Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat, Frozen Tundra/Waiting for the Pairings edition.
Some quick programming notes:
► If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, it keeps its shelf life long after the live presentation. We’re back in our normal Monday at 7 ET time this week and next week. Remember, if you miss the live show, you can catch up anytime on YouTube.
► The Inside ND Sports Podcast will drop this week later than usual, on Saturday afternoon, and will have a recruiting focus. Longtime recruiting analyst Tom Lemming will be my guest, and we're going to do this LIVE on our YouTube channel at 11 a.m. ET. And yes, viewers tuning in live will be able to ask questions. And after we're done with the live portion it will be available both on YouTube as a replay and as a traditional podcast. The podcast can be listened to via SoundCloud or on your preferred podcast platform including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podbean and Pocket Casts.
Related Content
► Notebook: Freshman performances can motivate Notre Dame's recruits
► Three-star OL Sullivan Garvin commits to Notre Dame football's 2026 class
► WBB: No. 10 Notre Dame WBB takes down No. 4 Texas with help from home crowd
► Signing Day at Notre Dame won't ever be the same — and that's a good thing
► Signing period superlatives for Notre Dame football's 2025 class
► Finally, at WSBT Sports Radio 96.1, we’re rolling toward Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff opener later this month. Darin Pritchett and I are together will be together on Wednesdays and Thursdays leading up to the game on Weekday SportsBeat (96.1 FM, 960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com). The weekday shows run from 5-6 p.m. ET. I’m also part of the Gameday SportsBeat crew, and the pregame show that runs on Saturdays before every game. You can download all episodes, including the pregame shows, as podcasts.
As far as this week's chat …
PLEASE remember to include your name and hometown along with your question(s).
Here WERE the rules:
Eric Hansen: Since you all were so willing to go along with the schedule shirt this week, the only rule in play is "no spitting."
So, kick off your shoes and let's roll.
NWI_Irish 96 from Munster, Ind.: Since we're still a couple days from knowing the playoff opponent, how about a quick look ahead to next year. Without knowing who will transfer out, as of now what position groups most need reinforcement from the portal? My guesses would be WR and interior DL.
Eric Hansen: HI NWI. I think you hit the two most obvious. The other position groups where I think ND needs to and will take a long look are: kicker -- even with signing the high school prospect Erik Schmidt. I think he's more of a guy to develop both for the future and as a good Plan B for more immediate needs at kicker and punter. I think an edge player might make sense, especially if there's a concern about the recovery timelines for Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore. Tight end might make some sense too. Nickel for sure. Maybe an experienced safety, though there are some very good young ones.
Steve from Toledo, Ohio: Hi Eric, How was Thanksgiving, Turkey or Ham or both?
Eric Hansen: It was awesome and too fast and it was turkey. Yum.
BC from New Jersey: Any word on 1) Love's injury status 2) how confident ND is in having a sold out stadium? I'm worried that the quick turn around, lack of knowing opponent, unknown weather coupled with ND's typical GameDay crowd being drawn from the four corners of the US make it uncertain that it will be a typical atmosphere. Oh...and it's a few days before Christmas! Hope my concerns are unwarranted.
Eric Hansen: Hi BC. I think your concerns are unwarranted, especially this being a first-time event. If you could see my email inbox about people asking about how to get tickets. And there students are expected to linger, since the administration is making accommodations to keep the dorms and dining halls open a couple of extra days. ... I have reported that there's the expectation that Jeremiyah Love will play in the College Football Playoff.
Greg Rupert from Roanoke, Ind.: Kedren Young Seem to be really effective when he's ran the ball. I know the RB room is loaded, but has he gotten enough usage to keep him from transferring and why hasn’t he?
Eric Hansen: Hi Greg. I'm high on Kedren too, and I think the coaching staff is very much so. But missing virtually all of spring and a good chunk of camp put him at a disadvantage when it came to competing for snaps. Then the play became to redshirt him, so limiting him to four games plus postseason was put in play. And he hit the mark of the four regular-season game max while still being able to redshirt. But I don't think you can make coaching decisions for fear that someone might transfer. Notre Dame is on pace to set the school record for yards per carry with the running backs they did play. Think about it, the No. 1 back -- Love -- who is 5th in the nation in yards per carry (7.1) and scores a TD once every nine times he runs the ball, only has 143 carries. Boise's Ashton Jeamty has more than 300. Kedren has 21 carries, only five fewer than fellow freshman Aneyas Williams and triple the amount Audric Estimé did as a freshman. He has a body type like no other running back on the roster, and speed to go with it.
He also knows if he works hard, he can secure at last a role next season -- perhaps short-yardage/goal line -- if not more.
Jordan from Seattle: Eric! - Long-time reader, first-time poster. Thank you for your insightful, objective, and excellent work; and your great sense of humor. Two questions: 1) What is ND’s pass efficiency ranking for last 10 games (excluding A&M and NIU)? 2) Comparing ND to its playoff peers, does ND have the chops to make a deep playoff run?
Eric Hansen: Well Jordan, thanks for the compliments and for the really good questions. So, ND stands as a team 39th out of 133 in pass efficiency, a 90-spot improvement since the NIU game and Riley is 45th individually at a 140.8 pass-efficiency rating. If you remove the first two games, as you asked (Texas A&M and NIU), the number moves to 152.19, and suddenly he is 22nd. And if you take away the first four games (with Purdue and Miami, Ohio also going away), he's at 156.5, which would be 14th. ... To your second question, I do think ND has the chops to make a playoff run. It will depend on matchups. The thing I'd be most concerned about is run defense, especially if Howard Cross is limited, and we'll find out more about his progress on Sunday.
Mike from Rochester N.Y.: Hi, Eric, hope you had a great Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, Warde Manuel certainly stuck both feet in his mouth when he said teams that are not playing in their conference championship game can't move lower than they are currently ranked but teams that lose in their conference championship games can be moved lower. SMU boosters are calling for their team to skip the conference championship game to avoid getting booted from the playoffs should they lose to Clemson and I can't blame them. It gives the conferences a big incentive to abandon the conference championship games - except of course they'll never abandon the revenue from that championship game. How do you think this is going to be resolved?
Eric Hansen: Mike!!!!!! I did!!!! And hope you did too!!!!! Mike, you are misquoting Warde Manuel a bit here. He said that teams that aren't playing can't be passed up by other teams that aren't playing. So for instance, Alabama at 11 and Miami at 12 won't be re-evaluated with Miami possibly passing the Crimson Tide. But teams not playing can move down, especially in seeding. Notre Dame could move down (to 7) or up to 5, based on the teams that are playing this weekend and how those games play out. But the conference title game is an issue that needs to be looked at on several levels. First, I do think if a team has a chance to earn a top four seed and a bye by winning its title game, there should be a risk associated with playing that game as well.
And maybe the conference champ byes go away in a year or two and maybe they don't. And maybe conference title games should be eliminated. But in some leagues they make sense (like the Big 12 this year). Iowa State and Arizona State didn't play each other and played very different sets of teams. SMU controls its own destiny. Win and it's in the top 4. Lose and who knows? Margin of the game would factor in. A 14-team playoff would change the dynamic even further and maybe more fairly. There would be just two byes in that format, which seems to be more fair.
Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric!!! Eric, you and Tyler have reviewed the defensive depth situation, especially on the D line and CB. First D line questions, if Jason Onye came back to the team today would he be any help with depth at D line given how long he has been away? Howard Cross is the one who tackled Riley Leonard last year which began the series of ankle issues that took to this summer to rectify. Ironically I wonder if HC now has a similar situation, a chronic bad wheel that may need surgery after the season to repair fully. If he is ready on Dec. 20/21 to play will he be a play away from being out again IYO? Thanks for hosting!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric Hansen: Hey Len!!! I think it would be very difficult for Jason Onye to jump back in and contribute, if he did in fact come back. He hasn't been with the team since the Louisville game ... in September. At least the initial thoughts on Cross is that this would be short term and the fact that he has practiced some would lead you to believe it still is.
Matt from Winnebago, Ill.: Thank you for your chats and all your coverage. Could you please give an under the radar recruit who signed yesterday that you are most excited about on offense and defense. A second recruit question, who do you think has the best chance to make an early impact next year. Thanks!
Eric Hansen: Hi Matt. Tyler James is in the weeds with the recruiting way more than I am and did a nice Signing Day Superlatives story worth checking out ... but I'll give you my best shot. Let's start with "under-the-radar" -- which to me means a three-star prospect. The Irish had nine of those in a 25-player class. So defense, I'm going to go with LB Ko'o Kia edging out S Brandon Logan. On offense, I have C Cam Herron edging WR Elijah Burress. Not knowing for sure who and what ND will fish out of the portal and the full extent of who might be leaving, I'll lean into talent a bit more than opportunity, but try to factor in both. I'll give you six: LB Madden Faraimo, TE James Flanigan, CB Dallas Golden, S JaDon Blair, WR Elijah Burress, DE Chris Burgess. Yep, rolling the dice on Burress.
Bob from Oxnard, Calif.: Thoughts on Sean Sevillano Jr.? (He looks large and quick to me.)
Eric Hansen: He had a good freshman year, though largely behind the scenes. Really good quickness for his size and he does have a body type that's unique on this roster in terms of a true nose guard frame. He could really help himself this spring toward getting into next year's rotation.
Casey from Crown Point, Ind.: Late in the USC game, ND got a crucial first down. However, one of ND's coaches was assessed an unsportsmanlike penalty on the same play. Though ND was awarded the first down, the penalty yardage wiped out the play's gain. Do you know what coach was penalized and what for?
Eric Hansen: Hi Casey. It was wide receivers coach Mike Brown, and the "why" he got a penalty got sort of lost and wasn't asked in the postgame press conference.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you had a fantastic Thanksgiving. So excited for the playoffs. USC was able to expose the ND defense on Saturday, I’m sure whoever we play in the playoffs will be studying that film extensively. What can the Notre Dame defense due to counter what USC did? With regards to the playoffs the committee has said you will not be punished severely for losing in the championship game, if Clemson wins do you think SMU will stay in the playoff picture booting Alabama out of the playoffs? Finally, nice surprise getting Faraimo on signing day, however, I think most people felt like this recruiting class was a bit of a disappointment, missing on major targets. Do you think ND needs a strategy change in recruiting, maybe being more willing to take their second or third choice when that player wants to commit as opposed to making them wait? I know it seems like it’s a risk, but I feel like we might’ve missed out on some players this time that were ready to commit. As always, thanks for hosting the chat!
Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. It really was a great Thanksgiving and my favorite holiday for many reasons. Here's hoping you had a nice one too and you didn't have to work. ... Lots to impact in this multi-parter, so let's get started on the ND defense. ... There are teams that can use that approach more than others. Not everyone has a quarterback who can complete that high of a percentage of his passes under pressure and who has waves of really good WRs to throw at ND's corners in high volume. But there are teams that fit that profile. ND can be happy, one of them, Ole Miss is out. But ND can adjust too. They Irish have prioritized building depth with freshmen Karson Hobbs and Tae Johnson.
They have three weeks now without a game to refine that process. If it's not moving along at a pace that will help them be able to rotate CBs, perhaps moving Rod Heard II away from safety duties to CB or nickel duties makes more sense. USC is really good at protecting both QBs and Jayden Maiava is more mobile than Miller Moss was. There are only four teams likely to be in the playoff field who allow fewer sacks per game -- Penn State, Ohio State, Oregon and SMU. So, if ND ends up playing one of those teams, getting more pressure more creatively will come into play.
One thing to keep in mind with recruiting and rankings, etc. ND isn't just looking for the guys who have the most stars. Retention now matters more than ever. The portal matters. So all those things need to be taken together when registering disappointment or elation. But I do think Marcus Freeman does a good job of self-evaluating everything, and recruiting is no exception. So they'll look at the things going forward that you suggested. ... Circling back to Clemson/SMU/Alabama. It depends on how the game goes. If it's an eight overtime game like Georgia-Ga Tech, it might be hard to boot them out. If Clemson wins by double digits, it's hard to keep them in. One thing that could really hurt them and it hurt Miami. If SMU loses to Clemson, the Mustangs don't have a Top 25 win, but tat least their two losses will have come against ranked teams. Miami lost to one unranked team and a Syracuse team that did just debut in the rankings this past week.
Steve from Toledo, Ohio: Eric, any chance Jeremiyah Love is the frontrunner for the Heisman next year?
Eric Hansen: If he's healthy all year, he'll be deep in the conversation.
Manny from San Pedro: Eric!!!!! What a season!!!!! Ok. Throwing a hardball. This team, the 2020 team. And 2018 team. All made playoffs. Where would you rank those three in terms of talentEric Hansen: Manny!!!!! Great question. I'm going to hit it out of the park ... I hope. So I am going to give you three sets of numbers that reflect the national ranking in five VERY key metrics when identifying national title contenders. They are rush offense, pass efficiency, rush defense, total defense and turnover margin. I'll present them blindly first and let you guess. Then in the next frame, I'll match them to the 2018, 2020 and 2024 Irish and my interpretation of which team I think is the best of the three:
10-39-52-10-2
51-43-36-30-41
24-43-16-25-30
Eric Hansen: They are in order:
2024
2020
2018
And 2024 is the one I would roll with.
Jack from Strongsville, Ohio: Hi Eric. You mentioned on FNS that you thought Ole Miss and IU would be the toughest matchups for ND. It appears Ole Miss may not qualify but why do you think Indiana is a major challenge. Also, after watching SC's showing against the defense on Saturday what needs to be done to shore it up. Al Golden tried to blitz and put pressure on the SC qb with little success. I know the defensive backfield is lean due to injuries but an athletic team may take the defense apart. Thanks for all your great work throughout the year.
Eric Hansen: Jack, I kind of discussed your defense question in Marie's earlier question. Keep in mind that USC ran 79 plays. That is the most anyone had the Irish defense on the field for this season and by far. The 49 pass plays also were the most. .. IU's numbers are harder to digest, because they haven't played a particularly difficult schedule. But they have played Power 4 schedule. Here's where they are difficult to deal with -- No. 1 nationally in pass efficiency, No. 1 in rush defense, No. 2 in total defense and No. 4 in turnover margin. In their one-sided loss to Ohio State, they held the Buckeyes to 316 yards and limited them to 4.0 yards a carry. Not bad. But special teams let them down and they couldn't protect their QB. So I think there are many other possible first-round matchups that play more into ND's strengths and weaknesses rather than testing them and stressing them. I did an analysis earlier this week on all the possible first-round opponents, where you can see their stat strengths side by side.
Here it is: Which potential CFP matchups for Notre Dame pass the eye and stats tests?
Mark Czar from Grand Rapids, Mich.: I trust you enjoyed your Thanksgiving beans. Thank you for sharing your personal story - it hit home. I think Christian Gray has had a breakout year highlighted by his physical play. I was happy to see him stay in the moment, win the interval with the pick-6. How many QB pressures did D get against USC compared to the rest of the games this season? Riley Leonard 3rd best completion rate in ND history! Fantastic. Historically, where do sacks allowed this year compare? I think it is only a matter of time before Ohio State comes knocking on Coach Freeman’s door. I hope he sees this through and gets his statue in South Bend. You are the best E.
Eric Hansen: Mark, I did and thank you for asking and remembering. .... and thanks for the compliments .... Here are all the Pressures game by game per Pro Football Focus. Keep in mind USC threw 49 times, an opponent high, and Army threw 9 times.
USC 14 pressures
Army 4
Virginia 14
Florida State 11
Navy 4
Ga Tech 12
Stanford 9
Louisville 18
Miami O 13
Purdue 15
NIU 5
Texas A&M 13
As far as sacks allowed, I'll give you ND's national rank each season back to the start of the Brian Kelly Era. ... 2024: 23rd, 2023: 19th, 2022: 40th, 2021: 100th, 2020: 61st, 2019: 12th, 2018: 49th, 2017: 33rd, 2016: 85th, 2015: 58th, 2014: 70th, 2013: 2nd (not a typo), 2012: 20th, 2011: 36th, 2010: 38th.
Tom from Evanston, Ill.: Hi Eric. I think this defense has gotten away without really having the run-stuffing defensive line that top defenses typically boast. I tend to think it hasn't bitten ND, other than the NIU game, because Golden has done an amazing job. But the DL has to get better in the future. I assume all options are open: portal, recruiting, upgrading the DL coach. What do you see happening?
Eric Hansen: High Tom, ND's number is skewed by having to play both Army and Navy in the same season. They are Nos. 1 and 8, respectively in rushing yards per game in the FBS (ND is 10th). Another factor is ND plays a lot with a light box. They don't bring a safety down into the box and sacrifice potential explosive plays in the passing game as much as some teams do. Howard Cross' injury and Jason Onye's absence factor in too. And yet, if ND is going to get taken out in the playoff, that's the most likely stress point. There are three potential playoff teams (two which will be in) that are in the top 10 in rushing -- No. 4 UNLV, No. 6 Boise State and No. 9 Tennessee. And given the fact Rylie Mills and Howard Cross are gone after this season, you can see why the portal will be a priority for interior defensive linemen.
Palm Beach Irish: Good day 78 and sunny....my concern about women's program is they fall short of bench support relying on 7 or 8 bodies...Why does Niele hesitate to recruit a full roster....seems rather obvious to me....thanks
Eric Hansen: Hi Palm Beach. I'll take this one to break up the football and since I cover WBB from January on and intermittently during football. You do realize the roster has 12 players and four of them are out with injuries, with two all-conference players set to rejoin the team in January?
Ryan from Frankfort Ill.: Good afternoon Eric what do you think about the guys they signed i like all the guys GO IRISH 🍀🍀🍀🏈🏈🏈
Eric Hansen: Hi Ryan. I think it's a good start ... with chapter 2 coming in the form of the transfer portal, which opens Monday. I'll have a better feel for the complete picture once that cycle plays out, but again, there is a lot to like in this class.
Dave from Ponte Vedra, Fla.: Congrats to the staff for assembling another strong class. The concern, as usual, is the lack of success at the wide receiver position. With Denbrock calling plays and exhibiting a more balanced attack, why can’t we land elite receivers?
Eric Hansen: There are a whole bunch of versions of this question in the queue today, so hopefully the answer I give to Dave will let you know that I saw your WR recruiting questions as well. ... I asked Marcus Freeman that question in the press conference on Wednesday and kind of got a word salad. I've just started to dig deeper into this, but let me give you some perhaps disconnected/disjointed thoughts on the matter. 1) I don't think this has much to do, if anything, with Deuce Knight decommitting. There's plenty of QB talent on the roster, including CJ Carr, and plenty coming in with Blake Hebert and Noah Grubbs after him. 2) I think it took Mike Denbrock's offense time to find its way, which was expected, but ND is now the No. 4 scoring offense in the nation and 32 points away from setting the school record for points. So I would expect this to show up NEXT cycle.
3) You look at where some of the prospects are choosing and you look at the wide receiver numbers in those offenses and ND did not recruit well during the time Del Alexander was the WRs coach and now they've had four different position coaches at that position in four years. I think the jury is out on this one, Mike Brown, in terms of recruiting. I'd like to see what he does in the upcoming cycle. 4) For now, ND is going to have to go back to the portal and develop the young talent they have ... and there is talent that can be developed in the younger classes.
Gus from Ft.Mitchell, Ky.: Hi Eric. I have watched College Football Final on espn most every Sunday.I have yet to see a ND player get a helmet sticker or the Irish to be recognized with their team award.IMHO there is a clear bias against ND by the network.Even highlights are at best brief and underwhelming.Do you think this bias exists?Galloway ,Mullen and Beery at least seem reluctant to give credit where credit is due..Go Irish!☘️
Eric Hansen: Gus, I think it's fair to wonder about bias when you see something on TV or read something. I don't think it's fair to assume it. I don't watch enough of what you're watching to agree or disagree with your specific circumstances. But keep in mind, ND-Virginia, ND-Florida State, ND-Stanford, etc., weren't as compelling as some other games to highlight both in terms of closeness of score and quality of opponent. USC was, and I would imagine those were highlighted. I am not saying you do this, but some people claim bias if you see things differently from them. I have Notre Dame ranked higher than Penn State for instance in my AP poll, but I can see arguments both ways. And believe me, you catch a lot less crap from people if you rank the team you cover lower. But I think if you're going to take on the responsibility of ranking teams or commenting about them, you need to have the courage and conviction to speak your true opinion and be willing to put up with what comes with that.
Shane from White Deer, Texas: Hey Eric. Now that we have made the show, let’s discuss the weather. A lot has been made about southern schools coming up north to play, but when does the weather start giving diminishing returns? At some point, bad or extremely cold weather would affect both teams. Also, I would guess we have some players from warmer climates. I guess my question is will the weather make or break our season? Go Irish!! Time for a big win!!
Eric Hansen: Hi Shane. The weather isn't going to make or break the season, but I do think it is an advantage, mentally and physically. And even the players from warm-weather states are used to it by now, going to class, walking to practice, etc. Now if there's 50 MPH gusts, then yeah, it stinks for everyone. Better have a good running game, which -- guess what -- ND has.
Mike from Rockville, MD: Hi, Eric! Thanks for these chats! What are your thoughts on the incoming WR class? Also, how would you evaluate the development of the OL this season? And also the job Loren Landow has done?
Eric Hansen: Hi Mike. I think it's disappointing. ND missed on a lot of kids they wanted. But the one thing that seems true about WR recruiting, the players with the most start aren't always the ones who turn out to be the best and vice versa. ... I think the development of the offensive line ought to be an A ... and I want a chance to interview Loren Landow before I give that a real evaluation. Marcus Freeman and the players, though, speak very highly of him. Very.
Kevin from Calgary: Eric, thanks for doing these great chats even in a week where you’re buried in recruiting news! Very much appreciated! Aside from a huge blowout by Oregon on Saturday do you see any possibility ND jumps Penn State? By not punishing Ohio State (like they did Miami for a less embarrassing defeat) it seems the playoff committee is doing all it can to justify ranking an 11-2 Penn State above the Irish. Do you think this is just to create a marquee match up with Alabama, or punish ND for manipulating the playoff brackets, or simply the eye test just not being able to forget the NIU game? Thanks again for your great work!
Eric Hansen: Hi Kevin. Given that Penn State is ranked ahead of ND in the AP and coaches polls too but by a mere 5 poll points, shows how divided the view is on these two teams. And it's not just NIU. I'm on the CFP teleconference with Warde Manual (committee chair) every Tuesday night, so I get to hear a lot more insight into what the committee thinks than what the ESPN audience has access to. It also helps me read between the lines, and that's what I am doing here. Had Ohio State won, the committee really would have been forced to make a determination whether ND or Penn State deserved to be ranked higher.
But since Penn State now has one more game, they could defer that decision and make it on Saturday night/Sunday after the Big Ten CC game played out. I think if Penn State loses, the two losses and the comparative Purdue and USC scores will be enough ... on top of everything else -- to move the Irish ahead of Penn State.
John from Sacramento: Damn. Season went fast again. Concern about “O” line, “D” line and “DB” depth. Ugh. “PK”. Got spoiled for numerous years at kicking game. Best overall team I’ve seen in years. Depth included. Comforting thoughts/words now please. Really enjoy you coverage. Thanks Eric.
Eric Hansen: Hi John. Thanks for the compliment. The best comfort I can give you is that I believe Notre Dame has the right coordinators who can make adjustments between now and Dec. 20/21 and in game to maximize the talent on this roster. And it is a talented roster.
Larry from Topton, Pa. Eric!!!!! Your written work is outstanding and only surpassed by your podcast/WSBT/Youtube contributions. Thanks for keeping us so well informed! Do you and Darin have any DJ experience in your background, and do you take requests? If so, how about bringing back the Soap theme? Now for a football question – With Coach Freeman and ND winning 10 in a row to seal a playoff berth, and Ryan Day and Ohio State losing for the 4th straight year to The Team Up North, is now the time for ND to extend Marcus’ contract? I know they were burned by the Charlie Weis contract extension, but that was 2005 and the college football landscape is absolutely nothing like it was 2 decades ago. It appears to me that Marcus is the right coach for ND in this modern college football world, and it would be a mistake/setback to let him get away. Your thoughts? Looking forward to reading/hearing your first ever college football playoff coverage!!
Eric Hansen: Larry, my future agent (if I ever can afford one) .... thank you. I think even if the Ryan Day speculation wasn't out there, three years is the right time to extend or (not extend) a Notre Dame football coach. And in this case, extending makes a lot of sense.
Matt from DC: At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon…can someone explain all of these football players running around with their mouth pieces dangling from their helmet instead of in their mouth?
Eric Hansen: Matt you do sound like a curmudgeon and I don't know the answer, which might make me more of one.
Eric from Bristol: Hello Eric. It's been a while since I've posted a question, but I read your chats every week. It's hard to believe that it's already been 3 years since rumors began to surface this time of year about the ND head football coach being attached to another job opening. Which do you think is the most likely outcome amongst these options: 1) CMF leaves ND for a more lucrative opportunity; 2) CMF stays under a reworked contract; 3) CMF stays under his existing contract.Eric Hansen: Hi Eric. My answer would be sort of No. 2) CMF stays under an extended contract.
Ron from Dover, Del.: Hi Eric, hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. Most of the match up gurus right now have the Irish hosting Alabama. How do you think the Irish match up with them and your thoughts on the likelihood the Irish win?
Eric Hansen: I like the matchup WAY better than ND's previous playoff/BCS matchups when Nick Saban wasn't a TV star but a coach ... Not an easy out, but ND would be favored it it happens. I think the Irish match up well with what Alabama does and doesn't do well ... Here is their snapshot in rush offense/pass efficiency/run defense/total defense/turnover margin ... and then the 2020 and 2012 versions:
2024: 42-23-53-33-15
2020: 47-1-17-32-10
2012: 16-1-1-1-13
Bill from St Joe, MI: One or more tablespoons of molasses or brown sugar or both?
Eric Hansen: Brown sugar.
J Buckley San Diego: Hello, from sunny SD, thanks again for letting us vent/ as questions. Is that enough S up? 😉 So, I listen to a couple podcast ,and they thought that ND isn't closing well enough? I think this class is outstanding. The NIL money being thrown around, paying an 18year old kid that hasn't played one snap of college football 10+ million. I'm hoping there is all sorts of incentives, to getting this money? What motivation is there to go to class? Teach them to spell their names, to much to ask? Players are going to be resentful, Its going to divide a locker room, force the HC to play someone that may not be ready. Kids are transferring, that should stay and develop, some chasing money or bitter they're not playing. I'm sure all this isn't new, has already been happening (NFL) but just not reported on much. I do like that its causing parity, and Universities that can build a TEAM from recruiting, developing, and showing these kids the power of a degree especially from ND will put them back on top. Thoughts?
Eric Hansen: J Buck, great discussion points, but I'd need a beer and two more hours to fully go into all of those. What I can say succinctly is Notre Dame has the right coach to deal with these evolutions. And I wrote about it on Wednesday. And we can revisit this in greater detail down the road although maybe not in a chat format ... here's the column: Signing Day at Notre Dame won't ever be the same — and that's a good thing
Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Hi Eric. Hope that your Thanksgiving weekend was as good as ours!!! Exciting win but with a lot of questions, but I will try to limit my questions: was the number of open USC receivers the result of A) a great group of receivers; B) tired defenders at the end of a season and a cross-country trip; an offensive scheme we need to be better at defending??? I don't remember hearing what the NIU coach told MF about what flaws they saw in the Irish. Now that the season is over and whatever those flaws seem to be corrected, what did he tell Marcus? Finally, presuming that Cross and KVA will be available for the playoffs, is that accurate. Also any update on Onye? Thanks for your outstanding Playoff-worthy coverage of the Irish. Hopefully, there are a lot more games to cover!!! Go Irish!!!!!!
Eric Hansen: Tom, thank you and I hit the pass defense question earlier. You and Marie were on the same wavelength. As far as the NIU coach, Marcus did not want to talk about it then and I doubt he does now. And I'm not sure there was anything particularly helpful. But it was cool of that coach to do so and probably not so cool that he told the whole world about it. I feel better about Cross playing than KVA but wouldn't rule either out at this point. No update on Onye's status.
Eric Hansen: OK, my fingers and/or brain was/were too slow to even come close to finishing off the queue. I've got a podcast tomorrow with a special guest and I may carry some of the unanswered questions over. Thanks for all the great questions AND compliments. ... Barring a surprise conflict in assignments next week, we'll be back on Wednesday at noon ET to do it all over again.
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