Life is frustrating for Brian Kelly right now. He's the head coach of a Notre Dame team that really should be 2-0 on the season, but is 0-2 thanks to ten turnovers -- five in the red zone -- in two games, and Denard Robinson. Kelly also believes that Notre Dame's schedule is a big reason why the team is 0-2, as he believes his team is playing tougher games this early in the season than some of its counterparts, like, say, Ohio State.
“We’ve made so many mistakes against two pretty tough teams coming out,” Kelly told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Again, as you see the schedule, Ohio State is playing Toledo. I mean, teams are playing easy games early on in the schedule. We don’t get thatluxury . We have to go play in front of 115,000 [at Michigan Stadium]. Those mistakes are more glaring against opponents that are physically pretty good, as well.
“I believe that we’re going to be a good football team. We won’t be until we clean up the little things that keep popping up on Saturdays.”
Why Kelly felt the need to take a shot at Ohio State's early season schedule, I'm not sure. What's further confusing about it is that Kelly is also taking a veiled shot at Toledo, a school that gave Ohio State just about all it could handle on Saturday, and one of the best members of the MAC conference which is exactly where Kelly helped make a name for himself coaching at Central Michigan. It was hardly an "easy game" for the Buckeyes.
Personally, instead of making excuses for the team's start by pointing out how tough Notre Dame's schedule is, I feel like Kelly should say that his team just isn't that good right now. After all, whether the Irish were playing South Florida, Michigan, Toledo or some tiny FCS school, it wasn't those teams fumbling at the goal line or making terribly advised passes in the red zone.
It was Notre Dame and the Irish have nothing to blame but themselves for this start.