Questions answered, at least responded to.

Since Saturday’s loss to the Pitt Panthers I have read a lot of rhetorical questions, have been asked a lot of pointed questions and I have even raised some questions to myself about what happened not only on Saturday but the team we thought we had heading into the season.  So for a defector therapy session in an attempt to exorcise some demons I thought I would try to respond (R) as some may never be answered.

Q -What will be Tommy Rees’s legacy at Notre Dame?

R – Rees will finish in the top five of most Notre Dame Quarterback records, however the name Rees will conger up images of interceptions.  He should be remembered as a player who for the most part did what he was asked to do when he was asked, performed well and actually overachieved at times but never had the ability to play to lead a championship caliber offense.

Q – Should Malik Zaire have played this season.

R – Hard to say.  I say no, I don’t think burning his redshirt this season would have changed much.  Game experience is good but it is possible he could have been a freshman sensation leading the Irish to the Promised Land?  Unlikely.

Q - Why did Folston not get more than four carries against Pitt?

R – Like how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop, the world may never know.  My best guess is the that the magic eight ball Chuck Martin and Brian Kelly have been using all season on running back calls got stuck.

Q – What happened to the running game plan against Pitt in the second half?

R – Apparently 128 yards on 18 carries was enough in the first half for Kelly so he downshifted to six carries for 10 yards.  Or maybe Rees told Kelly he was ready for a big second half and Kelly believed him.

Q - Was Manti that big of a loss to the Irish defense?

R- I did not initially think so but apparently so.

Q – Weren’t Bennett Jackson and Matthias Farley supposed to be better?

R – Yes, on both counts.  Farley actually looks like he is taking steps back in his development.

 

Q – Where is Corey Robinson?

R – I don’t know but would love to find out.  He looked like the next Megatron in the making then he doesn’t see the field in weeks.

Q – Why do the Irish go empty backfield every play inside the 20?

R – Maybe the same reason Rees has not taken a snap under center in three years.

Q – What’s the story with Andrew Hendrix?

R – He was not developed and will be a successful doctor.

Q – Will Kelly keep evolving as a coach?

R – I believe so, he will as players and his staff change from season to season.  I have seen more change than growth but I still have faith in him.

Q – Is this team better than its 7-3 record indicates?

R – I think it’s a fair record.

Q – Is there more wrong with Nix then we know?

R – Yes, either physical or mental or both.

Q – What do the Seniors feel about their legacy?

R – Initially they should be happy about contributing to last year’s National Championship Game run.  They may feel disappointed about their season this year.  Depending where Brian Kelly takes the Irish in the upcoming years they could be the key cogs of the new Era of Notre Dame Football.

Q – Using Eifert leaving and missing this year and Martin staying for it as a barometer does it discourage players like Tuitt with more eligibility from coming back?

R – Probably, but each player makes their own decisions for their own reasons, personal, professional and educational.

Q – Are we / will we get the top recruits?

R – Even with last years undefeated season and appearance in the BCS Championship Game Notre Dame has not returned to glory and they are not considered among the consistent elite programs.  Every year the Irish play in a second tier bowl the echoes thunder a little quieter in the ears of young recruits.

Q – When will “next year” be here?

R – The bad news is that it may be a long time; however with last year’s run and endless hope Irish fans have it could be every year.  With Brain Kelly’s process and the upcoming playoff system in may be sooner than later.

Q – Is Kelly’s seat getting warm?

R – Going 12-0 last year went a long way in solidifying Kelly’s credibility.  Even getting eight wins in his first three years looked good compared to years past in terms of consistency.

Get over it, right?

Traditionally on Sundays and Mondays we look back on Saturday’s games and share statistics, thoughts and opinions but not his week.  Here at Talking Irish re have invoked Brian Kelly’s 24 hour rule; after every game you have 24 hours to cheer or as in this case mourn then move on.  In addition to the mourning we also feel we have bigger fish to fry as it pertains to the 2013 Irish season and what is left of it.  I will do my best to limit the negatives as much as possible so here we go.

Of course we cannot forget where we have been and where we have come from.  It goes without saying that Notre Dame Football has one of the richest and most successful histories in all of sports; 11 National Championships, 7 Heisman Trophy Winners, 97 Consensus All Americans, third all-time in wins, second in all-time winning percentage, 48 players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame, the most of any university and the list goes on and on.   With a pedigree like that anything other than excellence will surly feel like failure so it is easy to understand why losing is so frustrating for fans of the Irish.  Yes, last season Her Loyal Sons went undefeated during the regular season and mad an appearance in the BCS National Championship game but the Irish have not taken hope a Championship since 1988 (25 years).  As a matter of fact Notre Dame has a below .500 winning percentage in Bowl Games (.468) including going 0-4 in BCS games.

Let’s take a look at where we are; 7-3, not ranked and our of the BCS picture heading into a bye week with two games to go.  First up a 6-3 BYU team whose offense looked pretty good last weekend against a stout Wisconsin defense.   With a win over #15 at the time Texas team BYU cannot be taken lightly by the Irish what so ever.  The Irish then get the privilege of traveling to California to face #4 Stanford.  The Irish will finish 9-3, 8-4 or 7-5, odds are it should be 8-4 but 7-5 is not out of the question.  IF Notre Dame finishes 8-4 that will be 3 out of 4 years Kelly’s Irish have finished with 8 wins, not exactly mind-blowing numbers.  Current Bowl predictions have the Irish facing Duke or Boston College  on December 31 in the (AdvoCare V100 Bowl) Independence Bowl as well as facing Utah State in the Poinsettia Bowl. 

Keeping a team motivated that had put the BCS National Championship game on its schedule at the beginning of the season is going to be a challenge for Kelly and his crew going into these upcoming weeks especially going into a pre New Year’s Day Bowl.  However I am sure Kelly’s boys are more than up to the task of standing tall and playing with and for pride.  I don’t see upperclassmen like Rees, Jones and Martin looking to disappoint in the last games of their college careers.  What is most important now is winning.  Beating BYU and playing will against a #4 (or higher) Stanford team along with any Bowl will would help the Irish finish on a good note.  9-5 with a Bowl game victory in an opportunity to build from heading into spring ball.

Overall it should not hurt the current recruiting status at this point.  Each year every team loses a verbal commit and picks up a commit they weren’t expecting.  I would look for the same with the Irish in this recruiting cycle.  Obviously it is not going to excite players to switch over to Notre Dame on signing day but I would not look for a mass exodus either.

An 8-4 regular season record will make the weeks before a late December bowl against a mediocre opponent seem pretty long.  Of course extra practices after a regular season are always seen as a positive benefit for underclassmen.