What College Football Coaches are saying about Notre Dame

Each year we ask college football coaches to tell us what they really think about the other teams in their conference. But we don't want the cliche'd press conference platitudes, so we ask them to give us their quotes off-the-record and anonymously. Here are this year's quotes about Notre Dame football.

What College Football Coaches Are Saying About: Notre Dame

“Who would think a Notre Dame season that included losses to Navy and Tulsa would be considered a success? That’s what happened after Brian Kelly rallied the troops by closing the regular season with three victories and then a convincing win over Miami in the Sun Bowl. Now I have some really bad news for Notre Dame haters: The Irish will be even better this fall. They return nearly their entire lineup (16 starters) and it looks like wide receiver Michael Floyd will be allowed to return."

"I’m eager to see how the quarterback situation plays itself out. Dayne Crist returns from a knee injury after starting the first nine games of last season. He will battle Tommy Rees, who took over last year as a freshman leading them to a strong finish. Kelly was in a similar situation in his final season at Cincinnati in 2009. His backup (Zach Collaros) was simply unbelievable once in the lineup, but Kelly had to ease highly touted Tony Pike, who was returning from an injury, back into the lineup. It worked to perfection in 2009. Can Kelly do it again at Notre Dame?”

Other Candid Coaches' Quotes:

Coaches' Candid Quotes: SEC
Coaches' Candid Quotes: ACC
Coaches' Candid Quotes: Big Ten
Coaches Candid Quotes: PAC-12
Coaches' Candid Quotes: Big 12
Coaches' Candid Quotes: Big East