I was just listening to the talking heads talk about how ND had now lost 5 key players over the off season and into the first 2 games and how that should be too much for a team to overcome. I heard how sorry they felt for them and their season. It truly is a sad start with some tough breaks if you are a ND fan. But it made me think about our situation and how people in the media are glazing over our losses.
Think about it... after having to replace 8 starters on defense, and 3 of 5 starting OL on offense, its enough for most people to question how much a team should be expected to do. But when you look at the additional losses we have incurred since summer and going into this Louisville game, its almost jaw dropping.
Since the summer, we have lost both of the only 2 returning starters we had on the offensive line. First Battle and now Norton who is out. Add in that we have also lost the number 1 returning skill player and only thousand yard player from last year's offense in Mike Williams. Add in that we lost our starting place kicker and that's a lot for most teams to pack up and go home. But that's not where it ends.
On defense, it was bad enough having to replace 8 starters and 11 key players on that side, but we lost Korrin Wiggins and DJ Reader, which were two of the only returning players we had with starts under their belt. Add in that we lost two highly ranked players who were expected to be high snap reserve players in Ogundeko and Rogers and it would prove to be a dire situation for most teams.
What does it say about the depth of this roster that we can overcome the graduation of the number of key players that we did, followed by a nightmarish level of attrition this off season and early in the season with this many returning key players out and we are still viewed as a top 10 team and expected to do big things? We are either overestimated and ranked too high, or our coaches have done an unbelieveable job stacking and developing talent at a rate that most programs, even the elite ones, have not.
I guess we will go a long way toward answering that question tonight. I hope we kick ass and put everyone else on notice. But in the back of my mind, when I reflect back on all of those key losses, the number of young players playing in their first real test, on the road, with practically 2 days practice, it makes me feel crazy to think we should be 7 point favorites.
Tonight will answer a lot of questions about this team. I hope we get the answers we are looking for. I hope our coaches have been able to develop something and overcome challenges most great programs can't. This game can't get here and be over soon enough, because I'm tired of wondering.
Think about it... after having to replace 8 starters on defense, and 3 of 5 starting OL on offense, its enough for most people to question how much a team should be expected to do. But when you look at the additional losses we have incurred since summer and going into this Louisville game, its almost jaw dropping.
Since the summer, we have lost both of the only 2 returning starters we had on the offensive line. First Battle and now Norton who is out. Add in that we have also lost the number 1 returning skill player and only thousand yard player from last year's offense in Mike Williams. Add in that we lost our starting place kicker and that's a lot for most teams to pack up and go home. But that's not where it ends.
On defense, it was bad enough having to replace 8 starters and 11 key players on that side, but we lost Korrin Wiggins and DJ Reader, which were two of the only returning players we had with starts under their belt. Add in that we lost two highly ranked players who were expected to be high snap reserve players in Ogundeko and Rogers and it would prove to be a dire situation for most teams.
What does it say about the depth of this roster that we can overcome the graduation of the number of key players that we did, followed by a nightmarish level of attrition this off season and early in the season with this many returning key players out and we are still viewed as a top 10 team and expected to do big things? We are either overestimated and ranked too high, or our coaches have done an unbelieveable job stacking and developing talent at a rate that most programs, even the elite ones, have not.
I guess we will go a long way toward answering that question tonight. I hope we kick ass and put everyone else on notice. But in the back of my mind, when I reflect back on all of those key losses, the number of young players playing in their first real test, on the road, with practically 2 days practice, it makes me feel crazy to think we should be 7 point favorites.
Tonight will answer a lot of questions about this team. I hope we get the answers we are looking for. I hope our coaches have been able to develop something and overcome challenges most great programs can't. This game can't get here and be over soon enough, because I'm tired of wondering.
