What happend to one of College Football's greatest traditions?, they haven't had a Heisman Trophy winner in a while, they keep opening up the season with a loss, just like this year for the 15th time, they haven't won a National Championship in almost 20 years, & why do so many people hate Notre Dame?, why are there so many USC fans?, I'm sure most USC fans are just being part of the band-wagon, because I remember the days when USC did not have Pete Carroll as Head Coach yet, & nobody even bothered talking about USC, anyway, back to the question, why hasn't Notre Dame been recruiting good players like they used to?, overall, what happend to College Football's most storied program?
2007-09-03 00:24:46 · 12 answers · asked by introvertedguy06 6 in Sports ➔ Football (American)
Lou Holtz seems to think they will win 10 games this year. That shows what an idiot that old man really is.
2007-09-03 03:42:51 · answer #1 · answered by ♠KPT STYLE♠ 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They've had a tough time recruiting really solid players like they used to get. Holtz did a great job doing so, but no one else has been able to since he left. I agree with the "two" previous posters (although they were the same exact answer) on the TV point. USC, Florida, Miami, and Texas have gotten a lot of exposure due to the influx of new networks...especially the dozens of ESPN channels and Fox Sports Networks.
The last two seasons, the Irish have had good seasons due to weak schedules. The toughest teams they played were Michigan and USC and they lost to both. After that, the toughest team was probably Michigan State. If they ever joined a conference (which would never happen...ND would lose too much money) they would probably join the Big East. Then, their toughest conference opponent would be either Louisville, West Virginia, or Rutgers. That could help their strength of schedule debate.
The reason they haven't had a Heisman winner is because no one has been worthy...period. Brady Quinn was the closest and he couldn't win a big game to save his life. Yeah, he put up big numbers and looked good on paper, but I would too if I played teams like Navy, Army, Stanford, Air Force, and North Carolina. Any time he saw a big time football program like Michigan, USC, and LSU he choked, and he struggled against Michigan State. You'll see the same from him in Cleveland.
Basically, it all comes down to recruiting. In the 90's, the boom of TV Sports networks has brought other schools to the attention of all great high school players across the country. Before that, Notre Dame was known as the best everywhere...USC was just a west coast power. Kids would flock to South Bend to play for the Irish. Now, they see more options and ND has to recruit better.
And people keep talking about Pete Carroll and USC because they keep producing powerhouse teams and Heisman trophy winners. They've had three winners in the past five or six years and they have another contender this year. You can't argue with their talent level.
2007-09-03 09:38:24 · answer #2 · answered by bluejacket8j 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Notre Dame is the most storied program in college football history but they're also the most overrated program in the last 15 year or so. They're 0-9 in their last nine bowls games, they're overrated every year for about 10 years, they get BCS bowl bid in year which they don't deserved to get and then they get blowout in that BCS Bowl. This is a new millennium, peoples don't really want to go to ND anymore, theirs are other schools that is better than ND to go to, weather is a big factor for most of the kids now a day, Sunshine is where it's at now. And ND recruits hasn't been as good, as year past, ND mystique is not there, so recruit just ditch ND and choose others school, notably USC, FLORIDA AND LSU. I don't see how ND gonna be that great school, that Mystique of being a Domer is all what it crack up to be anymore. The landscape is changing in college football and ND is out in the COLD.
2007-09-03 13:17:21 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I respectfully disagree with part of your analysis.
Notre Dame probably gets more TV money than any other team. Why? Because they have sooooo many fans.
That fan-base has allowed them to stay as an "independent" and still schedule great teams ---- Michigan, USC, Penn State.
As far as why they don't do well, pay attention to (1) they've had terrible coaches --- it would take time for the team to recruit top kids and (2) warm weather schools do well nowadays ---- USC, Florida, LSU.
College teams can practice harder all year in warmer climates.
2007-09-03 10:27:00 · answer #4 · answered by Duminos 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you been to South Bend? Compare them with other venues... Plus the academics, when the recruiting speech starts with academics, the parents are impressed and the kids are depressed. But I truly believe that it has been a shift in the attitude of the top recruits - They look at the number of big time players in the NFL from FLA, LSU, USC, and the like and think... that's where I want to be! Additionally, you have a team without a conference, doesn't sound like much? well think of the bowl money that goes to THE WHOLE CONFERENCE, raising all the boats in that conference (to use an economic perspective).
2007-09-09 20:52:37 · answer #5 · answered by ushka_wulu 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
For 40 years Notre Dame had an unfair advantage because they were the only team that played on TV every week and could recruit off of that. Now, every good team is on TV every week and the playing field is level.
2007-09-03 11:47:45 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I get the feeling the posts above are from the same person, since they are exactly the same...and anyway, they're full of crap...
Notre Dame IS tougher to get into than PARTY schools such as Miami and USC...and there is truth to the fact that they refuse to accept lower than a certain academic level...Notre Dame has always been about academics first...If you know anything about Notre Dame and have seen old interviews with Knute Rockne, it is clear...I think it has been tough for Notre Dame to recruit since Lou Holtz left...until Charlie Weis...and recruits know Weis was in the NFL coaching before ND...So, he finally has started to get his own players...The last 4 years...Quinn,, the awful defense, etc...were all recruited by Willingham...and Weis still won with them, although not a bowl game yet...The future is gonna get brighter really quick...
2007-09-03 08:43:31 · answer #7 · answered by Terry C. 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
There are several factors here. The biggest reason is television. Back in the early 1990s college football exploded from a TV standpoint. That type of TV exposure let kids from all over the country see what games are like in sunny warmer states like Florida, California, Georgia, etc.
Kids saw they could be playing in front of sunny skies where its nice and warm and there are beautiful girls screaming in the stands wearing not much at all. Kids also got to see how passionate other schools were about football as well. If you were a high school kids, would you rather be playing in the warm sunshine or in miserable weather and grey skies with heavy set girls bundled up in parkas?
Notre Dame was always known by everyone, but now all of sudden schools like Miami, UF, and Georgia are on the map too. This impacts more than just ND. Traditional cold-weather schools everywhere feel it. Penn State, Michigan, Nebraska -- all traditional powerhouses who have taken steps back. For additional proof, check recent national champs from the last 5 years or so. Florida, Texas, USC, LSU -- all warm weather schools. Only OSU has been able to buck the trend, and it won't change this year either.
Second is academics. Notre Dame doesn't bend nearly as much here as SEC schools do. A lot of these kids just can't meet Notre Dame standards (Randy Moss being case study #1).
Third is culture. Notre Dame is VERY "old school". Proper, tradition heavy, conservative, religious. That culture is a tough sell to inner city kids in Dallas, who much prefer the culture at a school like Miami.
Fourth is arrogance. For a long time Notre Dame didn't have to recruit. They were better than everyone, so kids just came to them. When the landscape changed, Notre Dame didn't. They still felt like they were better than everyone and that kids should want to be there, but in reality they weren't. Thus they really fell behind in recruiting, and only now are catching up.
Lastly, it is a bit of "be careful what you wish for." TV is a double-edged sword. Notre Dame is the only school with their own TV network, so when you stink, the whole nation sees it every week. When they started to slip, they slipped fast.
As to USC, their popularity is merely bandwagon popularity. Kids grow up wanting to root for who is good, and USC is the best right now. As those kids grow, it is easy to stick with USC while they win.
When USC hits a down cycle they will fade a bit in popularity, just like Miami is right now.
True Blue -- PLEASE REMOVE YOUR COPY OF MY POST. GLAD YOU AGREE WITH ME, BUT HOW ABOUT PUTTING IT IN YOUR OWN WORDS INSTEAD OF COPYING MINE WORD FOR WORD!
2007-09-03 08:05:04 · answer #8 · answered by h_charles 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Maybe it was only "storied" in the minds of ND fans. Half joking there. I believe the reason is they don't get as many
"blue chippers" from the south and southwest like they used to. Historically ND is one of the best football programs ever. The reason most of us hate ND is you act like you are the ONLY program that is great.. ..
2007-09-04 06:12:11 · answer #9 · answered by tidebackernpi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yup
2007-09-10 17:18:44 · answer #10 · answered by Brittany n 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋