So, here we go again: it’s conference realignment time. While we spend a fair amount of time making fun of Texas and laughing at the Big XII getting caught with their pants down, we examine what this means for college football’s future, the planned playoff expansion, and if Notre Dame’s independence still fits into all of this.

We’ll try that whole preview magazine thing next week.

Podcast

The post HLS Podcast: Conference Realignment 2 – Red River Boogaloo appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

So strap yourselves in for an extremely long post to get all the thoughts in my head that would’ve been shared on the podcast, out and available for internet consumption.

Dabo

Speaking of things getting cancelled within a few hours of going live, let’s go ahead and talk about this Clemson/Florida State postponement thing. In a week where 18 games were either cancelled or postponed, this one took top billing, not just because of the last-minute nature, but because Dabo won’t shut up about it.

We’ve beaten the “Dabo is bad, actually” drum for a while on the pod. Will Leitch tried to tell everyone last August, but too many media folks dismissed it and Notre Dame fans joining the chorus painted as having sour grapes for the Cotton Bowl loss.

Nah, we just know an asshole when we see one.

In Chapter 342384190273 of this story, Dabo spews this bullshit:

It’s a good time to remind everyone that the positive COVID test that made FSU back out came from a Clemson player that travelled with the team. This player had symptoms during the week and, once he initially tested negative, was out practicing with the team, still symptomatic.

It’s also a good time to remind you that FSU had a COVID scare of their own with head coach Mike Norvell testing positive at the beginning of the season.

Clemson had a scare of their own with sure-fire-first-pick Trevor Lawrence getting knocked out due to COVID. You would think that would make them sympathetic to another team wanting to tap the breaks and reschedule in December.

You would also be wrong because, in their biggest game of the season, with their star QB sidelined, Brent Venables was sporting what South Park eloquently coined as a chin-diaper every time the damn camera was on him:

Needless to say, I understand why Florida State would be nervous. Dabo’s reaction confirms they the right choice.

FSU chickening out due to fear of humiliation is a hilarious proposition considering what’s already happened to them season:

• Lost to 2-5 Georgia Tech at home
• Humiliated by rival Miami by 42 points
• Struggled against not-even-close-to-a-FCS-power Jacksonville State for three quarters and trailed at the half.
• Notre Dame easily wins 42-26
• Oh, hey, an upset win against North Carolina. Good job!
• Followed by losing to Louisville by 32. OOPS!
• Oh shit, Pitt: 41-17
• Lost to NC State 38-22

Hot take: they could probably take losing again to one of the best teams in the nation.

Hotter take: they literally had nothing to lose. You win, and holy crap, season highlight! You lose? Oh well, 2-7 now, season still sucks!

But let’s just say for fun that FSU was scared. That doesn’t hold water either because the game would, logically, be played on December 12, much like Notre Dame’s make-up with Wake Forest. Yet, the only person on record against this is Dabo.

Dabo’s protest of rescheduling amounts to holding the rematch hostage, saying FSU either needs to reimburse Clemson for travel costs, pay for a return trip, or come to Death Valley.

Another friendly reminder, Clemson has a football facility worth $55 million and features a plunge pool that can fit 60 people, a sand volleyball court, a whiffle ball bark, a nine-hole miniature golf course, barber shop, shoe shine, nap room, a basketball court, fire pit, basketball course, bowling alley, pool tables, arcade, golf simulator, ping pong tables, and a fuckin’ slide. Dabo is also on a 10-year, $93 million contract.

Before anyone says Clemson or Dabo is actually concerned athletic budgets in These Trying Times and “had” to cut track and field (to save an estimated $2 million a year), I call bullshit. Dabo, nor Clemson, is actually concerned about the Dabo-cited $300K cost of the wasted trip. That’s pocket change in the grand scheme of things.

There’s a reason Dabo is using “forfeit” language in his screed. He doesn’t want to play this game. Why? Because that removes a bye week before the ACC Championship, one that Notre Dame won’t get as they are playing Wake Forest.

Like screaming at refs in Notre Dame stadium after his team commits a clear DPI, Dabo tries to bully his way into a competitive advantage. That’s all this is and that’s his highest priority.

It’s why a symptomatic player was practicing with the team in the first place. Test was negative, go bring your own guts, and get out there. It’s why the player travelled with the team, only to be pulled at the last possible moment. It’s why Dabo screamed at FSU on Sunday, calling them cowards, failing to bring their own guts when Clemson brought their own COVID instead.

Here’s the thing: I actually have no issue with Dabo for fighting so hard for a competitive advantage. What irks me is how Dabo continuously goes about these things. The finger points elsewhere and his performative angers follows. Then, a week later, he’ll “aw shucks” it, quote a Bible verse, and hope the media surrounding him returns to their regularly scheduled worship of him and the false idol that he’s built in South Carolina.

In a just world, the ACC comes out with a statement tomorrow saying that Clemson plays FSU in Tallahassee on 12/12 or Dabo can go pound sand and Notre Dame will have a different opponent on 12/19. If 2020 has proven anything, it’s that the world is decidedly unjust. This won’t happen.

However, 2020 has also proven that anything can and will happen, especially in college football. Pitt stands on deck, super-weapon at the ready, fully charged and unused.

Fire away, Panthers. FOR JUSTICE!

Recap

In writing this, I’m reminded of why I prefer podcasting at times to writing. Loads easier (for me at least) to talk for an hour with Shane than writing this all down. But hey, stuff happened, and we should at least talk about it*!

*Translation: please don’t go and keep reading.

Big Ten

Northwestern is 5-0 and completely in the driver’s seat in the Big Ten West thanks to their 17-7 victory over Wisconsin. Their shortened season concludes with Michigan State, Minnesota, and Illinois. While anything can happen, I’m finding it hard to see how Northwestern doesn’t end up 8-0 and facing off against Ohio State.

Worst case, they can still lose one of their remaining games and still have the head-to-head over Wisconsin (who, if they miss one more game are out of Big Ten title contention anyways per conference rules). 2020 is incredibly weird and perhaps “five turnovers by the Badgers” should’ve been on the bingo cards.

Speaking of weird, Indiana, despite their 42-35 loss to Ohio State, absolutely has some voodoo magic going on. That other-worldly logic of taking them on the spread was incredibly sound as they somehow hexed Justin Fields into 3 INTs and sacked him five times.

It was a hell of a game–even if Indiana continued to make strange blood sacrifices by shooting themselves in the foot repeatedly. Dropped passes and four turnovers should’ve doomed the Hoosiers, but they kept this a fight until the end, nearly clawing back even though they started the fourth down 42-21.

Speaking off…Ohio State’s secondary…y’all okay over there? I mean, I kinda hope you aren’t since every ESPN color commentator had ND/tOSU in the playoffs on Saturday. But um…yikes!

In schadenfreude, Penn State got hilariously plastered by Iowa, dropping to 0-5. They trailed at the half 24-7 and then managed to give up 10 unanswered in the forth–just a solid losing effort.

Nebraska is probably re-thinking their playing football stance after getting beat by 2-3 Illinois at home. Scott Frost also threw his players under the bus, citing a lack of juice. Things seem not fun in Lincoln.

And of course, there is Michigan, who benefitted by Rutgers still being Rutgers as the Scarlet Knights snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in a 48-42 triple OT thriller. Rutgers absolutely should’ve won this game, but I’m not even mad. The entire game was hilariously stupid and I kept giggling thinking how Michigan fans must feel that Coach Michigan Man Jesus is struggling to beat Rutgers in year six.

Big XII

Oklahoma reestablished some form of Big XII dominance at home during Bedlam in a 41-13 win. However, it was also a game in which Spencer Sanders got sidelined for the majority of the game and Chubba Hubbard was used with caution due to injury. Despite all that, OU didn’t pull away until the fourth. If the Cowboys had an offensive pulse, it would’ve been a Red River headache all over again.

Thanks to this game and an Iowa State victory, the Cyclones sit atop the conference with a 6-1 conference record while everyone else is a two-loss conference team. Hilariously, I think OU is in second place over Texas because they have one more win than them, and thus a higher winning percentage, because Texas/Kansas got the axe this week.

I want to live in a world in which Tom Herman’s Jayhawks problem re-emerges, but this time it’s because they didn’t play at all. That’s art.

Pac-12

Three weeks in and I still have no feel for this conference.

Oregon held off UCLA 38-35 and I still can’t tell if UCLA is starting to turn a corner with Chip Kelly or if Oregon is just suspect as all hell. Reminder: the Ducks dealt with a Wazzu headache for quite a while before pulling away last week.

The Washington Huskies still look solid, but they have only played Oregon State and Arizona, hardly good measuring sticks. With the Apple Cup is already cancelled for this week, the Huskies tried to grant all our wishes by scheduling BYU, but BYU backed out (more on that later). Eventually they will have to play Oregon, so I guess that will be for all the marbles in the North and we might actually know who might be good in this division.

As for the South–Southern Cal maybe figured some things out? They didn’t need a ridiculous fourth quarter tip-drill to stay alive this time and nine second half points kept Utah at bay. I was expecting more from Utah, which was folly considering it was their first game off of multiple COVID cancellations (and this one wasn’t looking great for most of the week).

A decent chunk of this conference could be looking at playing five games this season total. I have no idea how that plays with the playoff committee, but I guess we will see on Tuesday.

SEC

Alabama and Florida are really, really good. Vanderbilt got a brief moment in the sun before Florida boat-raced them and Kentucky received no such grace. Sim to end of season on this one. These two need to battle it out and it’ll be great (and seriously how in the hell did the Aggies beat Florida?!).

Meanwhile, Mississippi State, down loads of scholarship players due to COVID and “fuck Mike Leach–I’m out”, put a scare into Georgia. Clanga’s effort was solid, but there’s a definite “Happy learned how to put–uh oh!” moment when J.T. Daniels finally got to go under center with a stellar 28/38, 401 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT effort. That feeling, however, is dashed by the face that Mississippi State outrushed Georgia.

With 22 yards. Because Georgia had 8.

The SEC is turning into the Big XII land of shootouts with better talent. I’m very much here for it, but I’m not sure I’m going to get used to it this season.

ACC

The biggest ACC news is above in the “main segment”, but it’s worth noting that half the scheduled games for Saturday didn’t happen. That left the ACC with only one conference game on Saturday and two all weekend.

In that Saturday conference tilt, Virginia Tech went from nearly beating Miami to just getting blasted by Pitt by a 33-point margin. This is the third loss in a row for the Hokies and now (an apparently big mad) Clemson team is next. I absolutely didn’t see the Justin Fuente era playing out like this, but um…he might be over his head here.

The only other ACC “highlight” was NC State blocking a game winning field goal attempt to deliver Liberty’s first loss of the season. Guess third time was a charm for the conference.

I’m sitting here giggling to myself that Liberty lost because someone else came in between them and a score because my mind is perpetually in the gutter.

Group of Five

UCF gave Cincinnati everything they could handle in just a banger of a game that ended with a 36-33 comeback win for the Bearcats. Cincy had only given up 20 points once this season when they let off the gas against Austin Peay in week one. That stellar defense coughing up 33 was something I didn’t see coming.

That being said, Cincy won it’s only real clunker to date. With Tulsa raking up the wins and moving into the top 25, there’s a realistic chance the Bearcats can lay claim to three top-25 wins this season (Army, SMU earlier this season). I’m still not sure it will be enough for playoff consideration, but damn, they are trying.

BYU is still murdering opponents, but they still haven’t had a real test yet outside of maybe Boise State. As I mentioned earlier, Washington was willing to give them said test, but BYU said no. The reason seems to depend on who is asked as one source said BYU was waiting to see how the playoff committee treated their current resume and another saying that BYU was just concerned Washington would toss BYU to the side if another Pac-12 school could play and wanted an immediate contract locked and signed.

Whatever the reason, this seems like a massive misstep by BYU. I don’t buy that Washington would easily replace them with a Pac-12 school. They are trying to boost their resume too and the other Pac-12 options aren’t moving that needle right now like BYU could.

The playoff committee ranking doesn’t make sense either. BYU’s resume is junk compared to Cincinnati’s (Coastal Carolina, still undefeated, is going to have a similar problem). So why not take the boost? You can’t just tweet out any time, any place and then start tossing weird qualifiers on it. What’s the committee going to think about that when the news leaks?

It’s all extremely dumb of the Cougars. Take the game and stop being stupid. You’re not landing in a New Year’s Six bowl without it.

Sign Off

Yes, I’m aware posts don’t require sign offs like a podcast, but this section nevertheless will remain because, quite frankly, it’s past midnight, I have work tomorrow, and have no further creative ideas for how to end this post.

That all being said, I hope you enjoyed. Eddie and I are still planning to bring you picks live on Twitch Turkey Day Eve (or on Thanksgiving for those using the podcast medium). Shane and I will return at the close of Thanksgiving weekend to recap Notre Dame at North Carolina.

Until then, “enjoy” the sim that we already ran for that game or come swing by and chat with us in our Discord server and/or hit up our TeePublic store as the traditional shopping holidays will see 35% off everything.

Enjoy your holiday and stay safe! Go Irish. Beat COVID. Beat Tarheels. Have a good one.

The post HLS Recap (Text Edition): Dabo’s the Worst appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

While the Irish kept on trucking, others weren’t as lucky. We were close to a blood weak with multiple ranked teams finding themselves on the wrong side of the score sheet. We were also blessed with what had to be the most insane Red River Shootout and Mike Leach setting a record he probably never expected to.

Podcast

Twitch VoD

The post HLS Recap: Keep on Truckin’ appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Traditional technical issues aside, the rest of college football is keeping the straight up rollercoaster of 2020 alive and well. The Big XII continues to lobby their way out of the playoff, Mississippi State got the full Mike Leach experience in two weeks, leading Shane and I to try to figure out just what we actually know about the national picture at this point.

We also take a look ahead to Notre Dame and Florida State and discuss the roller coaster of emotions of these last couple of weeks, including Notre Dame getting far more of a pandemic spotlight than either of us ever wanted.

Podcast

Twitch VoD

Remember the audio issues I mentioned? That’s because I had some kind of crazy static in my audio that I had to edit out. If you really want to witness it, you can find it here, but I’m not going to embed that mess.

The post HLS Recap: The Sober One appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Next, you immediately pivot to Fr. Jenkins showing up at Washington D.C. without a mask. An act of “leadership” that I’m sure went over real well for every Notre Dame football player sitting at home this weekend as well as students that aren’t allowed to go see their friends in any type of situation that resembles normal.

Finally, you top it off with the most epic edition of #snacktalk possible as it was the true highlight of football this week.

After that’s all done, then, and only then, do you actually stick to sports.

Podcast

Twitch VoD

The post HLS Recap: Sticking to Sports? appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Shane and I hopped on the mics shortly after the final whistle of Clemson’s defeat of Ohio State to recap the entire wonderful day.

Come join us and savor the final Irish victory of 2019.

Podcast

Twitch Broadcast

The post HLS Podcast: First New Year’s Six and Camping World Bowl Recaps appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

R.J. Shelton #12 of the Michigan State Spartans scores a touchdown in front of Drue Tranquill #23 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half of a game at Notre Dame Stadium on September 17, 2016 in South Bend, Indiana. Credit: Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Notre Dame is a deeply flawed team this year; last night confirmed that. It was almost hard to watch the Irish make huge errors on special teams, continue to play defense with the density of Swiss cheese and make questionable coaching decisions in a game they absolutely had to win. There was seemingly no rational reason for handing the ball back to Michigan State down 36-28 with 3:37 remaining.

I know we will hear the arguments and excuses.

The Irish had three timeouts left.

It was fourth and 7 and the Irish were on their own 32.

Blah, blah, and blah!

COACHING FAILURES DOOMED IRISH

With 3:37 to go, the Irish needed two yards on third down to keep the drive and, in all reality, the season alive. Did Brian Kelly have that little confidence in the run game that he didn’t believe they could get him two yards? If the run is stopped, it’s fourth and short.

Despite analysts dramatizing time, football fans know a team almost never runs out of clock. A turnover or a failure to get 10 yards in four downs kills the two minute drill. Kelly opted to take the ball out of his best players’ hands and put the game on a defense that allowed more than 500 yards of total offense.

I predicted the Irish would win this game last week because of Kizer. But, for me, the Irish sealed their fate the moment Kizer trotted off the field and the punt team entered. I would have “rolled the dice” on fourth and 7 in favor of leaving it the hands of the defense.

This week is no easier for Brian VanGorder. The Irish defense struggled. The Spartans manhandled them on the line. The tackling and pass coverage was simply abysmal. I don’t see any scenario where VanGorder returns next year.

It’s difficult to see many wins on the remaining schedule. I think Syracuse, Army, Navy and Duke are likely wins. But, at this point, who knows? NC State, Miami and Virginia Tech – games which, just weeks ago, seemed very manageable – now go into the “toss up” category.

CBS’s latest project has Notre Dame in the Russell Athletic Bowl versus Oklahoma. The leaves haven’t even fallen, and the Irish are out of the playoff race. It’s hard to believe.

The post After Last Night, I See Only Four “Likely Wins” Left appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Image courtesy @AuburnElvis

Football is back.

HEY EVERYBODY, FOOTBALL IS BACK!

In case you’ve just joined us, my esteemed colleagues and I do our best to forecast your 4 playoff teams. The Internet is a democratic place, so we had to narrow the parameters a bit. First, college football fandom is a must. But that still casts a wide net. So I thought to myself, “Are there other Elvis fans who cheer for other universities?” And it so happens there are. So we invented the TCB Poll.

In our inaugural attempt, the 2014 Preseason Poll, the collective Elvii presented you, the Loyal Readers, with Florida State, Alabama, and Oregon. We had a Big 12 team (Oklahoma) in the 4th spot and Ohio State 7th. The Actual Playoff Committee went with the Buckeyes after seeing the full season of games, but our very first attempt hit at a 75% clip.

Last year, our affinity for Hawkeye Elvis slanted our playoff hopes away from Michigan State and toward Iowa.

We are back with our third installment of these preseason rankings. My jumpsuited compatriots will bring you their commentary for college football’s top four teams each week, and I’ll aggregate our scores for you so you can be the smartest fan in your social circle — the one who listens to grown men with long sideburns wearing sunglasses indoors and out.

Playoff Rankings: 2016 Preseason

Each week, the TCB Poll is an aggregate of all our inputs. Scroll down to see individual selections and opinions — this is how we’d like to see the College Football Playoff if we had to narrow the field *right now* to determine a national champion. Images courtesy The Helmet Project.

Rank	Team		Record	Weekly Change
1		Oklahoma	0-0	—
2		Alabama	0-0	—
3		Clemson	0-0	—
4		LSU	0-0	—

Also receiving votes: Michigan, Florida State.

TCB Committee Member Comments

@AuburnElvis

My prediction philosophy is to base early week rankings completely on what teams WILL BECOME, and as the season goes on, inject the reality of on-the-field outcomes. So, with no games played (other than that weird game in Australia that no one watched), the top 4 teams in college football will be:

1. Oklahoma
2. LSU
3. Michigan
4. Florida State

@HawkeyeElvis

Well I went to the Rose Bowl and while the game didn’t turn out great the rest of the trip did. And Iowa has a fair amount to look forward to this season.

As for my Top 4?

1. Clemson – The Tigers have talent. And haven’t had the distractions they have had in Tuscaloosa.
2. Alabama – Best in the SEC….for now.
3. Oklahoma – Bob Stoops is now the longest tenured head coach in college football along with Kirk Ferentz. Fun Fact! Stoops played at Iowa.
4. LSU – I will see the Bayou Bengals live in their opener against Wisconsin.

@IrishElvis

1. Alabama. The defending champs continue reloading and grayshirting. Their opening game will be the main data point that pollsters use to justify a lofty ranking until October.
2. Clemson. Lost some defensive talent, but they return their quarterback. They open at Auburn, so we’ll see how the Tiger/Tiger matchup is early, but they should be sitting pretty for a Halloween showdown in Doak Campbell with FSU.
3. Oklahoma. This ranking will be too low my the end of September if the Sooners can dispose of a quality Houston squad and Ohio State. If this team is clicking early, they are playoff material.
4. Michigan. Egads this is disgusting, but the Wolverines have a comfortable path to 7-0. Their schedule has two tough road games: Michigan State and Ohio State, but they come late in the year. I think Harbaugh is still a year away, but the khaki noise from the Mitten State is going to be annoying come late October.

Considered, then rejected (for preseason): Washington, FSU, Notre Dame.

The post TCB Poll Returns: 2016 Preseason appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Some are so complete, the commercials are included. Others just include one moment – a Penn State kicker making a game-winning field goal, a Pittsburgh quarterback dropping a profanity on broadcast television or a 280-pound BYU punter successfully executing a fake. There’s games that will look awesome on your high definition television (trigger warning) and others that are lacking sound.

If there was multiple videos for the same game, I tried to choose the best. There’s three weeks worth of content here. (I haven’t watched it all.)

Subscribe to the playlist for all the latest updates and tell your friends. This took me hours, and I’m ridiculously proud of it.If

** As far as I know. If I’m missing a game, let me know in the comments section and I’ll be sure to add it.

#1: Nov. 1, 1913: Notre Dame 35, Army 13 (00:04:10)
#2: Nov. 27, 1913: Notre Dame 30, Texas 7 (00:04:54)
#3: Oct. 18, 1924: Notre Dame 13, Army 7 (00:02:35)
#4: Jan. 1, 1925: Notre Dame 27, Stanford 10 (Rose Bowl)(00:02:03)
#5: Nov. 12, 1927: Army 18, Notre Dame 0 (00:00:43)
#6: Nov. 10, 1928: Notre Dame 12, Army 6 (00:04:35)
#7: Nov. 17, 1928: Carnegie Tech 27, Notre Dame 7 (00:02:47)
#8: Oct. 26, 1929: Notre Dame 7, Carnegie Tech 0 (00:05:32)
#9: Nov. 30, 1929: Notre Dame 7, Army 0 (00:02:15) / part 2 (00:00:19)
#10: Oct. 25, 1930: Notre Dame 35, Pittsburgh 19 (00:03:19)
#11: Oct. 10, 1931: Notre Dame 0, Northwestern 0 (00:11:33)
#12: Nov. 21, 1931: USC 16, Notre Dame 14 (00:01:04)
#13: Dec. 2, 1933: Notre Dame 13, Army 12 (00:01:48)
#14: Nov. 2, 1935: Notre Dame 18, Ohio State 13 (00:02:01)
#15: Nov. 9, 1935: Northwestern 14, Notre Dame 7 (00:27:28)
#16: Nov. 27, 1937: Notre Dame 13, USC 6 (00:00:45)
#17: Nov. 11, 1939: Iowa 7, Notre Dame 6 (00:18:20)
#18: Nov. 2, 1940: Notre Dame 7, Army 0 (00:01:04)
#19: Nov. 16, 1940: Iowa 7, Notre Dame 0 (00:00:30)
#20: Oct. 3, 1942: Georgia Tech 13, Notre Dame 6 (00:03:05)
#21: Sept. 25, 1943: Notre Dame 41, Pittsburgh 0 (00:00:38)
#22: Oct. 30, 1943: Notre Dame 33, Navy 6 (00:01:43)
#23:  Nov. 11, 1944: Army 59, Notre Dame 0 (00:02:27)
#24: Nov. 3, 1945: Notre Dame 6, Navy 6 (00:02:01)
#25: Oct. 12, 1946: Notre Dame 49, Purdue 6 (00:10:06) / part 2 (00:10:03) / part 3 (00:10:11) / part 4 (00:07:07)
#26: Nov. 9, 1946: Notre Dame 0, Army 0 (00:09:02)
#27: Nov. 30, 1946: Notre Dame 26, USC 6 (00:01:37)
#28: Oct. 11, 1947: Notre Dame 22, Purdue 7 (00:10:37) / part 2 (00:10:01) / part 3 (00:10:30) / part 4 (00:10:25)
#29: Nov. 8, 1947: Notre Dame 27, Army 7 (00:02:24)
#30: Nov. 22, 1947: Notre Dame 59, Tulane 6 (00:01:01)
#31: Dec. 6, 1947: Notre Dame 38, USC 7 (00:03:37)
#32: Sept. 25, 1948: Notre Dame 28, Purdue 27 (00:03:49) / part 2 (00:39:59)
#33: Oct. 9, 1948: Notre Dame 26, Michigan St. 7 (00:03:48)
#34: Dec. 4, 1948: Notre Dame 14, USC 14 (0:00:13)
#35: Oct. 8, 1949: Notre Dame 35, Purdue 12 (0:09:43) / part 2 (00:09:11)
#36: Oct. 15, 1949: Notre Dame 46, Tulane 7 (00:01:48)
#37: Oct. 29, 1949: Notre Dame 40, Navy 0 (00:01:04)
#38: Nov. 5, 1949: Notre Dame 34, Michigan St 21 (0:02:05)
#39: Nov. 26, 1949: Notre Dame 32, USC 0 (00:05:45)
#40: Oct. 7, 1950: Purdue 28, Notre Dame 14 (00:07:54) / part 2 (00:06:49) / part 3 (00:04:11)
#41: Oct. 21, 1950: Indiana 20, Notre Dame 7 (00:02:16)
#42: Nov. 10, 1951: Michigan State 35, Notre Dame 0 (00:02:54)
#43: Oct. 18, 1952: Notre Dame 26, Purdue 14 (00:29:42) / part 2 (00:31:39)
#44: Nov. 8, 1952: Notre Dame 27, Oklahoma 21 (00:05:21)
#45: Sept. 26, 1953: Notre Dame 28, Oklahoma 21 (00:26:39)
#46: Oct. 3, 1953: Notre Dame 37, Purdue 7 (00:09:59) / part 2 (00:02:59) / part 3 (00:09:59) / part 4 (00:06:09) / part 5 (00:11:23) / part 6 (00:03:57)
#47: Oct. 24, 1953: Notre Dame 27, Georgia Tech 14 (00:02:57)
#48: Sept. 25, 1954: Notre Dame 21, Texas 0 (00:25:47)
#49: Oct. 2, 1954: Purdue 27, Notre Dame 14 (00:02:40)
#50: Oct. 22, 1955: Notre Dame 22, Purdue 7 (00:33:25)
#51: Nov. 12, 1955: Notre Dame 27, North Carolina 7 (00:06:42)
#52: Sept. 22, 1956: SMU 19, Notre Dame 13 (00:02:08)
#53: Oct. 13, 1956: Purdue 28, Notre Dame 14 (00:12:19) / part 2 (00:09:53) / part 3 (00:14:25)
#54: Oct. 27, 1956: Oklahoma 40, Notre Dame 0 (00:01:23)
#55: Nov. 24, 1956: Iowa 48, Notre Dame 8 (00:01:02)
#56: Oct. 12, 1957: Notre Dame 23, Army 21 (00:01:23)
#57: Nov. 2, 1957: Navy 20, Notre Dame 6 (00:01:06)
#58: Nov. 16, 1957: Notre Dame 7, Oklahoma 0 (00:34:00)
#59: Nov. 22, 1958: Iowa 31, Notre Dame 21 (00:01:17)
#60: Oct. 3, 1959: Purdue 28, Notre Dame 7 (00:06:01) / part 2 (00:25:11)
#61: Oct. 24, 1959: Northwestern 30, Notre Dame 24 (00:29:14)
#62: Sept. 24, 1960: Notre Dame 21, California 7 (00:01:20)
#63: Oct. 1, 1960: Purdue 51, Notre Dame 19 (00:43:18)
#64: Nov. 19, 1960: Iowa 28, Notre Dame 0 (00:10:03)
#65: Oct. 7, 1961: Notre Dame 22, Purdue 20 (00:11:19) / part 2 (00:11:17) / part 3 (00:11:02) / part 4 (00:05:50)
#66: Oct. 14, 1961: Notre Dame 30, USC 0 (00:01:04)
#67: Oct. 21, 1961: Michigan State 17, Notre Dame 7 (00:01:22)
#68: Oct. 6, 1962: Purdue 24, Notre Dame 6 (00:10:21) / part 2 (00:08:19) / part 3 (00:10:50)
#69: Oct. 27, 1962: Northwestern 35, Notre Dame 6 (00:10:24) / part 2 (00:10:32) / part 3 (00:10:40) / part 4 (00:12:22)
#70: Sept. 28, 1963: Wisconsin 14, Notre Dame 9 (00:04:55)
#71: Oct. 5, 1963: Purdue 7, Notre Dame 6 (00:12:43) / part 2 (00:12:39) / part 3 (00:13:06)
#72: Oct. 12, 1963: Notre Dame 17, USC 14 (00:04:47)
#73: Oct. 19, 1963: Notre Dame 27, UCLA 12 (00:04:47)
#74: Oct. 26, 1963: Stanford 24, Notre Dame 14 (00:04:51)
#75: Nov. 2, 1963: Navy 35, Notre Dame 14 (00:04:45)
#76: Nov. 9, 1963: Pittsburgh 27, Notre Dame 7 (00:00:29) / part 2 (00:02:57)
#77: Nov. 16, 1963: Michigan State 12, Notre Dame 7 (00:02:57)
#78: Nov. 28, 1963: Syracuse 14, Notre Dame 7 (00:04:24)
#79: Sept. 26, 1964: Notre Dame 31, Wisconsin 7 (00:05:53)
#80: Oct. 3, 1964: Notre Dame 34, Purdue 15 (00:03:57)
#81: Oct. 10, 1964: Notre Dame 34, Air Force 7 (00:03:34)
#82: Oct. 17, 1964: Notre Dame 24, UCLA 0 (00:03:54)
#83: Oct. 24, 1964: Notre Dame 28, Stanford 6 (00:04:05)
#84: Oct. 31, 1964: Notre Dame 40, Navy 0 (00:03:45)
#85: Nov. 28, 1964: USC 20, Notre Dame 17 (00:37:42)
#86: Sept. 25, 1965: Purdue 25, Notre Dame 21 (00:44:59)
#87: Sept. 24, 1966: Notre Dame 26, Purdue 14 (00:41:12)
#88: Oct. 1, 1966: Notre Dame 35, Northwestern 7 (00:04:52)
#89: Oct. 8, 1966: Notre Dame 35, Army 0 (00:05:09)
#90: Oct. 15, 1966: Notre Dame 32, North Carolina 0 (00:05:00)
#91: Oct. 22, 1966: Notre Dame 38, Oklahoma 0 (00:04:21)
#92: Oct. 29, 1966: Notre Dame 31, Navy 7 (00:04:19)
#93: Nov. 5, 1966: Notre Dame 40, Pittsburgh 0 (00:32:33) / part 2 (00:34:32)
#94: Nov. 12, 1966: Notre Dame 64, Duke 0 (00:04:50)
#95: Nov. 19, 1966: Notre Dame 10, Michigan St. 10 (00:07:27)
#96: Nov. 26, 1966: Notre Dame 51, USC 0 (00:03:59)
#97: Sept. 30, 1967: Purdue 28, Notre Dame 21 (00:48:50)
#98: Oct. 14, 1967: USC 24, Notre Dame 7 (01:46:59)
#99: Nov. 18, 1967: Notre Dame 36, Georgia Tech 3 (00:01:55)
#100: Sept. 28, 1968: Purdue 37, Notre Dame 22 (00:43:44)
#101: Nov. 30, 1968: Notre Dame 21, USC 21 (00:15:24) / part 2 (00:15:24) / part 3 (00:15:24)
#102: Sept. 27, 1969: Purdue 28, Notre Dame 14 (00:42:04)
#103: Oct. 18, 1969: Notre Dame 14, USC 14 (00:01:18)
#104: Nov. 8, 1969: Notre Dame 49, Pittsburgh 7 (00:59:40)
#105: Nov. 14, 1970: Notre Dame 10, Georgia Tech 7 (00:02:47)
#106: Nov. 21, 1970: Notre Dame 3, LSU 0 (00:02:53)
#107: Nov. 28, 1970: USC 38, Notre Dame 28 (01:04:31) / part 2 (01:06:53)
#108: Jan. 1, 1971: Notre Dame 24, Texas 11 (Cotton Bowl) (00:15:06) / part 2 (00:14:44) / part 3 (00:08:21) / part 4 (00:08:00) / part 5 (00:11:07) / part 6 (00:12:40) / part 7 (00:13:27) / part 8 (00:13:42) / part 9 (00:04:10)
#109: Sept. 25, 1971: Notre Dame 8, Purdue 7 (00:00:50)
#110: Oct. 23, 1971: USC 28, Notre Dame 14 (00:01:16)
#111: Nov. 20, 1971: LSU 28, Notre Dame 8 (02:32:35)
#112: Dec. 2, 1972: USC 45, Notre Dame 23 (00:07:14)
#113: Jan. 1, 1973: Nebraska 40, Notre Dame 6 (00:31:28)
#114: Sept. 22, 1973: Notre Dame 44, Northwestern 0 (00:05:31)
#115: Sept. 29, 1973: Notre Dame 20, Purdue 7 (00:37:44)
#116: Oct. 6, 1973: Notre Dame 14, Michigan St. 10 (00:04:50)
#117: Oct. 13, 1973: Notre Dame 28, Rice 0 (00:03:20)
#118: Oct. 20, 1973: Notre Dame 62, Army 3 (01:20:02)
#119: Oct. 27, 1973: Notre Dame 23, USC 14 (03:15:08)
#120: Nov. 3, 1973: Notre Dame 44, Navy 7 (00:04:16)
#121: Nov. 10, 1973: Notre Dame 31, Pittsburgh 10 (00:03:00)
#122: Nov. 22, 1973: Notre Dame 48, Air Force 15 (00:03:48)
#123: Dec. 1, 1973: Notre Dame 44, Miami (Fla.) 0 (00:03:08)
#124: Dec. 31, 1973: Notre Dame 24, Alabama 23 (02:00:42)
#125: Sept. 28, 1974: Purdue 31, Notre Dame 20 (00:54:50)
#126: Oct. 12, 1974: Notre Dame 10, Rice 3 (00:02:51)
#127: Nov. 23, 1974: Notre Dame 38, Air Force 0 (0:00:38)
#128: Nov. 30, 1974: USC 55, Notre Dame 24 (00:15:20) / part 2 (00:15:23) / part 3 (00:15:23) / part 4 (00:15:21) / part 5 (00:07:03)
#129: Jan. 1, 1975: Notre Dame 13, Alabama 11 (00:52:25)
#130: Oct. 11, 1975: Notre Dame 21, North Carolina 14 (00:01:28) / part 2 (00:03:07)
#131: Oct. 18, 1975: Notre Dame 31, Air Force 30 (00:04:28)
#132: Oct. 25, 1975: USC 24, Notre Dame 17 (00:59:10)
#133: Nov. 8, 1975: Notre Dame 24, Georgia Tech 3 (00:02:29) / part 2 (00:02:02)
#134: Nov. 15, 1975: Pittsburgh 34, Notre Dame 20 (01:00:36)
#135: Sept. 11, 1976: Pittsburgh 31, Notre Dame 10 (00:45:48) / part 2 (01:02:20)
#136: Oct. 16, 1976: Notre Dame 41, Oregon 0 (00:15:06)
#137: Nov. 6, 1976: Georgia Tech 23, Notre Dame 14 (00:00:46)
#138: Nov. 13, 1976: Notre Dame 21, Alabama 18 (02:42:51)
#139: Nov. 27, 1976: USC 17, Notre Dame 13 (00:51:20)
#140: Sept. 10, 1977: Pittsburgh 19, Notre Dame 9 (00:01:41)
#141: Sept. 17, 1977: Mississippi 20, Notre Dame 13 (01:16:06)
#142: Sept. 24, 1977: Notre Dame 31, Purdue 24 (01:20:46) / part 2 (01:08:09)
#143: Oct. 1, 1977: Notre Dame 16, Michigan St. 6 (01:05:05)
#144: Oct. 15, 1977: Notre Dame 24, Army 0 (00:01:36)
#145: Oct. 22, 1977: Notre Dame 49, USC 19 (02:40:52)
#146: Nov. 12, 1977: Notre Dame 21, Clemson 17 (01:19:52)
#147: Jan. 2, 1978: Notre Dame 38, Texas 10 (02:47:12)
#148: Sept. 23, 1978: Michigan 28, Notre Dame 14 (00:23:34)
#149: Sept. 30, 1978: Notre Dame 10, Purdue 6 (00:42:59)
#150: Oct. 14, 1978: Notre Dame 26, Pittsburgh 17 (02:52:41)
#151: Nov. 11, 1978: Notre Dame 31, Tennessee 14 (00:47:51)
#152: Nov. 25, 1978: USC 27, Notre Dame 25 (03:13:42)
#153: Jan. 1, 1979: Notre Dame 35, Houston 34 (03:07:16)
#154: Sept. 15, 1979: Notre Dame 12, Michigan 10 (00:03:22)
#155: Sept. 22, 1979: Purdue 28, Notre Dame 22 (00:40:03)
#156: Oct. 27, 1979: Notre Dame 18, South Carolina 17 (00:06:27)
#157: Nov. 10, 1979: Tennessee 40, Notre Dame 18 (00:59:19)
#158: Nov. 17, 1979: Clemson 16, Notre Dame 10 (02:23:40)
#159: Nov. 24, 1979: Notre Dame 40, Miami 15 (Mirage Bowl) (00:04:34)
#160: Sept. 20, 1980: Notre Dame 29, Michigan 27 (00:06:02)
#161: Nov. 15, 1980: Notre Dame 7, Alabama 0 (01:53:57)
#162: Dec. 6, 1980: USC 20, Notre Dame 3 (00:07:51)
#163: Jan. 1, 1981: Georgia 17, Notre Dame 10 (Sugar Bowl) (02:43:17)

…and 320 more videos….

The post Here is Every Notre Dame Football Game on YouTube* appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Coach Lou Holtz [Photo: Jonathan Daniel/Allsport]

I was a child of the Lou Holtz years, when Notre Dame was in the hunt for a national title almost every season. That has not been the case at any point since Holtz left.

In this article, I’m going to look at some of the stated “hurdles” and determine if they’re relevant. Then, I’m going to answer: What is a reasonable expectation for Notre Dame football on an annual basis?

Schedule

“We won nine games two years out of the five. I think the difficulty is sustaining that year after year with the schedule that you play. Particularly the early season schedule is difficult.” – Bob Davie, on the day of his firing in 2001.

If you examine the Sagarin strength of schedule (SOS) over the last five years, the information is somewhat telling.

2015

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2014

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2013

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2012

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2011

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Notre Dame schedules, with the exception of last year, have fallen outside of the top 20 during the past five years. This would seem to indicate that a difficult schedule has not and should not be a barrier to being competitive, simply because the schedules have not been that difficult in relation to other top programs.

Graduation Rate

“But what matters most is excellence. Notre Dame stands for doing things the right way, and in this age of college football factories exhausting players’ eligibility with 50 percent graduation rates, questionable degrees, and long rap sheets, the ND way has never been needed more as a beacon for the rest of the sport.” – Jim Lefebvre

For years, admission standards have been bandied about as an obstacle to Notre Dame competing year in and year out – in that limits who the Irish can actually recruit.

A look at graduation success rate for football players over the last four years seems to indicate schools with top graduation rates do not typically factor into the national championship mix on a year in and year out basis.

2011-12

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2012-13

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2013-14

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2014-15

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Recruiting

“So I put those out to you because there are a lot of components that go into the recruiting today. And here at the University of Notre Dame, we clearly have our vision as to the kind of player that we’re going to recruit at the University of Notre Dame.” – Brian Kelly, 2010

Many of the top analysts have suggested that Notre Dame cannot recruit the “top players” on a regular basis as compared to some of the top football powers. While I’m not a fan of looking at recruiting rankings, we can at least look at how 247 Sports has ranked each year’s class to gauge how effective Notre Dame is recruiting as compared to top programs.

2011

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2012

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2013

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2014

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A couple of items come to mind here when I examine recruiting. First, a highly rated class doesn’t get you anything. I could throw a list of people together in my head who were high profile recruits at many schools (including ND) but never really panned out. Secondly, from 2011-2014, Notre Dame posted two top 10 classes – not exactly indicative of school that can “no longer recruit.”

Conclusion

Simon Chun

So what can we expect or what should we expect from Notre Dame football teams in light of this? Are there obstacles or hurdles for Notre Dame?

In the way of scheduling and recruiting I might argue they are well-overplayed. Notre Dame continues to recruit in the top 20 consistently. The schedule argument, as I mentioned earlier, also seems exaggerated. The graduation rate is there and is a real figure. I do agree with the anecdotal aspects that suggest there are certain players that Notre Dame cannot and will not recruit. They should be applauded for this.

Given this information, I think it is likely we will not see Notre Dame in the hunt year and year out.

Now before I get blown up here and in the other forms of social media, that does not mean they will not be in the hunt regularly. In 2012, they went to the national championship game. In 2013, they took a step back. I would argue only injuries and some sloppy play (2014) and a couple of soul-crushing road losses (2015) kept them out of the hunt in those years.

Add it up and you get a team that has been on the cusp of breaking through a couple of times in the last four years. That is what I believe is a likely norm in this age of Notre Dame football. As such, a reasonable expectation should be Notre Dame teams that frequently play in big bowl games and make a runs at the title, combined with the occasional team that experiences a drop off year. This will become the norm given Notre Dame and the cyclical nature of modern college football.

The post What Should The Yearly Expectations Be For ND Football? appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.