This list is now well inside the top-25. The previous tiers are below if you'd like a refresher. A Win is a Win (Tier Five) Oh, I remember that One (Tier Four) I'm glad I made Time for That (Tier Three) Remember that the formula for this is [(Excitement at the time + Quality of [...]
Now we're finally getting somewhere! Some of these games had serious legacy ramifications for the Brian Kelly era and Notre Dame football as a whole. Part One and the bottom tier can be found here, while Part Two is here. Remember that the formula for this is [(Excitement at the time + Quality of Opponent) [...]
This is the next tier of wins for Brian Kelly at Notre Dame, where the competition is a little stiffer and the product on the field a little better. Â Remember that the formula for this is [(Excitement at the time + Quality of Opponent) * Legacy]. All of these factors are graded on a scale [...]
With the end of the 2019 football season, Notre Dame football wrapped up its tenth season under Brian Kelly's stewardship. Since 2010, Kelly has amassed a 92-37 record and a unique legacy with the Irish, being among the most successful coaches in ND football history yet still looking for the elusive national championship. This series [...]
These are the top eight teams to make the playoff using the criteria I invented. If you missed the first two installment of this series, you can find 24-17 here and 16-9 here. Here is a quick reminder of the criteria set out for ranking these teams: Overall ranking is an average of SP+, FEI, [...]
This is the second installment of the CFB Playoff Team rankings, you can find the first one right here. Here's a reminder of the criteria I'm using for these rankings: Overall ranking is an average of SP+, FEI, and ESPN FPI from that respective season. Same goes for the offense and defense ranking. Margin of [...]
The 2020-2021 season (assuming that it still happens) will mark the seventh year of the College Football Playoff. With six years of data under our belts and a national quarantine underway, now is as good a time as ever to draw some sweeping conclusions in an 18S series about what it takes to be a [...]
Ten years ago, Notre Dame football was in crisis. Charlie Weis had just been let go and Brian Kelly was about to start his rebuild of the program. The 2009 season was over without a bowl game and the Irish were once again stepping into the unknown. The finale of this series will discuss the [...]
Ten years ago this week, Jack Swarbrick made one of the most consequential decisions in Notre Dame football history in hiring the 29th head coach of the Fighting Irish. This installment is no longer Charlie Weis' Last Stand, but instead the first glimpse at Brian Kelly. Previous Entries Preseason Nevada Michigan Michigan State Purdue Washington [...]
When this series began, a top-25 Notre Dame under Charlie Weis walloped Nevada to begin a hopeful 2009 season. Three months later, the Irish staggered into Palo Alto after three straight losses hoping to send their doomed coach out with a victory against a growing nemesis in the West. Previous Entries Preseason Nevada Michigan Michigan [...]
Last week, the Irish lost to #12 Pitt at Heinz Field and Charlie Weis' fate was effectively sealed. As this series winds down, we'll take a look at the last home game of the Weis Era against UConn. Previous Entries Preseason Nevada Michigan Michigan State Purdue Washington USC Boston College Washington State Navy Pitt One [...]
In the previous installment of this series, Notre Dame unloaded an automatic rifle into both of its feet in losing to Navy at home. This week, the Irish were faced with a must-win game at #12 Pitt. Previous Entries Preseason Nevada Michigan Michigan State Purdue Washington USC Boston College Washington State Navy Do or Die [...]
When Charlie Weis became Notre Dame head coach in late-2004, he hired David Cutcliffe as his first offensive coordinator. Cutcliffe had just been fired by Ole Miss after his only losing season in Oxford, a mistake the Rebels would come to regret. However, Cutcliffe suffered a heart attack just before fall camp in 2005 and [...]
The title says it all, doesn't it? Ten years ago this week, Notre Dame suffered a catastrophic loss at home to Navy. It marked the true beginning of the end for the Weis era. Previous Entries Preseason Nevada Michigan Michigan State Purdue Washington USC Boston College Washington State It Can't Happen Twice, Can it? On [...]
Last week, the Irish were lucky to escape at home against Boston College in their first victory over the Eagles since 2000. The Irish went on the road to play moribund Washington State the following week, but not in Pullman. Instead, this week marked the first ever Shamrock Series game, and the final victory of [...]
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