next 4 games critical!

[mick2]

These next four games are going to be critical to our season.

i dont think we can afford to lose more than one of these games.

This week has me extremely nervous, we have our backs against the wall and i think we will respond very strongly because mainly, we have to.

I would obviously love 4-0, and i think it is possible, but my objective look has us at 3-1 with a loss to stanford, i think worst case is 2-2.

what do you guys feel?

 

[PANDFAN]

in my head i think 3-1 if crist stays healthy...msu has had our number and it looks like it could continue..althought obviously in my heart...nd 4-0

 

[tko]

MSU has had the # of inferior coaches. new regime in south bend. i expect ND to lay the wood.

 

[Jerry]

Obviously Stanford is the big game on the schedule right now. But people shouldn't over look Pitt. And I'm afraid if they lose another close one this week to Miami it might be easy for the Irish to do just that. I think 2 - 2 would be disappointing and 3 - 1 is realistic.

 

[JughedJones]

Dayne Crist’s 95-yard TD pass to Kyle Rudolph & LaMichael James’ 72-Yard TD Run Were Goosebump-Inducing on Monster Saturday | The Big Lead


I know we've all seen it but this is a pretty nice edit.

Nice.

Didn't want to start a new thread.

 

[mick2]

Dayne Crist’s 95-yard TD pass to Kyle Rudolph & LaMichael James’ 72-Yard TD Run Were Goosebump-Inducing on Monster Saturday | The Big Lead


I know we've all seen it but this is a pretty nice edit.

Nice.

Didn't want to start a new thread.

dude.... such a perfect pass.

 

[JughedJones]

I lied and started a thread about it.

I so love that man.

Which one? Yes.

 

[mick2]

i usually hate looking ahead, i dont know why i started this thread! haha

msu - very good ground game, so-so passing game. everyones afraid of the running attack because of what denard did to us, but hes a qb running, and a qb running is much more difficult to stop because of the threat of throwing. much different when a qb hands the ball off and you know that guy is strictly running it. I think its a tough tough game and we pull away late 31 - 21.

Stan - holy moly this team looked good when the were demolishing ucla last week. andrew luck is marve with an arm, this is going to be a report card game for sure, harbaugh knows how to friggin coach and maybe we should root the wolverines on for the rest of the season so they dont hire this guy. i think we play a valiant game but fall 35-31.

bc - hate em, they have played two tomato cans in weber state and kent state, they dont seem to be all that explosive, good running back which we shut down last year, decent qb in shinskie, the key to this game is how we attack their defense which is very good, jimmy struggled mightily the last two times we played them. i think kellys spread can cause enough mismatches and our d can make a play or two and cushion our point total 38-20 ND

pitt - solid football team, unspectactular first year starter qb, stellar rb, first round wr, and solid D much like BC even without romeus. we should have won this game last year which means nothing, but if we can take baldwin out of the game and make them rely solely on lewis like utah did i think we have a good shot at winning this, with experience against similar msu and bc teams i think we grab an early lead and hang on to win a close game in the 20's much like last year. 27-21 ND

 

[nd1]

i say we go 3-1 and lose a close game to stanford game. i hope we go 4-0 but stanford has a good team and probably just alittle better at this time.

i"ll be glad when kelly gets his recruits in here and we start blowing teams out and get nd back in title contension. we all have to remember that he has to get his players in here and coach them up because he won everywhere he goes. I think we will go to a bowl game this year but it won't be a major bowl.

 

[irishfaith]

I can't predict because I am too bias. However, I am willing to say that a 4-0 run would be as impressive as anything ND has done in the last 4 years. Any thoughts?

 

[mick2]

i say we go 3-1 and lose a close game to stanford game. i hope we go 4-0 but stanford has a good team and probably just alittle better at this time.

i"ll be glad when kelly gets his recruits in here and we start blowing teams out and get nd back in title contension. we all have to remember that he has to get his players in here and coach them up because he won everywhere he goes. I think we will go to a bowl game this year but it won't be a major bowl.

i think we can definitely make a new years day bowl game.

defense just needs to be decent and the offense is gonna carry this team past most of our opponents

 

[mick2]

I can't predict because I am too bias. However, I am willing to say that a 4-0 run would be as impressive as anything ND has done in the last 4 years. Any thoughts?

id sure as hell be impressed, and we'd be in the drivers seat towards bcs!

5-1 heading into west. mich., tulsa and navy! 8-1 by the time utah strolls into town!

wow i can hardly wait!

 

[nd1]

i agree but with new coaches and new system in place there's going to be growing pains.

 

[mick2]

i agree but with new coaches and new system in place there's going to be growing pains.

yea but who wants to think about those! lol

im just dreamin of possibilities

 

[nd1]

i agree i hope they win every game they play the rest of the year but the stanford and usc games are going to be good and close. maybe the pitt and utah game

 

[phork]

Since I have repeatedly stated that this first year is a complete mulligan, my expectations are raised. ND goes no worse than 3-1 and probably 4-0. Weis has left the building.

 

[mick2]

Since I have repeatedly stated that this first year is a complete mulligan, my expectations are raised. ND goes no worse than 3-1 and probably 4-0. Weis has left the building.

no need to preface your statement phork just admit it you kuckoo for kellypuffs! i've never seen such positivity from you before!

 

[Jerry]

I think Stanford will be our first half SC game. If we win that it will be a huge milestone for a successful season.

 

[TinyT]

i"ll be glad when kelly gets his recruits in here and we start blowing teams out and get nd back in title contension. we all have to remember that he has to get his players in here and coach them up because he won everywhere he goes.

What is wrong with the players currently at ND? Unlike when the previous regime took over there is quality depth on this team. I don't think that Kelly will be recruiting any better than Weis and his staff. This team is loaded right now...Coach just needs to develop and nurture that talent. If he can't do it with what is on board now, then we are going to have to see recruiting classes annually in the top 5.

I don't mean to pick on you ND1, but I have seen this statement many times on this board over the last few months, and it irks me every time. There is quite simply a cubic butt ton of untapped talent and potential on the roster right now, and if Kelly is as good as his record indicates then this team will become borderline dominant in a very short amount of time.

 

[nd1]

What is wrong with the players currently at ND? Unlike when the previous regime took over there is quality depth on this team. I don't think that Kelly will be recruiting any better than Weis and his staff. This team is loaded right now...Coach just needs to develop and nurture that talent. If he can't do it with what is on board now, then we are going to have to see recruiting classes annually in the top 5.

I don't mean to pick on you ND1, but I have seen this statement many times on this board over the last few months, and it irks me every time. There is quite simply a cubic butt ton of untapped talent and potential on the roster right now, and if Kelly is as good as his record indicates then this team will become borderline dominant in a very short amount of time.

i agree there is alot of talent on this team but these players were recruited to play in a different system.(pro) and the system kelly runs (spread) is different and based on speed. not saying that these players can not adjust to this system and most probably can. you are right about coaching up the talent and to this point i think everybody can tell the difference he has made in some of the players we have. I believe kelly will get the best out the players that he can because he has a track record of getting the most out of his players.

all i'm saying is that he has been running this system for a very long time and he knows the type of players that he needs to get the program to where it needs to be and thats back on top of college football.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

What is wrong with the players currently at ND? Unlike when the previous regime took over there is quality depth on this team. I don't think that Kelly will be recruiting any better than Weis and his staff. This team is loaded right now...Coach just needs to develop and nurture that talent. If he can't do it with what is on board now, then we are going to have to see recruiting classes annually in the top 5.

I don't mean to pick on you ND1, but I have seen this statement many times on this board over the last few months, and it irks me every time. There is quite simply a cubic butt ton of untapped talent and potential on the roster right now, and if Kelly is as good as his record indicates then this team will become borderline dominant in a very short amount of time.

ND has offensive firepower that is ready to go. Defense, on the other hand, has a lot of holes. Weis loaded up on the offensive side of the ball, and cultivated that talent. The defense however, was recruited nowhere near as strongly as offense, and had recieved less focus on the development of talent. 5 star players in 2007s recruiting class who have had no development begin to deteriorate. A senior, who was a 5 star player, has been playing with bad habits and limited fundamental teaching is not going to be able to maximize his talents in 1 year and reach his potential, just not going to happen.

Kelly needs a few years to develop and bring in his boys. ND's defense should be pretty good in 2012/2013.

 

[phork]

Kellys spread is designed to get playmakers the ball in space. Its not like DickRods Spread where you need a QB that runs as well as a running back, but can throw it as well. Had we actually switched to Ricky's offense you would have seen much the same futility that UM has gone through.

This team is going to be flying by the end of the year, once the kinks are out.

 

[TDHeysus]

I'm concerned that some of the stuff that BK does is not for this level of CFB, the jury is still out tho. As TinyT and others have said in this thread, its not because of lack of talent. BK has never had the talent he has currently on this team.

I dont think ND should be doing any 'trick' type of plays, muddled defenses, or anything like that. But I guess im showing that im 37 years old, and showing my 'old skool' football philosophy.

 

[Dizzyphil]

I'm concerned that some of the stuff that BK does is not for this level of CFB, the jury is still out tho. As TinyT and others have said in this thread, its not because of lack of talent. BK has never had the talent he has currently on this team.

I dont think ND should be doing any 'trick' type of plays, muddled defenses, or anything like that. But I guess im showing that im 37 years old, and showing my 'old skool' football philosophy.

I will agree that your thinking is 'old skool' -- somewhat like mine. But looking at what Kelly's team did last year with his schedule, I DO believe it is the type of system for this level of CFB.


Rutgers W 47–15
Southeast Missouri State W 70–3
at #24 Oregon State W 28–18
#14 Fresno State W 28–20
at Miami (OH) W 37–13
at #21 South Florida W 34–17
Louisville W 41–10
at Syracuse W 28–7
Connecticut W 47–45
#23 West Virginia W 24–21
Illinois W 49–36
at #15 Pittsburgh W 45–44

 

[BirdmanND06]

If we manage to make it out of the first six games 4-2 I will be one happy dude. I will be at the Stanford game cheering my lungs out, but that one will be a tough one to win, IMO.

 

[Irish Man3]

This four game stretch is going to be very tough. One of the biggest positives I can see is (if Im not mistaken) all four of these teams run a pro style offense. That plays right into our hands as far as the defense is concerned. The deeper into the season we go, the more comfortable we become in our new systems. Of the four teams, I wouldve said Pitt was the best on the defensive side of the ball, but losing Greg Romeus is HUGE. I think our offense will have moderate success against all four teams. The best offensive team in my mind would be Stanford with Andrew Luck. They look to be a very solid top 25 team. I think if we can start this stretch with a big road win in East Lansing and prove we can get up after getting punched in the mouth, we will be in great shape the rest of the way.

 

[charlyp123]

All four at tough... but gotta say @ Michigan St. and @ BC scare me the most. Those two teams have really had ND's number lately and they are both away games... Fingers crossed. I like what I see from Kelly so far.

 

[mick2]

This four game stretch is going to be very tough. One of the biggest positives I can see is (if Im not mistaken) all four of these teams run a pro style offense. That plays right into our hands as far as the defense is concerned. The deeper into the season we go, the more comfortable we become in our new systems. Of the four teams, I wouldve said Pitt was the best on the defensive side of the ball, but losing Greg Romeus is HUGE. I think our offense will have moderate success against all four teams. The best offensive team in my mind would be Stanford with Andrew Luck. They look to be a very solid top 25 team. I think if we can start this stretch with a big road win in East Lansing and prove we can get up after getting punched in the mouth, we will be in great shape the rest of the way.

this was pretty much the same thing i said to my dad earlier today!

andrew luck is a baller, but these four teams are all pro style which i think our defense is better equipped for, lets start it off with a big win this Saturday in east lansing.
Go Irish!

 

[tankjeep]

no need to preface your statement phork just admit it you kuckoo for kellypuffs! i've never seen such positivity from you before!

if phork is grunting positives he must be taking a dump.

 

[Nothingman]

Rutgers W 47–15
Southeast Missouri State W 70–3
at #24 Oregon State W 28–18
#14 Fresno State W 28–20
at Miami (OH) W 37–13
at #21 South Florida W 34–17
Louisville W 41–10
at Syracuse W 28–7
Connecticut W 47–45
#23 West Virginia W 24–21
Illinois W 49–36
at #15 Pittsburgh W 45–44

Hope Kelly can continue the trend of winning the close games. Seems like ND has been on the short end of games decided but a touchdown or less as of late.