pretty clear that we didn't belong on the field with Alabama, they beat us in all facets handedly.

However, despite missing 7-8 key players against OSU we held our own pretty well (Although we put ourselves in a decent hole in the 2nd and 3rd quarters). Even decimated by injuries our OL Monday was better as a unit than the 2012 team imo (Although there were individuals like Martin that were much better on the 2012 team). Our skill players this year were generally better than 2012, although the WR group is hard to gauge. I easily take Riley over Golson, and while I love Theo Riddick I still take a banged up Love and Co. over the 2012 backs. Defensively we didn't have a Manti Teo to lead that group spiritually, but our banged up defense did a great job throughout the year as a unit.

I feel like the future is bright with the young players we have waiting in the wings. We definitely need some more WRs and maybe a few DTs, but otherwise I feel like this team is deeper than 2012. I like our coordinators and head coach a lot more too, although it looks like we'll have to replace Golden.

Along with no noticeable drop off on the D's play, We have a ton of players who got more game experience than they normally would. This means next year the D will once again be nasty. That's assuming the new DC doesn't change the D.

 

[IAIrish]

I think this is where the playoffs actually increase our odds. As Wizard has brought up many times, playoffs is a terrible system for guaranteeing the best team gets a ring. Even if you're better than everyone you play by two touchdowns in Vegas, over 4 rounds you have a below 20% chance of winning it all. I think the OSU team is going to stub their toe or get a major injury on the way to the NCG more often then not.

If ND can hang out in that top 5 program range, I think it's only a matter of time. This isndoubly true if the playoffs dont fix the seeding and the 5th seed continues to get a good draw.. Hell I think it could've happened this year if Morrison doesn't get a foot caught in the turf and Sneed and Mills don't beat Indiana's OL so badly they hurt each other.

This is where I'm at. With all of the injuries this team had to their best players, it was a heck of a run to make it to the natty.

You have to think there's gonna be years where osu and other favorites will lose multiple AA's in season and during the playoffs and injury luck balances out.

My only concern is the toll 16 games took on this roster and if it factors in to next year. We've already seen it with guys like Flanagan.

Fortunately we played a ton of dudes and handled a lot of teams to spread out reps in season. Freeman's strategy of playing freshman if they can help should help here too.

 

[IAIrish]

Ok so Leonard Moore might run a 4.3.

He’s going to be a top 15 pick lmao. Literally is a perfect CB prospect. Crazy he was an overlooked 3 star.

Fuck if Bowen didn't completely bite on the pull there.... could've driven a truck through that hole.

 

[Katzenboyer]

Not to be a victim or recency bias...but I'm curious as to how you feel about the program now as opposed to post Bama after the 2012 season? I remember still feeling really good then.

Miles better.

When we played Bama in 2012 (and Clemson/Bama in the playoffs), we didn't look like we were playing the same sport. Those Bama/Clemson teams were physically superior, and did absolutely nothing fancy; they just ran right at us, and rolled us over. I remember coming out of those games feeling like we weren't even in the same universe as those teams (and we weren't).

I don't feel the same way after this week's game. OSU clearly had more talent, but it wasn't the sizeable gap I saw in 2012, 2018 and 2020. We could play with those guys, and if a few things go differently, we could have beaten them. It wasn't our day, and all the credit to OSU for making it so, but I never once said during the game "man we are just utterly overmatched here."

Coupled with NIL and wins against UGA and PSU, for the first time in a long time I truly feel like ND will win a national championship in my lifetime. I was no where close to believing that after the 2012 Bama game.