Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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FAN FORUM game ended in a 14-14 tie and was played at Notre Dame. The 1968 game between the two rivals was played at USC and ended in a 21-21 tie. Thanks for your excellent article Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly watched help- lessly from the sidelines during the 28-14 loss at Stanford that ended the regular season. PHOTO BY AARON SUOZZI STAY AWAY FROM THE KOOL-AID To say that I simply agree with the numerous points made in the Decem- ber 2011 Fifth Quarter column would be to miss an important point. Blue & Gold Illustrated's reporting is laying the hard facts of the current history of Notre Dame football on the line. Twenty years of underachieving with one regime or another follow- ing the Lou Holtz era with less than satisfactory results is the state of Irish football. When you don't beat the "must wins" on the schedule regu- larly and thoroughly, you are just not a top-notch football team. Every year the ND faithful talk top 25, BCS bowl, playing for the national cham- pionship and rising to the top of col- lege football. We certainly can and should set aggressive goals. But until the Irish play consistently competitive foot- ball, the bottom line is mediocrity. Losses this year to South Florida and Michigan and in years past to "must wins" on the schedule are signals that top 25 and BCS aspirations by Irish fans lack reality. Now, while we can and should give Brian Kelly and his staff our continued support, BGI's reporting should continue to stay away from spouting the ND "Kool-Aid" mes- sage to its fan base and tell it like it is. Mike Schaltz Maineville, Ohio FIT TO BE TIED Having read the Nov. 7, 2011 BGI, I noted an error in your reporting about former star, Clarence Ellis. You reported that in 1969 the ND-USC game ended in a 21-21 tie. The 1969 www.BLUEANDGOLD.com about Ellis. I recall that he was a great asset to the Irish on the kickoff cover- age team. Several times during Clar- ence's career the returner appeared to have a good chance to make a re- turn for a touchdown, but Clarence made the stops and prevented the touchdowns. I have greatly enjoyed the articles about players of the past. Thomas Conway Billerica, Mass. Mr. Conway, you are correct, and thank you for setting it straight. It re- mains accurate that Ellis made four pass breakups in the end zone of that 14-14 tie. CULT OF THE COACH I guess Chester A. Riley of that long ago radio show, "The Life of Riley," would sum up the 2011 Notre Dame football season with his signa- ture line — "What a revolting devel- opment this is!" As an Irishman, the only explana- tion I can give for the "bad cess" vis- ited upon this team is it's due to the shabby treatment rendered Dayne Crist, the quintessential Notre Dame student-athlete. Wrote William Wordsworth: "The FROM THE WEBSITE Would you believe that prior to the start of the 2011 bowl season, Athlon Sports already released its "early" preseason top 25 for 2012. Notre Dame was ranked No. 16. (Athlon had the Irish No. 6 this season). That evoked plenty of reaction from our web members. Risksorter: ND could be looking at being the underdogs against USC, Michigan, Oklahoma and Michigan State. All but Michigan will be road games. So 8-4 is certainly in the cards — and we haven't even consid- ered Stanford or Miami. 2012 could be shaping up as a make or break year for Kelly. If QB and other issues persist, 6-6 is definitely possible. If Kelly can navigate the schedule at 9-3 or better, it could mean that he has made his bones. Wjasonp: This is Mr. Swarbrick's recommended hire. Barring a 3-9 type Charliesque season, Kelly will get five years. Simm: I'm thinking 8-4 is a best case scenario for 2012, but 7-5 is more logical. We will beat Miami. That program could have as many as five underclassmen leaving for the NFL Draft. 2013 is the make-or-break year for Kelly. The schedule will be set up for success with a veteran team — just like this season was. If he goes 8-4 again in 2013, then he is in BIG trouble. NYDomer310: 8-4 would be strong next year and 9-3 would be fantastic. The true litmus test will be 2013. He'll have veterans. He'll have "his guys." Hodges: The team has no idea how to handle being ranked, so please nobody tell them. Irish24: Third year at ND is typically the benchmark for coaches. My recommendation to Kelly would be double-digit win total. Star69: We are ranked much higher than we should be. With the players we are losing and the question marks we have at the cornerback and wide receiver positions — not to mention our QB situation and the potential loss of Te'o and possibly Eifert — no way we are a top-20 team to begin the season. DenPetDel: Wait a month and they will be out with the 2013 rankings. JANUARY 2012 7 world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers." And the college football world is becoming rightfully wary of "the cult of the coach." In an endeavor to honor Irish foot- ball players past, present and future — instead of just the coach — a sta- dium entrance should be dedicated to them, perhaps with statues of An- gelo Bertelli, Jim Martin and Rocky Bleier, three men who proudly wore the Notre Dame football uniform and the military uniforms of the United States of America. Matt Hart Trenton, Mich. DON'T GET MAD … I've been a Notre Dame fan for over 40 years. Since he is graduating this year my suggestion to Dayne Crist is to transfer to Michigan State, win the starting QB job, and stick it to Notre Dame next year. Marty Couri Peoria, Ill. Send your letters to: Letters BE HEARD! Blue & Gold Illustrated P. O. Box 1007 Notre Dame, IN 46556 or e-mail to: lsomogyi@blueandgold.com