Part one of a two-part mailbag. Thanks for the good questions, sorry to those I missed or skipped out on.
(For those asking me about knee injuries: I’m not a doctor. Don’t even play one on the internet. But BK has been asked about injuries a bunch. He’s had every injury evaluated, both by doctors inside the program and out. Bad luck is bad luck—and ND isn’t alone, it just feels like it.)
dmacirish: After seeing three weeks of football is there an adjustment to the “toughest games on the schedule” rankings? Has Clemson, Stanford, or USC fallen and the likes of Temple risen?
That’s a good question. And I’m not ready to totally reshuffle the deck, but I do think that Stanford, USC and to a lesser extent Clemson look a little more beatable than they did this summer.
You are correct on Temple, especially after watching them whip Penn State. But remember, UMass had Temple BEAT until they had an extra point returned for two points, allowing Temple to kick a game-winning field goal. (The message: Look out for UMass!)
To me, this season hinges on the next four weeks. Get out of Saturday healthy, find a way to win in Death Valley (the new toughest game on the schedule), conquer the option once more and hope to take serious revenge against USC for last year’s pasting. (The Trojans could also be in full self-destruction mode by then, too.)
Then regroup over the off week and get ready to do something special.
monco20: Keith – There has been repeated comments this week that the stadium is becoming “louder”. Is this due to younger crowd, more alcohol, better sound system or the or the construction? If it is due to the new buildings will it become louder when the construction is complete and the video board is installed – does this help us or hurt us?
Brian Kelly certainly seems to think it’s louder inside Notre Dame Stadium. And while I saw the debate in the comments about whether it was louder in the 70s, 80s and 90s, it’s tough to argue with people about nostalgic memories that also measure acoustic levels. (Plus the pressbox is like watching a game in a fishbowl, so no clue from someone who watches from a media seat.)
I will say this: The new architecture is going to go a long way towards keeping noise inside the stadium (just like Michigan’s remodel did). And it seems like Kelly can already tell.
That’s always a good thing for the home crowd, especially when the fans start to understand they’re a weapon to deploy for the defense.
jerseyshorendfan1: Project who will be MVP at the end of this season?
Right now, my candidates are:
- Will Fuller
- Jaylon Smith
- C.J. Prosise
- Joe Schmidt
If Kizer can keep the offense on the tracks, Fuller could put up ridiculous numbers, shattering the single-season touchdown record. Then again, Prosise is on pace to out-run Vagas Ferguson’s single-season record, too. Smith isn’t too far behind, but he’ll still have to make some game-changing plays a la Manti Te’o in 2012 to beat out one of the most dangerous men in college football.
ndlv: Keith, I know that you don’t put a lot of weight into star rankings of recruits, but right now the class is somewhat small (13) and is rated relatively low by all of the services . Are BK and the staff really finding a bunch of hidden gems in this class, or is it a subpar year? Do you think more and more wins will draw in blue chip commitments this year or will it end up as a down year in recruiting?
ohiondfan: Talk about recruiting and talent evaluation/development. I was going through the last 10 years or so of ND recruiting data. It seems that BK is getting more out of 3-star kids than Weis did out of 5-star kids.
Seems like BK is a top tier talent evaluator and developer. Is that his rep nationally? Do recruits see how well he does at getting players in the right position and bringing them along to be all they can be?
Last year’s recruiting class wasn’t expected to get into the low-20s, especially when people examined the 85-man roster. But the Irish went to 24, pushing their roster limits to land players they thought were talented. So this class likely isn’t going to push past the high-teens, though I’m sure the staff will find a way to make things work.
We saw already this spring and summer how difficult it is to stay above 85 players (even when Kelly seemed deadset on getting to that number). But between academics, competition to get on the field and the fact that Notre Dame has had a transfer every offseason for over 30-seasons running, it is what it is.
This recruiting class is probably a little behind where things have been in previous years. That comes with replacing three full time coaches and swapping out recruiting coordinators. But if ND keeps winning, it’s only going to help the recruiting class.
To get to Ohio’s comment, I’m not sure Weis can be blamed for a 5-star QB not turning out. (Look at the list of Rivals’ 5-star QBs. Lotta swings and misses in there.) But I think Kelly has a national reputation for finding good players below the radar. Will Fuller, C.J. Prosise, Greer Martini... I could go on and on. That comes with coaching at smaller schools, but it also comes with having the confidence in your own evaluation, not following the herd.
In general, I trust college football coaches who evaluate and breakdown tape more than I trust guys like me looking at YouTube highlights and going to summer camps. That’s not a slam on the industry, a business that’s getting better and better from an evaluation perspective. But it’s just the truth.
mtflsmitty: You have two 50-yardline seats to the ND/USC game on October 17th. Your dear mother expects you’ll be taking her. But Pope Francis calls and asks for your other ticket. Who do you take to the game and why?
Smitty, tell the Pope to get up in the luxury box. My mom gets the seat. I’ll worry about the eternal consequences later.