Let’s continue with the mailbag, starting with my guess as to how the quarterback battle this spring ends up.
domehead00: How do you see the quarterback position shaking out this spring?
Am I allowed to say, “I have no idea?”
I won’t take the easy way out here, as I think this spring’s QB race is absolutely riveting. Obviously, the victory in the bowl game displayed what Malik Zaire can do, particularly in the running game. But Everett Golson was critical in beating LSU, especially with some clutch conversions late in the game.
With 15 practices and a new quarterback coach and offensive coordinator, all bets seem to be off. But from a program strength perspective, I think Brian Kelly wants to leave the spring with both quarterbacks feeling like they’re absolutely essential for the Irish to win big in 2015... and both staying a part of the program.
If we’re handicapping this race, Golson has the better grasp of the offensive system and the better arm talent. (Again, the system is something to watch, with Sanford coming in and likely installing a few wrinkles.)
Zaire has a considerable edge as a runner, and also leads in the intangibles category. He’s a better leader (though he needs to learn to stay off Twitter) and he also doesn’t have the scar tissue of the 2014 season that Golson now has, with those turnovers harder and harder to shake off.
Kelly has used spring practice as a motivation ploy and also as a confidence booster. A few years back, we were to believe that Kona Schwenke had pulled even with Louis Nix at nose tackle. Message sent to Nix... and Schwenke.
Short answer: Not sure. Longer answer: I’ve got a hunch that both players will be around this summer and competing until the fall.
grammarnazi69: How does the tight end position shake out to start this year? Who starts, and where do each of the 4 players fit in?
I think we get to know Durham Smythe and Tyler Luatua a lot better. And I expect Smythe to be the starter when the Irish take on Texas in the season opener, with the former Longhorn commit going up against his home state team. The Irish could very well start both Smythe and Luatua, coming out in a no-nonsense, smash-mouth formation.
That being said, get ready to see plenty of Alizé Jones. The freshman is a freaky athlete and this staff isn’t kidding when they call him the No. 1 tight end in the country. Jones can win from the slot right now and do a lot of the same things great players like Tyler Eifert and Kyle Rudolph did.
I didn’t forget about Mike Heuerman. I’m still curious to see how he shapes up as a football player, and whether he’s one of the guys that maybe gets a chance at switching sides of the ball, giving a look at rush end. Heuerman hasn’t been able to stay healthy or keep weight on since he’s come to South Bend. And in a talented depth chart, those things are needed.
There’s no position with more question marks on the Irish roster when it comes to production. But there are plenty of capable bodies to replace Ben Koyack.
hoosiermp33: Do you ever potentially see ND adding a regular series with Hawaii to utilize the option for a 13th game?
No, I don’t. Apologies to Hawaii -- and it’s a game that I’d love to get assigned to cover -- but if Notre Dame is adding a 13th game, it’ll do something a little bit more out of the box that’ll help their schedule strength.
Right now, Notre Dame schedules knowing they lack a conference title game. So while the part of your rather lengthy question that I cut out talked about TCU and Baylor getting passed over, take a look at some of the opponents those two programs played.
For the first time ever, we saw a cupcake schedule (and no playoff game) come back to bite a program in the butt.
prodigolson: How do you deal with the consistent pessimism? Seldom are comments insightful and enjoyable to read, and instead many are filled with constant negativity by cynics who apparently have been granted college football omnipotence when put in front of a keyboard and given an anonymous username. It’s not the trolls that bother me, but rather the actual fans that can’t see past the last loss, coaching departure, missed recruit, etc.
I’m not going to lie, it’s a burden. Sometimes people are the worst. I was reminded the other day of a passage from Moneyball, and why Billy Beane said he didn’t make it as a baseball player.
To paraphrase, when Beane was slumping or struggling at the plate, he hated himself. When he was hot and seeing the ball well, that’s what he was supposed to do.
I’m going to write whether the team wins or loses. But after a loss (and more and more, after any column), I’m less inclined to see what’s being said under the fold or at other prominent websites.
I’m also lucky I live a couple hundred yards from the Strand. Lotta walks listening to music helps.