Vandy Post-Game Thread

[SouthernIndianaNDFan]

I would like to see what we look like with Book before I concede we can't perform like a top 10 team. Just because he's not an electric runner doesn't mean he can't move the chains as a more consistent passer. He can run the ball too, just not like BW. Our D is very much the part of a top 10 team. Still hasn't given up 20pts, and has bailed our asses out several times after playing way toooooo much.

The problem is that we'll never get to see that. As innovative and insightful as we may be here at IE, the coaches have permanent "I love mediocrity" blinders glued to their faces.

 

[IrishTusker]

It seems like all of the academic schools have caught up to us and Stanford has passed us.

Stanford
Vanderbilt
Northwestern
Duke

3-8 vs. those teams under Kelly. But I keep hearing how it's our academic standards that are holding us back.

 

[Onemanwolfpack]

The good today:
The oline was much much better, and we ran for 5 yards a carry.
Wimbush is def getting much better making better decisions overall even if he is inconsistent on wide/short throws
The defense continues to make big plays..especially when needed in red zone. The Gilman strip and Love recovery was tremendous!!
Special teams didn't hold us back (except for Yoon FG) for once. That should be the norm.

The bad:
Offense inconsistent and has no identity...we cannot sustain drives...right side of line suspect so far to me...
Defense really couldn't create pressure and was picked apart second half
Wide receivers/Tight ends aren't winning battles or helping Wimbush much at all
Defense likely to get worn out and don't see how Tranquill, Coney, Tillery last the season at this pace unless they sub all three more often. Feels like Defense on field 80% of game
Why move Book in when Wimbush was great in red zone last year??? (someone said this above) BK's red zone performance has been awful every year but last year...so of course they change it...WTH

We are 3-0 so things could be a lot worse, but we are going to have to put up more points to compete against VTech, Stanford, and USC. The big question is whether this team just plays to the level of its competition (similar to 2012 team) or is this who we are as a team (means we lose 2-3 at least given schedule remaining)

 

[ND88]

For those of you saying we aren’t a top 10 team, post your top ten.

Alabama (of course)
Clemson (of course)
Georgia (of course)
OSU (?) (look beatable)
Oklahoma (?) (look beatable)
Wisconsin (Lost to an unranked BYU team)
Auburn (Lost to an LSU team we beat)
Stanford (beat a garbage USC team)
Washington (Lost to an Auburn team beat by an LSU team we beat)
PSU (barely beat Appalachian St. in OT after they dropped 38 points on them)
LSU (we beat them, not scared)

You all have gone soft.

 

[T-Boone]

My top ten is Alabama.

 

[SouthernIndianaNDFan]

There's 3 teams (Bama, Georgia, Clemson) and everyone else fighting for scraps.

 

[stlnd01]

3-8 vs. those teams under Kelly. But I keep hearing how it's our academic standards that are holding us back.

Eight of those 11 games have been against Stanford. And Kelly's 15-2 against BC, Navy and Wake Forest. It's not about academic standards. It's about Stanford being good. The rest of them have not "caught up to us," they just don't totally suck anymore.

 

[ickythump1225]

-Another classic BK win: allowing what should be a solid win to turn into a nail biter (Syracuse 2014, GT in 2015, WF last year, Michigan + Vandy this year, I'm sure there's more) because:
-For whatever reason ND lacks a killer instinct. How often does ND just finish off a team and they lose their will to fight? Leading to my last thought:
-"ND always gets every team's 'A game'" Yeah you know why? Not because we're ND, this isn't the 70s. No because we have a blue blood name but in the back of their minds they know they can beat us if it all comes together. Ball State goes into a game against OSU or Alabama hoping they lose by less than 50. BSU goes into a game with ND fired up because yeah we have a blue blood name but also they have a puncher's chance. If they keep throwing the same 3 passes (4 yards to the WR to the left, 4 yards to the WR to the right, or 4 yards up the middle to the TE) they can move the ball. If they just hang around until the 4th quarter we'll let up and they can start scoring.

Probably BK's "signature win" at ND, the win that most epitomizes ND football under him is WF last year. We took a 21 point lead into half, well on our way to a blow out and got outscored by WF in the 2nd half and turned a route into a ho-hum 11 point win.

ND will never be a title contender under BK. You can take the easy answer and say it's all talent, but ND does not have a dominant mindset under BK and outside of about 6 games last year they never have. When given the opportunity to slam the door shut on a lesser opponent we almost never take it. It is what it is.

 

[Rudy89]

I’ll take the win any way I can. I know I haven’t always been the most optimistic guy in the beards but I don’t know how people still think this team is worthy of the playoffs after all of this. If we make the playoffs we would get destroyed. With the caliber of this team we Arne looking at another 2012, 2015, or even a season like last year we are looking at another 2011, 2014, or 2010. A team that has some good players and potential but it enough talent to reallly make it over a mid level.

 

[SouthernIndianaNDFan]

-Another classic BK win: allowing what should be a solid win to turn into a nail biter (Syracuse 2014, GT in 2015, WF last year, Michigan + Vandy this year, I'm sure there's more) because:
-For whatever reason ND lacks a killer instinct. How often does ND just finish off a team and they lose their will to fight? Leading to my last thought:
-"ND always gets every team's 'A game'" Yeah you know why? Not because we're ND, this isn't the 70s. No because we have a blue blood name but in the back of their minds they know they can beat us if it all comes together. Ball State goes into a game against OSU or Alabama hoping they lose by less than 50. BSU goes into a game with ND fired up because yeah we have a blue blood name but also they have a puncher's chance. If they keep throwing the same 3 passes (4 yards to the WR to the left, 4 yards to the WR to the right, or 4 yards up the middle to the TE) they can move the ball. If they just hang around until the 4th quarter we'll let up and they can start scoring.

Probably BK's "signature win" at ND, the win that most epitomizes ND football under him is WF last year. We took a 21 point lead into half, well on our way to a blow out and got outscored by WF in the 2nd half and turned a route into a ho-hum 11 point win.

ND will never be a title contender under BK. You can take the easy answer and say it's all talent, but ND does not have a dominant mindset under BK and outside of about 6 games last year they never have. When given the opportunity to slam the door shut on a lesser opponent we almost never take it. It is what it is.

Everybody always says this same shit, so I mean what's the answer man?

 

[stlnd01]

I’ll take the win any way I can. I know I haven’t always been the most optimistic guy in the beards but I don’t know how people still think this team is worthy of the playoffs after all of this. If we make the playoffs we would get destroyed. With the caliber of this team we Arne looking at another 2012, 2015, or even a season like last year we are looking at another 2011, 2014, or 2010. A team that has some good players and potential but it enough talent to reallly make it over a mid level.

We'll see. Given the way our schedule is shaking out (FSU and, apparently, USC not being very good), 10-2 still seems well within reach, which won't be playoffs but probably will mean an NY6 bowl and would be near the higher end of expectations going into the season. And the reality is that most college football teams are highly flawed in one way or another.

We need to stay healthy and the offense must improve. But we're 3-0 with a very good defense and haven't trailed all season. Looking ahead, the only teams that actually concern me are Stanford and Va. Tech. The rest of it is just the grind of playing a team that can beat you every week. Hopefully we're deep enough for that.

 

[ickythump1225]

6) One of our WR needs to step up, I bet EQ wishes he would've stayed this year.

Why so he can watch BW sail passes over his head?

 

[loomis41973]

The number of snaps our starting defense has to play will be our downfall later in the season unless our offense wakes TFU.

 

[Circa]

Stanford beat UC Davis. People need to pump the brakes.

Cry me a river be-atches . It's unreal!

 

[Circa]

Why so he can watch BW sail passes over his head?

Why do I feel the need to neg rep the crap outta sour pusses like you?

 

[ickythump1225]

Everybody always says this same shit, so I mean what's the answer man?

I don't have answers or power, I'm just a fan. But it seems to me BK is only still here because the ND Admin doesn't perceive we can do better. We can't do guaranteed better (Meyer or Saban ain't walking through those doors), but we can take a chance on a younger, up and coming coach.

Whatever the answer is, it ain't BK.

 

[Sea Turtle]

Eight of those 11 games have been against Stanford. And Kelly's 15-2 against BC, Navy and Wake Forest. It's not about academic standards. It's about Stanford being good. The rest of them have not "caught up to us," they just don't totally suck anymore.

How is he against Stanford, Northwestern and Duke?

 

[Sea Turtle]

For those of you saying we aren’t a top 10 team, post your top ten.

Alabama (of course)
Clemson (of course)
Georgia (of course)
OSU (?) (look beatable) /B]OSU (?) (look beatable)
Oklahoma (?) (look beatable)
Wisconsin (Lost to an unranked BYU team)
Auburn (Lost to an LSU team we beat)
Stanford (beat a garbage USC team)
Washington (Lost to an Auburn team beat by an LSU team we beat)
PSU (barely beat Appalachian St. in OT after they dropped 38 points on them)
LSU (we beat them, not scared)

You all have gone soft.

Let's be honest. OSU would prison rape us.

 

[Mattmags]

-Another classic BK win: allowing what should be a solid win to turn into a nail biter (Syracuse 2014, GT in 2015, WF last year, Michigan + Vandy this year, I'm sure there's more) because:
-For whatever reason ND lacks a killer instinct. How often does ND just finish off a team and they lose their will to fight? Leading to my last thought:
-"ND always gets every team's 'A game'" Yeah you know why? Not because we're ND, this isn't the 70s. No because we have a blue blood name but in the back of their minds they know they can beat us if it all comes together. Ball State goes into a game against OSU or Alabama hoping they lose by less than 50. BSU goes into a game with ND fired up because yeah we have a blue blood name but also they have a puncher's chance. If they keep throwing the same 3 passes (4 yards to the WR to the left, 4 yards to the WR to the right, or 4 yards up the middle to the TE) they can move the ball. If they just hang around until the 4th quarter we'll let up and they can start scoring.

Probably BK's "signature win" at ND, the win that most epitomizes ND football under him is WF last year. We took a 21 point lead into half, well on our way to a blow out and got outscored by WF in the 2nd half and turned a route into a ho-hum 11 point win.

ND will never be a title contender under BK. You can take the easy answer and say it's all talent, but ND does not have a dominant mindset under BK and outside of about 6 games last year they never have. When given the opportunity to slam the door shut on a lesser opponent we almost never take it. It is what it is.

2012?

 

[stlnd01]

How is he against Stanford, Northwestern and Duke?

2-6 against Stanford, for sure. They've been a pretty good program, better than us, over the last decade.
0-2 against Northwestern and Duke, who caught us at bad times in 2014 and 2016, but I don't think anyone who isn't butthurt about Brian Kelly would argue they're Notre Dame's equal as programs.

 

[IrishTusker]

2-6 against Stanford, for sure. They've been a pretty good program, better than us, over the last decade.
0-2 against Northwestern and Duke, who caught us at bad times in 2014 and 2016, but I don't think anyone who isn't butthurt about Brian Kelly would argue they're Notre Dame's equal as programs.

When was a good time to catch us in the second half of 2014 or any time during 2016? Just two more seasons that were respectively mediocre and awful.

 

[Irish YJ]

2012?

Made the game, didn't really contend..

 

[SouthernIndianaNDFan]

I don't have answers or power, I'm just a fan. But it seems to me BK is only still here because the ND Admin doesn't perceive we can do better. We can't do guaranteed better (Meyer or Saban ain't walking through those doors), but we can take a chance on a younger, up and coming coach.

Whatever the answer is, it ain't BK.

At the time of his hire BK was the best option we had really, and I mean realistic option. It's all good to sit around and pipedream about "what if X came here", but the reality, however depressing, is that CBK is it right now, and likely for the foreseeable future. I'd love to snag Gary Patterson, but the sad reality of that situation is that leaving TCU for ND is a lateral move at this point...meaning he won't do it. I mean we could roll the dice on an "up and coming young coach" and run the risk of being even worse for 3-5 years and losing any momentum BK has gained us (and he has produced a lot of traction, we recruit exceptionally well). People forget, it's not like BK inherited this program running on all cylinders and he just shittanked us into the cellar, we were bad man. Weis had ZERO defense, and was the definition of atrocious. BK, since revamping the coaching staff i.e. firing Van Gorder, has us headed in the right direction. I don't know that ND, in the 21st Century, can get any better than this, that's just the reality of it.

 

[SoIll]

terrible head coach..

But how much better would Wimbush be with Mike Sanford as the QB coach?

 

[ACamp1900]

At the time of his hire BK was the best option we had really, and I mean realistic option. It's all good to sit around and pipedream about "what if X came here", but the reality, however depressing, is that CBK is it right now, and likely for the foreseeable future. I'd love to snag Gary Patterson, but the sad reality of that situation is that leaving TCU for ND is a lateral move at this point...meaning he won't do it. I mean we could roll the dice on an "up and coming young coach" and run the risk of being even worse for 3-5 years and losing any momentum BK has gained us (and he has produced a lot of traction, we recruit exceptionally well). People forget, it's not like BK inherited this program running on all cylinders and he just shittanked us into the cellar, we were bad man. Weis had ZERO defense, and was the definition of atrocious. BK, since revamping the coaching staff i.e. firing Van Gorder, has us headed in the right direction. I don't know that ND, in the 21st Century, can get any better than this, that's just the reality of it.

Patterson was a realistic option then and would have been better imo... said it then, still believe it now. Oh well, it’s not like things are terrible, BK has done well here.

 

[stlnd01]

When was a good time to catch us in the second half of 2014 or any time during 2016? Just two more seasons that were respectively mediocre and awful.

So Duke has "caught up to us" as a program because they beat us by three points once in the worst season we've had in a decade? Or Northwestern because they beat us in overtime when we turned the ball over four times and were so injured we were burning redshirts to have bodies to play on the front seven?

 

[SonofOahu]

For those of you saying we aren’t a top 10 team, post your top ten.


OSU (?) (look beatable)

I thought so too, until they beat the hell out of TCU in the 2nd half. Man, the OSU team-speed is crazy. They look like Oregon, a few years back.

 

[Sea Turtle]

So Duke has "caught up to us" as a program because they beat us by three points once in the worst season we've had in a decade? Or Northwestern because they beat us in overtime when we turned the ball over four times and were so injured we were burning redshirts to have bodies to play on the front seven?

Yes

 

[SonofOahu]

I would like to see what we look like with Book before I concede we can't perform like a top 10 team. Just because he's not an electric runner doesn't mean he can't move the chains as a more consistent passer. He can run the ball too, just not like BW.

Oh, I'm right there with you. I've said, for two years, that Book could be like McKensie Milton. Runs just enough to be effective, but is a pass-first QB. Book just needs the reps, which he won't get.

If BK has shown one consistent trait, though, it's being stubborn with the 2-deep.

 

[Irish YJ]

Oh, I'm right there with you. I've said, for two years, that Book could be like McKensie Milton. Runs just enough to be effective, but is a pass-first QB. Book just needs the reps, which he won't get.

If BK has shown one consistent trait, though, it's being stubborn with the 2-deep.

If we can sneak out of WF with a win, I'd bet BK has a quicker hook vs Stanford.