Why are we freaking out actually?

[Jerry]

Why does everyone think that recruits will bail after a loss? I don't get it. So is there only 1 team every year that gets the best recruits? Recruits choose a school for a variety of reasons. Te'o committed after a loss to Syracuse. Losses happen. And to answer the original question, we are freaking out because that's what the ND fan does. They freak out. Have you ever followed a gameday thread? They are almost unreadable.

It's one thing to play an exciting, close game and lose. I don't think recruits get turned off by that (example ND/SC in '05). It's another thing to **** the game away with ugly turnovers that make the team look confused and silly. You're right kids like Manti will commit based on other factors besides whats happening on the football field, but a lot of kids like to see a winning team. Call me crazy but if ND doesn't beat Utah, SC and Miami last year I doubt guys like Lynch, Tuitt and Ishaq end up committing.

 

[WaveDomer]

It's one thing to play an exciting, close game and lose. I don't think recruits get turned off by that (example ND/SC in '05). It's another thing to **** the game away with ugly turnovers that make the team look confused and silly. You're right kids like Manti will commit based on other factors besides whats happening on the football field, but a lot of kids like to see a winning team. Call me crazy but if ND doesn't beat Utah, SC and Miami last year I doubt guys like Lynch, Tuitt and Ishaq end up committing.

It's understandable that kids want to see a winning team. If ND goes 9-3 or 8-4, that is a winning team. I don't think most recruits/parents look at an isolated game and make a determination about the program based on that. Sure, if you are 4-8, that makes a difference. But if you don't commit because you were on campus for a bad game, then is that really a kid you want coming anyway or a kid that's actually interested? Also, I think what happens after a loss in the locker room and in conversations can tell a recruit a lot about a program.

 

[Jerry]

It's understandable that kids want to see a winning team. If ND goes 9-3 or 8-4, that is a winning team. I don't think most recruits/parents look at an isolated game and make a determination about the program based on that. Sure, if you are 4-8, that makes a difference. But if you don't commit because you were on campus for a bad game, then is that really a kid you want coming anyway or a kid that's actually interested? Also, I think what happens after a loss in the locker room and in conversations can tell a recruit a lot about a program.

I think ND has recruited decently over the last decade because the school has so much to offer other than football which is a great thing. But if you want to land top 5 classes every year then you better impress kids with the direction the team/program is going in. I don't know if every recruit watched the Purdue or Air Force games. But I can guarantee they watched the Michigan and USC games. Notre Dame's losses have been ugly this year. Hopefully they make up for it down the stretch and impress the west coast recruits against Stanford.