SBNation's Bill Connelly stops by to talk about his preview of the 2019 Notre Dame season (read here). Among the topics: Where Brian Kelly ranks among head coaches, Notre Dame's struggles running the ball, how to leverage Ian Book's efficiency to get more big plays, the biggest trap game of the season and how a 4-8 team finished 18th in the S&P ...…

ESPN play-by-play announcer Adam Amin stops by to help with a proper Irish wake to celebrate the last two seasons of Notre Dame women's basketball. Topics include talk calling "Ice Twice," what he'll remember from these past two Muffet McGraw teams, the growth of women's college hoops and the best college football games he's called. Newsletter ...…

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily joins us to recap Blue-Gold and the many practices that preceded it by doing an old fashioned position group draft. Which part of the depth chart has the highest upside? What are the biggest weaknesses? How do we feel about the team as a whole as we enter the long night of the offseason? All that, and more.…

The Observer associate managing editor Elizabeth Greason joins us to discuss covering the last three seasons of Notre Dame women's basketball. Topics include: Being in the arena for Arike's heroics, how Notre Dame bounced back from the unraveling versus UConn earlier this season, and what it's like spending a lot of time around Muffet McGraw. W ...…

We go deep on Tuesday's federal indictment of nearly 50 people in a massive fraud case that involved rich people buying their kids' way into colleges. Among the talking points: Getting into USC as a long snapper who doesn't play football, Stanford having a sailing coach, lawyers who are into rules, the lies of the meritocracy, Filliam H. Muffma ...…

Sam Werner (The Observer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) joins us to update the starting lineup of the best Notre Dame players to take the field between 2010 and 2018. Listen and discover our opinion with which you vehemently disagree.

Carter Karels of the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com stops by to talk about Notre Dame's Class of 2019, what to expect for next year's class and his first season covering Notre Dame. Then Matt and Chris discuss "Hobbs and Shaw" because it's the offseason and this is important. Read Carter's work. The Hobbs and Shaw trailer.…

Andrew Smith and Alex Herrmann of Notre Dame Our Blogger stop by to talk coaching changes, expectations for the 2019 season, recruiting standards and more. Read Andrew and Alex's work. Take the survey.

We're joined by Jess Smetana of Sports Illustrated and the Most Valuable Podcast to work our way through the 13th and final game of Notre Dame's 2018 season. What went the worst? What's the long-term prognosis of the program going forward? What are our favorite memories from 12-1? What should we expect in 2019? This is basically a giant ramblin ...…

There is no football talk* in this episode so if you want to skip it no hard feelings but if you need some audio content for your holiday travels perhaps you'll enjoy this 15-round holiday carol draft. Two notes: 1) Outside of a couple "Damns" and a "Hell yeah," this is clean if you want to listen with children/discerning family. 2) Apologies f ...…

With Christmas travel looming we thought we'd go ahead and have this discussion (there may be more episodes previewing the Cotton Bowl to follow if time permits) with Michael Bryan of 18 Stripes. Do the Tigers have any weaknesses? Can the Irish defensive line take over the game and is there any way to neutralize Clemson's? Is there any kind of ...…

Christmas Giving season! With the help of an all-star lineup of our past guests, we take a walk through our favorite things from the 12-0 season along with some thoughts on the playoff selection and those dastardly Clemson Tigers. If you enjoyed this episode or any previous episodes of the podcast, please consider donating to our drive to raise ...…

A discussion of the Syracuse victory, the Shamrock Series and chicken tenders transitions (at the 16:00 mark) to a preview of the USC game with our Trojan insider Nick Tresnowski. Can USC pull off the upset? And if they don't, who will be the next Trojan head coach?

John Cassillo (@JohnCassillo), managing editor for SBNation's Syracuse site Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, stops by to look at Saturday's match up in Yankee Stadium. How are the Orange going to attack the Irish defense? How can the Irish return the favor against the Cuse D? How do you become number one in special teams S&P+? All that and more.…

Looking back at Navy and forward to Northwestern. Matt reflects on his visit to San Diego and then we take a look at the Wildcats' very weird season and the chances it will include "Upsetting Notre Dame" after Saturday.

Jessica Smetana (@jessica_smetana) of Sports Illustrated and "Most Valuable Podcast" stops by to discuss playing Navy, the Shamrock Series uniforms, how Crossroads turned out, MVPs of the season so far and then also Jess jinxes the Navy game pretty epically so apologies in advance for that.

We're considering this a spiritual extension of the bye week so it's time to talk concerns and hopes for the next five games with Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily. Will the offensive line, third down defense or the pressures of winning down the Irish? Or will they be carried by the excellence of Ian Book, Jerry Tillery, Julian Love and frien ...…

Andrew and Alex from Notre Dame, Our Blogger stop by to look back at the season so far and the challenges ahead. Can Ian Book keep doing this? What remaining loss would be worse? What's been the best play of the season so far? All that, and much more. Read Notre Dame, Our Blogger: https://notredameourblogger.com/ Follow them on Twitter: https:/ ...…

Michael Bryan of 18 Stripes swings by to discuss the impressive win over Stanford, the offense with Ian Book, the incredible defense, the upcoming trip to Blacksburg and much more.

Assessing each position group through the first three games of the season, with high marks for the defense and, well, some discussions of the offense. Here is the merch link mentioned at the end: https://www.teepublic.com/user/rakesreport

Pete Sampson of The Athletic and the Irish illustrated podcast stops by for his final thoughts on camp, predictions for the season to come and oh yeah I guess the Michigan game, too. Sign up for the Rakes Report newsletter at www.tinyletter.com/rakesreport.

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily walks us through every freshman in Notre Dame's 2018 defensive class. Is Houston Griffith going to start at safety? Where might Shayne Simon and Derrik Allen fit in this year and going forward? This is Part 1 of 2 of our Frosh O series and you should also be seeing Part 2 (with the offense) in your podcast fe ...…

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily walks us through every freshman in the Notre Dame offensive class, from Kevin Austin to Phil Jurkovec and everyone in between. This is Part 2 of 2 of our Frosh O series and you should also be seeing Part 1 (with the defense) in your podcast feed as well.

The Indianapolis Star's Laken Litman joins for a discussion on what she's seen and heard at Notre Dame camp so far, from the obligatory discussion of the QB race and running back questions to the depth on the defensive line and freshmen that might contribute from week one. Then because it's still technically the offseason we indulge in a discus ...…

Tyler James (@TJamesNDI) of the South Bend Tribune and ND Insider stops by to talk about ND Insider 2018 Season Preview. How good will the defense be? How concerned should we be about the offense? How much weight should we put on the Michigan game? All that and more. Buy the magazine! https://www.ndinsider.com/buythemag/…

Michael Bryan of 18 Stripes stops by to discuss the biggest What Ifs of Brian Kelly's time in South Bend, from quarterback churn and defensive coordinator hires to Baylor vs. Kansas State. Read Michael's rankings here: https://www.18stripes.com/top-10-what-ifs-of-the-kelly-era/

SBNation's Bill Connelly drops by to talk about his 2018 Notre Dame preview. Topics include expectations for Brandon Wimbush and the offensive line, whether or not it's good to have running backs, how the defense can become elite and the Rorschach test of a schedule. Read Bill's preview here: https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2018/5/8/1 ...…

The Indianapolis Star's Laken Litman stops by to talk about the QB derby at spring practice, which position groups look the deepest, what to look for in the Blue-Gold Game, being in the house for Notre Dame's miracle Final Four run and hey you know also some "Dancing with the Stars."

Ringer staff writer and best-selling author Shea Serrano joins to discuss Notre Dame basketball’s victory in the women’s Final Four. Topics include the Irish’s incredible run, the ice cold veins of Arike Ogunbowale and Marina Mabrey’s next-level shit-talking. Read Shea’s pieces here: https://www.theringer.com/college-basketball/2018/3/30/171785 ...…

Jamie Uyeyama from Irish Sports Daily stops by to talk about the 2018 Notre Dame recruiting class. How does he rate the class? How'd the new assistants close? Why are people being so annoying about Jeff Quinn? Does it really matter which linebacker spot Drue Tranquill is at? All of this, and more. Sign up for the Rakes Report newsletter at www. ...…

Joe Schueller of 18 Stripes swings by to discuss the Irish's surprising 3-0 start in the ACC, if there's any chance for them to sustain it, Mike Brey's career at Notre Dame and the greatness of Bonzie Colson.

Michael Bryan of 18 Stripes swings by to talk about Mike Elko leaving, potential defensive coordinator candidates, the Citrus Bowl and an early look at next year's roster. Note: As we finished recording this, the South Bend Tribune reported that Notre Dame had agreed to a $1.5 million deal to stay with Notre Dame and then A&M upped the offer ag ...…

A look back at the recent past, present and future of ND football, including overall thoughts on the 2017 season, updating the All-BK-at-ND team, roster futurism and upcoming schedules. Donate to the Center for the Homeless at: www.gofundme.com/rakes-report-christmas-giving-2017

Football Outsiders stats guru Brian Fremeau (@bcfremeau) swings by to talk about the FEI, this weird college football season, how this year's Notre Dame team compares to past editions, coming through in the clutch, and how the Irish stack up against the Hurricanes. Find Brian's work at www.bcftoys.com…

The South Bend Tribune's Mike Vorel (@mikevorel) stops by to talk about what's driving Notre Dame's six-game win streak, the importance of newspaper ads in being good at college football and other observations from campus. Read Mike's work at www.ndinsider.com.

Chris and Matt recount basically all of Notre Dame's 49-14 victory over Southern Cal. They also discuss NC State, and how not being that scared about Saturday is the scariest thing of all.

Trojans alum Nick Tres swings by to discuss Saturday night's giant game in South Bend. We look at the important stuff: What's up with Sam Darnold? What should fans on both sides be worried about? Is USC healthy? Why do people schedule weddings during football season?

Apologies but this is another long one, so maybe just listen to it during the time you'd normally be watching Notre Dame during their bye? Irish Sports Daily's Jamie Uyeyama stops by to talk about the defense holding strong, the passing game potentially getting better and the difficult six games remaining on the schedule.…

Hoops edition! We'll get back to football later this week, but with the college basketball season looming, we take some time to talk Notre Dame hoops with Joe Schueller of 18 Stripes and Mike Laskey. Topics of conversation include: Federal investigations, recruiting coups, Farrell/Colson pick and rolls, the potential of Rex, positionless basket ...…

Michael Bryan of 18Stripes.com (@MichaelBryanMB) swings by to grade the Irish's first four games of the season and offer some insight on the Miami RedHawks. Read Michael's work here: https://www.18stripes.com/author/michael-bryan/ Sign up for the Rakes Report here: www.tinyletter.com/rakesreport

The Indianapolis Star's Laken Litman joins to discuss the season so far. Then (30:00), Chris and Matt spend a lot of time talking about old Notre Dame/Michigan State games and touch on last week's BC game and the upcoming trip to East Lansing.

In the aftermath of the Georgia loss, we take a look at the things that are giving us concern and hope about the 2017 Fighting Irish. Also, a review of Crossroads. (LET US DJ PLEASE.) Subscribe to the Rakes Report newsletter at tinyletter.com/rakesreport.

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily breaks down the newest members of the Notre Dame offense. We also discuss pick plays and direct-to-video Disney sequels. (This is Part 2 of 2.)

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily gives the run down on the newest members of the Notre Dame defense, plus bonus kicker talk. (This is Part 1 of 2.)

Indy Star's Laken Litman (@LakenLitman) swings by to discuss her observations from camp, the mood around the program and her interview with Jack Swarbrick. Then she recounts her recent conversation with an ebullient Mike Brey (32:00). Read Laken's words here: http://www.indystar.com/staff/10053628/laken-litman/ Subscribe to the Rakes Report new ...…

Mike Vorel of the South Bend Tribune stops by to talk about the NDInsider preview magazine. Topics of discussion include offensive line upside, the deep receiving corps, reasons for hope and fear on defense, the attitude around the program and the origins of the #BookClub. Subscribe to the Rakes Report newsletter at www.tinyletter.com/rakesreport.…

Bill Connelly joins to discuss his preview of the 2017 Fighting Irish. Was there anything positive to take from 2016? Are there reasons for optimism for this season? What does Bill think of the new coordinators? All that and a Ty Willingham reference. Bill's preview: http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/5/9/15552022/notre-dame-football ...…

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily swings by to recap spring practice. Do we feel better about the defensive line and safeties? How about the offensive line? All of that plus quarterback chatter, an attempt to sort out offensive skill positions and a little DeShone Kizer draft talk. Subscribe to the Rakes Report newsletter at www.tinyletter.co ...…

Joe Schueller from 18 Stripes joins to look back at the basketball season that was. What we'll remember from the 2016-17 campaign, the legacies of Steve Vasturia and V.J. Beachem, the Matt Ryan transfer, and an attempt to figure out the rotation for 2017-18. Read Joe's Vasturia piece here: https://www.18stripes.com/4385-2/…

Going deeeeeep on the Princeton Tigers, plus a look at Bucknell/West Virginia, the rest of the West and a few ACC Tournament thoughts.