JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 16, 2020

Notre Dame Football Live Chat Dec. 16, 2020

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Mark, Orange County CA

1:49

Hi Eric, so on Saturday ND is playing for a conference championship. never thought I would be typing that sentence but just another part of this "unique" year. Did not like the stat about historically the loser of the first match up wins the next meetings, hopefully ND can break that trend.If ND wins the coin toss do you think BK would choose to put his offense or defense on the field for the first drive?

Eric Hansen

1:47

I think they look at each situation individually. I'm not so sure if there wasn't a pandemic going on that their strategy with Shipley wouldn't have worked.

Matt, Hayward, CA

1:46

Does ND tweak it’s recruiting strategy after going all in on Shipley and missing? I know it was an unconventional approach, but do they bag it after this experience?

Eric Hansen

1:46

Dennis, I'm sure he gets love from his teammates and now YOU. I'm not minimizing his contributions, but if you're writing a story, you're looking for the exceptional, especially when it comes to blocking. Like a key block or Kyren Williams' off-the-charts, game-changing blitz pickups against Clemson. Or Quenton Nelson being Quenton Nelson. It's very difficult to work into a story that "ND's third option at tight end did a good job too."

Dennis from Grand Rapids MI Hi Eric first time questionaire. Love your chats. You are superb at responding and answering all of our questions. I have one question for you. Why is Brock Wright not getting any love from anyone? On almost all of our running back touchdowns he has excelled at blocking his man. Has'nt wiffed on many blocking assignments. Announcers always praise our offensive line ( as they should ) no mention of Brock. When the announcers talk about Tight ends they talk about Mayer and Tremble ( as they should ) but no mention of Brock. I personally think Brock has done a great job. BTW I am in no way related to Brock or any thing. I just feel he should get a shout out and thats what I'm doing. Interested in your opinion. Thanks and As Always Go Irish!!!!!!!!

OK, I need to go back to Dennis' question about Brock Wright. I got a phone call and completely forget it.

1:42

As far as the Justin Field/Ian Book thing, the formula doesn't take into account clutch plays or degree of difficulty of the opponents. It's a straight math equation, with TD passes maybe a bit overemphasized. .. and I wouldn't be concerned about a Herbie jinx. Merry Christmas.

1:36

Hi Mike. Yes, ND and Clemson could end up playing three times. And it was interesting last night what CFP selection committee chair Gary Barta said Tuesday night on the post-TV conference call with the media. ... that in essence, this committee (as past ones had pledged to do) wouldn't tweak the top 4 to avoid a potential Clemson-ND rematch in the national semis.

Mike, Lemont,IL

1:31

Eric, Your 2 favorite talking points... Math and Hypotheticals! Let's say ND beats Clemson and Bama beats Florida and somehow Clemson makes it in as #4. Clemson beats Bama and ND beats OSU. ND loses in the title game to Clemson. So ND finishes 12-1 and Clemson finishes 11-2. Can you imagine if ND had to beat Clemson 3 times? I saw somewhere that Justin Fields had a higher QB rating vs. Indiana than Book had vs. Clemson. Fields had 3 picks. 3! Think it is time to review how QB rating is calculated. Kind of like MLB war. Finally, should we be concerned with Fowler and Herby doing the game Saturday night? OR should Clemson? because every game they have done this year has been a blowout. Just under the 17 point questions. Thanks for the chats and Merry Christmas to you and your family. Go IRISH!

Eric Hansen

1:30

Thank you, Sue and Happy Holidays to you. All the Notre Dame fifth- and sixth-year players have a degree either from Notre Dame or Northwestern (Ben Skowronek), NC State (Nick McCloud) or Isaiah Pryor (Ohio State). Notre Dame puts its players on a pace to complete their undergrad course work by the first semester of their senior years. Some (Micah Jones for one) do so even faster. Because of the NCAA's COVID rule, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah actually would have two years left at ND if he wanted them. I too expect him to go in the NFL Draft, but with an ND degree. My prediction is he'll win at least one of the awards he is up for.

Sue Kovensky

SueKo from Hollidaysburg, PA

1:25

Eric: Your coverage of ND football does not go unnoticed. Was wondering about the academic side of things. How many of our seniors/fifth year possess a ND degree? My all-time favorite player #6 Wu has another year of eligibility but it really doesn’t make any sense for him to return next season due to NFL $$ popularity. Do you actually think he can win any/all of the post season awards?!? I pray that the Irish defense shows up Saturday in Charlotte and that Coach Clark Lea goes out with a bang. Thank you and Happy Holidays. ☘️

Eric Hansen

1:25

Not of the unsigned ones, no.

Mike from Rochester NY

1:25

Eric, of the remaining recruits ND was targeting, was Clark Lea the lead recruiter for any of them?

Eric Hansen

1:24

Ron Powlus, the father, was the No. 1 player in the country regardless of position as a high school senior. The son is a nice athlete who had a three-star ranking and limited offers. That's not to put a ceiling on him, but the expectations are certainly different.

Lee from Lancaster, SC

1:22

I haven't heard any of the recruiting services mention that the Irish were interested in signing Ron Powlus III. Is he projected to be as skilled a qb as his father was?

Eric Hansen

1:20

RPIII, for those not familiar with the acronym is ND associate athletic director/football Ron Powlus' son, who played QB locally here at Penn High School and had one Power 5 offer among his five total. My colleagues, Tyler James and Carter Karels, are trying to sort out how to classify him. The coaching staff was kind of touchy when it came to doing the same with Montgomery VanGorder when he was at ND. My sense is there's a loophole as a family member to be on some kind of scholarship and not count against the 85. If we don't have clarity by the time the chat ends, we hope to get it at BK's Zoom conference at 4:30 ET.

Michael from Chicago

1:14

Is ND taking RPIII an indicator that they are seriously concerned about Brendon Clark being able to continue to play football? And can you please clear up how it's being treated (full scholarship or Preferred walk-on). If it's a full scholarship and Coach Kelly has already said he met with every player and knows who is/isn't coming back that would seem to indicate they either know they're not getting a recruit (CB Wright) or there will be more subtraction from the current roster??

Eric Hansen

1:14

Zero in on the James Franklin years, and you've got your answer.

1:13

Caleb from Charlotte, NC

1:11

I really like Clark Lea and hope that he's very sucessful at Vanderbilt. I don't think the administration at Vandy expects the football team to be a serious contender for a national championship or even an SEC championship. What do you think would constitute a successful season at Vandy?

Dennis

1:00

Eric Hansen

12:58

Phil, there's some gray area there and part of that may be hinging on whether ND makes the playoff. Since the early signing period will be over before ND takes the field Saturday at Clemson, there's not an urgency to be at Vandy full time yet. I think ND's players have the expectation Clark will stay until the season ends. Again that may be in a more limited capacity. Brian Kelly meets the media today at 4;30, and we should get more clarity at that point.

Phil - Litchfield, CT

12:52

Hi Eric. Thanks again for the great weekly chats. All of the reports I've seen about Clark Lea taking over the Vandy job report that he's staying in his current DC role at ND for the ACC Championship on Saturday, but silent on the specific plans after Saturday. I'm guessing he's gone to the new job next wee, win or lose on Saturday. He needs to get on with his new team on his new job. What do you think is happening? Would he even consider staying for the final 4? Who tkes over as Interim DC? Mike Elston?

Eric Hansen

12:50

This is a really good question that I'm glad someone asked. Both when Mike Elko was hired and again when Clark was promoted, Mike Elston interview for the job. And from what I hear, he killed it in the interview. Both times. But Brian definitely couldn't hire him after the 2016 season. Perceptually it would have sent the wrong message with all the staff turnover and bringing in a lot of coaches from the outside. When Elko left after one season, the only way Brian would keep both Clark and Mike was to promote Clark, not that Clark wasn't incredibly deserving. Otherwise, Lea likely would have gone to A&M with Elko. Kelly then promoted Elston to associate head coach, which came with more money and more responsibility. Elston has been a team player at every juncture, and ND has benefited immensely because of it.

Jeff from Cincinnati

Mike Elston would appear to be a logical favorite to ascend to the DC role, given his long and successful track record with BK. However, do you think there is a possibility he prefers a position-specific role ?? Why do you think he was passed over for Clark Lea in 2018 the last time the DC role was open?? Thanks very much

12:44

Hi Eric; Merry Xmas to you and your family, and thanks for taking my question.

Eric Hansen

12:44

I think it will depend on a lot of things. When Brian Kelly decides to walk away. How Clark does at Vandy. Whether other candidates emerge with better credentials. Whether Jack Swarbrick is still the athletic director. I like Clark a lot, but I am open to other very desirable scenarios playing out as well.

Paul Latino, Wappingers, NY

12:42

Eric, Now that Clark Lea is going to get Head Coaching experience, do you think this gives him the inside track to the ND job when BK retires. Or will it depend on his won lost record at Vanderbilt.

Eric Hansen

12:42

It's 2020. We're in a pandemic. So the rules have to be contorted and adapted to our circumstance. Having said that, there needs to be a sense of fairness and perspective, and I don't think the College Football Playoff Committee is universally applying it. I think The Big Ten should have gone out and scheduled a game for Ohio State last weekend, in or out of conference. ... It seems the CFP committee is willing to ignore Ohio State's lack of games, but hammered Cincinnati (which has played more games) for its games getting postponed the past couple of weeks. I voted Ohio State No. 4 in the AP poll this past week and was VERY uneasy about it. But I have Cincinnati 5th, not 9th and falling. My biggest head-scratcher with the committee was dropping a two-loss Florida team one spot after losing at home Saturday to a severely depleted LSU team with a losing record.

Ed Palm Beach

12:35

Eric.....merry merry.....What is your take on teams playing fewer games to be considered for playoff.....It seems to me Big Ten and Pac 12 politicked the system to overcome their short sided outlook last summer...shouldn't they take a back seat....Thanks

Eric Hansen

12:35

Vanderbilt is a more attractive job to Clark Lea than it would be for a lot of wanna-be head coaches. Not only is it his alma mater, it's in his hometown of Nashville, so now his kids get to be around their grandparents all the time. I don't think he would be in a hurry to leave, but I think he's smart enough to know it's going to be very difficult to push the program past the ceiling that James Franklin did. So yes, it's a stepping stone, but one he's very comfortable with.

John Appleton WI

12:31

It seems to be a common thought that this move by Clark Lea might set him up to return when BK leaves. Do you see Vandy being a stepping stone job for Clark?

Eric Hansen

12:27

I's be surprised if someone on the staff left to go to Vandy. It would have to be a position coach getting a coordinator job, and I think even that would be a tough sell given the state of the two programs right now. ... As I tweeted the other day, I think Brian Kelly owes it to himself and the program to do a national search. But my opinion is that will result in him coming to the conclusion that the best option all the way around is on his staff. And that's Mike Elston. Of the outside DC candidates, I like Cincinnati's Marcus Freeman the best. ... If it is Elston, he could go outside and hire a linebackers coach ... or promote senior defensive analyst Nick Lezynski to linebackers coach. He is a rising star and someone Clark Lea would have his eye on. The reason I didn't include him earlier is because he is technically in a non-coaching position, but he actually has done a lot of coaching at ND and elsewhere as a grad assistant, primarily. ... He's a former ND walk-on with strong recruiting skills.

Steve from St Louis

12:15

Thanks for the chats. Do you think Lea takes anyone with him to Vanderbilt or is that off the table? Is the new DC currently on staff and if so how do you see coach Kelly filling out the rest of the staff?

Eric Hansen

Off we go.

OK, one last reminder. Please include your NAME and HOMETOWN with your question.

12:14

The Irish may sign RB Audric Estime, s four-star RB from New Jersey, who's been committed to Michigan State and originally planned to sign in February.

12:13

The other committed recruit ND has yet to sign is RB Logan Diggs, who according to our recruiting guy (Carter Karels), is still considering doing so but also received a late offer from home-state school LSU.

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