Malik Zaire will be Notre Dame's starting quarterback this year. Here's why: Statistics Notre Dame's offense under Malik Zaire was more efficient than it was under DeShone Kizer, if we limit the statistics to each QB's first 212 snaps. (That's Zaire's career total.) Zaire had 46 snaps in what I'd consider garbage time before starting against LSU in the Music City Bowl. Kizer had 32 snaps against Texas (garbage time) and Virginia (big time) before his first start against Georgia Tech. ...
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Debate This: DeShone Kizer is Your 2016 Quarterback
For college football fans, winter should be a time to rest the heart (and the whiskey bottle) after a stressful season. But this is Notre Dame Football. ...
DEBATE THIS! Brian Kelly’s Return Is The Best Possible Outcome
This is part two of the Debate This! series on Brian Kelly's return to Notre Dame after interviewing with the Philadelphia Eagles. On Saturday, Lisa Kelly (no relation) kicked us off with part one, and she was not happy with Coach Kelly. Here's my say on the matter: ...
DEBATE THIS! The Heroic? Return of Brian Kelly
Head Coach Brian Kelly returns to Notre Dame! Are we happy? Maybe, maybe not. Grantland X and I seem to have differing views on the topic. Here is my two cents worth on the return of Brian Kelly, and Grantland X will present his rebuttal on Monday. Here we go ... It’s o-dark-thirty in the college football recruiting world and Notre Dame is hovering with a top five recruiting class. In the days leading up to the national title game head coach Brian Kelly gushes that coaching at Notre Dame ...
Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy (The NCG Edition): Running Back
Vincent Smith could tell you a few things about running back. And as soon as he stops weeping tears of a Clowney and rocking himself in the corner, I am sure he'll be happy to. In the meantime, you've got Bayou Irish in all of my flu-addled glory. Great way to start a new year, folks, I gotta tell ya. Coughing up phlegm into a Kleenex before passing out in a Nyquil induced-haze at 7:00 p.m. ROCKS! But seriously, let's talk some football, y'all. Six days out from the National Championship Game, ...
DEBATE THIS! Revisted: Notre Dame’s Strength of Schedule
Back in the offseason, the 2012 Notre Dame schedule took center stage in one of our DEBATE THIS! features. It seemed as if the entire HLS staff had a different opinion on this issue. Grantland-X thought it was perfect, Bayou thought it was insanely difficult, and I thought it would end up much like 2011 when it was all said and done. What we didn't account for though was just how readily the Irish strength of schedule (SOS) would be dismissed by the very same people that ranked it as the ...
Debate This! Clearly, Wood > Riddick at Running Back
Grantland-X is a hoot to have on the team. He makes absurd statements and then defends them with vigor. Tommy Rees should start, Riddick will take Wood's starting spot, etc. It's really quite enjoyable, the naivete of youth. I love it. But sadly for him, he has chosen to debate me in this case. Doesn't bode well. ...
Debate THIS! Why Theo Riddick Could Be Better Than Cierre Wood
Even here amongst the HLS team, (maybe especially here would be a better term) we are always debating things about ND football. Here's an actual conversation that occurred between the team members on Monday: ...
Debate This: What Happens to Tommy Rees Now?
Grantland-X broke the news here that Tommy Rees plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges, underage drinking and resisting law enforcement, in a deal arising from his May 3 arrest. Displaying a shiftiness he has yet to show on the field, Tommy. at his lawyer's request, showed up by himself, a full 24 hours ahead of schedule to enter his plea. The D.A.'s office, according to the South Bend Tribune, accepted the plea as part of a deal as a matter of course. Now that St. Joe County has extracted ...
Debate THIS! 2012 Schedule, Same Song, Second Verse
So Grantland-X thinks our schedule is perfect and Bayou Irish sees the schedule as overly tough, leading to either BCS joy or complete devastation. Erroneous, erroneous on all accounts! I ask everyone this: how did you feel about the 2011 schedule? I surely hope no one thought it was perfect nor the hardest schedule known to man. Why do I ask this? Simple, because 2012 looks a whole hell of a lot like 2011. In 2012, we will see some of the same opponents whom stay relatively similar ...