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Why we stand a chance against Bama


Are we better than the 2012 Irish team? If so, why don't we stand a better chance? Was the Clemson lost a result of missed opportunities?

Comments

  1. I respectfully disagree with your thoughts on the game, like a lot of people in society most buy into the ESPN narrative,. Two years ago when Clemson blew out Alabama a lot of Clemson players mentioned Notre Dame was the better team compared to Bama
    I will be really shocked if his Bama team lights us up on defense for 52 points
    We have the better offensive line,. I believe we will be able to run he ball and protect Ian,
    Two games from a National title,. We're a lot closer than anyone knows


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    1. I totally agree that we're a better team than people are giving us credit for, but the facts are Bama has more 5 and 4 star recruits than us, and with a good coaching staff, that's tough to overcome. HOWEVER, we totally have a shot at this. It's college football, anything can happen. Kelly has his best team I believe.

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  2. Notre Dame has won 5 of 7 historically vs Bama
    I realize this year is different, but it is also not 2012
    We are very capable physically to handle ourselves in this game
    I expect a great game, back and forh. And I like the Irish by a touchdown

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  3. This team is not gonna be intimidated, I expect a competitive,
    Tight game. I really appreciate everything you say and your reporting Mike C, but I m not with you on your 52-14 prediction

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    1. Coffey will have to answer for this next week. 52-14 is within the realm of possibility, but so is 33-30 Irish win.

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  4. I realize Florida had a few optouts but did you see the Oklahoma thrashing of Florida last night?
    People are putting way to much weight on the SEC... Notre Dame should be competitive with Alabama, yes blowouts happen and over the last four years we have had 3 teams rock us (Clemson,Miami and Michigan)
    Ohio State has been blown out by Iowa, Clemson and Purdue

    Clemson was handled pretty well by LSU last year

    Alabama is 2-2 vs Auburn during our run the last 4 years
    Sabans an excellent coach but so is Kelly and his staff,

    Saban is 69 Kelly is 59. We could be going into a special decade and most don't realize the potential
    And always look at what could go wrong

    We've won like 24 or 25 straight at home, I can go on and on about our program

    In terms of the matchup tomorrow, we have an elite offensive line and they have got to play like one
    We have a 4 the year QB, and he will perform very well



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    1. Agree. Notre Dame has a chance to beat Bama, no doubt about it. But Bama has the same chance to blow us out. They have the talent to do that. It simply comes down to who fights for it more. If Notre Dame is mentally tough, and they have been all year, then it's a game. We'll know after the 1st Qtr.

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  5. I like winning. Its like, better than losing.

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  6. I have to disagree with the folks on the pod and the commenters here. Comparing ND teams from this era to teams from the late 1980s and early 1990s is inapt. That's not because the ND team comparisons are necessarily inapt - there's a good argument that the ND teams now are more or less comparable in talent to then - but because the best teams of right now - that is, Alabama, Clemson, and to some degree Ohio State - are *so much better* than the best teams from then.

    Thanks to the cottage industry of recruiting websites, recruiting has gotten (1) more national and (2) more accurate in high school evaluations. This allows the rich to get richer in a way that has never happened previously (Alabama signed four WRs more highly ranked *this year* than Deion Colzie, who was our fourth highest recruit overall). Additionally, football offenses have gotten a lot more efficient as folks realize the best way to play with elite talent is to chuck it around and aim for explosive playmaking rather than run run run. These Bama teams would crush '94-'95 Nebraska, much less 1988 Miami.

    That's to say: it's totally possible that ND is the fourth best team in the country, and it's also totally possible that even if that's the case a 20-point line is entirely fair.

    I hope I'm wrong and this is the one time out of ten it would be a competitive game, but even if it is we probably shouldn't delude ourselves into thinking these teams are particularly close.

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    1. Totally agree. Just the differences of talent on each roster make it a legitimate 20 point spread. HOWEVER, this is college football, and anything can happen. Great coaching can keep this game close, great playmaking can win it. It's possible, just not probable.

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    2. JDM
      Respectfully no one is comparing this era to be 80s and 90s. I m sure our teams from the early 90s would bury Ara s teams from the 60s, Ara lost to Nebraska like 44-0 one year and beat USC just three times in 11 years

      Your entitled to your opinion but respectfully most of what you say is garbage. You have been propogated to believe your thouhts and if Clemson blows out Ohio St you will still think somehow Ohio St has unbeatable talent along with Clemson and alsbama

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    3. I'm guessing you didn't listen to the show, since I made the point that OSU has more to lose than us if they get blown out. They don't belong in the Playoffs with only 6 wins and their only tough game was close. Bama and Clemson are in a league of their own. Lastly, no-one in college football is "unbeatable". The reason college football is 10 times better than the NFL is it's less predictable. Notre Dame can win, but it would definitely be a major upset. Vegas is rarely wrong by 20 points. Doesn't happen often. I think ND definitely beats the spread, just likely won't win the game.

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    4. I didn't say Ohio State was unbeatable - I even made the explicit point that they're not on the level of Alabama and Clemson. I don't think Alabama and Clemson are literally unbeatable, either. Sometimes teams win with 20-point spreads against them.

      My point was that the 20-point line is fair and just, and it's just as likely that we'll lose by 30+ as that it'll be a close game. Alabama is genuinely on another level than us, as is Clemson. (And before anybody points to early November: With a nearly fully healthy team we essentially played even and ultimately beat their B+ squad in double overtime. They ran us off the field with the A team. Which should have been expected, to some degree.)

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    5. And, just to be clear, they spent a huge chunk of the podcast comparing this game to games from the late 80s/early 90s, which prompted my comment.

      The point I'm trying to make is back then being the #4 team in the country meant you were in the same tier as the #1 team in the country. Now it doesn't at all.

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    6. I would agree with your assessment. But comparing different ERA's is always tough and riddled with complexities. For instance, Holtz was a master at coaching in big game situations. He'd figure out a way to win today's environment.

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  7. Mike, I listened to he show I was responding to JDM not you

    Have a great New Year's,. I appreciate everything all three of you do with your podcast. Just respectfully disagree on on your view win he playoffs

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  8. I always get a chuckle when fans talk in terms of schematics
    JDM,. Can you elaborate what you mean by the best way is to Chuck it around with elite talent?
    Really? Mike Leach chucking it around is better?
    .....the winning teams can run the ball and pass when they wanna pass not when they are forced to pass
    The difference in Clemson 1 and Clemson 2 was the running game not chucking it around with their elite talent

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    1. It's not throwing it (almost) every play like Mike Leach, but it is throwing it to a much greater degree than 20 years ago. Offensive football these days is played at a much higher level than then; there's a ton of evidence to that effect and basically no evidence against it. If you don't agree, you're just wrong and not paying attention/living in the past.

      Heck, even *Alabama's* offense is being played at a much higher level than in 2012 now. Relatedly, they're passing a lot more.

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  9. JD. Thanks for the football insight
    We should Chuck it around more, kinda like Weis did back in the day maybe he was ahead of his time

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  10. JD. It sounds like we should go back to Brian Kelly 1.0
    And Chuck it around with our elite tight ends etc...

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  11. I would love the anonymous accounts commenting earlier to explain to me after watching this game how exactly you're supposed to win titles in modern football with a primarily running offense.

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    1. I thought Ian Book played well. He's a competitor, and you have to respect that. But he's not an "elite" QB. To win a title, that's what you need. But ND was more than just an "elite" QB away. We need a lock-down CB and a wide out with game breaking speed. I think Kevin Austin was that guy. We continue to close the gap, question is, can we close it all the way with Brian Kelly? Seems doable.

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  12. Irish played hard, just didn't have enough
    I thought the 17-14 scoring totals the last three quarters was impressive by ND.
    Just a tough start
    Hopefully we can continue to close the gap

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  13. Clemson couldn't run the ball against tOSU.
    That was a perfect example of what happens if you chuck it around. They were blown out by the buckeyes

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  14. Ohio State didn't win because of their rushing offense...

    I'm not saying you should run the run-and-shoot. I'm saying that you cannot win a national title with your offense relying on offensive line and tight ends. That's antiquated football.

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  15. Thanks guys, love your insight and podcast been quite a run
    2 bowl wins and 2 playoff appearances last four years...... winning 85% of our games,. Look forward to your insight again next year, your all three the best!

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