re: Crowton is staying

Why are Jimbo and Crowton the "knuckleheads" instead of Miles? He is CLEARLY changing plays in between the coach's box and the field.

How else do you explain all of the delay of games/wasted time-outs to avoid? That crap has been going on un-checked since Miles got here. Jimbo was even heard clearly on the TV broadcast in the Arky game screaming something to the effect of run the f---ing play I called.

How does Crowton get blamed for the short-side options? I never saw him run that with Dennis Dixon or at LA Tech.

I DO believe that we need an OC who has strong QB development skills but Miles ran one off already in his first year. And he pulled back the reins on the DC that liked to blitz and keeps replacing him with non-blitzing, bend-but-don't-break guys who leave the D out on the field increasing the chances of an opponent's big play/blown coverage/missed tackle/block-in-the-back-on-brandon-taylor and decreasing the number of offensive snaps (and thus the chances of an oppenent's blown coverage/missed tackle

the buck stops at the top but everyone keeps blaming Miles' coordinators

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I get the vibe from kelly that hes the next dan hawkins or dirk koetter

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Those situations are markedly different, since there is a vast body of work for Kelly, showing his awesomeness.

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My best guess:

Crowton is gone, he knows it and so does Les. But, they are playing coy with recruits/media saying he's staying and that's the plan. All the while they are working backchannels trying to find Crowton a job and his replacement.

Shortly after the bowl game Crow is announced at a new job (like Malleveto last year) and the prospects for the OC are lined up and ready to interview already...

For now I think they are developing a list of interested candidates and putting out feelers. They'll let GC coach through the bowl and make sure he has work lined up just because that's Les' style...

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good god I hope you're right

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TheFranchise

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Excellent post.

You guys discussing HC changes are VERY premature. Additionally, you're all suggesting the wrong replacements even if a HC change were to be considered. Gary Patterson @ TCU is the best match for LSU.

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Just seems odd that they'd bring in all of the offensive assts. before hiring a new OC. That's why I don't think Crowton is going anywhere.

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Different situations imo.

The openings left by Porter and McCarthy are known absences.

At the time the switch in entire defensive staff was "unknown".

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Miles isn't going to fire Crowton. Its all contingent upon GC getting another position.

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Right. And he will.. thus the "Crowton isn't going anywhere" jazz..

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built-in recruiting base

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and if you think ND doesnt then you are a fool. If we arent winning titles then kids outside of the south dont know who we are.

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and if you think ND doesnt then you are a fool.

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What recruiting base is built in for them to dominate? What state can they raid at will?

Regional recruiting is the norm for most schools. They have to battle it out for recruits mainly within their state, somewhat regionally, and a bit nationally. The talent pool is thinned out. However, there are a handful of schools that can dominate recruiting in the states where they are located. The kings of college football are those schools, mostly because they are in the states which are the greatest producers of D1 and NFL talent. Their depth can be supplied by homegrown sources of blue-chippers. The regional and national recruits they get are not the foundation of their success. Notre Dame is not one of those schools. ND needs those recruits, and they have to compete to get them.

USC-California
Texas-Texas
LSU-Louisiana
Bama-Alabama
Florida-Florida
OSU-Ohio

As long as these schools dominate those hotbeds of talent, national recruiting schools like Tennessee and ND will continue to struggle regaining past glories. They can cherry-pick national recruits here and there, but those players can't fill out a roster. ND will continue to be inhibited from gaining talented depth, especially on defense.

Climate has something to do with it as well. States in warmer climates consistently produce defensive front 7’s with power AND quickness. The defensive size and speed of the South has been on display in BCS games over and over. For example, I think the embrace of variants of the spread “offense” by many Big 10 programs is mainly to give them a tremendous edge against the slow defensive front 7’s in their conference. However, there is also the strong possibility that they are embracing spread offenses in the hope that they will be able to mitigate the size/speed advantage of the schools from warmer climes in OOC and Bowl games. The Big 10 will continue to get its arse kicked by the dominant Southern schools otherwise.

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If we arent winning titles then kids outside of the south dont know who we are.

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Then, we were winning titles without them. It is another piece of evidence for the assertion that the South has more talent across the spectrum of positions than the North. Bad news for Ole Notre Lame.