Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1181954
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 9, 2019 5 FAN FORUM INDEPENDENT LIVING On the night of October 26, Notre Dame's football team played its last significant contest of the 2019 sea- son. Poor preparation, inability to match our opponent's intensity, and undisciplined play produced an em- barrassing 45-14 defeat at Michigan. If Notre Dame belonged to a con- ference, like most schools, there would still likely be much on the table to play for, including division and conference championships. But Notre Dame must protect its (get ready for that awful phrase) "fiercely guarded independence." My question is why? So we can play Navy every year? Or Stanford, whom we should have stopped play- ing permanently after their band's blasphemous performance years ago. This is not a popular position, I know, but I believe it's time to join the rest of the world and give up this independence which alienates us from the rest of the country and causes football seasons to end prema- turely with the second defeat. In a majority of seasons — check the last 25 years — that is going to happen before October turns to November. Our coach likes to tell recruits that you come to Notre Dame to win cham- pionships. Well, how's that working out for you? The last one was 31 years ago because we're not eligible for any- thing but the national championship. It's time for things to change. Tom Derengoski ND '70 Lansing, Mich. REACHING A PLATEAU The nightmare in The Big House exposed many shortcomings, but two things top the list. Ian Book is a great young man but he has regressed as a quarterback, as have many of Brian Kelly's quar- terbacks. It is the Brandon Wimbush situation all over again. Kelly has done so many great things for the program. From facili- ties to recruiting, the program is in great shape and relevant. However, Kelly is not the coach who can take the Irish to the top of college football. He proves time and again that his teams are not prepared for the big game. Michigan was reminiscent of the Miami game a couple of years ago: the team looked lethargic and uninspired from the start. They em- barrassed themselves, and that is on Kelly. Go Irish! Tony Ardizzone Indianapolis PROGRESSIVE REGRESSION The lack of five-star talent all around, which separates the almost- great from the great in college foot- ball these days, may be excused for a university that demands a balance between athletics and academics. That's fine. But you can develop the lower-tier players, and that has been proven. Unfortunately for the Irish, at the quarterback position, regression has been more common than improve- ment. Brian Kelly has done some very good things in his career at Notre Dame, but he is not a quarter- back guru. He needs to hire one, or we will all remember him as being close but no cigar. Leo Hansen Fort Lauderdale, Fla. BE HEARD! Send your letters to: Letters Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007, Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: lsomogyi@blueandgold.com As expected, the 45-14 loss at Michigan has left many Fighting Irish faithful rest- less and of the belief that after 10 seasons, head coach Brian Kelly has improved the overall program but has taken it as far as he is capable. Here were a few examples on BlueandGold.com: Ryno 1134: ND had nothing, NOTHING, which is absurd considering they were coming off a bye week with no classes. The worst loss of Kelly's tenure consider- ing the expectations involved and the history of the rivalry. Jeeve: The 2012 and 2018 undefeated regular seasons are remembered by all non-ND fans as if the Irish were unworthy pretenders. 12-0 might as well have been 8-4. Seriously, it is like some morbid curse, it is the Twilight Zone. Vonteego: 27-6, two quality recruiting classes stacked up in 2020, 2021, qual- ity coaches on the staff. An elite D coordinator in the making. Oh, the program is in such a bad state. Just remember Davie, Ty and Weis. It's called perspective. ND025876: I feel the national narrative on Kelly has changed. His repulsive road record against teams with a pulse has everyone thinking he's a coach that has plateaued. The sooner Jack Swarbrick realizes that the better because we have our shot for a seminal shifting coach — Urban Meyer — this year. As Bill Belichik says, "When something is inevitable, it should become immedi- ate." BGIUser 2232: If Gene Chizik and Les Miles can win national titles, then I'm not going to close the door on Brian Kelly. Holtzera: This is what happens "when the tide turns" against a given ND Coach. Many of us fans are fed-up with getting embarrassed in games that really matter. It fuels the "ND does not belong" narrative. I don't see Kelly overcoming this loss, even if they win out. Apegambino: BK's tenure is pretty simple to sum up. He has beaten the teams he should for the most part and loses to the best teams on his schedule for the most part. FightinMike87: The Michigan game was awful, but they will still hit my expecta- tions for the season right on the head if they win out. And there are still things they can accomplish that haven't been done in a while—specifically, win in Palo Alto, go undefeated at home for a second straight season, and at 10-2 probably win (given the potential opponents) a NY6 bowl. FROM THE WEBSITE JOIN THE CONVERSATION! GET A 60-DAY FREE TRIAL WITH CODE IRISH60 .com Only one season removed from making the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame suffered a lopsided, 45-14 loss at Michigan Oct. 26 that brought with it a chorus of grumbling about head coach Brian Kelly's inability to win big games, develop quarterbacks and even revisiting Notre Dame's "fiercely guarded" independent status. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL