Urban was Lou’s DC and was thought to be a shoo in for the coaching job when Williamson left. He turned the offer down and went with the Gators. He wanted to go for a team that could win and he did so. Notre Dame was not a program he could win with. It would be ironic to beat The Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl. I’ve got some old classmates from Columbus who have been dieing for this matchup for a long long time.
Glad to hear some of the walking wounded may be back.

Good match up to test ND and see where we stand. I truly believe Ohio St is still one of the 4 best teams especially talent wise so to me this would cap off an excellent but still disappointing season. If we win this game, it will show how we underachieved and could’ve won the whole thing and should get some of the national media off our backs and give us proper respect heading into next season. A loss, will have them chirping that we never win a big bowl and when we match up with the best we fall short. Although, I think the talent and depth has come along way, it would be factually true that we keep falling short in these elite games. Enough of the close losses against the top teams! Lets get over the hump and build this program into a consistent top 5-10 program that can and will beat the best teams. I want to get to a point we are feared as a team no one wants to play and that the experts see as a team that wins the tight games against the best competition. A win, will cement a top 6 finish, with losses to 2 top 5 teams and a win over a top 10 team. You could make a strong case based on that final resume that it was a slightly better season then 2012. Come on fellas, Get it Done!

Viewing the Notre Dame football program from a universal perspective, has provided me with a few conclusions that don’t necessarily disturb me as much as it seems indicative of the comfort zone / margin of error psychology adopted by some folks controlling the program and who are seemingly willing to accept that based on the university’s rigorous academics. I think the Adminstration is “corporately comfortable” in that program ethos of receiving a $15 million dollar TV deal as long as it is tolerable and competetive for ratings that won’t force it off the air as a national brand. There is seemingly no intrinsic interest in coming up with a revolutionary idea of getting 1988-1989 style killer players who were fast tough as monsters and extremely Alabama capable today. No doubt we have good kids on the team and they do win but as many have alluded too those questions will keep persisting on how aggravating they are in how they win…those questions were not an issue in a 1988-1989 campaign ND throttled teams throughout the game and no one fan ever had a question as to effort or outcome in their wins EVER.

I do recall prior to the season starting Brian was on a hot seat and he said something that seemed telling…something to the effect this team is going to get 10 wins…..ok well then it seems strange we end up with 10 wins…what did we do to match serve on that prediction?…was it his insightful confidence or was it his recognition that this was what he will always be able to get out of the team provided the standards expected of the players. I think a balanced assessment is in order for the Coach…to his credit he cleaned up a pro first college second mentality problem in the team thinking, he improved the talent depth level on the team through recruiting, he has gotten the team to bowls consistently every year. Now for the minuses, 5 games that should have never been lost due to not running the ball, kicking a field goal, downing the ball, Tulsa (10), South Florida (11), FSU (12), Pitt (13), Northwestern. That quirk is what Swarbrick invested in as the AD so he has to live with that and always to expect a boneheaded loss on the schedule each year. Now being fair injuries and turnovers do hurt a team given the depth they have at the time the team is put together for the season. Again losing 5 key players last year due to academics did hurt us with turnover Golson at the helm.

Overall I think Brian is the correct sympotmatic style coach for the “corporate & academic ethos” in South Bend . Yet I think unless the Irish want to smash the veneer of Sabanesque invincibilities against those types of caliber teams that come their way on the schedule We are going to win games in an aggravating manner lose some games due to a lack of adaptibility and tactical master of play calling,and we are going to have a fan base looking to duck the Alabama style of teams around the country who we know are better because they have not just a deep team but they have a monster ferocious 1988-1989 style of play that simply kicks the Irish’s “nice guys” butts everytime. I am still one for being classy but we are sacrificing and swallowing a corporate friendly cyanide pill for gentle and squshy nice guys who are pretty good team rather than getting that 1988-1989 ferocity that is need to be recruited into a team. What is it about recruiting Bolcar, Stonebreaker, Pritchett style linebackers, Zorich style Nose tackles truly ferocious animals on defense who were quite well mannered after a game of putting their opponent in an ambulance shaking their opponents hands as they are wheeled off the field on a strecher. Trust I don’t wish anyone that typeof harm on purpose but to get back “elite and Championship confidence without fear…you must be the one putting the fear into your opponent and notthe other way around……

NOW do you guys get why we are in need of embracing a little more nasty caliber with our players and perhaps just letting the GPA thing be so difficult for really good players especially on the defensive side of the ball…..besides if the Irish could do that we could actually exceed expectations and land CFP spots every year and thus make the University a significant pay day that the school and football would truly benefit from….remember ND didn’t get the legacy and the success it has from volleyball under Knute Rockne Leahy Parseghian Devine and Holtz it was football..oh wow how controversial is that? NOT VERY AT ALL IT’S COMMON SENSE.

Here is how I see it. OSU runs the read option to perfection thanks to Urban Meyer who really invented it with Trebow at Florida. Kelly after after 11games can’t teach it to Kizer. Van Gorder can’t defend it. You draw the conclusion.