Before everyone gets their New Year’s Eve festivities, I saw this Notre Dame – Alabama fan-made hype video that I thought was worth passing along as we all wait for tomorrow’s College Football Playoff showdown. Notre Dame will need more than hype videos when they take on the Crimson Tide in Jerry World, but for at least another day, the dream lives on so let’s enjoy the ride.
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Are you seriously trying to compare Kelly’s player development to Weis? While I don’t disagree that Weis hit a some recruiting home runs with Clausen and a few others the players, development is not even in the same stratosphere. If Weis, based on your comments about how good he recruited the skill positions, was half as good at player development as Kelly and his staff, he’d still be coaching at ND today. While I agree Kelly isn’t the offensive guru he was made out to be early on there isn’t a single coach not named Saban or Swinney (or maybe Meyer) who could do a better job than Kelly has done considering the significant admissions disadvantage we have compared to Alabama, Clemson, Ohio St, Oklahoma, etc. I’m not downplaying the validity of education at those schools (I live 40 minutes from Clemson and know fully well what a great school it has become) but we have a massive disadvantage in recruiting and admissions compared and Kelly has done a masterful job over the past 4 years building a very strong program all things considered.
I agree Kelly has done a great job and if this was the Notredame of the 1960’s 1970’s he could win a national championship and I believe today if he was at Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson, Oklahoma etc he could win a national championship. The only thing I was responding to is when everyone says you cant land a Michael Floyd and a Golden Tate and a Kyle Rudolph and a Jimmy Clausen all at the same time. Because the standards are too high. I agree with you overall Charlie Weis cant compare with Kelly as far as player development or as a college head coach. However as far as quarterback recruiting and development Weis was better. Brady Quinns game got much better both years he was with Weiss. His senior year he was an All American. Jimmy Clausen was rated number 1 qb out of high school. Weis developed him to in his junior year he finished rated in the top 3 quarterbacks in the country. His passing numbers were pretty much equal to the top 2 quarterbacks that year. Colton McCoy and Sam Bradford. Both those quarterbacks were on much better teams than Notredame. Finally maybe your right and Notredame will never win a national championship again unless they lower there standards like they did for Lou Holtz. That is as a hard pill to swallow for someone like me who is 64 years old and grew up watching Notredame win 4 national championships.
I understand your comments now more than I did at 1am this morning (after some adult beverages) and I understand the desire to see the same program of the 70s and 80s but it’s just not a reasonable expectation in my opinion. CFB has changed so much since then and the southern teams have such a huge advantage today. I think what bugs me the most is hearing folks bad mouth Kelly over and over yet can never offer a better solution and that’s sort of how I originally perceived about your comments, so my bad there. We are competing with the likely the greatest coach of all time in Saban and a truly unique and transcendental coach in Swinney, both with major recruiting advantages. As long as they are around we should have no expectation to do better than we are. A desire to, sure; but an expectation, no way.
Obvious the talent difference between Notredame and Clemson,Alabama,andOhio State are on the offensive side of the ball. Also at the critical positions of quarterback and playmaking explosive skilled positions. If you traded Book, Skoronski and McKinley for Mac Jones,Devonti Smith and Beecham/ Waddle it’s probably a near pick em game imo. If only Kelly could recruit skilled talent like Charlie Weis Notredame would be in great shape.Charlie recruited the best skilled talent in the country. Darius Walker, Cierra Wood Theo Riddick, Michael Floyd ,Golden Tate, Kyle Rudolph, Etc. Charlie also really developed Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen. Into elite players. Kelly imo very overrated as an offensive guru. His offenses over the 11 years. Every year scoring average high 20,’a low to mid 30’s. Meanwhile Alabama,ClemsonOhio State every year 45 to 50 points a game.