Tag: Notre Dame
[Pay Wall] Are you ready for more ‘Wildcat?’ ‘Notre Dame’ Football’s Jeremiyah Love likes the idea
‘Notre Dame’s’ Freshmen, Relative Rookies Shine in First Win; From Faraimo to Golden to Johnson, influx of young personnel key to improved defense
COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS: Notre Dame Rises to #3 During Bye Week; Irish Probably Should Be #1 — ND Only Top-5 Team to Beat Another Top-5 Team, As Currently Ranked
Notre Dame rose to #3 in both the AP and Coaches Poll during their bye week, thanks to previous-#2 Ohio State getting blown out at Purdue. The Fighting Irish are the only top-5 team that has beaten another top-5 team, as currently ranked. That fact alone should have propelled Notre Dame into the #1 spot, since neither #1 Alabama nor #2 Clemson can make the claim that they have beaten a top-5 opponent. (In fact, ESPN’s NCAA football analytics already have Notre Dame at #1 for “Strength of Record” (click here to open graphic in new window))
Notre Dame opponent Michigan climbed into the #5 spot, with the Wolverines’ only loss on the year coming to Notre Dame in the season opener, when the Irish prevailed 24-17. (The only loss for #4 LSU was to current-#9/#11 Florida, who, themselves, have a loss.)
In fact, there is an argument to made that Notre Dame and Michigan should be #1 and #2.
In addition to beating current-#5 Michigan, Notre Dame also beat then-#7 Stanford, who are currently ranked #24 /#23. Notre Dame opponent Syracuse is in the “also receiving votes” category in the Coaches Poll. Additionally, Virginia Tech was in the top-25 when Notre Dame beat them on the road.
Nominal-#1 Alabama’s only win against a ranked opponent was against then-#22 Texas A&M, who are now unranked. Nominal-#2 Clemson’s only win against a ranked opponent was this past weekend, against North Carolina State, who promptly dropped from #16/#15 to #22. The only loss for #4 LSU was to current-#9/#11 Florida, who, themselves, have a loss. Keep in mind that the “SEC conference,” for example, might function more like two separate mini-conferences, where teams are sometimes insulated from playing each other, instead of functioning like a bona fide, unified conference. For example, most recently, Georgia and Alabama have only had one regular season game scheduled in 10 years. Georgia has not played in Tuscaloosa since 2007.
(first-place votes in parentheses) (Notre Dame opponents marked in dark blue)
AP
Rank Team Record Points
1 Alabama(61) 8-0 1525
2 Clemson 7-0 1454
3 Notre Dame 7-0 1400
4 LSU 7-1 1327 1
5 Michigan 7-1 1250
6 Texas 6-1 1186
7 Georgia 6-1 1136
8 Oklahoma 6-1 1065
9 Florida 6-1 998
10 UCF 7-0 996
11 Ohio State 7-1 958
12 Kentucky 6-1 754
13 West Virginia 5-1 747
14 Washington State 6-1 692
15 Washington 6-2 677
16 Texas A&M 5-2 622
17 Penn State 5-2 528
18 Iowa 6-1 489
19 Oregon 5-2 450
20 Wisconsin 5-2 357
21 South Florida 7-0 291
22 NC State 5-1 186
23 Utah 5-2 180
24 Stanford 5-2 144
25 Appalachian State 5-1 79
Also receiving votes: Texas Tech 54, Utah State 50, San Diego State 48, Fresno State 35, Miami 34, Virginia 25, Houston 19, Purdue 17, Michigan State 8, Cincinnati 7, Auburn 5, Boston College 2, Mississippi State 2, UAB 1
Coaches Poll
Rank Team Record Points
1 Alabama(60) 8-0 1548
2 Clemson(2) 7-0 1488
3 Notre Dame 7-0 1409
4 LSU 7-1 1352
5 Michigan 7-1 1228
6 Georgia 6-1 1207
7 Texas 6-1 1146
8 Oklahoma 6-1 1075
9 Ohio State 7-1 1030
10 UCF 7-0 1008
11 Florida 6-1 968
12 West Virginia 5-1 794
13 Washington 6-2 729
14 Kentucky 6-1 689
15 Washington State 6-1 633
16 Penn State 5-2 606
17 Texas A&M 5-2 583
18 Iowa 6-1 447
19 Wisconsin 5-2 430
20 South Florida 7-0 390
21 Oregon 5-2 383
22 NC State 5-1 222
23 Stanford 5-2 180
24 Utah 5-2 107
25 Miami 5-2 95
Also receiving votes: Appalachian State 78, Utah State 63, San Diego State 62, Houston 30, Cincinnati 30, Fresno State 22, Mississippi State 18, Virginia 17, Auburn 13, Colorado 9, Buffalo 9, Army 8, Duke 8, Texas Tech 8, Purdue 7, UAB 6, South Carolina 5, Virginia Tech 4, Syracuse 3, Georgia Southern 2, Michigan State 1
Notre Dame, of course, partners with the ACC, with roughly half of Notre Dame’s schedule being against ACC teams, with the mix worked out with the ACC itself. Another third of Notre Dame’s schedule this year is against the PAC-12 and B1G/Big Ten, plus one SEC opponent. So Notre Dame plays a mix of ten power conference opponents, plus Navy (of the American), plus one MAC opponent.
In any event, if Notre Dame can get past Navy next week in San Diego, and if “the math” is done in a rational manner, one wonders how Notre Dame could not be #1 in the first College Football Playoff Rankings that come out a few days after the Navy game.
With regard to other Notre Dame opponents, Northwestern, at 4-3 overall, is first in the B1G/Big Ten West and plays top-20 Wisconsin next week, at home in Evanston, before hosting Notre Dame in two weeks.
Notre Dame opponent Florida State is hovering above .500 and has a date with top-25 North Carolina State coming up. If Syracuse continues returning to their winning ways, they might start knocking on the door of the rankings again, by the time Notre Dame plays them in Yankee Stadium in November. Southern Cal also is hovering above .500 and has a few weeks left to gain a stronger footing.
A side note — when looking at “SEC” teams in the rankings, and contemplating the weak schedules for some of them, one point to keep in mind is that, as a practical matter, the SEC is not really a single, unified conference. The “SEC,” in football, is more like a de facto partnership between two mini-conferences that schedule a postseason game yet, otherwise, sometimes insulate each other from actually playing head-to-head.
So it would not really make any sense for so-called “SEC” teams to feed off each other’s rankings for prestige purposes, since they do not necessarily even play each other.
For example, Alabama has only played in Athens, Ga., once in the past 10 seasons, the only regularly scheduled game between Alabama and Georgia since, and including, 2009.
As a practical matter, it is possible that, in football, even independent, ACC-partner Notre Dame has a closer conference-like relationship with teams from the ACC, and a few of the PAC-12 teams, than the would-be football relationship that exists among some of the so-called “SEC conference” teams.
As a result, it does not really matter if “SEC” teams clog the rankings. Rankings by one separate gaggle of “SEC” teams should not really have a logical bearing on the prestige of another separate gaggle of SEC teams, if they do necessarily even play each other, or do not play each very often in the regular season, and therefore do not really function as a combined conference.
To put it in perspective, by comparison, back when the WAC had a football conference, there was a conference official, from either the Mountain West or the WAC, who proposed having the WAC champion and the Mountain West champion play each other in a special post-season game, with the winner getting an automatic BCS bid.
If that had ever happened, the relationship between teams from the WAC and Mountain West might have been similar to the supposed “conference” relationship between the two mini-conference “divisions” that form the so-called “SEC” — perhaps playing some regular season games here and there, with the two lead teams meeting in the ad hoc post-season game.
On another note, when it comes to strength of schedule, there are the “SEC” scheduling extremes where, on the one hand, they are called upon to schedule a non-conference game against a power conference opponent (or the equivalent), while, on the other hand, they continue to schedule weak Div. I-AA/FCS opponents.
This year, Alabama plays The Citadel (luckily for The Crimson Tide, Alabama gets The Citadel right after the Bulldogs take on Samford — not STANford … rather, SAMford). LSU played Southeastern Louisiana, who just lost to Abilene Christian. Georgia played Austin Peay. Florida played Charleston Southern (the Buccaneers, who did just defeat the Presbyterian “Blue Hose”).
Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly has pointed out that the inclusion of those minor league games effectively diminishes any claim a team might make about having an “extra” game if they end up making it to a conference title game.
Now, that all-important, self-styled “conference title” game did make the difference where Alabama has played Georgia a whopping two times in the past ten years under SEC auspices, instead of just one game, which was how it was originally scheduled. There was a fourth game between Alabama and Georgia since 2009, under the auspices of the NCAA in last year’s College Football Playoff Final. Of course, the only reason either team got to the playoff in the first place was that the “SEC” insulated them from playing each other in the regular season. Had the “SEC” functioned as a true conference and had Alabama and Georgia play each other, the loser would have had two losses, and probably would not have made the College Football Playoff.
With that said, Notre Dame, of course, has had a rich tradition playing “SEC” teams, dating back a number of years, including in bowl games as well as regular season games. And some individual “SEC” teams, of course, are elite programs. As rankings go, however, one should take aggregate assessments of “SEC” top-25 rankings with a big, big grain of salt, because they do not necessarily even play each other, and the ranking of one does not necessarily have much bearing, at all, on the prestige of others.
An added note — Central Florida, the only team in Div. I-A/FBS to go undefeated last year, who were still left out of the College Football Playoff but beat Auburn in a major bowl, the Peach Bowl, are undefeated right now. Yet they still seem to be facing a kind of glass ceiling at the #10 spot. They play undefeated South Florida later in the year, with the Bulls now sitting at #22/#21. There needs to be serious consideration about whether an undefeated American Athletic Conference team needs to be ranked above 1-loss SEC teams, especially if that team is a Central Florida team that beat Auburn less than a year ago. Last year’s results do not count for this year, yet undefeated is undefeated, and Central Florida has demonstrated that they are a strong program.
In fact, perhaps the rankings should be Notre Dame, Michigan, Alabama, Clemson and then Central Florida, with Central Florida then jumping ahead of an Alabama or Clemson that picks up a loss, if Central Florida can keep winning.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS: Undefeated Notre Dame Sustains #8 Ranking; College Football Playoff Implications Next Week
After their strong road win over Wake Forest, Notre Dame sustained their #8 ranking in the AP and Coaches Polls, as the Irish head into a two-game gauntlet against the only ranked opponents still looming on their schedule.
In the next two weeks, Notre Dame has #7 Stanford at home before taking on Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Incredibly, Virginia Tech is still ranked in the Coaches Poll, at #24, even after losing by two touchdowns to previously winless Old Dominion. Meanwhile, Stanford rallied from a multiple-touchdown deficit to knock off a strong Oregon team in overtime in Eugene.
Interestingly, after falling out of the polls previously, end-of-the-year opponent Southern Cal is now clawing back, getting votes in the Coaches Poll. Meanwhile, one of the reasons that Notre Dame opponent Florida State fell out of the polls was a big loss to Syracuse (as well as an earlier Seminole loss to Virginia Tech.) Syracuse also is on Notre Dame’s schedule, for a neutral site game at Yankee Stadium. Syracuse is getting votes in both polls, at de facto #28 in the Coaches Poll and a bit further down in the AP.
Notre Dame has not won a major bowl game in a quarter-century, and attempting that feat is probably the most important goal they can have this season, especially after winning a second-tier sub-major New Year’s bowl last year when they beat LSU in the Citrus Bowl.
Yet, the College Football Playoff also still beckons, at least on the Irish Wish List, even if their trip to the unofficial BCS title game six years ago was wiped off the history books by NCAA sanctions.
With five power conferences, for Notre Dame to get into the College Football Playoffs, at least two power conference champions have to be left out.
Stanford is currently the highest-ranked team in the PAC-12, and Notre Dame plays them next week. Notre Dame and Stanford, as mentioned above, are clustered together at #7 and #8. Ranked above Notre Dame and Stanford are three SEC teams, an ACC team, a B1G/Big Ten team and a Big 12 team.
If Notre Dame can survive Stanford (as well as Southern Cal later in the year), they would have an argument for surpassing the PAC-12 champion for a playoff berth. (Washington is knocking on the door of the top-10 again, yet Washington already has a loss, to a one-loss Auburn.)
The SEC can only produce one champion, although that might not preclude boosters from arguing for multiple SEC berths. While last year’s results have no bearing, it still might be interesting to see how #5 LSU ends up, considering that Notre Dame did beat them in last year’s bowl game.
Notre Dame partners with the ACC, of course, but their partial ACC slate does not include #3 Clemson. A key consideration might be how Clemson fares against ACC opponents that they share in common with Notre Dame. Ohio State, at #4 still has to play the rest of their B1G/Big Ten slate, including a top-15 Michigan team that Notre Dame already beat.
Of course, seasons tend to unfold in unexpected ways, as Virginia Tech just demonstrated. And, for Notre Dame, just continuing to win from week-to-week will be their most immediate challenge.
(first-place votes in parentheses) (Notre Dame opponents marked in dark blue)
AP
Rank Team Record Points
1 Alabama (60) 4-0 1523
2 Georgia 4-0 1422
3 Clemson (1) 4-0 1409
4 Ohio State 4-0 1363
5 LSU 4-0 1238
6 Oklahoma 4-0 1201
7 Stanford 4-0 1143
8 Notre Dame 4-0 1067
9 Penn State 4-0 1001
10 Auburn 3-1 987
11 Washington 3-1 946
12 West Virginia 3-0 923
13 UCF 3-0 727
14 Michigan 3-1 698
15 Wisconsin 3-1 662
16 Miami 3-1 571
17 Kentucky 4-0 541
18 Texas 3-1 308
19 Oregon 3-1 297
20 BYU 3-1 270
21 Michigan State 2-1 256
22 Duke 4-0 244
23 Mississippi State 3-1 241
24 California 3-0 118
25 Texas Tech 3-1 106
Others receiving votes: Colorado 83, Boise State 58, Virginia Tech 55, South Florida 50, Oklahoma State 44, Texas A&M 41, Iowa 31, South Carolina 31, Florida 29, NC State 28, Syracuse 25, TCU 24, Cincinnati 10, North Texas 10, Utah 9, Missouri 7, Ole Miss 7, Maryland 6, Buffalo 6, San Diego State 5, Arizona State 4
Coaches Poll
Rank Team Record Points
1 Alabama (61) 4-0 1597
2 Clemson (2) 4-0 1497
3 Georgia 4-0 1473
4 Ohio State (1) 4-0 1431
5 Oklahoma 4-0 1300
6 LSU 4-0 1234
7 Stanford 4-0 1206
8 Notre Dame 4-0 1135
9 Penn State 4-0 1108
10 Auburn 3-1 997
11 Washington 3-1 959
12 West Virginia 3-0 946
13 Wisconsin 3-1 776
14 UCF 3-0 705
15 Michigan 3-1 603
16 Miami 3-1 554
17 Kentucky 4-0 531
18 Michigan State 2-1 376
19 Mississippi State 3-1 311
20 Oregon 3-1 281
21 Oklahoma State 3-1 199
22 Texas 3-1 171
23 Duke 4-0 170
24 Virginia Tech 2-1 160
25 Boise State 2-1 145
Others receiving votes: BYU 141, South Florida 113, Syracuse 83, Colorado 73, TCU 67, NC State 61, Texas Tech 56, South Carolina 52, California 38, Washington State 34, Florida 29, Texas A&M 29, Appalachian State 25, Iowa 23, Cincinnati 22, North Texas 17, Missouri 14, Maryland 9, Boston College 8, USC 8, Arizona State 8, San Diego State 6, Troy 5, Army 4, Arkansas State 3, Virginia 3, Utah 2, Buffalo 2
COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS: Undefeated Notre Dame Still Nurses Top-10 Ranking, Even After Lackluster Wins Over Unranked Opponents; Meanwhile, Only Two Future Opponents Remain Ranked
Despite two close calls in a row against unranked Ball State and Vanderbilt, Notre Dame has sustained their #8 ranking in the unofficial AP and Coaches Polls.
Of perhaps greater interest in the long run, only three Notre Dame opponents are still ranked, down from five in the preseason polls. Notre Dame’s two remaining ranked opponents, Stanford and Virginia Tech, appear as a back-to-back, two-game mini-gauntlet in just a few weeks. After a road game at Wake Forest in potentially bad weather next Saturday, Notre Dame faces top-10 Stanford at home followed by top-10/13 Virginia Tech on the road.
Time will tell, how much polls might ebb and flow down the line, and how many marquee opportunities to impress will be afforded a still-developing, somewhat rough-hewn Notre Dame club. (An added note — Notre Dame opponents Florida State and Southern Cal, both ranked earlier in the year, now have losing records at this point, including one or more multiple-touchdown losses each.)
(first-place votes in parentheses) (Notre Dame opponents marked in dark blue)
AP
Rank Team Record Points
1 Alabama (58) 3-0 1521
2 Georgia 3-0 1416
3 Clemson (3) 3-0 1405
4 Ohio State 3-0 1357
5 Oklahoma 3-0 1283
6 LSU 3-0 1241
7 Stanford 3-0 1055
8 Notre Dame 3-0 1034
9 Auburn 2-1 958
10 Penn State 3-0 947
11 Washington 2-1 947
12 West Virginia 2-0 841
13 Virginia Tech 2-0 816
14 Mississippi State 3-0 790
15 Oklahoma State 3-0 587
16 UCF 2-0 556
17 TCU 2-1 502
18 Wisconsin 2-1 486
19 Michigan 2-1 448
20 Oregon 3-0 399
21 Miami 2-1 362
22 Texas A&M 2-1 193
23 Boston College 3-0 130
24 Michigan State 1-1 86
25 BYU 2-1 75
Others receiving votes: Iowa 64, Boise State 62, Duke 61, Colorado 49, California 40, Kentucky 38, South Florida 14, Texas 12, NC State 10, Arizona State 9, Missouri 8, Utah 6, San Diego State 5, North Texas 4, South Carolina 4, Washington State 2, Syracuse 2
Coaches Poll
Rank Team Record Points
1 Alabama (60) 3-0 1572
2 Clemson (2) 3-0 1477
3 Georgia 3-0 1436
4 Ohio State (1) 3-0 1405
5 Oklahoma 3-0 1339
6 LSU 3-0 1171
7 Stanford 3-0 1116
8 Notre Dame 3-0 1083
9 Penn State 3-0 1070
10 Virginia Tech 2-0 927
11 Auburn 2-1 921
12 Washington 2-1 909
13 West Virginia 2-0 824
14 Mississippi State 3-0 780
15 Oklahoma State 3-0 672
16 Wisconsin 2-1 626
17 TCU 2-1 508
18 UCF 2-0 500
19 Oregon 3-0 384
20 Miami 2-1 373
21 Michigan 2-1 354
22 Texas A&M 2-1 150
23 Michigan State 1-1 141
24 Boise State 2-1 114
25 Boston College 3-0 109
Others receiving votes: Kentucky 98, Duke 55, South Florida 45, Colorado 41, South Carolina 40, Iowa 36, Washington State 35, BYU 30, Missouri 21, NC State 19, Appalachian State 13, Syracuse 11, California 11, Utah 10, Cincinnati 10, Texas 9, North Texas 5, Troy 4, Minnesota 3, Florida 3, Arizona State 3, San Diego State 3, Vanderbilt 2, Houston 2, Tennessee 2, Arkansas State 2, Fresno State 1
IRISH VIDEO: “Brian Kelly Post-Game Press Conference After Notre Dame’s Season-Opening Victory Over Michigan” – WatchND
Brian Kelly meets with reporters after Notre Dame’s 24-17 win over Michigan …
IRISH VIDEO: “Highlights from Notre Dame’s Season-Opening Victory Over Michigan” – WatchND
Highlights from Notre Dame’s 24-17 win over Michigan …
PRESEASON TOP-25: Notre Dame Has Top-11/12 Perch For Plausibility Run, Perhaps Not a National Title Run
Notre Dame’s preseason #11/12 ranking should be enough of a perch for them to attempt what has become an annual Road to Plausibility. (By comparison, it might be a little hard to think of Notre Dame making a would-be “national title run” since, according to the official record books at least, they have not made a national title run for a quarter-century.)
Meanwhile, their quasi-solid, quasi-soft schedule includes five respectable opponents starting out in either the top-15 (Stanford, Michigan and Southern Cal), or lower in the top-20 (Florida State and Virginia Tech), as well as unranked Northwestern also receiving votes in one poll. However, there are no elite top-10 opponents, at least in the opening rankings.
The middling schedule could leave Notre Dame in a bit of a hole if they get upset by Michigan in the season opener and drop like a stone while half the country wins. They do not have another ranked opponent until the end of September, and the lack of more elite opponents would not give them as strong an argument to climb back up the rankings later. However, if their goal is simply to portray themselves as plausible, and “part of the deal” — and tolerate a decade of a head coach who has never won a major bowl game — then the rankings and their schedule should be enough to provide opportunities to make another good faith run to stay at least mildly plausible in the top-25.
(first-place votes in parentheses)
(Notre Dame opponents marked in dark blue)
AP
1 – Alabama (42)
2 – Clemson (18)
3 – Georgia
4 – Wisconsin (1)
5 – Ohio State
6 – Washington
7 – Oklahoma
8 – Miami
9 – Auburn
10 – Penn State
11 – Michigan State
12 – Notre Dame
13 – Stanford
14 – Michigan
15 – USC
16 – TCU
17 – West Virginia
18 – Mississippi State
19 – Florida State
20 – Virginia Tech
21 – UCF
22 – Boise State
23 – Texas
24 – Oregon
25 – LSU
Others receiving votes: South Carolina, Florida, Utah, Oklahoma State, Florida Atlantic, Arizona, NC State, Texas A&M, Boston College, Northwestern, Kansas State, Iowa State, Houston, Memphis, Iowa, Troy, Fresno State, Arkansas State, Kentucky
Coaches Poll
1 – Alabama(61)
2 – Clemson(3)
3 – Ohio State(1)
4 – Georgia
5 – Oklahoma
6 – Washington
7 – Wisconsin
8 – Miami
9 – Penn State
10 – Auburn
11 – Notre Dame
12 – Michigan State
13 – Stanford
14 – Michigan
15 – USC
16 – TCU
17 – Virginia Tech
18 – Mississippi State
19 – Florida State
20 – West Virginia
21 – Texas
22 – Boise State
23 – UCF
24 – LSU
25 – Oklahoma State
Others receiving votes: South Carolina, Florida, Oregon, Utah, Texas A&M, Northwestern, Kansas State, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, Boston College, NC State, Arkansas State, Troy, Appalachian State, San Diego State, Kentucky, Iowa State, Iowa, Washington State, South Florida, Duke, Fresno State, Louisville, Arizona, Houston, Army, Northern Illinois
Notre Dame’s would-be national title run in Brian Kelly’s third season, 2012, of course, ended in a blowout loss. Yet it also was wiped from the history books by the NCAA, although Notre Dame themselves seems to have difficulty parsing that reality, if one looks at how the latest media guide handles it. Notre Dame turned out to have failed to adequately police a coed tutor and some academically dishonest players. Yet the institution additionally, apparently somewhat obliviously, botched how they handled their own university disciplinary process and its repercussions, teeing it up for the NCAA to point out that that it was the institution itself that had de facto declared the retroactive ineligibility.
So, despite period anachronistic PR about playing for national championships, Notre Dame’s unspoken goal appears to be to be playing for plausibility — to be just enough a part of the gang to justify the big money revenue and not shuffle out of the college football picture entirely. The preseason #11/12 ranking, and a smattering of top-20 opponents might be just enough to “keep hope eternal” and pretend to be “part of the deal.”
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Irish Trio Named To Bednarik,Maxwell Watch Lists” – UND 7.16.18
“University of Notre Dame senior defensive lineman Jerry Tillery and senior linebacker Te’von Coney were both selected to the 2018 Bednarik Award Watch List. Fighting Irish senior quarterback Brandon Wimbush was also chosen to the 2018 Maxwell Award Watch List. The Bednarik Award is given to college football’s defensive player of the year, while the Maxwell Award is presented to the college football player of the year. …”
Click here for: “Irish Trio Named To Bednarik,Maxwell Watch Lists” – UND 7.16.18
IRISH NEWSWATCH: “Sam Mustipher Named To Rimington Trophy Watch List” – UND 5.30.18
“University of Notre Dame graduate center and captain Sam Mustipher was named to the 2018 Rimington Trophy Spring Watch List … [for the trophy] given annually to the most outstanding collegiate center. Mustipher has played in 34 games and started 25 contests during his career. He has started all 25 games over the last two seasons. Mustipher did not surrender a sack or quarterback hit and yielded just six quarterback hurries in 889 offensive snaps in 2017. … the seventh highest-rated center in terms of run blocking … by Pro Football Focus (8.9). …”
Click here for: “Sam Mustipher Named To Rimington Trophy Watch List” – UND 5.30.18
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame Football Announces Blue-Gold Game Format; Game will feature the offense against the defense” – UND
“… Quarterbacks in red jerseys will not be live … Each possession will begin on the 25-yard line … Offense can place the ball on either hash or the middle of the field … There will not be any kickoffs … All punts will be fair caught … No rush permitted on punts, PATs and field goals … No fakes on punts, PATs and field goals …
IRISH NEWSLINK: “89th Annual Blue-Gold Game” – UND
“… The football game begins at 12:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 21, 2018, at Notre Dame Stadium. It’s a great opportunity to get a sneak peek at the 2018 Fighting Irish. … Gates will open at 11:30 a.m. ET. …”
IRISH NEWSLINK: Box Score: “Notre Dame 4 – Michigan 3” – NCAA Frozen Four
National semifinal, Notre Dame defeats Michigan 4-3 in final minute to advance to national championship game
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Irish Meet Michigan At Frozen Four; Notre Dame takes on Wolverines in national semifinal Thursday, April 5 at 9:30 pm ET on ESPN2
“The University of Notre Dame hockey team makes its fourth appearance in the NCAA Frozen Four on Thursday, April 5, when the Irish take on Big Ten rival Michigan in a national semifinal game. The puck will drop at 9:30 p.m. ET from the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, home of the NHL’s Minnesota Wild. The contest can be seen on ESPN2 and WatchESPN, with the radio call available on 94.3 FM in South Bend and worldwide on UND.com. …”
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Irish Win 2nd NCAA Women’s Basketball Title; Ogunbowale last second three lifts Irish to 61-58 win”
“For the second time in program history, the University of Notre Dame women’s basketball team are your NCAA National Champions. The No. 1 seeded Irish (35-3) completed the second largest comeback in Final Four history to defeat the No. 1 seeded Bulldogs (37-2) 61-58. Arike Ogunbowale hit a three with 0.1 remaining to clinch the title for the Irish. It was 17 years ago to this date that Notre Dame won it’s first NCAA Championship. …”
IRISH NEWSLINK: “#NotreDame #FinalFour Run Tainted by #NCAA’s Scheduling on #GoodFriday and #Easter; #Catholic Institution Should Have Abstained From Participating” – SCW
The #NCAA has created an anti-#Catholic and anti-#Christian effect by scheduling a national semifinal (#FinalFour game) on #GoodFriday in women’s #basketball. Doing so violates the solemn nature of the day and subjects Catholics to having to play on a day when they are fasting, and when they are abstaining from meat. At least the game is not at 3 p.m., the hour that Christ laid down His Life on the Cross, yet it is in the evening. #NotreDame should have refused to play.
The movie “Chariots of Fire” featured an Olympic athlete who refused to compete on the Sabbath. Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax refused to pitch in a World Series game on Yom Kippur. Notre Dame should have refused to participate in the tournament if the Final Four was going to be on Good Friday.
Notre Dame Women’s Basketball has made yet another Final Four run, yet probably should have sat out the tournament when the NCAA drew up the bracket to force games on Good Friday and Easter, two of the most sacred dates on the Catholic Liturgical Calendar.
IRISH NEWSLINK: “No. 1 Irish Seek Program’s Second National Title this Weekend in Columbus Rivalry renewed in national semifinal vs No. 1 UConn” – UND
“All eyes of the NCAA Division I women’s basketball world are locked upon Columbus, Ohio, this weekend as the 2018 Final Four begins on Friday at Nationwide Arena. The No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (33-3) will once again renew its rivalry with No. 1 UConn Huskies (36-0) in Friday’s second semifinal game, slated to begin at 9:30 p.m. ET ….”
[PDF] IRISH NEWSLINK: “UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME PUBLIC INFRACTIONS DECISION, NOVEMBER 22, 2016” – NCAA
“… The agreed-upon violations in this case centered on multiple years of academic violations by a former student athletic trainer and football student-athletes …”
IRISH NEWSLINKS: “A Letter from the [University of Notre Dame] President on the NCAA Infractions Case” – NDedu
“We are deeply disappointed by and strongly disagree with the denial of the University’s appeal, announced today by the NCAA, of an earlier decision by the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions to vacate Notre Dame’s 2012 and 2013 football victories due to academic misconduct by several student-athletes. Our concerns go beyond the particulars of our case and the record of two football seasons to the academic autonomy of our institutions, the integrity of college athletics, and the ability of the NCAA to achieve its fundamental purpose. I write this letter so that you can understand the underlying facts, the reasons we believe that the NCAA is in error, and how we intend to move forward. …”
IRISH NEWSLINK: “NCAA appeals committee upholds vacation of Notre Dame wins ” – NCAA
“Notre Dame must vacate all records in which football student-athletes participated while ineligible during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 football seasons, according to a decision issued by the NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee. In the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions’ decision, the panel found a former Notre Dame athletic training student violated NCAA ethical conduct rules when she committed academic misconduct for two football student-athletes and provided six other football student-athletes with impermissible academic extra benefits. The panel prescribed the vacation of records, along with a probation period and a show-cause order for the former athletic training student. …”
IRISH NEWSLINK: Full speed ahead? There’s no happy medium for Notre Dame safety Alohi Gilman
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame Accepts Citrus Bowl Invitation To Face LSU; Fighting Irish to play Jan. 1 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida (1 p.m. on ABC)”
IRISH NEWSLINK: “No. 8 Notre Dame Plays Host To Navy, Celebrates Rockne; The 91st meeting between the Irish and Mids is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Nov. 14, 2017”
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWSLINK: “College Football Scores – Div. I-A/FBS” – ESPN
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Box Score/Live Stats: Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest” – ESPN
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IRISH VIDEO: “Beat Wake – @NDFootball – Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest 2017” – WatchND
#3 Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest, Saturday, November 4th, 3:30pm ET on NBC
IRISH VIDEO/ IRISH LORE: “Josh Adams Record-Setting 98-Yard Touchdown Run – Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest 2015” – WatchND Throwback Thursday
Josh Adam’s 98-yard touchdown run against Wake Forest in 2015, the longest-ever touchdown run at Notre Dame Stadium.
IRISH VIDEO: “Brian Kelly Thursday Press Conference Looking Ahead to Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest” – WatchND
Brian Kelly’s Thursday press conference looking ahead to Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest.
IRISH & OPPOSITION DEPTH CHARTS: Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest – Dual-Column Depth Charts
[click here to jump directly to depth charts]
Notre Dame and Wake Forest depth charts follow below in a responsive layout, with parallel dual columns on a regular desktop or laptop view; with smaller screens, columns might jump down and stack up. Keep in mind that Brian Kelly sometimes features extensive rotation at some positions. This year, right tackle, especially, is a shared position. … Alizé Mack is still listed at tight end, even though he reportedly is out with a concussion. … There has been some minor reshuffling at wide receiver for Notre Dame …. Notre Dame has some size advantage, especially where their offensive line faces Wake’s defensive line (although, even within the same team, an offensive line often might be a bit bigger than their defensive counterparts ) …. However, Wake is still a moderately good-sized team, appropriate to a winning program from a power conference …. like Notre Dame, Wake has some decent height in the secondary …. Wake might be a bit small at tight end …. like Notre Dame, Wake does not have especially tall quarterbacks, except for a back-up … Notre Dame’s running backs are not necessarily quite as big or tall as during the power running days of the Lou Holtz era, yet they are getting closer …. while there is no Flanker position on the depth chart, one interesting feature to watch might be whether Brian Kelly and Chip Long can work any wide receivers into the running game ….
NOTRE DAME OFFENSE
QB
7 *Brandon Wimbush 6-1 3/4 228 Jr./2
12 Ian Book 6-0 1/8 208 So./1
4 *Montgomery VanGorder 6-1 3/8 222 Sr./3
RB
33 JOSH ADAMS 6-2 1/8 225 Jr./3
2 Dexter Williams 5-11 215 Jr./3
or 34 Tony Jones 5-11 225 So./1
38 Deon McIntosh 5-10 5/8 193 So./1
WR
6 EQUANIMEOUS ST. BROWN 6-5 203 Jr./3
81 *Miles Boykin 6-4 225 Jr./2
WR
83 *Chase Claypool 6-4 3/8 228 So./2
10 *Chris Finke 5-9 1/2 181 Jr./2
or 15 Cam Smith 5-10 1/2 202 Gr./4
WR
29 Kevin Stepherson 6-0-1/4 185 So./2
15 Cam Smith 5-10 1/2 202 Gr./4
87 Michael Young 190 Fr./1
15 Cam Smith 5-10 1/2 202 Gr./4
87 Michael Young 190 Fr./1
TE
80 DURHAM SMYTHE 6-5 1/2 257 Gr./4
86 *Alizé Mack 6-4 3/4 251 Jr./3
82 Nic Weishar 6-4 3/4 243 Sr./3
or 89 Brock Wright 6-4 1/2 254 Fr./1
or 84 Cole Kmet 6-5 1/2 256 Fr./1
LT
68 MIKE MCGLINCHEY 6-8 315 Gr./4
74 Liam Eichenberg 6-6 300 So./1
LG
56 QUENTON NELSON 6-5 330 Sr./3
75 Josh Lugg 6-7 300 Fr./1
C
53 SAM MUSTIPHER 6-2 1/2 305 Sr./3
57 Trevor Ruhland 6 -4 302 Jr./2
RG
71 ALEX BARS 6-6 312 Sr./3
70 Hunter Bivin 6-6 315 Gr./4
RT
78 Tommy Kraemer 6-6 314 So./1
72 Robert Hainsey 6-5 290 Fr./1
WAKE FOREST DEFENSE
CB
4 Amari Henderson 6-1 185 R-So.
24 Ja’Sir Taylor 5-10 180 Fr.
FS
2 Cameron Glenn 6-1 200 R-Jr. 37
Thomas Dillon 5-10 180 R-Jr.
SS
12 Luke Masterson 6-2 210 R-Fr.
20 Coby Davis 5-11 185 Fr.
CB
21 Essang Bassey 5-10 185 So.
13 Malik Grate 6-0 170 R-Fr.
5 Cedric Jiles 5-10 180 Grad.
BUCK
6 Jaboree Williams 6-0 245 Sr.
23 Justin Strnad 6-3 230 R-So.
MIKE
50 Grant Dawson 6-1 225 R-Sr.
35 Nate Mays 6-1 225 R-So.
42 Jake Simpson 6-0 210 Fr.
ROV
34 Demetrius Kemp 6-1 220 R-Jr.
30 Ja’Cquez Williams 6-2 210 R-Fr.
DE
53 Duke Ejiofor 6-4 275 R-Sr.
18 Carlos Basham, Jr. 6-5 275 R-Fr.
DT
93 Zeek Rodney 6-1 305 R-Jr.
54 Elonte Bateman 6-2 290 R-Fr.
56 Deon Young 6-1 315 Grad.
DT
48 Willie Yarbary 6-2 285 R-Jr.
90 Sulaiman Kamara 6-2 290 R-Fr.
DE
14 Wendell Dunn 6-3 250 R-Sr.
51 Chris Calhoun 6-4 250 Jr.
NOTRE DAME DEFENSE
CB
27 JULIAN LOVE 5-11 193 So./2
20 Shaun Crawford 5-9 1/8 176 Jr./2
18 Troy Pride Jr. 5-11 1/2 187 So./2
FS
24 Nick Coleman 6-0 1/8 192 Jr./2
17 Isaiah Robertson 6-1 1/2 195 Fr./1
SS
21 Jalen Elliott 6-0 1/2 205 So./2
or 14 DEVIN STUDSTILL 6-0 1/4 195 So./2
CB
7 Nick Watkins 6-1 207 Sr./3
8 Donte Vaughn 6-2 3/4 So./2
DE
9 Daelin Hayes 6 -3 3/4 258 So./2
or 98 ANDREW TRUMBETTI 6-4 263 Sr./4
42 Julian Okwara 6-4 1/2 240 So./2
BUCK
48 Greer Martini 6-3 5/8 236 Sr./4
or 4 TE’VON CONEY 6-1 1/8 240 Jr./3
MIKE
5 NYLES MORGAN 6-1 235 Sr./4
44 Jamir Jones 6-3 1/8 240 So./1
ROV
23 DRUE TRANQUILL 6-2 231 Sr./3
22 Asmar Bilal 6-2 230 Jr./2
DT
55 Jonathan Bonner 6-3 3/4 291 Sr./3
95 Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa 6-2 1/2 293 Fr./1
97 Micah Dew-Treadway 6-4 1/8 305 Jr./2
NG
99 JERRY TILLERY 6-6 3/4 306 Jr./3
41 Kurt Hinish 6-1 3/4 298 Fr./1
77 Brandon Tiassum 6-4 305 Jr./2
DE
93 Jay Hayes 6-3 5/8 290 Sr./3
or 98 ANDREW TRUMBETTI 6-4 263 Sr./4
53 Khalid Kareem 6-4 266 So./2
91 Adetokunbo Ogundeji 6-4 3/8 256 So./1
WAKE FOREST OFFENSE
QB
10 John Wolford 6-1 200 Sr
2 Kendall Hinton 6-0 195 R-So.
12 Jamie Newman 6-4 235 R-Fr.
RB
22 Matt Colburn II 5-10 200 Jr.
5 Arkeem Byrd 6-1 190 R-Fr.
21 Isaiah Robinson 5-10 220 R-Jr.
26 Christian Beal 5-10 180 Fr.
WR
7 Scotty Washington 6-5 225 R-So.
15 Cortez Lewis 6-1 205 R-Jr.
WR
1 Tabari Hines 5-10 175 Jr.
88 Steven Claude 6-2 195 R-So.
WR
9 Chuck Wade, Jr. 6-0 200 Jr.
17 Alex Bachman 6-0 190 Jr.
TE
85 Cam Serigne 6-3 240 R-Sr.
86 Jack Freudenthal 6-3 230 R-So.
41 Devin Pike 6-6 250 Sr.
LT
75 Justin Herron 6-5 290 R-Jr.
60 Taleni Suhren 6-5 290 R-Fr.
LG
74 Phil Haynes 6-4 305 R-Jr.
79 Sean Maginn 6-3 280 Fr.
C
70 Ryan Anderson 6-6 305 R-Jr.
71 Nathan Gilliam 6-5 290 R-So.
RG
68 Patrick Osterhage 6-4 290 R-Jr.
58 Tyler Watson 6-5 290 R-Fr.
RT
73 Jake Benzinger 6-7 295 R-So.
63 Je’Vionte’ Nash 6-3 285 R-Fr.
NOTRE DAME SPECIAL TEAMS
PK
19 **Justin Yoon 5-10 192 Jr./3
39 Jonathan Doerer 6-3 193 Fr./1
KO
19 **Justin Yoon 5-10 192 Jr./3
39 Jonathan Doerer 6-3 193 Fr./1
P
85 **Tyler Newsome 6-2-1/2 210 Sr./3
42 Jeff Riney 5-10-3/4 180 Jr./3
LS
54 John Shannon 6-2 230 So./1
82 **Nic Weishar 6-4-3/4 243Sr./3
HLD
4 *Montgomery VanGorder 6-1-3/8 222 Sr./3
85 **Tyler Newsome 6-2-1/2 210 Sr./3
PR
10 *Chris Finke 5-9-1/2 181 Jr./2
3 **C.J. Sanders 5-8 181 Jr./3
KR
3 **C.J. Sanders 5-8 181 Jr./3
87 Michael Young 5-10 190 Fr./1
WAKE FOREST SPECIAL TEAMS
PK
7 Mike Weaver 6-1 190 R-Sr.
48 Dom Maggio 6-3 185 So.
KO
7 Mike Weaver 6-1 190 R-Sr.
48 Dom Maggio 6-3 185 So.
P
48 Dom Maggio 6-3 185 So.
7 Mike Weaver 6-1 190 R-Sr.
H
48 Dom Maggio 6-3 185 So.
10 John Wolford 6-1 200 Sr.
LS
52 Dayton Diemel 5-10 215 So.
15 Garrett Wilson 6-3 210 Jr.
PR
1 Tabari Hines 5-10 175 Jr.
17 Alex Bachman 6-0 190 Jr.
KR
9 Chuck Wade 6-0 200 Jr.
1 Tabari Hines 5-10 175 Jr.
NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL TICKETS: Notre Dame Still Has Tickets Available For Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest
As of the wee hours of the night heading into game day, Notre Dame still has tickets available for general public sale for Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest in Notre Dame Stadium, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, kickoff shortly after 3:30 p.m. ET.
As of this posting, there still are a limited number of tickets available, ranging from $70 to $110. Available seats are in four sections in the lower, original bowl — off the 10-yard-line near the north end zone, on the east side of the stadium; directly off the north end zone above the player tunnel; and in two sections off the southeast corner of the south end zone.
(There also are tickets available for Notre Dame vs. Navy, coming up in a few weeks.)
Here are some links that could get you to the ticket sales, all of them originating through the official Notre Dame athletic site, und.com:
- http://ev12.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventInfo?ticketCode=GS%3AND%3AF17%3AF06%3A&linkID=notre-dame&shopperContext=&pc=&caller=&appCode=&groupCode=FBSG&cgc=
- http://ev12.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetEventList?groupCode=FBSG&linkID=notre-dame&RDAT=FB17SinglesRemain&RSRC=Lightbox
- http://ev12.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&linkID=notre-dame&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=
- UND.com/BuyTickets
IRISH NEWSLINK: “BGI Staff Predictions: Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest” – Blue & Gold Illustrated/Rivals.com
IRISH NEWSLINK: “And In That Corner … The Wake Forest Demon Deacons and a very familiar defense” – NBC
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame QB Wimbush aims to improve passing” – Lindy’s/Sports Xchange
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame Benefits From Time Share At Right Tackle” – Blue & Gold Illustrated/Rivals.com
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame-Wake Forest: Five Things to Watch” – UND
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Quick Notre Dame Notebook: Injury updates, cornerback swap & ‘developmental’ players” – NBC
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview and Prediction” – Athlon
IRISH NEWSLINK: “[Preview:] Wake Forest at Notre Dame; Irish Illustrated’s staff gives its predictions for Saturday’s matchup between the 5-3 Demon Deacons and the surging, third-ranked Irish.” – Irish Illustrated/NotreDame.247Sports
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame-Wake Forest Preview: No Secrets This Week” – UND
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Friday at 4: A statistical look at how Notre Dame routed two top-15 teams in consecutive weeks” – NBC
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Grad transfer Malik Zaire to get first start for Gators” – ESPN
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Wake Forest visits No. 5 ND, ex-defensive coordinator Elko” – AP/WTOP
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Adams Hauls In Maxwell Semifinalist Honors; Irish RB leads the nation with seven runs of at least 60 yards this season.” – UND
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame’s resurgence could make this year’s College Football Playoff push craziest yet” – USA Today
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame grounded about playoff, Heisman talk” – AP/WTOP
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame TE Alizé Mack Mack (concussion) won’t play Saturday” – ESPN
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Things To Learn: Wake Forest offers a look into Notre Dame’s defensive future” – NBC
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Prister’s Thursday Thoughts; All things Wake Forest/Elko. Playoff rankings. Another DE of note. ND’s mental edge.” – Irish Illustrated/NotreDame.247Sports
IRISH NEWSLINK: “With Alizé Mack out, Notre Dame digs into its tight end depth” – ND Insider/South Bend Tribune
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Georgia-Notre Dame has been the most pivotal college football game of 2017: What if we knew that at the time?” – SaturdayDownSouth
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Wake Forest at Notre Dame: Saturday’s matchup and prediction” – Chicago Tribune
Notre Dame Penciled Into College Football Playoff With Four Games Left; Irish #3 in NCAA’s CFP Poll Based on Strength of Schedule
Reality imitates overhype in the NCAA’s inaugural College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings of 2017, with Notre Dame penciled into the playoff at the #3 spot. Georgia, source of Notre Dame’s sole loss, is at #1, in part because of their 1-point win over Notre Dame. The committee chairman reportedly credited Georgia and Notre Dame’s strength of schedule as factors in the rankings, namely with regard to the number of their respective opponents ranked in the CFP poll.
Half of Notre Dame’s schedule is ranked in the initial (Oct. 31) CFP poll of the season. The Irish are 3-1 against CFP-ranked opponents played thus far, Georgia, USC, NC State and Michigan State. They have yet to play Miami (Fla.) and Stanford.
Notre Dame opponents in blue boldface or, in event of a Notre Dame loss, red boldface; Notre Dame in green boldface.
College Football Playoff Rankings – 10.31.17
1 – Georgia 8-0
2 – Alabama 8-0
3 – Notre Dame 7-1
4 – Clemson 7-1
5 – Oklahoma 7-1
6 – Ohio State 7-1
7 – Penn State 7-1
8 – TCU 7-1
9 – Wisconsin 8-0
10 – Miami 7-0
11 – Oklahoma State 7-1
12 – Washington 7-1
13 – Virginia Tech 7-1
14 – Auburn 6-2
15 – Iowa State 6-2
16 – Mississippi State 6-2
17 – USC 7-2
18 – UCF 7-0
19 – LSU 6-2
20 – NC State 6-2
21 – Stanford 6-2
22 – Arizona 6-2
23 – Memphis 7-1
24 – Michigan State 6-2
25 – Washington State 7-2
Despite their overall strength of schedule, Notre Dame had an unexpectedly semi-padded first half of the season; yet they have continued winning amidst tough sledding in the home stretch. At 7-1, Notre Dame is one game better than basic bowl eligibility, with four games left against teams with winning programs — Wake Forest; #10 Miami (Fla.); sometimes-nemesis Navy; and #21 Stanford.
In 2017, fans have yet to see some of the recurring nightmares that have occurred during the Brian Kelly Era, such as The Flat Game, The Skid or The Flu Game.
Hopefully they got their flu shots, and, for their sake, hopefully Kelly might finally have learned how to dial up his planning and preparation to avoid the flatness and skids that sometimes doomed his program in the past.
Brian Kelly, despite post-season success at the small college level that included multiple national championships, has never won a major bowl game. He now has been in Div. I-A/FBS for well more than a decade, and is 0-3 in major bowls, getting embarrassed in one and blown out in the other two. He got a team in a fourth major bowl, where they got blown out in his absence, after he jumped ship for a bigger stage.
Notre Dame has not won a major bowl game in a quarter-century. That also means that Notre Dame has not won a major bowl game in the entire current, 85-scholarship era of major college football.
Time will tell whether Notre Dame will have the chance to bring home a major bowl win this year, or whether that effort will take place within a playoff run.
Ironically, one of the playoff locations this year is the Rose Bowl, where Notre Dame won their first consensus national championship with a victory over Stanford in 1925, featuring Knute Rockne, the Four Horsemen and the Seven Mules to cap off the 1924 season.
[PDF 55 pages] IRISH NEWSLINK: Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest extended game notes – UND
“… RB Josh Adams is the only player in FBS since at least 1996 to break a TD run of at least 70 yards in four consecutive games. Per STATS, he passed four players since ‘96 who had TD runs of 70-plus in three straight games, including Heisman trophy winner Ricky Williams. …”
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest – Game Week” – UND
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Third-Ranked Irish Look To Keep Rolling Versus Wake; Notre Dame hosts Demon Deacons on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC.Third-Ranked Irish Look To Keep Rolling Versus Wake Notre Dame hosts Demon Deacons on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC” – UND
IRISH NEWSLINK: “College Football Playoff Committee chairman Kirby Hocutt explains why Georgia is ranked over Alabama” – SEC Country
IRISH VIDEO: “Inside Notre Dame Football: Post-North Carolina State and Pre-Wake Forest” – WatchND
Inside Notre Dame Football: Brian Kelly and Jack Nolan take a look at Notre Dame Football after the victory over North Carolina State and looking ahead to Wake Forest.
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IRISH VIDEO: Brian Kelly Post-Game Press Conference After Notre Dame’s Victory Over North Carolina State – WatchND
Brian Kelly post-game press conference after Notre Dame’s victory over North Carolina State
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IRISH VIDEO: Notre Dame vs. North Carolina State Highlights – WatchND
Highlights from Notre Dame’s victory over North Carolina State
IRISH VIDEO: Notre Dame vs. North Carolina State Extended Highlights – NBC
Extended Highlights from Notre Dame’s victory over North Carolina State
IRISH VIDEO: “ICON: Irish Connection – Notre Dame vs. North Carolina State” – WatchND
ICON: Irish Connection – Notre Dame vs. North Carolina State
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IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame vs. North Carolina State – Stats/Box Score” – ESPN
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Josh Adams powers No. 9 Notre Dame to another statement win in topping No. 14 N.C. State” – NBC
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame Beats NC State 35-14; Josh Adams Rushes for 202 Yards” – Bleacher Report
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Josh Adams, Notre Dame ignite playoff push by beating NC State” – ESPN
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Josh Adams runs for 202 yards as Notre Dame surges to 35-14 win over NC State” – Chicago Tribune
IRISH NEWSLINK: “#9 Irish Romp In 35-14 Win Over #14 Wolfpack” – AP/UND
COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWSLINK: College Football Scores – Div. I-A/FBS – ESPN
North Carolina State Moral and Ethical Lapses on Abortion and “Contraceptives” Serve as Reminder that Notre Dame Needs to Leave the ACC
Catholic Canon Law provides for automatic excommunication for abortion. Additionally, under Catholic teaching, artificial contraception is a mortal sin, undertaken at peril of eternal damnation and barring the perpetrator from receiving Holy Communion until they repent and undertake a valid Confession.
Given the fact that some ACC members institutions perform abortions and/or train abortionists, Notre Dame has no business belonging to the ACC, playing ACC opponents, or otherwise enhancing the ACC’s prestige or bolstering ACC revenues.
North Carolina State might not openly announce involvement with surgical abortion, the way that, for example, Miami of Florida and Pitt have. But North Carolina State’s supposed campus “health” center, at healthypack.dasa.ncsu.edu/care-provided/womens-health/pregnancy-options/, openly admits that it will suggest abortion as an option for pregnant women. They also, on their webpage itself, refer pregnant women, for supposed guidance, to the biggest abortion provider in the United States, so-called Planned Parenthood, as well as other pro-abortion “resources.” Particularly cynical and nauseating is a referral to a supposed “religious” resource that will suggest that prenatal child-killing is somehow consistent with religious faith. The latter point, of course, could only be considered blasphemous, if not demonic.
North Carolina State’s campus “health” provider also indicates a willingness to provide so-called “contraceptives” at healthypack.dasa.ncsu.edu/care-provided/womens-health/.
Artificial contraception by itself, as mentioned above, is gravely sinful. Yet, additionally, in at least some cases, regular so-called “birth control” pills actually also can cause chemical abortions. And North Carolina State’s campus “health” center also specifically references “morning after” pills as well.
Given these serious and harmful ethical and moral lapses, Notre Dame should never play North Carolina State and should leave the ACC.
In fact, the obvious question arises — why did Notre Dame join or partner with the ACC in the first place? This shocking situation calls into question whether there is a lack of due diligence, lack of leadership and lack of proper moral judgment among relevant university staff, including those making six- or seven-figure salaries.
Let’s pray to do God’s Will, and let’s get the facts. “The Truth shall set you free.”
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Saturday’s matchup, prediction: N.C. State at Notre Dame” – Chicago Tribune
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame-North Carolina State: 10 To 1 Countdown” – Blue & Gold Illustrated/Rivals
DEPTH CHART: Notre Dame vs. North Carolina State – Dual-Column Depth Charts
[#NotreDame and North Carolina State depth charts appear below, side-by-side in parallel dual columns in a regular computer view; on a smaller view screen, the responsive layout will cause the columns to jump down and stack up.]
NOTRE DAME OFFENSE
QB
7 *Brandon Wimbush 6-1 3/4 228 Jr./2
12 Ian Book 6-0 1/8 208 So./1
4 *Montgomery VanGorder 6-1 3/8 222 Sr./3
RB
33 JOSH ADAMS 6-2 1/8 225 Jr./3
2 Dexter Williams 5-11 215 Jr./3
or 34 Tony Jones 5-11 225 So./1
38 Deon McIntosh 5-10 5/8 193 So./1
WR
6 EQUANIMEOUS ST. BROWN 6-5 203 Jr./3
81 *Miles Boykin 6-4 225 Jr./2
WR
15 Cam Smith 5-10 1/2 202 Gr./4
87 Michael Young 190 Fr./1
or 3 **C.J. Sanders 5-8 181 Jr./3
WR
83 *Chase Claypool 6-4 3/8 228 So./2
10 *Chris Finke 5-9 1/2 181 Jr./2
TE
80 DURHAM SMYTHE 6-5 1/2 257 Gr./4
86 *Alizé Mack 6-4 3/4 251 Jr./3
82 Nic Weishar 6-4 3/4 243 Sr./3
or 89 Brock Wright 6-4 1/2 254 Fr./1
or 84 Cole Kmet 6-5 1/2 256 Fr./1
LT
68 MIKE MCGLINCHEY 6-8 315 Gr./4
74 Liam Eichenberg 6-6 300 So./1
LG
56 QUENTON NELSON 6-5 330 Sr./3
75 Josh Lugg 6-7 300 Fr./1
C
53 SAM MUSTIPHER 6-2 1/2 305 Sr./3
57 Trevor Ruhland 6 -4 302 Jr./2
RG
71 ALEX BARS 6-6 312 Sr./3
70 Hunter Bivin 6-6 315 Gr./4
RT
78 Tommy Kraemer 6-6 314 So./1
72 Robert Hainsey 6-5 290 Fr./1
NORTH CAROLINA STATE DEFENSE
NIC
24 Shawn Boone 5’10 206 Sr.
13 Stephen Morrison 5’11 201 R-Jr.
LC
21 Nick McCloud 6’0 189 So.
20 Bryce Banks 6’2 192 RS-Fr.
SS
31 Jarius Morehead 6’1 217 RS-So.
22 Isaiah Stallings 6’4 220 RS-Fr.
FS
34 Tim Kidd-Glass 6’1 202 So.
or 14 Dexter Wright 6’2 232 RS-Jr.
RC
5 Johnathan Alston 6’0 210 RS-Sr.
or 2 Mike Stevens 5’11 190 Sr.
MLB
4 Jerod Fernandez 6’0 227 RS-Sr.
10 Louis Acceus 6’0 216 Fr.
WLB
58 Airius Moore 6’0 235 Sr.
or 3 Germaine Pratt 6’3 235 RS-Jr.
FE
35 Kentavius Street 6’2 287 Sr.
or 45 Darian Roseboro 6’4 287 Jr.
N
98 B.J. Hill 6’4 315 Sr.
90 Shug Frazier 6’3 316 RS-Fr.
T
27 Justin Jones 6’2 312 Sr.
or 91 Eurndraus Bryant 6’1 325 Jr.
BE
9 Bradley Chubb 6’4 275 Sr.
39 James Smith-Williams 6’4 247 RS-So.
95 Tyrone Riley 6’6 285 RS-So.
NOTRE DAME DEFENSE
CB
27 JULIAN LOVE 5-11 193 So./2
20 Shaun Crawford 5-9 1/8 176 Jr./2
18 Troy Pride Jr. 5-11 1/2 187 So./2
-O
24 Nick Coleman 6-0 1/8 192 Jr./2
17 Isaiah Robertson 6-1 1/2 195 Fr./1
SS
21 Jalen Elliott 6-0 1/2 205 So./2
or 14 DEVIN STUDSTILL 6-0 1/4 195 So./2
CB
7 Nick Watkins 6-1 207 Sr./3
8 Donte Vaughn 6-2 3/4 So./2
DE
9 Daelin Hayes 6 -3 3/4 258 So./2
or 98 ANDREW TRUMBETTI 6-4 263 Sr./4
42 Julian Okwara 6-4 1/2 240 So./2
BUCK
48 Greer Martini 6-3 5/8 236 Sr./4
or 4 TE’VON CONEY 6-1 1/8 240 Jr./3
MIKE
5 NYLES MORGAN 6-1 235 Sr./4
44 Jamir Jones 6-3 1/8 240 So./1
ROV
23 DRUE TRANQUILL 6-2 231 Sr./3
22 Asmar Bilal 6-2 230 Jr./2
DT
55 Jonathan Bonner 6-3 3/4 291 Sr./3
95 Myron Tagovailoa-Amosa 6-2 1/2 293 Fr./1
97 Micah Dew-Treadway 6-4 1/8 305 Jr./2
NG
99 JERRY TILLERY 6-6 3/4 306 Jr./3
41 Kurt Hinish 6-1 3/4 298 Fr./1
77 Brandon Tiassum 6-4 305 Jr./2
DE
93 Jay Hayes 6-3 5/8 290 Sr./3
or 98 ANDREW TRUMBETTI 6-4 263 Sr./4
53 Khalid Kareem 6-4 266 So./2
91 Adetokunbo Ogundeji 6-4 3/8 256 So./1
NORTH CAROLINA STATE OFFENSE
QB
15 Ryan Finley 6’4 210 RS-Gr.
2 Jalan McClendon 6’5 221 RS-Jr.
RB
7 Nyheim Hines 5’9 197 Jr.
or 25 Reggie Gallaspy II 5’11 225 Jr.
H
1 Jaylen Samuels 5’11 228 Sr.
28 Dylan Parham 6’4 224 RS-Fr.
X
3 Kelvin Harmon 6’3 213 So.
19 C.J. Riley 6’4 204 RS-Fr.
Z
12 Stephen Louis 6’2 217 RS-Jr.
86 Emeka Emezie 6’3 209 Fr.
8 Maurice Trowell 5’11 196 RS-Jr.
S
11 Jakobi Meyers 6’2 203 RS-So.
6 Gavin Locklear 5’10 195 RS-Sr.
TE
48 Cole Cook 6’6 250 Gr.
42 Dylan Autenrieth 6’4 242 RS-Fr.
LT
53 Tyler Jones 6’3 300 RS-Jr.
64 Peter Daniel 6’6 305 Gr.
72 Philip Walton 6’7 305 RS-So.
LG
70 Terronne Prescod 6’5 331 RS-Jr.
71 Joe Sculthorpe 6’3 307 RS-Fr.
C
65 Garrett Bradbury 6’3 298 RS-Jr.
71 Joe Sculthorpe 6’3 307 RS-Fr.
RG
50 Tony Adams 6’2 315 Sr.
66 Josh Fedd-Jackson 6’3 336 Fr.
RT
54 Will Richardson 6’6 322 RS-Jr.
67 Justin Witt 6’6 296 RS-Fr.
74 Emanuel McGirt, Jr. 6’6 300 RS-So.
IRISH NEWSLINK: “How good is Notre Dame football? How do they rate among 1-loss teams?”
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Irish Host Top-15 Battle With NC State; Wolfpack make first visit to Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 28, at 3:30 p.m. on NBC” – UND
[PDF 51 pages] IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame vs. North Carolina State extended game notes” – UND
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame Expects Martini, Williams Back for NC State” – UHND
IRISH NEWSLINKS: “NC State-Notre Dame matchup highlights ACC’s 9th week” – Fox Sports
IRISH NEWSLINK: “How one personnel pickup changed Notre Dame’s defense” – ESPN
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Josh Adams leads revitalized Notre Dame run game” – Lindy’s/ Sports Xchange
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame football: Rejuvenated Irish create different challenge for NC State” – NCAA/ Raleigh News & Observer
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Rerun or revival ahead for Quenton Nelson and the Notre Dame O-Line?” – South Bend Tribune/ ND Insider
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Here Comes Notre Dame. Wait, What? The Fighting Irish have bounced back from a 4-8 disaster to crack the top 10—and now there’s talk of playoffs (really!)” – Wall Street Journal
IRISH NEWSLINK: “NC State Wolfpack vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview and Prediction” – Athlon
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame linebacker Te’von Coney realigns with his promise” – South Bend Tribune/ ND Insider
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame’s red-hot run rewarded with entry into top 10 of AP poll” – Chicago Tribune
IRISH NEWSLINK: “No. 9 Irish defense in takeaway mode under new coordinator” – AP/WTOP
IRISH NEWSLINK: “NOTRE DAME’S NEW ROLE IN ACC FOOTBALL: SPOILER” – ACCSportsCom
COLLEGE FOOTBALL RANKINGS: Notre Dame Cracks Top-10; College Football AP and Coaches Polls; Six Notre Dame Opponents Ranked, Seventh Receives Votes
After previously riding a 5-1 bubble against an unexpectedly padded early-season schedule, Notre Dame now has cracked the top-10 in both the AP and Coaches Polls, following their first win over an opponent nationally ranked at game-time. The now-6-1 Irish are 1-1 against opponents ranked at game-time, 2-1 against opponents currently ranked.
The first College Football Playoff Rankings of the season do not come out until Tuesday, Oct. 31.
Notre Dame, highlighted in green below, is #9 in the AP and #10 in the Coaches Poll. Opponents are highlighted in either blue or red (with red denoting a Notre Dame loss).
Six of Notre Dame’s opponents are currently ranked — Georgia, Miami (Fla.), N.C. State, Michigan State, Stanford and Southern Cal — with a seventh, Navy, also receiving votes in the Coaches Poll.
All five of Notre Dame’s remaining opponents have winning records, including Wake Forest; three of the five remaining opponents are ranked — N.C. State, Miami (Fla.) and Stanford; and four of the five are receiving votes in the Coaches Poll (with Navy added in).
With four spots available in the College Football Playoff, there are six undefeated teams currently ranked ahead of Notre Dame, all from Power Conferences. However, Notre Dame plays one of them in a several weeks, Miami (Fla.). Alabama and Georgia are both from the SEC and would have to play each other if they continue winning. Undefeated Penn State and Wisconsin are both from the B1G/Big Ten and would have to play each other if they continue winning. TCU from the Big 12 also is undefeated. Ohio State has a single loss and is part of the B1G/Big Ten mix. One-loss Clemson is in the ACC with Miami (Fla.)
So, if Notre Dame somehow upsets Miami (Fla.), the best-case scenario for the highly ranked Power Conference teams would be one undefeated SEC team, one undefeated B1G/Big Ten team, and one undefeated Big 12 team if TCU can survive the rest of their schedule, including Oklahoma. An added wrinkle, however, is that one-loss Oklahoma (who are hanging around at #11 after a scare from Kansas State) handed Ohio State the Buckeyes’ only loss. If Oklahoma does beat an undefeated top-5 TCU, to add to their win over top-10 Ohio State, Oklahoma has a case for leap-frogging back into the mix. Although, in the process, TCU would be dropping down.
One possible scenario is that one SEC team, one B1G/Big Ten team and one Big-12 team are in the mix for the top-4, with the Notre Dame-Miami (Fla.) game looming large over whether the ACC gets in the mix. That Notre Dame’s loss, thus far, was a 1-point loss to Georgia is a threshold issue for Notre Dame, if — and if it’s a very big if — the Irish can somehow keep winning, wading through a second half of the season far tougher than the first half. In any event, if Alabama beats Georgia, and otherwise wins out, then Alabama likely grabs an SEC spot in the top-4, leaving Georgia scrambling to try to make it into a non-playoff major bowl, and Notre Dame a little further on the outside of things.
There also are some undefeated teams ranked below Notre Dame, named South Florida and Central Florida of the American Athletic Conference. They actually are from the same conference subdivision, so that, as with some of the undefeated Power Conference teams, they have to play each other later in the year, and only one could remain undefeated.
One overriding theme for all teams involved is that they all have challenging games ahead, in a college football marked by parity and wildly unexpected upsets to go along with the more predictable actual or de facto elimination games.
For Notre Dame, there is a broader view that goes beyond the “pie-in-the-sky” imaginings about the College Football Playoff. It is difficult to argue that Notre Dame ever has truly returned to elite status, given that they have not won a major bowl game in a quarter-century. So getting into, and winning, a major bowl would be a huge step forward for the program.
To be fair, Notre Dame did carry an undefeated record and #1 record into their would-be “national championship” BCS blowout loss to Alabama several years back. And Charlie Weis earned one of his BCS bowl bids with an automatic bid, triggered from being high enough in the BCS standings for a BCS bid to become automatic. Both instances, arguably, were the equivalent of winning a conference title in a Power Conference. But for Notre Dame to ever really be “back” would require a major bowl win.
That fact is a bit ironic considering that Notre Dame banned bowl bids for much of its history, even while cranking out a number of consensus national championships, including amidst one of the greatest dynasties in sports history under Frank Leahy.
Both Knute Rockne and Ara Parseghian won national championships with, and without, bowl trips. At one time, Rockne, the winningest coach in football history, and winner of multiple national titles, led the Four Horsemen and the Seven Mules to a Rose Bowl win and a national title with it. Unfortunately, Rockne used warm weather acclimatization as an excuse for an overly long, somewhat circuitous rail journey to Pasadena that, reportedly, turned into a national coming out party featuring open practices that may, or may not, have been like intrasquad exhibition games to stoke public interest. The institution’s response to the extravaganza of the trip was to ban bowl games. (Ironically, Rockne would soon add regular cross-country trips to the regular season by starting up the series with Southern Cal, with train trips that were accomplished much more quickly, taking a few days each way.) In any event, Rockne would add additional national championships without even going to bowl games, which arguably had the status of post-season exhibition games, with at least some polls issuing their final rankings before the bowls occurred.
Parseghian would win a consensus national title without going to bowls, in 1966, then convinced the institution to start going to bowls again, promptly placing Notre Dame squarely into a bowl-focused national title scenario under both Parseghian and Dan Devine. Notre Dame and Texas alone, in the Cotton Bowl, would decide or impact at least four national titles in less than a decade, with Notre Dame and Alabama deciding a fifth national title in the Sugar Bowl within the same stretch. At least one commentator credits Notre Dame’s decision to start going to bowls again with making bowl games relevant.
Brian Kelly, for his part, has never won a major bowl game. That fact comes despite multiple small college championships that, along with multiple wins in non-major bowls, have demonstrated his potential prowess in post-season play.
Kelly is now getting a bit “long-in-the-tooth” in Div. I-A/FBS, in his fourteenth season at that level. At 0-4 in major bowls, losing in a blowout three times and still being somewhat embarrassed in the other, Kelly is a bit overdue when it comes to proving his mettle with a major bowl win. (On a fifth occasion, a team he got into a major bowl was likewise blown out in his absence, after he jumped ship to get a head start on his next gig.)
For Kelly, five major bowls in 14 seasons is a solid track record for regular season play, but he’s going to have to bring home a major bowl trophy to be considered elite in the big time.
Perhaps more to the point, questions should arise as to why Brian Kelly is even still on campus, by Notre Dame standards. Brian Kelly is the only coach besides Elmer Layden to stay seven seasons without winning a consensus national championship, and Layden had a better overall Notre Dame winning percentage than Lou Holtz or Dan Devine.
Notre Dame has had two Hall of Fame coaches stay less time than Kelly. Hall of Fame Coach Dan Devine won a consensus national championship and had multiple major bowl wins, yet only stayed six years. Hall of Fame Coach Jesse Harper introduced passing offense to the game of football; probably would have deserved at least one national title by modern standards; and had the second-highest winning percentage for Notre Dame tenures (for coaches staying at least three years), behind Rockne and ahead of Leahy; yet Jesse Harper only stayed five years.
In his eight year at Notre Dame, and fourteenth year in Div. I-A/FBS, Kelly needs a major bowl win to be elite, but without a national championship he does not meet the yardstick for a Notre Dame coach staying as long as he has.
To be fair, of course, like Elmer Layden, Kelly has won a non-consensus national title. In 2012 there was one official BCS computer that still had Notre Dame #1 after the bowl game.
With Elmer Layden, Notre Dame reportedly found a polite way to escort former Four Horseman, current Hall of Fame player Layden to the exit. They reportedly only offered him a one year contract extension. Layden responded by leaving to become Commissioner of the National Football League. That cleared the way for Notre Dame to hire Frank Leahy away from Boston College, with former Knute Rockne player Leahy becoming the second winningest coach in college football history (third winningest at Notre Dame for Notre Dame tenure, after Rockne’s coach, Jesse Harper, for head coaches staying at least three years). Meanwhile, Elmer Layden would be credited for helping the NFL weather World War II, paving the way for future glory for the NFL.
(The author lost track of what Brian Kelly’s winning percentage at Notre Dame is, with all those vacated wins hanging in limbo after NCAA sanctions, and last year’s collapse. One interesting added question with the vacated wins is whether Kelly still meets minimum qualifications for the Hall of Fame, other than age. Kelly traditionally had met the minimum requirements for the Hall of Fame, other than age or retirement status, and Kelly’s coaching performance at the small college level, by itself, certainly already presented him as a good candidate for the Hall of Fame, bolstered by some of the better moments of his time in the big leagues.)
(Back to the polls … As an interesting aside, as part of his personal makeover following last year’s 4-8 debacle, Notre Dame Head Coach Brian Kelly resigned from the Coaches Poll before this year. Presumably that was to leave no stone unturned when looking for ways to save time and aggravation, to devote more energy and focus to his coaching duties; if memory serves, he also noted that those voting often do so based upon only limited information, given the demands on their time as coaches of their own respective programs.)
(As an added aside, bizarrely enough, the number of points Notre Dame’s next opponent has in the AP Poll is 666; although, in this context, of course, it’s just another number ….)
(total polling points follow record, first-place votes in parentheses)
AP
1 – Alabama (61) 8-0 – 1525
2 – Penn State 7-0 – 1444
3 – Georgia 7-0 – 1409
4 – TCU 7-0 – 1327
5 – Wisconsin 7-0 – 1241
6 – Ohio State 6-1- 1165
7 – Clemson 6-1 – 1113
8 – Miami (Fla.) 6-0 – 1101
9 – Notre Dame 6-1 – 1066
10 – Oklahoma 6-1 – 1040
11 – Oklahoma State – 6-1 894
12 – Washington 6-1 – 836
13 – Virginia Tech 6-1 791
14 – NC State 6-1 – 666
15 – Washington State 7-1 – 648
16 – Michigan State 6-1 – 615
17 – South Florida 7-0 – 604
18 – UCF 6-0 – 500
19 – Auburn 6-2 – 397
20 – Stanford 5-2 – 344
21 – USC 6-2 – 319
22 – West Virginia 5-2 – 196
23 – LSU 6-2 – 182
24 – Memphis 6-1 – 111
25 – Iowa State 5-2 – 98
Others receiving votes: Texas A&M 74, Michigan 60, Mississippi State 43, San Diego State 7, Georgia Tech 5, South Carolina 2, Toledo 1, Marshall 1
Coaches Poll
1 – Alabama(64) 8-0 – 1600
2 – Penn State 7-0 – 1520
3 – Georgia 7-0 – 1463
4 – TCU 7-0 – 1385
5 – Wisconsin 7-0 – 1343
6 – Ohio State 6-1 – 1244
7 – Clemson 6-1 – 1173
8 – Miami (Fla.) 6-0 – 1172
9 – Oklahoma 6-1 – 1084
10 – Notre Dame 6-1 – 951
11 – Washington 6-1 – 931
12 – Oklahoma State 6-1 – 926
13 – Virginia Tech 6-1 – 818
14 – South Florida 7-0 – 730
15 – NC State 6-1 – 683
16 – Washington State 7-1 – 636
17 – UCF 6-0 – 561
18 – Michigan State 6-1 – 560
19 – Auburn 6-2 – 455
20 – Stanford 5-2 – 367
21 – USC 6-2 – 321
22 – West Virginia 5-2 – 211
23 – LSU 6-2 – 178
24 – Texas A&M 5-2 – 151
25 – Michigan 5-2 – 121
Others receiving votes: Memphis 119, Iowa State 32, Mississippi State 19, South Carolina 9, Georgia Tech 8, Arizona 6, Colorado State 4, Kentucky 4, Boise State 3, Navy 3, Marshall 3, Arizona State 2, Florida 1, Syracuse 1, Appalachian State 1, Troy 1
IRISH NEWSLINK: “College Football Scores – Div. I-A/FBS” – ESPN
Should Notre Dame drop Southern Cal over Abortion? Yes.
Under the Catholic Code of Canon Law, abortion brings automatic excommunication.
But, not unlike a luxury mansion that turns out to be infested with rats, vermin and hidden mold, Notre Dame’s football schedule is riddled with institutions that perform abortions. One of them, apparently, is the University of Southern California.
The author thought that, in the past, Southern Cal was a little more open and notorious when it came to admitting their willingness to perform abortions (as were, for example, upcoming opponents Miami of Florida and Stanford). The information is not necessarily as easy to find, yet, with a little patience, the information is still there. On the USC.edu website, Southern Cal’s Keck School of Medicine has a section for Southern Cal’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, keck.usc.edu/obstetrics-and-gynecology/ that, in turn, has a link entitled “Learn more about patient care” that jumps to: keck.usc.edu/obstetrics-and-gynecology/patient-care/. That webpage, in turn, has a line that reads: “If you are a patient seeking information about our clinical services, please visit: women.keckmedicine.org.” That last webpage, reading “Keck Medicine of USC – Women’s Health – About USC Women’s Health,” has a subsection further down headed “Conditions we treat” that includes, in its list, the items “Abortion” and “Birth Control.”
(Since abortion and birth control are not conditions but a procedure or supposed “service”, one gathers that the list is actual presenting conditions, procedures and services. By comparison, another item listed is “Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery.”)
(Now, for the record, under Catholic teaching, artificial birth control also is considered a mortal sin, under risk of eternal damnation; although at least some chemical contraceptives tend to potentially cause chemical abortions, as it, and abortion itself additionally brings automatic excommunication.)
Southern Cal does not, at least on that webpage, elaborate about methods and procedures, or how far along in the development of a child in her mother’s womb they are willing to kill the preborn child. For example, they do not indicate if they would employ dismember procedures after the point when the preborn child in her mother’s womb can feel pain, a subject currently being debated in Congress.
Southern Cal’s stated embracing of abortion is unspeakable and horrific. For Notre Dame to — apparently obliviously — go ahead and schedule them anyhow, as if to hope nobody will notice the implications, speaks to a lack of leadership; some unholy blend of ignorance and lack of due diligence; lack of properly former moral character; and lack of properly formed conscience. The scheduling brings embarrassment upon the university, taints the university’s character and reputation and calls into question the appropriateness of its leadership and their conduct.
By playing an abortion provider in football, Notre Dame is wrongly and improperly lending prestige and credibility to the opposing institution, as well as enhancing the opponent’s immediate and ongoing revenue.
Even worse, Notre Dame contributes to the air of moral complacency and obliviousness that helps make the widespread abortion epidemic possible. By scheduling an abortion perpetrator, Notre Dame lends an air of “business as usual” that brushes the biggest evil facing the nation “under the rug.”
If Southern Cal ran overseas plantations where Southern Cal owned slaves, would Notre Dame schedule them? Yet abortion is even far more deadly, and more evil.
By lending wealth and prestige to an abortion provider, Notre Dame is lending wealth and prestige to parties whom Catholic Church Law excommunicates, so that, Notre Dame, as an institution, is, once again, thumbing its nose at the Catholic Faith and demonstrating a lack of fidelity to Christ.
Doing so under the name “Notre Dame,” which is French for “Our Lady,” in reference to Mary, the Mother of God, and doing so while claiming to be nominally Catholic Christian, the institution is insulting the Name of Mary and, in turn, the Holy Name of Her Son and His Mystical Body the Church.
Abortion, the cold-blooded murder of unborn children, is a grotesque human rights violation. By scheduling a human rights violator, Notre Dame is lending wealth and prestige to human rights violators.
Notre Dame claims to have a motto of God, Country and Notre Dame, but abortion has killed more Americans than all wars combined. It is the biggest threat to American lives that is, almost the equivalent, on average, of having 9/11 occur every day. Whatever the numbers might be for Southern Cal, that institution’s willingness to advertise involvement with abortion makes Southern Cal a part of it.
Additionally, Notre Dame’s apparent blasé, “business as usual” attitude about the scheduling adds to the complacency and quietism surrounding the evil of abortion that has allowed it to take root and proliferate to begin with. Playing a game against an abortion provider as if it’s something fun and every day makes Notre Dame part of a de facto “grooming” process to undermine the national conscience.
Then there is the racial factor.
Football has a disproportionately large number of African American athletes, a factor that, a few decades ago, presumably helped convince the NFL to take a particular state to task over whether the state would have a holiday focusing on civil rights. Race also is a factor in the current protests relating to the national anthem at sporting events. So concern over fair treatment of diverse ethnic groups has been an ethical priority for football.
Abortion has been termed an anti-Black genocide by some, due to the disproportionate racist impact of abortion, killing African American children in the womb at a rate far higher than white children, as compared with the demographics of the broader population. The biggest abortion provider in the United States was founded by someone who once declared the purpose of the organization to be to limit the number of “Negro” babies, who, on at least one occasion, spoke to a KKK organization.
Similarly, football has tried to concern itself with the proper treatment of women, and the need to show proper regard for women. Not only does abortion strike at the heart of one important part of womanhood by striking at the heart of motherhood; abortion has been termed a kind of “Gendercide” because of its to deliberately kill unborn children because they are girls, especially in cultures placing a higher value on boys than girls.
Regardless of Southern Cal’s specific numbers, they have chosen to associate themselves, as an institution, with abortion, and hold themselves out as performing abortions.
It is for Southern Cal’s own good, and for the sake of Notre Dame’s own reputation and moral character, that Notre Dame should drop Southern Cal from athletic schedules, unless and an until Southern Cal disavows prenatal child-killing, including under the propagandistic rubric of so-called “abortion.”
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Is Notre Dame for real? Irish hope to prove the value of independence in 2017; A tough end to the 2017 slate will have Notre Dame against the ropes for the rest of the season” – CBS Sports
IRISH NEWSLINK: “We’re About to Find Out How Good Notre Dame Really Is” – Sports Illustrated
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Brandon Wimbush Back In The Saddle As Notre Dame Quarterback” – Blue & Gold Illustrated/Rivals
Should Notre Dame Fans Brace Themselves for a Big Skid? Unexpectedly soft first half of the season followed by murderer’s row closing stretch.
Resurgent Notre Dame rides a 5-1 bubble that has fans and click-hungry media thinking big. Yet strength of schedule is about to go from padded to rock solid.
Heading into the season Notre Dame was a 4-8 ball club, diving into a 12-game regular season featuring 11 teams that made bowls the previous year. The one opponent who had missed bowl season still beat Notre Dame last year and went to the College Football Playoff just two years ago.
So, absent improvement, the Irish did not necessarily have much of an argument as to why, in particular, they could win any one of their 12 games.
What happened next was that, in the first half of the season Notre Dame ended up playing four teams who currently have losing records … only one team ranked when the Irish played them … and one more team with a winning record, unranked at the time, yet ranked now.
At 5-1, Notre Dame fans and the media have lapsed into a predictable blend of overhype and “hope-springs-eternal,” “sky’s-the-limit,” starry-eyed optimism.
(There is even the cringe-worthy habit of celebrating the right kind of loss. The gushy, almost non-apologetic trumpeting of Notre Dame losing by one point to Georgia might be the most head-scratching celebration of defeat since the institution gave Charlie Weis a massive contract extension for losing to USC.)
Looking at it another way, Notre Dame is 0-1 against ranked opponents, 1-1 against teams with winning records, 1-1 against teams currently ranked and 4-0 against teams with a losing record. (To be fair, one of the latter was sitting at .500 until Notre Dame beat them.)
So Notre Dame has played four teams that went from being a bowl team in 2016 to having a losing record. After the fears of a 4-12 Notre Dame potentially going winless, the Irish ended up with a surprisingly well-padded first half of the season.
(Now, to be fair, Notre Dame never pads its schedule as much as a lot of other programs. For example, Notre Dame is one of a very small number of Div. I-A/FBS programs that has never played an opponent from Div. I-AA/FCS. And it is not even that common for Notre Dame to play a team from outside the “Power 5” conferences, mostly with the exception of service academy teams, whom the SEC, of all people, usually rates as Power 5-quality.)
In a big mid-season pendulum swing, Notre Dame, in the second half of the schedule, faces six teams with winning record, including no fewer than four nationally ranked opponents out of six. A fifth team was ranked just last week, and another unranked team has a strong record.
While the Irish deserve some credit for strengthening their quality of play on multiple tracks, they are about to confront a stunning about-face with regard to strength of opposition.
And one pesky detail from the highly-touted defeat to Georgia was that Notre Dame’s supposedly vaunted rushing attack was limited to 55 yards rushing, by the only ranked opponent that was ranked when they played them.
Notre Dame showed that they do not, in fact, have an elite running game. By comparison, when Notre Dame had an elite running game decades ago under Lou Holtz, they would rip off solid yards per play against most elite opponents.
There are a few other problems. One is that Notre Dame does not really have a quarterback. They have a rookie starter in Brandon Wimbush who is inconsistent and plays more like an all-purpose athlete with strong-armed heaves, whose main virtue has been the ability to avoid turnovers. Ian Book showed himself to be a better quarterback, yet failed to avoid turnovers.
The ground game showed itself to be good enough to pad its stats against weaker opponents. But even there, there were issues. The running backs do not have blazing speed, or they would not have been run down from behind by Boston College. The offensive line is not dominant, or they would have had strong production on every down. Instead, Notre Dame padded its stats with individual plays where everything came together in a perfect confluence of events, but their averages on most other plays were not that great, after taking out the big plays. Are some of the players “taking a play off” here and there, a terminology NFL scouts sometimes use?
Historically, one can recall Notre Dame having opponents with similar stat-padding, such as service academy teams. In the past, when Notre Dame was an elite program, it was not unheard of for a service academy team to have huge rushing stat numbers, and be among the nation’s rushing leaders, as Notre Dame is now, but then came up against an elite Notre Dame and see the stats come down. That, of course, is what happened when Notre Dame played Georgia. Except a Navy or Air Force seeing their top-5 rushing stats come down against a Lou Holtz-coached Notre Dame team did not get limited to 55 yards, like Notre Dame did in their impotent performance against Georgia.
If the early season pattern holds, then Notre Dame would lose half their games against remaining opponents with winning records. That would mean, at best, finishing 8-4, a decent turnaround, and on track for the trademark Brian Kelly 8-5 that threatens to make him the Mike Brey of Notre Dame football, if — and it’s a big if — Brian Kelly can improve his performance in the post-season to be as strong as Brey’s has now become.
If Notre Dame continues to be winless against ranked opponents, if the 0-1 turns into 0-5 against ranked opponents, then they would finish, at best, 7-5, Ty Willingham territory.
One interesting added twist is that the unexpectedly padded early season, the unexpected front-loading of easier opponents, combined with the massive offseason coaching staff upheaval, made it harder to envision a scenario in which Notre Dame might announce at mid-season that Brian Kelly would be replaced.
These days, elite programs, or programs with the desire to return to elite status, do not engage in the last-minute firing-and-hiring spectacle that Notre Dame followed with the transitions from Bob Davie to George O’Leary to Tyrone Willingham, the transition from Willingham to Charlie Weis, or the transition from Weis to Kelly. The idea of firing a coach at the beginning of December and scrambling to back their way into hiring a George O’Leary within days or weeks is just not part of the big time.
Following the patterns set, from time to time, by schools like LSU, USC or Florida, Notre Dame would have to start transitioning at mid-season, or earlier, with an interim coach, coach-in-waiting, or some other arrangement with a longer lead time.
Historically, by comparison, one of Notre Dame’s best coaching hires, Ara Parseghian, reportedly took the initiative to call Notre Dame because Hugh Devore had been given an interim status, to serve as a bridge to a new hire. So, a half-century ago, Notre Dame showed some initiative and innovation with their coaching transition, gave themselves a long lead-time, and it paid off.
Of course, it is difficult to envision Notre Dame doing what USC did to Lane Kiffin, when A.D. Pat Haden drove to the airport to fire Kiffin on the tarmac next to the team bus after a late-night loss. That move, of course, was followed by elevating Ed Orgeron, who already was on staff, and already had head coaching background, in the SEC no less.
Yet it still bears noting that, presumably as an unintended side effect, Kelly’s revamping of the assistant coaching staff meant there no Ed Orgeron’s on staff at Notre Dame, no assistant coaches of experience and stature suitable to being an interim head coach for half a season on so big a stage.
Be that as it may, the padded schedule earlier in the season was a pure gift for Brian Kelly. Unless Notre Dame can show strong improvement, and unless they demonstrate the ability to beat ranked opponents, one might surmise a different scenario had the two halves of the season been flipped.
If the final six teams had come first, would Notre Dame be looking at something like a 2-4 record right now? Would the same team, with the same coach and the same players, be sitting at 2-4, just because the schedule was different? Coming off the 4-8 meltdown, then going 2-4, would have meant coaching change war drums beating loudly.
Yet now, even if Notre Dame has yet another Big Skid under Brian Kelly, they lose just a little bit of the current PR fluff at a time, then end up in a minor bowl again, like when they hung tough with Florida State then went into the tank for the entire second half of the season several years ago.
The situation presents a test of character for the Irish, and time will tell whether, or how much, they get exposed for being a little less elite than the wildly inflated College Football Playoff talk might suggest.
The gift of an inflated 5-1 record should inspire much-needed improvement and greater playing intensity, to seize the tremendous opportunity that the inflated record presents. Yet the program still has yet to demonstrate that it can actually turn the corner and return to elite status, and they might simply not have the personnel or the character to do what they need to do, to avoid the skid. Time will tell.
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame relies on QB Brandon Wimbush to keep drives alive despite passing struggles” – NBC
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Can Notre Dame get in? Crazy playoff scenarios could be on tap” – New York Post
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Notre Dame without LB Greer Martini and with a hampered Dexter Williams” – NBC
IRISH NEWSLINK: “Is the new Notre Dame ready for prime time?” – ESPN
IRISH VIDEO: “Highlights: Notre Dame vs. North Carolina” – WatchND
Highlights from Notre Dame’s victory over North Carolina in Chapel Hill