Midweek Musings: Notre Dame Offense Has A Chance To Get Right In October

There is plenty to discuss in this week's Midweek Musings, including the Notre Dame offense having a chance to get right in a hurry, the latest recruiting news and an early look at the College Football Playoff.

IRISH OFFENSE SHOULD GET RIGHT QUICK

For three games the Notre Dame offense was abysmal, but the unit started to get right in a 45-32 win over North Carolina. Coming out of the break the Irish have a chance to get right in a hurry, and should. Between now and the Nov. 5 matchup against Clemson, the Fighting Irish offense face four straight opponents that a well coached Notre Dame team should be able to handle.

It's a tremendous opportunity for Tommy Rees and the Notre Dame offense to figure some things out schematically, make personnel changes that are absolutely needed and to get the unit rolling.

Not one of Notre Dame's next four opponents ranks in the Top 50 of the Fremeau Efficiency Index. Only Syracuse ranks in the Top 50 in scoring defense, and that's due in large part to a 59-0 shutout victory over Wagner, a FCS opponent that is current 0-4 and has scored more than seven points just once this season.

BYU ranks 56th in defensive efficiency and 73rd in scoring defense.

Stanford ranks 99th in defensive efficiency and 115th in scoring defense.

UNLV ranks 90th in defensive efficiency and 53rd in scoring defense.

Syracuse ranks 10th in scoring defense but just 52nd in defensive efficiency.

BYU ranks 91st nationally in rushing yards allowed and Stanford ranks 124th in rush defense. UNLV ranks 97th in pass defense. All three defensive squads will lack the talent Notre Dame possesses up front or on the perimeter.

It's the kind of schedule that should allow junior quarterback Drew Pyne to get rolling, and for the offensive line to build on the performance we saw from it over the last six quarters, especially against North Carolina. The next three opponents rank 83rd (BYU), 67th (Stanford) and 41st (UNLV) in sacks per game, which should give the line a chance to keep Pyne clean, which will help him gain more and more confidence.

It also marks the perfect opportunity for Rees to force the issue with getting wide receiver Tobias Merriweather and tight ends Eli Raridon and Holden Staes more involved in the pass game. Whether or not Rees makes this happen remains to be seen, but it needs to happen .... now. If Rees is willing to get those three more involved it gives the offense three very young, but also extremely talented weapons to the pass game.

That only helps to widen the margin for error with the offense. There's nothing the offense can do to fix the lack of experience those three possess except to play them, but what can't be debated is any conversation that involves the most physical gifted players on the offense must include those three freshmen. They have the talent that overcomes the lack of experience, and it's up to Rees to figure out a way to get those three players more into the mix.

The schedule sets up perfectly to do that, and do it now.

TWO IMPORTANT 2023 OFFENSIVE TARGETS REMAIN

Notre Dame currently has a Top 5 recruiting class for 2023 and the Irish are hoping to add more and more to the class. There are two very, very important offensive targets left on the board that Notre Dame must get.

St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers running back Jeremiyah Love is inching closer and closer to a decision, and he'll be on campus in less than two weeks. The other must-get is Hayward (Calif.) Tennyson wide receiver Taeshaun Lyons, who included Notre Dame in his list of eight top schools.

Notre Dame has been Love's leader for months, no matter what might have been reported in other places. Love is HUGE on academics, has connected well with the Irish staff and 2023 commits, and he knows the fit he has at Notre Dame on and off the field.

Love could be used very much like what we see from junior running back Chris Tyree. They have different body types, with Love being 6-1 and 195 pounds, and Tyree being 5-9 and 197 pounds, but their games are similar. Love is an explosive athlete that is a home run threat in the run game and a legit weapon in the pass game. With him being four inches taller than Tyree he presents even more unique opportunities on the perimeter in the pass game.

Maybe Love isn't a 25+ carry back, but he can do with 15 touches what other backs need 20-25 touches to accomplish .... just like Tyree.

Lyons visited Notre Dame in September when the Irish took on Cal, and he included them in his top eight. He is expected to make a decision in October, but I could see things dragging out a bit longer. Notre Dame has put itself in very, very good position with Lyons, but other schools are pushing hard for him as well. Notre Dame finally showing something in the pass game would help their cause, but Lyons - like Love - is also a high academic young man that sees the bigger picture with Notre Dame.

Will that be enough? We'll see, but I'd rather be Notre Dame right now with both players than anyone else.

Love is ranked as the No. 63 player nationally on the On3 consensus ranking and No. 65 on the 247Sports composite ranking. Landing him would provide the class with a huge, huge boost.

Lyons is still wildly underrated by Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN, but On3 ranks him as the nation's No. 129 overall player.

Landing both would give Notre Dame a huge shot in the arm from a rankings standpoint, but even more importantly it would give the Irish a pair of explosive, dynamic players that the offensive staff wants and needs to add much more of to the roster.

EARLY PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

With five weeks of the season now behind us the College Football Playoff is finally coming within view. It's a very, very distant view, but we are getting there. Each week I'm going to give my thoughts on how the playoff is impacted by what happened on the field. Here's my initial ranking of the teams I would put in the top four and the top contenders.

No. 1 - Ohio State Buckeyes (5-0)
No. 2 - Georgia Bulldogs (5-0)
No. 3 - Clemson Tigers (5-0)
No. 4 - Alabama Crimson Tide (5-0)

I have Georgia No. 1 in my IB Top 25, but that's a different criteria, one that I've created. In this ranking I'm trying to go with how I believe the CFP committee should rank teams based on their criteria. Ohio State has the best win of the group (in my view) and they've yet to play a game within 11 points. Georgia has had back-to-back rough games and Clemson, while good, just hasn't looked as good. Alabama is there as well, but they have some holes as well and their win over Arkansas is good, but not as good after they lost to Texas A&M.

Next in line:

Oklahoma State - Right now the Cowboys are undefeated (4-0) and the highest ranked team in the Big 12. Considering how good they were last year, the fact they have yet to lose (or play a close game) puts them in great position.

USC - Right now USC is the Pac 12's best chance. Oregon and Utah are all but out due to their week one losses, and both would need some chaos to get in. USC is undefeated and has to play Notre Dame, so they have chances to win some big games. If they run the table they'll be hard to keep out.

Michigan - I have Michigan lower here because they haven't looked great against better competition and I think they'll get waxed by Ohio State. The reality, however, is that as an undefeated team the Wolverines are in the mix. I just don't think it will be for much longer.

Tennessee - Tennessee has been a quality team so far this year, and their defense is improved. Their offensive weapons need to get and stay healthy as the competition ramps up. They get a chance for a big road win this weekend at LSU, and the Vols host Alabama and play at Georgia. If they split those two they'll have a shot.

Ole Miss - Ole Miss is on here because they are undefeated and have a big win on their resume (Kentucky). I don't see this lasting very long either, as the Rebels travel to LSU, Texas A&M and Arkansas, and Lane Kiffin's team also hosts Alabama and Mississippi State. I'll be shocked if they lose fewer than two games.

TCU/Kansas - Don't laugh, they have both looked very good so far. The winner of this weekend's matchup will be one of only two Big 12 teams to remain undefeated. Laugh all you want, but if either team goes 13-0 they'll be in the CFP, and a 12-1 squad will have a chance as well.

TWEET OF THE WEEK

This is a really cool video interview with Notre Dame cornerback commit Micah Bell, which includes a couple of really impressive highlights.

Micah Bell from the Kinkaid School is pure speed personified. Whether he's on offense, defense, or special teams, when Bell gets in the open field, he's a problem. He is committed to @NDFootball and is our week 7 @ParkUniv MVP Bobblehead recipient. @Bell11M @KinkaidAthletic pic.twitter.com/5CeFugQjdE
— Houston Inside High School Sports (@ihss_houston) October 4, 2022

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

We will find out if Notre Dame has truly turned the corner when the Irish take on 16th-ranked BYU this weekend. During a recent podcast we broke down what that would look like, and why this game is so important for Notre Dame.

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Notre Dame 2023 Commits Board - Defense

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Ranking The 2022 Signees - Offense
Ranking The 2022 Signees - Defense

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