Superpowers hoard talent, leaving ND, others behind
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is clearly tired of the question: Do the Fighting Irish have something to prove as they again prepare to take on one of college football’s elite teams in the College Football Playoff?
“No, I mean, we’re knocking on the door every year playing really good teams and great opponents,” Kelly said. “I don’t know why this narrative continues to pop up when we’re always in the games.”
What often gets categorized as a Notre Dame problem is actually a major college football problem. A tiny group of teams have bolted away from the field simply because they are accumulating far more talent than their competitors.
The elite high school players are clustering at a small number of schools and creating an almost insurmountable gap between the very best and the rest.
No. 4 Notre Dame heads into its latest referendum game against No. 1 Alabama on Friday in the relocated Rose Bowl semifinal in Texas as a nearly three-touchdown underdog. In the other semifinal, a more fair fight is expected between No. 2 Clemson and No. 3 Ohio State at the Sugar Bowl.
Kelly has raised Notre Dame football to its highest level since Lou Holtz led the school to its last national title in 1988. The Irish are 43-7 over the last four years.
Still, Notre Dame drags into the playoff the recent memories of a BCS blowout against the Tide in 2013, a lopsided semifinal loss to Clemson two seasons ago and a sixgame losing streak in BCS/ New Year’s Six games that dates to the 2000 Fiesta Bowl.
“No, we haven’t won a na
tional championship, that’s correct,” Kelly said. “I’m not changing the record. But we are there every single year and we’re grinding it out just like everybody else. And only one team gets to celebrate at the end of the year.”
Alabama came into the season with 12 former fivestar recruits and 58 former four stars on its roster. Alabama has signed 41 top 100 recruits from 2017-20.
Ohio State has 14 former five stars — including quarterback Justin Fields — and 52 four stars. The Buckeyes have signed 25 top 100 recruits from 2017-20.
Clemson’s numbers: 11 former five-stars — the most important being QB Trevor Lawrence — 35 four stars and 23
top 100 signees from 2017-20.
Notre Dame tries to recruit at that level, too. But the results are not the same.
The Irish came into this season with the eighth-most talented roster in the country, right behind Florida and ahead of Oklahoma.
In fact, 247’s ratings have this as the most talented Notre Dame roster since the recruiting website started tallying up scores in 2015. The Irish are still way short of the other three playoff teams.
The Irish have two former five-star recruits in fifth-year senior guard Tommy Kraemer and freshman tight end Michael Mayer and 44 fourstar recruits. From 2017-20, Notre Dame signed 14 top 100 players.