ND got more than it deserved this year.
by Bruno95 (2022-11-28 13:45:38)

The Kelly staff's failures to identify, prioritize, and land players of the necessary caliber set this season on a path toward disaster. Not 8-4. This is, in multiple places, a roster that could have made 2016 a happy memory.

Yet.

Drew Pyne, 5'10", 190 pounds (ND's bio is about as accurate as a Tinder profile), mediocre arm, average mobility, was ND's quarterback in a 35-14 win over Clemson. The offense ran through others, but he threw no interceptions and drove in the dagger on a late TD pass. He was 23-26 with 318 yards passing against USC. Better teams would have recovered from his fumble.

JD Bertrand, who would be well-advised not to run the 40 at his pro day, will finish with nearly 200 career tackles. He started every game as a Junior and (targeting punishments aside) every game his Senior year. He had 9 solo tackles and a sack against Clemson.

These are just two examples. We have seen class after class come in and wonder just who in the hell would play these positions. Few if any difference makers. RKGs, projects, and solid types that populate top-15 classes but don't come close to building elite teams.

But these kids didn't extort anyone to land an offer. What were they supposed to do? Not come to Notre Dame? Pull themselves out of the lineup?

Vannie put it best. If Drew Pyne didn't work his ass off to get better, this team would have been 3-9. If he didn't play as well as any ND fan could reasonably expect, Rees's Brian Kelly game plan for USC would have yielded an historic ass-whipping.

It's easy to think about four losses, what we don't have, and who we could have rented. What's not easy is playing here. Freeman is right to be proud of these guys. They played to their ceilings and saved our asses.

I hope Georgia beats the ever loving piss out of LSU, and I hope Uga personally ejaculates in Kelly's left eye.


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