Yostal

December 10th, 2009 at 6:42 PM ^

I think the link is more in the minds of Michigan fans (here and elsewhere) than nationally, but I do think that you will start seeing dots connected backwards, particularly in the local media if Kelly starts winning at Notre Dame right away and Michigan struggles (or even if it doesn't.)

"Michigan, this guy was there, in Cincinnati, he had coached in Allendale and in Mount Pleasant, and you went for the flashy choice rather than the proven winner."

Please understand, I do not believe this, but I suspect there will be some who will make that connection, here or elsewhere.

enlightenedbum

December 10th, 2009 at 6:35 PM ^

First comment on Dr. Saturday's post about this slayed me:

Longtime ND fan... and I feel so much disapoinment over this choice. Tommy Tuberville was there , showed interest , had a blueprint to fix us... and they chose this guy.
here we go again all over.

bronxblue

December 10th, 2009 at 8:29 PM ^

Good hire by ND, but of course people were saying that about the last few guys. The one difference with Kelly, of course, is that he has shown some success at a variety of schools, though he has also shown a desire to move on to a better program after a handful of years (GVSU being the one exception). He will win at ND, and probably quicker than RR because he, in theory at least, has some good players in the pipeline. Sure, they are not great fits, but going 4-5 wide and passing seems somewhat easier to implement with inexperienced players than a read-option. The defense is another issue, and it will be essential for him to pick a good DC and give him some space.

I suspect he'll struggle next year with inexperience and a tough schedule (see Beeks below), but by 2011 expect ND to challenge for a BCS berth.

WolverineEagle

December 10th, 2009 at 8:48 PM ^

If he can recover from the knee injury in time, ND will have a shot at a decent team. Crist-Allen-Floyd-Randolph is a pretty good set of skill players. ND will have to replace 4 OL starters.

Defensively, ND was awful this year. Whomever Kelly hires will get alot of slack.

jv

December 10th, 2009 at 10:27 PM ^

Chris Stewart has a 5th year available and Trevor Robinson will be a JR. They are probably the two best OL that ND has though. I assume Robinson will be the RT next year. Wenger will move back to the starting center spot that he had the previous two years. Watt will be the RG and Romine the LT.