12/21/24
October 26, 2002
Is Notre Dame for real?: The "experts" at ESPN give their opinion. After their victory over Florida State, what are your thoughts on the Fighting Irish?
ND shouldn't be considered "for real" anymore after Saturday evening than they were that morning. FSU wasn't living off reputation any less than the Irish were supposed to be, and ND is always going to get players, so it's not like they're these "Nice Nellies" who were going to get their heads handed to them.
posted by jackhererra at 08:31 AM on October 27, 2002
ND is always going to get players I hope that recruitment improves after this amazing season, because they were not "getting players" during the Davie Administration. Of course, if Willingham could win at Stanford, he shouldn't have any problem recruiting at Notre Dame.
posted by yerfatma at 11:14 AM on October 27, 2002
Also, why is Mel Kiper allowed to comment on actual college football games? That's like getting the assistant butcher at the supermarket to explain the biological processes of a cow: just because he can cut them up doesn't mean he knows how they work.
posted by yerfatma at 11:17 AM on October 27, 2002
ND is not a tremendously talented team. Davie did not land the blue chip recruits and Willingham is winning the hard way. I hope his tenure is a successful one.
posted by jc at 11:54 AM on October 27, 2002
Nothing against Willingham, but I hate ND and all of their self-righteous fans. I must admit they are good, but I’m not worried because the Cains are going to crush all (including ND) on the way to another national title.
posted by Bag Man at 01:56 PM on October 27, 2002
Not with that rushing defense of theirs. West Virginia hung tough with the Canes yesterday, and Va Tech will be ready and waiting to knock off the defending national champions.
posted by jasonbondshow at 02:40 PM on October 27, 2002
I hope that recruitment improves after this amazing season, because they were not "getting players" during the Davie Administration. Except for his last year, Davie's recruiting classes were Top 10s, and two of those four classes were Top 5s. Not exactly a slump. That may not indicate that ND was actually "getting players" -- many a roster is peppered with SuperPrep A-As who can't play -- but that does indicate that more than one elite coaching staff wanted these players.
posted by jackhererra at 07:06 PM on October 27, 2002
Yeah, I was definitely going with my gut on that-- it just seems like years since any of the top tier recruits have listed Notre Dame as one of their potential schools. I was focusing on the negative. Stupid Irish-Catholic tendencies.
posted by yerfatma at 09:35 PM on October 27, 2002
The recruiting was fine at Notre Dame. It was the coaching that sucked. I don't know who else to blame for all of the promising prospects that turned into NFL Europeans, so thats the way I see it. Anyway, Davie is out now and Willingham doesn't seem to suffer from the same shortcomings. This team is for real. Then again, so is Miami. And so is OU.
posted by 86 at 11:21 PM on October 27, 2002
The win over FSU won't tell as much for the Irish as a win over Southern Cal at the end of the season; the Trojans are a better team than FSU and can throw the ball effectively, which is about the only thing that has caused ND some trouble this year. ND's run defense is definitely for-real, and Battle has become a much better player than I ever expected. But they haven't faced a talented team with good offensive balance. That's the real test.
posted by thescoop at 10:22 AM on October 28, 2002
Thescoop: Amen, though I don't really like either of SC's backs, which is why Palmer's had to throw the ball like he's done in recent weeks.
posted by jackhererra at 10:41 AM on October 28, 2002
Question: Are you overrated until proven good (i.e., guilty until proven innocent)? Or are you good until proven overrated?
posted by jacknose at 09:51 AM on October 29, 2002
jacknose: These days, I suspect, you're good until proven overrated. The exception would be ND simply because the Irish get national exposure every week, while the other teams get intermittent TV time.
posted by thescoop at 11:14 AM on October 29, 2002
You have to hand it to them, they did step up big. The only real obstacle left would be USC at the end of the season. No matter what else happens, Ty Willingham is hands down the coach of the year.