OK....Halfway through the first quarter...

[HereComeTheIrish]

I can't wait to get Aaron and Tuitt on campus along with a couple of ***-whoopin' OLB's who aren't continually out of position.... We're getting killed on the edges.

 

[Riddickulous]

I can't wait to get Aaron and Tuitt on campus along with a couple of ***-whoopin' OLB's who aren't continually out of position.... We're getting killed on the edges.

Darius Fleming and Steve Filer will likely be the starters through 2011.

After that, who knows. Probably Shembo with one of Jarrett Grace, Clay Burton or Anthony Rabasa. That with Te'o and Calabrese in the middle.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Darius Fleming and Steve Filer will likely be the starters through 2011.

After that, who knows. Probably Shembo with one of Jarrett Grace, Clay Burton or Anthony Rabasa. That with Te'o and Calabrese in the middle.

Hey don't sleep on Councell, the kid has wheeeeels. Also, I thought Grace was going to move to the inside.

 

[Riddickulous]

Hey don't sleep on Councell, the kid has wheeeeels. Also, I thought Grace was going to move to the inside.

I don't know. Just throwing out names. Councell does have the speed on the edge that we lack.

 

[zemaniak]

then why not give the new guys play time right away?

what's on the field now sucks and is costing us games, what am i missing here?

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Couldn't agree more. Get Fleming and B. Smith off the field and get the future ready. Then with Aaron and Stephon coming, we could be bad *** in the VERY near future.

 

[kmoose]

I read these same posts, a couple of years ago. Only, then, the names were Teo and Motta. Part of the frustration on this board is the mistaken impression that ND is only a player or two away from being elite.

 

[jason_h537]

I read these same posts, a couple of years ago. Only, then, the names were Teo and Motta. Part of the frustration on this board is the mistaken impression that ND is only a player or two away from being elite.

I read these posts week 1 only it was Wood for Allen

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

I read these same posts, a couple of years ago. Only, then, the names were Teo and Motta. Part of the frustration on this board is the mistaken impression that ND is only a player or two away from being elite.

I'm sorry....was there something wrong with Mr. Te'o this afternoon?

 

[zemaniak]

kmoose: well, if i use your example then, a 50% success rate (Teo) on fresh blood is better than the 100% failure we have fielded up to now at OLB

jason: i only started to criticize after game 3, after re-watching each game on my DVR and NOT liking what I was seeing.

FYI, am now watching Arkansas Alabama game, if you want to see what a GOOD OLB looks like, sneak a peek...
(applying pressure on QB, breaking up a run from behind, working off blocks to make a play, etc)

 

[McInator]

I read these same posts, a couple of years ago. Only, then, the names were Teo and Motta. Part of the frustration on this board is the mistaken impression that ND is only a player or two away from being elite.

Dead on. It is called believing Scouts and the Internet and not your eyes.

 

[kmoose]

I'm sorry....was there something wrong with Mr. Te'o this afternoon?

Nope.................and we still lost. The point was not that Teo and Motta are not any good. You always seem to take anything that I say about Teo, that is not just heaping praise on him, as some kind of criticism of him. My point was that, in years past, people were insinuating that Teo and Motta would fill holes and make the defense great. There have been so many problems, on defense, for years........... no one or two players are going to make those problems go away.

 

[Riddickulous]

Nope.................and we still lost. The point was not that Teo and Motta are not any good. You always seem to take anything that I say about Teo, that is not just heaping praise on him, as some kind of criticism of him. My point was that, in years past, people were insinuating that Teo and Motta would fill holes and make the defense great. There have been so many problems, on defense, for years........... no one or two players are going to make those problems go away.

Dead on.

IMO, if we have a Top 50 defense next season we'll make the BCS. We won't have the opportunity for a truly great defense until 2012 or 2013, when Kelly's speed recruits begin to see the field.

 

[kmoose]

kmoose: well, if i use your example then, a 50% success rate (Teo) on fresh blood is better than the 100% failure we have fielded up to now at OLB

jason: i only started to criticize after game 3, after re-watching each game on my DVR and NOT liking what I was seeing.

FYI, am now watching Arkansas Alabama game, if you want to see what a GOOD OLB looks like, sneak a peek...
(applying pressure on QB, breaking up a run from behind, working off blocks to make a play, etc)

I'm quite aware of what good OLB play looks like. I'm quite aware of what good LINEBACKING play looks like. I've been a Steelers fan for 30+ years, and have seen a plethora of good linebacking play. But what makes you think that the backups at OLB are going to have ANY success? Are you a professional coach who is at every practice? I'm not, so I have to trust that the coaches have the starters starting for a reason.

 

[zemaniak]

wasn't criticizing you directly
my point is we'd probably be better off using the new blood to coach them up to the standards we are looking for then waste more time on seniors who are not up to the task and who, at this point in time in my humble opinion, will never be

can't coach speed and athletic ability

 

[jason_h537]

my point is we'd probably be better off using the new blood to coach them up to the standards we are looking for then waste more time on seniors who are not up to the task and who, at this point in time in my humble opinion, will never be

So we should make this year 07 part 2 and just say screw it we are gonna lose every week any ways lets play the young guys and let them mess up on the field instead of practice. I seen Shembo play this year and it hasn't been pretty so far

 

[zemaniak]

if that makes us better next year why the hell not?

 

[kmoose]

can't coach speed

That's not entirely true. You cannot coach 40 yard dash speed, no. But you CAN coach "football speed". It's about the guys knowing how to react, instead of having to think about how to react. Look at Robert Blanton, today. Nothing against him, but what I saw was a guy who has the speed to hang with receivers on deep routes, but doesn't have that "football speed", to stay on his man AND look back and find the ball at the same time. If he can develop that ability, he looks he might be an EXCELLENT cover corner.

 

[jason_h537]

That's not entirely true. You cannot coach 40 yard dash speed, no. But you CAN coach "football speed". It's about the guys knowing how to react, instead of having to think about how to react. Look at Robert Blanton, today. Nothing against him, but what I saw was a guy who has the speed to hang with receivers on deep routes, but doesn't have that "football speed", to stay on his man AND look back and find the ball at the same time. If he can develop that ability, he looks he might be an EXCELLENT cover corner.

Again do you guys think Stanford has better athletes than us, or just better coached players.

 

[Junkhead]

Almost every player we have on the field is a 3* or above with most being recruited nationally. Point is, these OLBs we have are rated as high as the next guys coming in. A few recruits won't fix it. It's easy to think the next guy is the answer, but usually that isn't it. I'm at a loss other than Weis so under-developed most of these guys that they may never reach their potential at ND.

 

[zemaniak]

yes, you can coach anticipation, up to a point.. some guys "get it" better than others

but again, easier to coach that to a frosh than a senior like Neal

 

[jason_h537]

if that makes us better next year why the hell not?

Well Zeke Motta has more upside than Harrison Smith so should we just keep him out there and possibly ruin his confidence just to get him more experience. I think you put your players in a position to succeed by coaching them up, until then its your job to win games with the guys that give you te best chance to do so

 

[kmoose]

Again do you guys think Stanford has better athletes than us, or just better coached players.

Well........Stanford certainly LOOKED more athletic, today, than ND. Now whether or not that is raw athleticism, or simply better coaching, I don't know.

 

[zemaniak]

I personally don't believe in "confidence ruining"

I believe winners want to play, always look to improve, and look forward to challenges in order to rise above them

then comes natural/physical ability, then coaching.

If you have all three, you have all-american


but it starts with a winning personality, no coach can instill that IMO

 

[Riddickulous]

I've come to realize Charlie Weis might be the worst developer of talent in the history of football. Notre Dame is the only place you'll find seniors who are just as good as they were when they came in as freshmen.

 

[zemaniak]

i'd be curious to find out the average vo2max of ND players versus average of other big time programs

I mean I know we're thin on D, but I'd be willing to bet a s a whole the players aren't up to the game shape BK would have liked them to be in by now

 

[Junkhead]

I've come to realize Charlie Weis might be the worst developer of talent in the history of football. Notre Dame is the only place you'll find seniors who are just as good as they were when they came in as freshmen.

Some guys improved greatly, Tate and Clausen, for example. Some don't seem to have improved much at all, Brian Smith or Kerry Neal for example. I'm thinking your first statement has to have some truth to it.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Nope.................and we still lost. The point was not that Teo and Motta are not any good. You always seem to take anything that I say about Teo, that is not just heaping praise on him, as some kind of criticism of him. My point was that, in years past, people were insinuating that Teo and Motta would fill holes and make the defense great. There have been so many problems, on defense, for years........... no one or two players are going to make those problems go away.

Yet, you always seem to throw his name out into the forefront... Why would that be? He's the least of our problems.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

I personally don't believe in "confidence ruining"

I believe winners want to play, always look to improve, and look forward to challenges in order to rise above them

then comes natural/physical ability, then coaching.

If you have all three, you have all-american


but it starts with a winning personality, no coach can instill that IMO

F-ing A Bubba.... Well said. +1

 

[jason_h537]

So Wood should keep playing and missing blocks letting Crist get killed but he's got more upside