Tag: NCAA football

Notre Dame football: Bouncing back after hectic week

What a week it was…now, about getting past it

Last week was a long week for Notre Dame fans. An assistant coach was indeed let go, just not the one people thought it’d be. As he left so did half of the able-bodied receivers leaving fans to ponder, what exactly is going on behind the scenes on the offensive side of the ball?

Is this just a typical portal cycle that is getting blown out of proportion due to fans’ frustrations with the offense in the toughest games of the year? Or is there truly some deeper issues to worry about with the mass pass-catcher exodus? How can the Irish “level the ship” entering national signing day and bowl season?

Let’s address some of these issues in more depth.

Notre Dame Football – As Season Ends, Questions Begin

Time for the Irish to get back to work…

It feels like just yesterday we were grinding through the dog days of summer begging for college football to start back up again. Just as fast as it all started, it’s now over, and Notre Dame has finished their regular season at 9-3 with more ups and downs than the newest roller coaster at your local Six Flags.

With the season complete, Irish fans are now asking what comes next. This applies to both bowl season this year and into next year as well. There are a lot of moving parts and I suspect more to come. This year featured lots of things to really appreciate and enjoy, it’s just unfortunate that in the big picture, the deficiencies that led to the 3 losses on the ledger weigh down the positivity, justifiably so.

Let’s examine the three big questions Irish fans have now that the regular season has concluded.

Notre Dame Football: Irish Down the Tree to Finish 9-3

What do we make of Notre Dame’s dominating end to the 2023 regular season?

After overcoming a bit of a slow start on the road, which was a worrisome trend all year, Notre Dame ended up doing just as they should and downed Stanford 56-23 in sleepy Palo Alto. The presentation of the game felt odd as it was occurring during the Pac 12 Network’s 3-hour funeral eulogy.

With the feeling of finality in the air and literally on it as well, Notre Dame fans were in their thoughts late last night as evidenced by the calls I took on the post-game show. Things quickly turned from Stanford to the big picture with Irish fans pondering where exactly the team finished, how they arrived there, and what comes next. All fair thoughts given a frustrating up-and-down year.

Let’s take a look at three major takeaways from the last game Notre Dame will likely ever play against a Pac 12 opponent.

Lots To Be Thankful For In Irish Nation

It doesn’t always feel like it but there is a lot for Notre Dame fans to be thankful for this year

I always like to think of Thanksgiving as a time for reflection. One for taking some time to ponder the blessings each of us have in our lives even amid our unique struggles in an increasingly seemingly busier world than ever before. This concept also applies to football fandom as well, a big part of many of our lives.

Certainly, this year didn’t turn out as well as Notre Dame fans had hoped it would, but I’ve still found plenty to be thankful for from my unique position as an Irish voice in print and video this season. Here are 3 specific items of note that jump out to me.

Notre Dame PLOWS Their Way Out of South Bend

ND Plows Way To L.A.

What a fun senior day it was in South Bend. Wild weather, great individual performances, record-setting stats, and most notably a dominant blowout win against a heated rival. This victory puts Notre Dame in a prime position to potentially end the year at 9-3 after a trip to Los Angeles next week. Quite the accomplishment after suffering three losses by October 15th.

Notre Dame has been very unpredictable at home and has played its’ worst football against bad teams. Boston College certainly earned that description throughout the year and most certainly did today as well. A dominant win such as this was the perfect way to send the Seniors off with a memorable win, comfort the chilly Irish faithful at home, and turn all focus to sunny Southern California. 

Let’s take a look at 10 aspects of this performance that the Irish can use to power them into LA next week to face the Trojans with major momentum. 

Analyzing Notre Dame’s Dominating Senior Day Send-Off

Nice win but a bit of a “too little, too late” feel, Irish fans?

There was nothing that could be done to erase the three losses that besmirched Notre Dame’s record entering Saturday’s game against Wake Forest. The best thing the Irish could do, the only thing they could do was to beat the Demon Deacons badly. They did exactly that to the tune of a 45-7 win on a send-off on senior day.

The Irish are now through 11/12 games on the schedule and will look to get in the clubhouse at 9-3 in their finale against Stanford in Palo Alto. There was a lot to like today about the Irish, but underpinning it is the frustrating thought of “too little too late” when thinking about the year in totality. Let’s take a look at some things that stand out about the last home game for the Irish in 2023.

NCAA denies bowl waiver for James Madison and other new FBS schools

The Dukes, along with Jacksonville State and Tarleton State, were denied by the NCAA Division I Board Administration Committee on Wednesday.

The NCAA stood by its decision to not let James Madison, Jacksonville State, or Tarleton State participate in bowl games for this postseason, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Wednesday.

Wednesday’s decision came from the NCAA Division I Board Administration Committee, which agreed with the three previous rulings made on the case.

By rule, college football programs that move up from the FCS to the FBS are banned from participating in bowl games for their first two seasons in the new subdivision. The rule has come under fire after James Madison, a second-year FBS program, won its first 10 games of the season.

James Madison sent a letter signed by the school president, athletic director, and rector of the board to the NCAA Board of Directors last week asking for reconsideration.

“Our student-athletes have achieved an astonishing, unprecedented level of success during this period,” the school’s letter read. “Relief is warranted as a matter of student-athlete welfare. The membership recognizes postseason participation as a fundamental element of the student-athlete experience.”

The Dukes and Jacksonville State could still reach a bowl game if there aren’t enough teams with a .500 record or better.

Notre Dame Football: Time For A QB Change?

Is it time for Notre Dame to change quarterbacks?

Unfortunately, Notre Dame will not be accomplishing any of their “big picture” program goals this year due to the three losses they now have on the ledger. As a result, how the remaining games are looked at has changed as well. Will the coaching staff prioritize getting more snaps for younger players looking to the future or will the starting lineup and rotations be the same?

Sam Hartman has not been playing good football. The offense has been playing awful football. This isn’t all Sam’s fault, but he is the sixth year QB that was gifted this job with much expected. Now that there are no national postseason trophies to play for, is it time to consider playing the younger quarterbacks eyeing the future? Let’s examine this circumstance more directly.