Well…Son. Of. A. Bitch. Notre Dame let a game they were in control of get away…again. And again. And again. Same old (going back to Davie) story. Luckily, it was the Champs Sports Bowl, after an 8-4 season, so nobody was watching. Still, it would have been nice to win a game that the Irish should have won, and it would have been nice to beat a Florida school.

On to my thoughts.

ND vs. FSU-5 Things I Think:

1.) I think that beyond doubt, it is time to fully open the Notre Dame QB competition. An I mean “open” in the sense that some poor girl got cheated on, got into an entire bottle of wine, and had access to Facebook on her mobile is “open”. “Open” like 7-11. I mean, Brian Kelly needs to give Andrew Hendrix and Everett Golson EVERY opportunity to unseat Tommy Rees. Rees is a solid backup. He is okay if his team’s talent is better than the opponent’s talent. That’s it. He can’t even really be called a game manager (the ultimate backhanded quarterback compliment), because he turns the ball over too much. He isn’t getting better either, he’s getting worse. The interceptions in Florida State territory were inexcusable–Period. Especially for a quarterback that has the game experience he now does.

2.) I think Michael Floyd screwed the Irish over. Not because he wasn’t in the game at the end–as some believe. I don’t know the extent of his injury, or how much say he had himself as far as getting back into the game, so I will believe he really couldn’t go, or the coaching staff held him out despite his desire to get back into the game. Even though the fan(atic) in me wanted to give him the Jay Cutler treatment in the moment, calling him all sorts of names hinting that he lacks male genitalia, Floyd has been a selfless team player (risking injury at punt return, for example) since he donned a gold helmet, and I have to believe that didn’t change with the fourth quarter winding down at Florida State. However, he IS the team’s best player, the best pure wide receiver in school history, and he didn’t come up huge when his team needed it most. He left some plays on the field, including an inexplicable drop of a sure touchdown and the best deep pass Tommy Rees will ever throw in his life. In a game where points came at a premium, Floyd can’t drop a sure touchdown.

3.) I think the coaching staff needs to stick with what works. As in the defensive gameplan. Lots of moving, twists, stunts, and blitzing, gave way to Diaco’s preferred “bend but don’t break” in the third quarter. A slow, tortuous death it turned out to be. Look, despite the pained look on Lou Holtz’s face at ESPN studios, despite him questioning the strategy (which Holtz never does), that is not why I think this. Given a lead, Holtz (who was guilty in his day as well), and just about every other coach in the world get conservative, because staying aggressive and getting burnt for it will lead to a public skewering by the outside mob. It’s a risk management strategy. I get it, but I don’t like it. I like going with what is working. The first time I went to a restaurant and ordered steak, I loved it. So, call me crazy, but I keep ordering steak. Even if the lobster might work too. This is an oversimplification, and a I truly understand the pressure a coach feels to “play it safe”, and go with soft coverages, but in the long run, they will all get fired anyway. So, say “to hell with it”, stop worrying about the status quo and criticism, find something that works, and if for a certain game it means being aggressive, keep doing what is working. Just an opinion.

4.) I think that the Irish need more playmakers, please. The Irish have more overall athleticism than they have had in years. They are close to having the talent needed. But, the “skill” positions kill. Defensive backs that can’t “man up”, and receivers after Floyd and Eifert that can’t get open. FSU didn’t necessarily “out athlete” ND, but they had receivers like Rashad Greene and Bert Reed make some huge plays. As I stated earlier, Floyd missed opportunities, and the receivers other than Eifert (who was phenomenal with acrobatic catches) did nothing. This recruiting class, with Greenberry and possibly Neal at receiver, along with Shepard and Darby at defensive back, is of the utmost importance to Notre Dame’s future.

5.) I think that Kelly better be honest when he says he will assess everything, including the way he coaches. He has two 8-5 seasons, hit team didn’t get better as the season went on (though they are better than when he started two years ago by a significant margin), and he hasn’t run his the true version of his offense yet. It is time to do some soul-searching. Everything from philosophy to the type of toothpaste he uses.

For “recruitniks”, the college football equivalent of Star Wars nerds, late December to the first week in February is an extremely exciting/maddening time. We look at recruiting sites, follow Twitter feeds, post on message boards (I must admit, I perused some message boards for the first time, desperate to find any kind of info that “reliable sources” might have, and truth be told, I’d probably rather be caught masturbating than on a message board), etc. Despite the sadness of this, the fact is recruiting well is the most important thing a college football program can do–period. So, if you are a crazy enough fan, it makes sense that you could eventually start following where the best of the best high schoolers are looking to play their college football. It’s almost like reaching for hope. Scouring recruiting sites to learn what recruiting experts who do nothing but watch high school film think of your school’s efforts is way to gauge the future. If Rivals.com says a school has a bright future, well, it takes away the sting of another 6-win season. Shoot, college football and sports in general are as much about hope and looking for a brighter future as anything else in life.

Perhaps nothing stirs hope in the recruiting world like the the fight for the commitment of a recruiting service’s #1 quarterback. Possibly gaining the pledge of the creme de la creme at the sports most important position is sort of like gaining the keys to a million dollar inheritance at 18. Your football team has the world by the balls, the rest is just details. This year, for the Irish and many others, that player was Gunner Kiel. His story was “The Gunner Kiel Saga”.

Pro-style quarterback. Good athleticism. NFL-size before he even enrolls in college. Big arm. Accurate arm. Mr. Indiana in football. 40 total touchdowns this year (28 throwing), and only 4 picks. All of the big boys offered him. Basically, college coaches wanted him like rap video producers want models with big booties.

The Irish thought they had him. The kid was an in-state player, grew up as an Irish fan, and his uncle Blair even played quarterback for Notre Dame in the late 70’s/early 80’s. Also, with an unsettled quarterback situation, the kid had a shot to play right away. Oh, and finally, he and the family understood the value of a Notre Dame degree.

Then, he confused the hell out of everyone when he committed to…Indiana. Yep, the Indiana Hoosiers. With no intention of playing basketball. WTF? When he came to his senses and reneged on his Indiana commit, the smart money was on the Irish once again.

Then it was down to three. ND (football and education). Vanderbilt (education). LSU (football, really, really good football). Gunner wanted to enroll in January, so he had to announce soon. But, just when many thought he would just go ahead and get going with ND, the sounds of silence were all that was heard. This kid was playing it close to the vest. Word came out he would choose before Christmas. Then it was by Christmas. Nothing. Finally, two days after Christmas, Gunner pulled the trigger.

LSU was the winner. Too bad for ND.

I can’t say ND hearts are broken, but it is never nice to miss out on a 5-star. The truth is, there will be another Gunner Kiel next year, and the next, and the next. But, Brian Kelly is really working hard to build up momentum in his program, and with recruiting being more high profile than ever, it is not good for perception to be spurned by such a high-profile recruit. Kelly will have to hit on some of the other big names left (Neal, Shumate, Wright) by February 1st to ensure a top 10 class (whether you believe in rankings or not, look at the names of the schools every year in Rivals’ “top 10s”–they tend to be pretty good teams).

Finally, the fans that scream about ND being the best choice due to the balance of football and academics should take note. Kiel is a kid that knows the score, knows the numbers, knows who graduates players, and still, he chose the elite football school in the premier football conference. No disrespect to LSU’s academics (a kid can be a success with a degree from many institutions of higher learning), but when compared to ND and Vanderbilt, Gunner clearly made a football first choice (he talked about how excited he was to play in the SEC to get ready for the NFL). That is fine. In fact, that is what many of the nation’s elite base their choice on. The situation is what it is. Elite kids want (and believe wholeheartedly) they will have a football future. If “The Gunner Kiel Saga” teaches ND fans anything, it is that academics are fine, but, for the best recruits, football is king. The Irish football program will have to stand with these giants of the playing field, on the field, if it is ever to become an “it” program among the very best recruits in the nation again.

One week until the Irish clash with Florida State. Not a lot of new news, but here a some of the notes anyways.

-All of the quarterbacks are getting work. Rees is working on reading “drop 8″ coverages, Hendrix and Golson are getting more experience within the offense and a game environment. Word is that Rees is amazed that some quarterbacks can use their legs for more than just standing, and that BK is working on a new “LA-Z-Boy” formation to confound the Seminoles. Rees just sits his ass in an extremely comfortable leather recliner and hopes to get the ball out before he gets overturned and spills his popcorn.

-All of the young kids are getting extra reps too, and the team is going “full-go” during scrimmage time. With all of the time off between the regular season and bowl game, bowl practices should follow this slogan: Gotta Hit.

-Charlie Molnar is concentrating 100% on his new UMass job. Umm…who’s Charlie Molnar? Oh, the offensive coordinator who doesn’t run this offense or call plays. BK will be fine.

-The young Florida kids, Louis Nix and Aaron Lynch, are excited to showcase their talents in their home state. They just can’t get too excited as far as running their mouths (especially Nix), instead of working on their games, which will have an adverse effect on this game (both by a lack of concentration on the Irish players, and extra motivation for FSU). Even though FSU kids like Arrington Jenkins probably can’t read, BK is sure they can decipher bulletin board material–even if it doesn’t come in a pop-up picture book. As for the Irish kids, they must continue to be better in practice to reach their potential.

-Eifert is still undecided about going pro. Flip a coin, then. I want to know now.

-The problem with playing FSU is that their defensive line “doesn’t stay blocked”. They are big and athletic, and all they do is go after the football. That is just crazy enough to work (Hopefully, BK and Diaco will continue to recruit defenders that do the same–that is the plan as to how the best coaches like Les Miles build programs). The Irish offensive line needs to have a gameplan like: “Strike those guys really hard, get our hands under their pads, move the feet, and most of all, stop them from getting to the football.”

-There was also some talk about the permanence of Theo Riddick’s move to running back. Hopefully, yes he stays there, otherwise BK will have struck out on recruiting good receivers.