Chat Transcript: Where will Notre Dame's offensive malaise lead Freeman?
Eric Hansen: Welcome to the second bye week version of Notre Dame Football Live Chat, brought to you by J&R Solutions.
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, which is Monday nights at 7 ET. Remember, if you miss the live show, you can catch up anytime on YouTube. Tyler James and I are also doing a live postgame show of our takeaways after every game. Here’s what last week’s show looked like.
► This week’s Inside ND Sports Podcast will drop late Thursday afternoon this week, Typically, we record on Tuesdays. The podcast can be listened to via SoundCloud or on your preferred podcast platform including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podbean and Pocket Casts.
► Finally, thanks to all who have been listening to WSBT radio this season, as I have rejoined Darin Pritchett as a co-host on Weekday SportsBeat (960 AM, live streaming at wsbtradio.com) on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the 2023 Notre Dame Football season, including the bye week this week. I'm also co-hosting the pregame shows with Darin and Tyler Horka (which is not a clever stage name for Tyler James). The weekday shows run from 5-6 p.m. ET. This week’s pregame show starts at 9 a.m. ET. You can download episodes as podcasts.
As far as this week's chat …
Please remember to include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with your question(s).
Here are the rules:
Eric Hansen: And no SIGN STEALING!
OK, and we're off ...
Patrick from Fort Wayne, Ind.: Good afternoon Eric. Several times this season I have wondered about the perception of Notre Dame football from highly ranked high school quarterbacks. I can't imagine they see an offense that will push their abilities or have the resources to enhance NFL dreams. You wrote about your own frustrations with the offense and implied that a cross-road's reckoning for Marcus Freeman is coming due at the end of the season. Do you anticipate Freeman making the tough decision and moving on from Gerald Parker? Will the administration be willing to pay a high-profile OC to come to ND at the request of Freeman? I admit I am tired of reading about improvement through accountability and doing a better job of executing the playbook. Talent is still the dominant reason teams win or lose.
Eric Hansen: Hi Patrick. There are a lot of questions/rants in the queue that touch on these topics. This was a really good job of combining them, so we'll start here. ... The fact that Marcus Freeman was able to land a portal QB the caliber of Sam Hartman, and has to borderline 4/5-star QBs committed in the next two classes in CJ Carr and Deuce Knight speaks to his long-term vision for the offense and their belief that QBs coach Gino Guidugli can develop them. At some point the product on the field has to begin to merge with the vision. That's one of the key elements that makes this offseason so important. I'm not sure if Marcus Freeman will ultimately make the tough decision you suggest at this point and move on from Gerad Parker, but I do believe he'll make an honest and thorough evaluation before he makes that decision. I do think if a change is made, the administration will see the value in being willing to pay the price for the best OC available.
It's too costly in so many ways, including postseason revenue. I think you can make a case that with an elite, experienced OC this year, Notre Dame at the most has one loss.
Bob from Loganville, Ga.: Eric, We got the best QB in the portal last year. Why will things be different next year if we get the best QB in the portal this time. IMO it's time to develop from within. Thoughts? On offense – when GP was hired, he talked about all the offensive coaches having input in game planning etc. His comment indicated it is different at other schools. Is there too much collaboration or too many voices in the room?
Eric Hansen: Bob, that's the question portal QBs will be asking Marcus Freeman when he recruits them. And he'll have to have an answer. ... Do you honestly think Notre Dame's record would be better this year with Tyler Buchner or Drew Pyne? I do think ND is on a path that will eventually lead them to an internal QB solution in 2025, but not 2024. ... and as far as too many voices, I don't agree with that. You take all the good ideas you can get and then implement the best ones on gameday. There are layers to Notre Dame's offensive regression, but an elite, experienced coordinator would have been able to minimize them while maximizing ND's strengths, in my opinion.
Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, I hope you are having a great week. What a disappointing game on Saturday, being there live you could really see how flat the team was. Why do you think this team is struggling so much on the road, and what do you think Freeman should do about it to remedy the situation? What do you think Freeman will focus on the most in the next few weeks to try and salvage this season? One final question, why do you think we are unable to get consistent offensive line play, is it scheme, playcalling, or lack of talent? I know HH had a certain type of player he liked to recruit, regardless of the star ranking, do you think now that he’s gone the ability to develop that type of player is limited? What grade would you give Joe Rudolph for the season? Does he get a little bit of a break because he did not recruit any of these players? As always thanks for hosting the chat, and all your great insights.
Eric Hansen: Hi Marie. Thanks for keeping me on my toes with your thoughtful questions. Marcus Freeman was asked about the road struggles and he suggested the problem varied from game to game, opponent to opponent. The remedy is to study that in the offseason and get the info that will change it. Sounds simple, but that's where you start. ... What I think Freeman will focus on during this week and the two weeks that follow is No. 1 how to head into bowl season 9-3. Some big-picture issues, like portal priorities (portal season starts Dec. 4) and recruiting also are important areas of emphasis. Then you get to December, and the agenda gets bigger and more urgent.
As far as the offensive line play, it's not been consistent and has been particularly problematic in the interior. Do the issues of young wide receivers, getting stuck in games without clever adjustments, play-calling all bleed together ... yeah. So better offensive line play would help those other things and improvement in those other areas would help offensive line play. I have some folks who I trust in terms of how the O-line is being coached (now and in the past), and I'll lean into that in December before I weigh in on what a second year of Joe Rudolph would look like.
Aaron from Washington, D.C.: Hi Eric, thanks for today’s chat. In the spirit of Notre Dame’s trifecta of painful losses, I would like to throw a trifecta of questions at you (hope they’re not painful also). On defense, it seems that each loss has been against a strong running game backed by the opponent winning in the trenches (maybe a little less so with the Ohio State game). Is that an accurate observation and what are the coaches doing to fix it? On OC hiring, can you offer ground truth on Ludwig? Was it money or did he truly just want to stay at Utah? It seems that the prevailing narrative is at odds with what Coach Freeman has said. Finally on recruiting, there are a lot of talented offensive recruits in the incoming class. How well can Coach Freeman keep the offensive talent in tact given the current shortcomings? I hope we don't need to have a trifecta of cocktails on hand to endure the rest of this season. Today's my birthday so I would appreciate some good ND football news - anything?
Eric Hansen: Aaron, thank you and Happy Birthday! Let's start with run defense. The Irish have not faced a lot of elite running teams and yet the run defense has been the weaker part of their defense all season. Navy is 19th, Louisville 28th, Duke 37th. Among rush yards per carry, USC is 9th, Duke 13th and Louisville 28th. Ohio State is 88th in rush offense. Clemson's O-line, and banged up and makeshift, had a better day than ND's defensive front, and that was a shocker. Clemson was 64th in rush offense, was missing their starter and had been shut down largely in losses to Miami and NC State in the run game. ND needed to lean into its run defense more and commit more resources in the Clemson game. Wake and Stanford are below-average run teams, so the same strategy doesn't apply week to week.
With your No. 2 question, I consistently got two versions of "the truth." Ultimately, Notre Dame would have paid Andy Ludwig's buyout. Everyone agrees on that point. What's not agreed upon is whether the initial misunderstanding/balking at the buyout was interpreted by Ludwig as a red flag an influenced him to stay at Utah. But the important lesson/direction now is to make the right decision this offseason about the direction of the offense in 2024 and beyond, whatever that entails. ... I think the 2025 class, not the 2024 class, is the one affected by the current state of the offense but also willing to let things play out.
Sean from Schaumburg, Ill.: Eric, I was surprised by your reluctance to agree that Clemson this past week was a huge game. Multiple ND reporters viewed it as such. Full disclosure-I was in The Swamp watching Gators-Hogs. All-white UNI by ND? Awful. Ohio State was crushing. Louis stomped us. Defeating an average Clemson team on the road was a must to dispell--2005-USC, 2011-Ann Arbor, 2012-Bama, 2014-Tallahassee, 2015-Clemson/Stanford, 2017-UGA, 2018-CFP Clemson, 2019-UGA/Ann Arbor, 2020-CFP Bama, 2022-OSU. Name one road victory(outside defeating an average USC team in 2012) that carried importance in terms of impression/regard that Notre Dame can compete in the top tier games. I don't believe any of us can. Another crushing game where a W is crucial for long-term trajectory of the program. Top tier QB/WR was missing. Again. Dejected. Despondent. Defeat a legit road team in a meaningful game. Duke doesn't count. I don't care about LSU in a bowl game this year. Sure, it's a great angle from a journalist standpoint. Cheez-it Bowl. Yawn.
Eric Hansen: Sean, where/when/how did I say Clemson was not a big game? What I was not willing to say was win or lose, it wasn't going to define Marcus Freeman's entire regime for years to come. Come on, man. I know you're frustrated .... and so I'll play your game and name a road game ... Oklahoma 2012. HUGE. But yes there have been more examples to the contrary. Duke with a healthy Riley Leonard is a better team than the one the Irish lost to Saturday, in fact three touchdowns better. They played each other! And the Cheez-It Bowl doesn't exist and nowhere did I suggest that was a possible destination. Marcus Freeman has a very important offseason ahead of him, but the sky-is-falling-and- always-will level of whining combined with the misrepresentation of my views is WAY over the top.
Roger from Peoria: Eric: Thanks for chatting! You are the best and, dude, your white-framed sunglasses are awesome! I am concerned about the future of college football as we now know it. The specter of NIL and the Transfer Portal has already impacted the sport (or should I say this BIG BUSINESS) and the potential for (i) collective bargaining and (ii) current anti-trust litigation being certified as a class action leading to financial bankruptcy for the NCAA (some might suggest the NCAA is already bankrupt from a policy perspective) is chilling. So, let's enjoy it while we can. I consider it inappropriate to ask about who may enter the Transfer Portal, but we can be fairly certain some players will exhaust their eligibility or opt to move on to play on Sundays. Among that group, who do you see as the most difficult to replace on the offense and on the defense? And, who do you see as the potential replacements? Final question, ever been called a "dude" before?
Eric Hansen: Hi Roger. Thanks for the compliments. And I've been called dude a zillion times. How old do you think I am? LOL. As far as portal departures, there are only seven players with expiring eligibility and only a select few who will explore the NFL with eligibility on the table, so that means there will be players heading for the portal. I don't anticipate it being star players but players who are blocked on the depth chart who see a chance to play more elsewhere or players who are homesick, like Logan Diggs was last year, and just wanted to be close to home.
Jerry M. from Dallas, Texas: Eric, obviously Sam Hartman has not been the savoir we hoped for. Is there a Montana or Theismann coming in Notre Dame's future? (With, of course, some really good receivers!).
Eric Hansen: Hi Jerry. I like the two QBs on ND's roster that will theoretically be back in 204 and love the potential of the two they have committed (CJ Carr for 2024 and Deuce Knight for 2025). I would not project any QB to be the next Joe Montana or Joe Theismann -- not fair. But I do like the potential they have.
Joe from San Diego: Sam Hartman is catching entirely too much blame for the Clemson loss. Time after time he took 3 steps back and the Clemson defense was on top of him. The much praised offensive line was simply not doing their job. Blake Fisher, rumored to declare for the NFL draft was CONSISTENTLY beaten. With this performance, may I have your thoughts on Fisher going to the NFL rather gaining more experience. Pls let me add the conservative play calling reminded me of the Louisville game, The much praised wide receivers were covered constantly, which did not give Sam much of a chance. Yes, Eric, ND needs to open their pocketbook for Offensive coordinator and MF needs to get back on the recruiting trail. Your thoughts please.
Eric Hansen: Hi Joe. I'll try to pick out what you want me to answer and what you want to share. ... So, Blake Fisher should definitely stay in college another year. I don't see an upside to coming out early ... If ND does make a change at OC, yes I think they should spare no expense in getting the best available. And yes, keeping recruiting going and improving is always a big factor in a program ascending. No arguments there.
Don from Cincinnati: Eric: let me first say I missed the 1st quarter until ND had 1st and 10 at Clemson 19 and score 10-3 due to grandparent duty. IN order upsets you need to control line of scrimmage and we didn't in either Louisville or Clemson. We have had 2 screen passes(OSU & Clemson) knocked down(one to clinch game -OSU- and potential TD -Clemson-). Poor tackling and lbs slow getting to off tackle plays(OSU,Louisville & Clemson) resulting in TDS or long gains. Two inexcusable pick-6's and a grade school offense then that can't flip the field against Clemson in 2nd half. And then given a chance at the end of the game on a Clemson disaster they look lost. What's your take? Very Very frustrated!!!! Feel OC looks in over his head. O-line coach not looking much better. I don't feel Coach Freeman is the problem but it is his responsibility to get good people around > Sorry for the rant!
Eric Hansen: Don. This is a reasonable rant, and I understand the conflict with grandparent duty. Believe me. You are right about it ultimately being Marcus Freeman's responsibility to surround himself with the best players AND coaches. And that's why this offseason will be so critical in the direction of the program.
Matt in Augusta NJ: Haven’t heard much on Tyson Ford recently. Did he get passed up on the depth chart? I had high hopes for him. Also still not enough LOVE on offense.
Eric Hansen: Hi Matt. Tyson Ford's opportunities will come next year. What the Notre Dame coaching staff must figure out this offseason is whether his future is inside at defensive tackle or at the field end spot outside. I would not use Jeremiyah Love at the expense of Audric Estimé, but I do think there have been some missed opportunities in terms of having them on the field together at the same time.
Jim from Florida: Why does coach Free and Golden persist on giving Marist Liufau so much playing time?
Eric Hansen: They believe he can be a consistent big-play linebacker, which has happened intermittently, not consistently.
Scubatvt56 from Jamestown, Tenn.: Eric , Do you think MF will make coaching changes in the off season? If he gets a new OC will the administration have his back and pony up the salary needed to hire a good OC? … Can you give us an injury update? Since this is a bye week, who can we expect to be back for Wake Forest or Stanford?
Eric Hansen: OK, Scubatvt, yes there will be coaching changes in the offseason and some will be assistants taking jobs elsewhere. But for the others, I'd let the regular season play out. ... The only two injury recoveries off the top of my head that could make an impact, are WRs Deion Colzie and Jayden Thomas. Having a week off should help Thomas. Colzie is on the brink of being able to redshirt of not. So they need to answer that question first ... is it worth saving that year? It is possible he could play in a bowl game and still redshirt, but the NCAA will have to issue another blanket waiver, as it did last year, for that to happen.
Mike from Rockville, Md.: Love the chats, Eric...thank you!!! Put yourself in MF's shoes. How do you approach Gerard Parker (job status, game planning, meetings, personnel decisions, etc.) and the offense right now? What do you do at the end of the year? 2nd part: put yourself in GP's shoes. What would you do with the offense (game planning, personnel, etc.) for the remaining 3 games?
Eric Hansen: Hi Mike. Thanks, I love the chats, but the ones where people are in a good mood and/or wear shoes are more fun. ... What I would do? I'm facing the worst defense I've faced all year at Stanford in the regular-season finale and the worst Power 5 defense on the schedule other than Stanford and the one that just fired their DC (USC). So I'd do a very deep self scout and make changes in the game plan/approach/adjusting that will theoretically carry over to a tougher defense in a bowl game and certainly start to build toward success next year. I'd keep the rest of the process in place until the last two games have been played. At the end of the year, I do what Brian Kelly did at the end of 2016, have some valuable exit interviews and do a thorough evaluation of everything from coaching personnel to gameday operations. Everything's on the table.
If I'm Gerad Parker, I wouldn't make wholesale changes ... do what ND does best but also take advantage of what Wake and Stanford don't do well. Neither plays the pass well. You can open up some things for your running game with the pass. I'd try to tune out all the noise and just focus on the next game.
Joe H from Williams Bay, Wis.: Hey, Eric. Thanks for keeping us engaged during the bye week I know a lot of people are questioning Marcus Freeman and the entire offense coaching staff and considering many questionable decisions and game plans i think that’s fair but I’m wondering how much blame do you assign to Marcus and how much to the administration/Swarbrick concerning the fiasco in hiring a new OC last offseason I’m told the University paid a huge price to bring the new basketball coach aboard but “cheaped “out when it came to finding a replacement for Tommy Rees?
Eric Hansen: Joe. I think at this point, it's more productive to focus on how things can be fixed than who to blame. If I'm Marcus Freeman or in the administration, that's where I'm putting all my energy.
Ed from Sayville N.Y.: Hello Eric. I’ve been behind the Irish for many years (believe it or not George O’Leary was my 9th grade gym teacher). Every year brings its share of surprises, some good some not. Assuming the offensive staff stays intact, what do you see as the most likely area to make significant incremental gains? Could it be the current true freshman receivers benefiting from the experience of playing immediately or perhaps the O Line getting assimilated to Coach Rudolph’s coaching in year two? Perhaps you have another thought. In any event I’m keeping my vibe positive as Coach Freeman builds for the future.
Eric Hansen: Wow what a trivia nugget you have in your pocket, Ed. I will comply with your hypothetical and keep possible coaching changes out of it. Let's start with wide receiver. ND loses one to expired eligibility (Matt Salerno, who is injured). Everyone else is eligible to come back and most who do will be better. Cam Williams is the best of the three newcomers, but I like all three of them. He's the one who has the best chance to make an immediate impact. The No. 1 question to answer is at field receiver. Do you believe either Rico Flores or Tobias Merriweather can become a dominating force in 2024 at that position? Because having a player like that at that position potentially opens up a lot of other areas of your offense. If you see Flores and/or Merriweather as still developing and not ready for that kind of role, then you have to look for one in the portal.
You would think the offensive line will improve in year 2, but why were they not consistently improving in the second half of year one? Sometimes it's a misfit with the offensive coordinator. Sometimes it can be personnel-related. Those are the questions Marcus Freeman has to get to the bottom of. It's NOT a question of lack of talent.
Sean from Schaumburg, Ill.: Eric, yes, I forgot Oklahoma. I didn't mean to imply you were downplaying the game. I believed, like many others, that this was a huge game for MF and the trajectory of the program long-term. I was surprised you didn't agree with that thinking. I don't believe I was whining. I was pointing out that ND has lost the big games far more often than they've won. Cheez-it, Sun Bowl, Jimmy Kimmel bowl. That's not good enough was my point on the bowl game. I appreciate your work. I don't believe I was denigrating you or your work. I was questioning your belief about the importance of the Clemson game. I, like myriad others, believed it was a huge game for ND/MF and the long-term view of the program. Some things get lost in translation. I apologize for the misunderstanding. Be well.
Eric Hansen: Sean, I appreciate this. I think once ND got to two losses, a third loss, to whatever team it came to, was going to rattle the foundation. Had ND won, at least from a national perspective, it would have been a big shoulder shrug. NC State and Miami had just done it. But given Clemson was 62-3 at home in the past 10 seasons coming in and given ND's road issues, inside the ND bubble -- yes, I may have incorrectly understate its value. I really appreciate the follow-up, Sean.
Mike from Baton Rouge, La.: Curious about your thoughts on Chansi right now. Can’t fault his recruiting, but developing? I’m not savvy enough to separate poor play-calling from poor receiver play, but times in second half, Sam seemed to have some time but no one to throw to.
Eric Hansen: Hi Mike. You kind of started to answer your own question. Keep in mind in 12 years of Brian Kelly only three receivers had double-digit catches as freshmen. In 2023, two have already reached that threshold and Jordan Faison will likely become a third. So a lot is being asked of the freshmen, one of whom (Jaden Greathouse) is being played out of position due to injuries. The pressures coming at Hartman, yes, influenced his inaccuracy. Play-calling plays a role. The bottom line is I'll go to bat for Chansi Stuckey. A lot of the problems with the receivers are not of his doing, and his recruiting is part of the solution.
Tom from Kennesaw, Ga.: Hi Eric, it is taking all of my patience not to write a manifesto!!! Thanks for your great article earlier in the week calling it like it is with GP. 1) Why are we sooo crummy on the road?? It is not even close to how we should play?? 2) What is GP saving Audric for?? He is gone after this year. There were only a few games left the back half of the season he is only carrying the ball 10-15 times a game. What a waste of talent. Other teams run their All-Americans 20+ a game. By limiting his carries and thus his yards GP has cost AE possible post season honors. Have not been this disappointed with the results of our play in a long time. The next games won't change anything.
Eric Hansen: Tom, I appreciate your restraint. And you are free to manifesto all you want on our message board or even email me if you just want to vent. ... I tried to answer the road question with Marie ,,, so let me focus on Audric Estimé. ... woefully underused in the second half of the Clemson game. In the first half, 14 carries for 82 yards ... and three second-half carries. And two play-action pass calls with all that success running the ball. ... I get that winning the next two games won't help change your mood or most other fans' moods. That's absolutely fair. BUT ND must win the next two games and make progress toward what 2024 will look like.
Tom from Toronto: Hi Eric, I hope that you are well. Would it be a good thing to give both Steve Angeli and Kenny Minchey some extensive playing time in the next three games. I would not shut out Sam Hartman but it may help the big picture to get good looks at both of them. Do you think that Coach Freeman will consider the possibility and would this be a good question to ask him? As usual, your chats are illuminating and entertaining. Thank you.
Eric Hansen: Hi Tom, and thank you. As far as evaluating for 2024, they have seen enough in training camp and practices and little bits of games to know what they have and none of that will keep ND from looking hard at a transfer portal QB with one year left. So I would play them when you can and let them run the offense, but not at the expense of winning games. It is a good question and he's been asked variations of this. I probably have not done a good enough job of relaying the info to you.
Arnie from Hinsdale, Ill.: Is there a better person in the world to prepare the defense for the slow mesh than Sam Hartman?
Eric Hansen: Hey Arnie. I used to be a regular visitor to Hinsdale back in my college days ... I would think Sam Hartman could offer some input, but Wake hasn't scored more than 21 points in any of its last six games, so I think there's plenty of tape for Al Golden to study as well.
Ced Walker from Saginaw, Mich.: will notre dame head football coach marcus freeman let qb coach gino guidugli call plays the final 3 games tobias merriwather need to really step up we win out looking like reliaquest or pop tarts bowl here come the irish trust the process the golden standard rally we are nd god country go irish love thee notre dame our mother pray for us
Eric Hansen: Hi Ced. I took your question for a couple of reasons. One, it is something ND could consider in 2024. I would not recommend that in those two final regular-season games. I think the negatives outweigh the positives. ... The second reason I took this question is there was a report about Parker already being demoted that some of you have asked about. Here is what I would suggest. Be careful with sites that aggregate others' reporting and don't actually cover the team and interact with players and coaches themselves. I'd even be more careful with aggregators who are reporting what another aggregator is saying. You might as well ask your neighbor's sister's ex-boyfriend's mechanic's chiropractor.
Skip from Houston: Why do you think Hartman's performance has regressed?
Eric Hansen: Hi Skip. A loss of confidence with all the issues around him and no one to decisively fix all the issues around him. Look, Sam Hartman had a bad day at Clemson. Missed targets, didn't read the defense well at times. But this is a guy who didn't bolt when Rees left (and could have at the end of spring), and has put everything he has into this program. It's not because of lack of effort or focus.
Shane from White Deer,Texas: Hey Eric. With a lot of talk about the wide receivers about no separation, route running, etc, I was wondering how often the receivers practice against the first team secondary. It seems like practicing against a great secondary all year would make them better? Or, if you are continually “locked down” in practice does that hinder one’s development? Does it also make it harder for the QB to be able to get in a rhythm with his receivers when playing against the number ones? Thanks for your answers.
Eric Hansen: Hi Shane. Usually, during the season Notre Dame's No. 1 offense will go against the scout team, but Marcus Freeman likes to mix in 1s vs. 1s probably with more regularity than most coaches. And so they get both experiences. .. .with the lack of separation. Sometimes it's scheme. Sometimes it's play-calling. Sometimes it's imprecise route-running. Sometimes it's speed. The Irish have been challenged with shortcoming in all of these areas at one point or another.
Kevin from Calgary: Eric, do you think even the talk of the Irish considering looking at the portal again for a QB next season could cause irreparable damage to recruiting at that position? Or is portal recruiting simply the future we all have to live with? It seems the way things are going, CJ Carr and Deuce Knight are doomed to be starring somewhere else rather than waiting for an opportunity at ND.
Eric Hansen: Kevin. I don't. Otherwise, CJ Carr would be looking around and Deuce Knight would be doing the same. It's part of the reality of college football.
Jack, Strongsville Ohio: Hi Eric. Thank you for the work you do on this chat and Football Never Sleeps. Based on elements around him including coaching, offensive line. and receivers, do you think Sam Hartman has met the expectations that were scene for him after the transfer and why.
Eric Hansen: Hi Jack. And thanks for watching and reading. ... I think in terms of commitment and effort and willingness to step into a huge unknown, Sam Hartman has lived up to expectations. In terms of improving his NFL equity and nudging Notre Dame into the playoff picture, he has fallen short largely (in my opinion) to factors outside of his control. Bottom line, Notre Dame is better off for having Sam Hartman pass through this program than not.
DomerReef70 from Montgomery, Ala. via Dowagiac, Mich.: Eric, good morning from the land of Charlie Brown still trying to kick the football. Other commentators are going to go down all the obvious roads (as did you and Tyler after the game) so I'll go in a different direction. I think some bad karma infected the ND program after the 1993 season. I had always heard that there were rumblings in the Admin that Lou used prop 48 too much, that grad rates had somewhat declined, player behavior issues, and that somewhow he didn't get props but rather criticisms from Wadsworth in a meeting after the 1995 season and that he resigned because of this rather than "its the right thing to do" he intoned over and over. Lou's tenure was the last time I felt that ND should/would every game it played. Since then, bleh. Given 30 years of evidence I think we are in a place where we can expect to be pretty good but not elite. Maybe, there might be lightning in the bottle some time. And I have become ok with that. This Saturday is the 30th anniversary of one of the greatest games I ever witnessed in person and the first College Game Day. Go Irish!!
Eric Hansen: I think the Brian Kelly regime, especially the last five years of it, showed there was a higher ceiling to this program that what many had thought. Now is there still a higher ceiling and is Marcus Freeman the man who can coax Notre Dame in that direction? I believe the answer to No. 1 is yes. I believe the answer to No. 2 is we will find out this offseason and in year 3. But if I had to hazard a guess, and I'm sure that's what you want, I feel more optimistic than not about that possibility. Ask me that again in March.
Johngipp from Lititz, Pa.: Hey Eric, Everyone is putting blame on the OC with a lot of justification. It seems that most people are not talking about the elephant in the room. I've been following ND for 70 plus years and have seen one sure trend. First time coaches do not succeed at ND. The good ones stated one way or another their need of past experience to be successful. You said post Clemson Parker should have cut his teeth at a directional school. Since we are still (execute better), See how we can improve (10 games in), and question everything (paralysis by analysis), what in your mind do you see in FM over turn the corner Faust, It is what it is Davie, or schematic Weis?
Eric Hansen: Hi John. I'm going to assume you mean MF and not FM. I have given your last question a lot of thought ... actually since the Ohio State game and even more so after Louisville. The answer probably lands itself to a column more than a chat answer, but let me see if I can pull it off. Where I think Marcus has an edge over the three coaches you mentioned is the following: Better recruiter on both sides of the ball, better developer of talent, better leader, better vision, more self-awareness of what is in his blind spots. Where he has not proven one way or another that he's better than those three is can he fix big-picture problems? Can he consistently make great hires? Can he clean up the gameday operations and form an identity on the road in which this team id consistently competitive and doesn't underperform? That's what I will be watching closely in the coming weeks and months.
Jeff from Schererville, Ind.: Eric, thanks for having these chats. My question is about ND's bowl prospects. With a NY6 game out of the picture now, I've seen the Reliaquest and Pop Tarts Bowls as possible landing spots, which means another trip back to Florida. Is the Holiday Bowl in the mix at all or is it too far down the pecking order? If I remember correctly, last year came down to a last minute tug of war between the Gator and Holiday and the Gator won out. That tells me the Holiday would love to have ND if it can get them (who wouldn't?) and there are plenty of comparable Pac-12 teams besides USC to create a juicy matchup. How much say does ND have in terms of where it wants to go and who they want to play (so that ND makes $ and gets a boost playing in a fertile recruiting area) or is it mostly the ACC/bowls telling them where they're going? Thanks!
Eric Hansen: The ReliaQuest Bowl would have first choice and then it goes to the ACC's pool of Tier 1 bowls, of which the Pop-Tarts bowl is a part. I believe the structure changes a little each year, and your recollection is correct in there being some wiggle room last year. I'm not sure that exists in Tier I this year. But if there is, ND would have a voice. I just don't think that's the case this time.
Bill from St Joe, MI: Eric, as always thanks for your superior coverage of ND football. I must have missed what might have been said about the injury/injuries to ND’s center(s) last week as my attention was divided between what arguably is the biggest day in horse racing, and the Clemson game. Do you have any details about what was likely an injury or injuries to our center?
Eric Hansen: You are right. There was an injury question earlier, and my brain was in bye mode ... and I apologize for missing that. I believe Zeke Correll was in concussion protocol and Andrew Kristofic left with a leg injury. I will get updates on them Monday. However, Ashton Craig did a pretty darn good job filling in the final 24 snaps. In fact, he was the No. 3 highest-graded player on offense per Pro Football Focus and highest-graded offensive lineman in the game for either team. On an icky day, that's quite a silver lining.
Ryan from the S.F. area: Eric, a large group of friends and I went to the Clemson game, wearing green shamrock shirts that said "Tyler from Spartanburg". Clemson fans got a good laugh out of that (even before the game) and dozens of folks took our pictures. I thought the fan base was incredibly friendly. However, when everyone rushed the field after the win, I saw more than a few people swarm ND players and get in their face (kind of like one of ours did to Caleb in the USC game). I even saw one fan push/hit the face mask of an ND player and his head pop back. On some field, somewhere we're heading toward an ugly incident. Do you know if NCAAF admin are aware of such incidents and are considering ways to police field rushing?
Eric Hansen: Hey Ryan. Thanks for sharing your story. The Clemson situation is a big different because the fans come onto the field, I believe, after every home game. But yes, we're starting to see enough of these fan-to-player incidents where there needs to be better controls in place protecting visiting players.
Matt from Kansas City: Quickfire Five: Hi Eric, I am sure this chat will be filled with frustration and piling on the OC, but my questions are focused on the future: 1. What is your assessment of our interior line play from the start of the season to now, do you think we have our guys or there will be a wide open competition at guard next year? 2. You have me excited for Cam Williams coming in next year, who is a defensive recruit we should be real excited about playing early and with impact? 3. When we have a recruiting deficit with another program, is it more academic requirements or NIL right now? 4. As a follow up to #3, whichever answer you give, even if "both", in reality what does that deficit look like right now, how big is the gap? 5. What are two or three things, program or player wise you think the coaches or administration will or should really focus on during the off-season to try and improve the team? Go Irish, win or lose, love thee Notre Dame!
Eric Hansen: Hi Matt. 1) Disappointing and the competition for 2024 should be open based on performance and talent in the roster. 2) With early impact (I like Bryce Young a lot down the road), I will say LB Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa and S Brauntae Johnson. 3) Sometimes it's just getting beat. 4) The transfer policy is a bigger hurdle than either of those. 5) Thorough evaluation of coaching staff. Thorough eval of gameday operations, especially on the road.
Eric Hansen: OK, out of time. Thanks for all the great questions (answered and unanswered). Sean, you impressed me with your followup. ... We'll be back to do this all again next week at noon ET.
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