The Back Corner Fade

It seems like just yesterday, we were all excited as could be over the prospects of the 2016 season. The Irish had a lot of question marks, but also a great deal to be excited about. We knew that the offense was young in key areas but talented, and there was no way the defense could as pitiful as it was the year before. Well, here we are in late November and sadly, it was as disaster from the first game in Austin, to last weekend in LA. When your big win for the season was beating Army and the season in question is not the 1947 squad, that should tell you something. We’ll talk about Kelly, Jack, and where they go from here in a bit. First, let’s talk about some teams that don’t suck and are playing for conference championships this weekend. This is going to make for a very interesting Final Four selection if certain things happen. I’m sure you could care less about some of these title games, and frankly, either do I. The undercard is simply boring. But the “big games?” Oh yeah, there’s some smoke to them. Here’s what we have to check out this weekend:

Ohio vs WMU: This one is going to be interesting simply because OU is well coached with Frank Solich, plays everyone tough, and really has nothing to lose. Western, on the other hand, is playing for a perfect season, a chance at a New Year’s Six game, and has a coach that has been rumored in more than one college vacancy. I still believe the Boat Rowers will win this, but it it’s going to be closer than the 19 points that Vegas is laying. Prediction: WMU 35 Ohio 27

Colorado vs. Washington: I’m looking forward to this one, big time. Mike McIntyre has simply done a fabulous job this year in Boulder with a program that flat out was on life support as late as two years ago. Watching them last week against Utah, I was so impressed at how physical this team is, how well they tackle, and the energy they play with. Speaking of reclamation projects, people are finally starting to give Chris Peterson his due in the job with a very mediocre Washington program that he has sparked back to life. This really should be a fun game to watch, but UDub simply has a few more playmakers on both sides of the ball and in the end, that’ll be the big difference. Prediction: Washington 37 Colorado 23

Temple vs Navy: In case you missed it while watching the ND game, Navy scored some points last week….try 75 of them against SMU. You gotta hand it to Coach Ken, he loses Keenan Reynolds, his starter gets hurts the first game of the season, and out of nowhere, Will Worth has been sensational running the triple option. That’s called coaching. Temple, yeah well, Temple is just a very average at best football team that played in the cruddy side of a cruddy conference and backed into this one. Of note, Temple has only given up 23 points total in their last 4 games. Does that mean they might be able to slow Navy down? No it doesn’t and no, they won’t. Prediction: Navy 42 Temple 24

Florida vs Alabama: What does it say when your conference championship game is currently a 24 pt spread? Either one team is dominate or the other team simply was the tallest midget. I think a little bit of both applies to this one. There really isn’t much to say about this one. Prediction: Alabama 41 Florida 10.

Virginia Tech vs Clemson: Let’s face it, the ACC was down this year. FSU had some growing pains, Louisville fizzled down the stretch, and everyone else in the league not named Clemson basically was very, very mediocre. While I believe Clemson should win this one in fairly convincing fashion, it wouldn’t surprise me if Tech hangs around in this one. I mean, Bud Foster completely shut down the offense guru that is Brian Kelly in the second half two weeks ago, he’ll obviously have something up his sleeve for Dabo and the boys. Clemson will win this, but it will be more of a grind it out type game than they hoped for. Prediction: Clemson 30 Virginia Tech 20

Penn St vs Wisconsin: I have to admit, this the game I’m looking forward to this weekend. At the start of the season who would have you guessed that PSU would be representing that side of the conference (are they “Leaders” or are they “Legends?) Well, OSU pissed down there leg in the fourth quarter in Happy Valley last month, OSU did the Nitts a solid by surviving Michigan last week, and low and behold, PSU is going to Indy. I expect another grind it out game that will be close throughout and wouldn’t be surprised if it comes down to who has the ball last. The big question here is what happens if PSU wins? Does OSU get hosed out of one of the Top 4 spots? Doubtful, but the thought of it (especially living in Ohio) is glorious. For the first time in my life, I’ll say it: Go Lions. Prediction: PSU 24 Wisconsin 21.

(Sigh)……..that brings us to Notre Dame and the “State of the Union.” As I write this on Tuesday evening, we really don’t know anything more than we did on Saturday evening. Kelly is still the coach, he’s on the left coast recruiting, and his boss, who could put all the speculation to bed in a brief press conference, hasn’t said a word. So, here we are, pounding the refresh button every so often waiting to see what the future holds.

I’m not going waste your time banging away on the coaching and leadership faults of Brian Kelly. We all know them and they have been discussed ad nauseam. We can wring our hands all we want, the man is who he is, and has proven he simply isn’t going to change. What’s more disheartening is the overall state that this program is in and why it has been let to settle for mediocrity. Whether the laisse-faire attitude comes from Fr. Jenkins and the BOT, Swarbrick, whomever, the fact that Notre Dame Football is essentially an 8 win program is an embarrassment to the young men on the team, the students, alumni, and guys like me: just a Subway Alum that grew up in Irish Catholic family that loves the school and what it stands for. Consider the “stay or go” status of Brian Kelly at present: A coach that averages 4 loses a year, has off the field issues almost every summer, now has an academic scandal, is an average recruiter, and just lost 8 games against the easiest schedule that ND has had in many years. Even after all of this, chances are he is going to keep his job. Yes, I realize that the school would owe him some serious shekels if they were to let him go, but keeping him is only going delay the inevitable, in my opinion.

Now the flip side of it: who would they get to replace him if he were dismissed? The big name that seems to be floating around is WMU’s P.J. Fleck. I say this with all due respect to Coach Fleck, but here’s a guy that has had one great season in four years as a head coach in the MAC. Yes, there’s no question that he appears to be an up and comer in coaching profession, but the next step should be at a school like Purdue, not Notre Dame, yet he’s the biggest name that anyone can seem to come up with. That says a great deal right there. Has ND fallen so hard that the best they can do is hope that Fleck or Matt Ruhle are at the top of the list?

I remember hearing Ara say at the end of the infamous Miami blowout in 1985 that “from these ashes Notre Dame will rise again.” Lou was signed and I believed what coach said then and if he said those same words again I’d want to believe him again. The difference between November, 1985 and today is that it seemed ND had a plan. Do they have one today?