Those are games where ND uncharacteristicly laid an egg but were a far better team than what it showed. In each of those games ND was probably the better team but for whatever reason just didn’t show up. Yes, Clemson is the better team, but I don’t think we were so overmatched that we couldn’t have won if we played up to our potential. In 2012 against Bama we were pushed around and bullied. That gives me hope that we are getting much closer. Kelly (and the players themselves) need to figure out how to not let that happen again. At least not at the worst time.
Clemson 2018: QB physically & mentally unable to compete and his OC didn't help.
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It is obvious that Ian Book is no Kyler Murray. But let's get real. Notre Dame's offensive line has been the weakest link of this team all year long. When they are at their best, they are consistently inconsistent, but usually, they are horrible. What is astounding about it, is Notre Dame's most highly ranked recruits are usually offensive linemen. Yet, none of these recruits with the exception of maybe Aaron Banks has looked like a 4 star recruit (for whatever that's worth) If you watch the offensive line play against Clemson, it was no different than what we saw against Michigan and Pitt. If not for the raw talent of Dexter Williams for much of the season, their inability to control the line of scrimmage would have even been more obvious. Not only did they lack a physical presence, but the mental errors (false starts, missed assignments, whiffing on blocks) were constant drive killers against just about every team they played. So we can criticize Brian Kelly, second guess Chip Long, mock Ian Book for resembling Tommy Rees, and trash Brandon Wimbush. Maybe they deserve it, to some degree. But football is not rocket science. If your guys up front don't block effectively, you are not going to move the ball consistently, and against really good teams, you are probably not going to score too many points.
Worst performance offensively in a bowl game this year... How anyone could let Kelly/Long off the hook for that epic failure is beyond category....
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boys?
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