Love this article from an Alabama beat writer

[ChrisParadise]

oh and as others have said before Finebaum is an idiot, i didnt even read the article after i saw his name at the top. his staged callers on his radio show are kind of funy though

 

[IrishTim]

Most of the stuff that can be said on this topic has already been hashed out. To people who question why he would come to ND after turning them down in '04: Meyer has repeatedly said that he wanted to be a good father first, on top of being a good football coach. At Florida he can recruit the best athletes in the country a few hours from his house, whereas at ND (and he knows from experience coaching here under Holtz), he would spend most nights in a hotel room away from his family. He did hint that once his kids went to college, it would be a serious discussion between himself and his wife. His words not mine.

As an ND fan, I would give my right arm to have Meyer coach ND just because I know we would be instant contenders for a national championship. I may very well be in the minority on this issue however. Many ND fans are still upset about the situation that unraveled in '04 and don't believe that someone who has 24 players arrested and has other questionable moral tendencies should be the coach at ND.

Personally, the culture of the 50k students at the big state school in Gainesville is a bit different than the one at ND where students are required to attend class, stay on campus for 3 years, etc. While he might not attend church every morning like Holtz did, Meyer would have no problem recruiting quality kids and still pile on top 5 classes year after year.

 

[bigtendominator]

Notre Dame's national advantage has disappeared with the increasing number of games on TV.

The advantage ND once held no longer exists. I think with ND's admissions policies, it will be very difficult for ND to reach previous levels. You need a certain number trouble makers on your team and ND is not as quick to allow it.

 

[IrishTim]

Notre Dame's national advantage has disappeared with the increasing number of games on TV.

The advantage ND once held no longer exists. I think with ND's admissions policies, it will be very difficult for ND to reach previous levels. You need a certain number trouble makers on your team and ND is not as quick to allow it.

It's sad to say, but I think you are right. The word was that one big reason, aside from the public "family" excuse, that Meyer didn't take the job was because ND refused to grant him his handful of "no-questions-asked" kids and Florida was more than willing.

The TV advantage, while diminishing as you say with all the other national TV games, is still there. Almost every kind from California (and the one from Hawaii) said that a big factor to making the leap and leaving USC/UCLA/Stanford territory was the fact that their families would be able to watch them on TV every Saturday.

But for helping them get into the NFL, the advantage of being on TV is almost gone. There are so many scouts today that if you go to Middle Tennessee State and star, you will be drafted highly.

 

[bigtendominator]

It's sad to say, but I think you are right. The word was that one big reason, aside from the public "family" excuse, that Meyer didn't take the job was because ND refused to grant him his handful of "no-questions-asked" kids and Florida was more than willing.

The TV advantage, while diminishing as you say with all the other national TV games, is still there. Almost every kind from California (and the one from Hawaii) said that a big factor to making the leap and leaving USC/UCLA/Stanford territory was the fact that their families would be able to watch them on TV every Saturday.

But for helping them get into the NFL, the advantage of being on TV is almost gone. There are so many scouts today that if you go to Middle Tennessee State and star, you will be drafted highly.

Ohio State, Michigan (maybe not last year), USC. Every game is on TV for them. With the exception of the Big 12, pretty much every game for the Big 10 and SEC is on TV.

 

[YourAllAmerican]

Ohio State, Michigan (maybe not last year), USC. Every game is on TV for them. With the exception of the Big 12, pretty much every game for the Big 10 and SEC is on TV.

Not nationally, every game, every year, broadcast TV. Notre Dame has got the sweetheart deal when it comes to television.

 

[MajorGCG]

Cannot agree with you on these two particular points. Notre Dame remains the Golden Boy of college football, even with a string of subpar coaches and no national championships in two decades. Notre Dame can make promises to recruits that no other school around can:

"Come here and be on national TV every week."

(To skill players) "Excel and you WILL be a Heisman candidate."

"Winning Notre Dame teams have the best shot at being in a national championship hunt compared to all other NCAA teams."

"They don't make movies about players from other schools."

In other words, those promises and that verifiable history of team and individual glory makes it easy for Notre Dame to get a foot in the door in whatever part of the country they want.



Don't put a lot of stock in denials like that. Nick Saban said there was no way he was leaving the Dolphins for Alabama.

I don't know if Urban Meyer would leave Florida to go to Notre Dame if the job was offered to him, and I don't know if it would be a wise move for him if he did, but I do know he and every other coach in the nation would think long and hard about it. I mean, managing the Angels is a great job, but it would be tough for Mike Scioscia to ignore the pinstripes if the Yankees came calling.

I'll believe Meyer before Saban all day every day. And recruiting is much easier at UF because you don't have to travel very far to have mountains of talent, the weather is better, and it's easier to get kids into school.

 

[YourAllAmerican]

it's easier to get kids into school.

That's the big thing working in Florida's favor, compared to Notre Dame. The Irish football program has really been hurt over the last 20 years by not making any wiggle room for potential players.

If ND never succeeds in getting another excellent coach and becoming a perennial power again, that'll be the reason why.

 

[MajorGCG]

That's the big thing working in Florida's favor, compared to Notre Dame. The Irish football program has really been hurt over the last 20 years by not making any wiggle room for potential players.

If ND never succeeds in getting another excellent coach and becoming a perennial power again, that'll be the reason why.

I don't know if I'd go that far. They are certainly capable of getting good recruits and it's FAR easier for them to make the BCS than any other school. Their contract is a JOKE that they get in the way they do.

 

[IrishTim]

I don't know if I'd go that far. They are certainly capable of getting good recruits and it's FAR easier for them to make the BCS than any other school. Their contract is a JOKE that they get in the way they do.

Why exactly is the contract a joke? Notre Dame is guaranteed a BCS selection if they finish in the top eight in the final poll. To guarantee themselves a BCS game, ND must finish higher than some conference champions each year.

In the eleven-year history of the BCS, nineteen BCS conference champions have finished below the top eight teams. Here they are:

2008-09: Cincinnati (#12), Virginia Tech (#19)
2007-08: West Virginia (#9), Illinois (#13)
2006-07: Oklahoma (#10), Wake Forest (#14)
2005-06: West Virginia (#11), Florida State (#22)
2004-05: Michigan (#13), Pittsburgh (#21)
2003-04: Miami (#9), Kansas State (#10)
2002-03: Florida State (#14)
2001-02: Maryland (#10), LSU (#13)
2000-01: Purdue (unranked)
1999-00: Stanford (unranked)
1998-99: Wisconsin (#9), Syracuse (#15)

In the three years Notre Dame played in BCS games, the Irish finished higher in the final BCS standings than Big Ten champion Purdue (2000-01), Big East champion West Virginia and ACC champion Florida State (2005-06) and Big 12 champion Oklahoma and ACC champion Wake Forest (2006-07).

Notre Dame has never been selected for any BCS games when they have lost more than two games in a season. In ten of the eleven years, BCS conference teams have played a BCS bowl with three losses or more—more than any Notre Dame BCS team.

2008-09: Virginia Tech (9-4), ACC Champion
2007-08: Illinois (9-3), At Large
2005-06: Florida State (8-4), ACC Champion
2004-05: Pitt (8-4), Big East Champion
2003-04: Kansas State (11-3), Big 12 Champion
2002-03: Florida State (9-4), ACC Champion
2001-02: LSU (9-3), SEC Champion
2000-01: Purdue (8-3), Big Ten Champion
1999-00: Stanford (8-3), Pac-10 Champion
1998-99: Syracuse (8-3), Big East Champion

Somehow, a three or four-loss BCS team confers a special dispensation from the criticism aimed at Notre Dame. Every BCS conference has a champion in that list. Of those ten teams, only Virginia Tech and LSU won their games. Only Illinois was an at-large selection.

Should Notre Dame qualify for a BCS berth, they will, with all statistical probability:

- finish higher than one or more BCS conference champions
- have a better record than one or more BCS conference champions
- meet stricter criteria than one or more BCS conference champions and a non-BCS qualifier

The Irish will also:

- earn less money after conference bowl distributions than BCS teams
- increase BCS TV ratings and revenue, making the BCS more attractive
- sell more tickets and bring in more revenue to cities than some BCS conference champions
- earn the BCS 2/3s of their payout

All this information can be found in "The Notre Dame Rule" article.

 

[MackDonald]

They make movies about "other Schools"; didn't you ever watch the "Longest Yard"? How soon they forget.

 

[YourAllAmerican]

They make movies about "other Schools"; didn't you ever watch the "Longest Yard"? How soon they forget.

That's true. And "Necessary Roughness." I have correct my previous post.