Tim Brown on Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff loss, Alabama vs. Clemson IV

Notre Dame and NFL legend wide receiver Tim Brown takes a look back on the Fighting Irish’s first trip to the College Football Playoff and what went wrong.

Last weekend saw two teams advance in the 2019 College Football Playoff. The top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide held off Kyler Murray and the Big 12 Champion Oklahoma Sooners in the Capital One Orange Bowl. Trevor Lawrence and the Clemson Tigers dismantled the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Though it wasn’t the result that the Notre Dame faithful were looking for in getting blown out by Clemson 30-3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, it was a big learning moment for the program and its nationwide fan base on what it takes to win in the Playoff era.

One invested observer was none other than 1987 Heisman Trophy winner and Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Tim Brown. Brown was able to speak to FanSided about Notre Dame and the College Football Playoff on behalf of Panini, now the exclusive trading card partner for the Fighting Irish.

“I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be an incredible thing for Panini and Notre Dame,” said Brown. “The Notre Dame fan base is such a rabid fan base and they’re very loyal. And the incredible thing about this is it’s not just football cards that they’re doing, it’s going to be all the sports that Notre Dame participates in. So this is going to be a big deal and I’m just happy to be a part and happy Panini has me involved.”

“I think it’s pretty clear that if you ever make that game, you have to play perfect football if you’re Notre Dame.”

This exclusive agreement with Panini will feature trading cards of many Notre Dame greats, including 2017 unanimous All-American and 2018 First-Team All-Pro offensive guard Quenton Nelson of the Indianapolis Colts.

Though Nelson plays an unglamorous position along the Colts offensive line, Brown was been very impressed with what “The Pancake Master” is doing in his first year in the NFL.

“Yeah, he’s playing incredible football, man. I think to extend the season and be in the playoffs your rookie season is a big, big thing for the big guys. But I don’t think it’s really surprising with what has happened. I think Quenton was who he was at Notre Dame for a reason.”

While Nelson’s Colts advanced to the divisional round after beating the AFC South rival Houston Texans on the road Saturday afternoon, Notre Dame would probably wished Nelson could have been back with the Golden Domers in the Cotton Bowl. The Fighting Irish certainly need to make the necessary adjustments after getting routed by Clemson in Arlington, but Brown has faith in his alma mater.

“I think it’s pretty clear that if you ever make that game, you have to play perfect football if you’re Notre Dame…There were some plays early in the game we didn’t make and a couple of turnovers early in the game. Things like that, you just can’t do if you’re going to play talent like Clemson. We have some excellent players, but we certainly need to get guys that are a little quicker in the feet to really be able to compete against guys like that.”

Brown made it clear that losing talented defensive back Julian Love early in the game due to injury further depleted a weaker Notre Dame secondary. Lawrence was able to carve up the Notre Dame defensive backfield en route to a big Clemson Playoff victory.

While Brown was impressed by Lawrence, he feels that Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book can learn a ton from this high-profile Playoff loss going forward.

“You know, he didn’t look comfortable to me in this big game,” said Brown. “There were some throws he made that were unlike him. He made some decisions thinking he could get away from these guys, but wasn’t used to this kind of speed coming at him just yet. So that threw him off a bit.”

“I think he’s going to work hard to get bigger, stronger, faster. But these big games are exposing. They show what you can and can’t do. So I’m sure he can’t wait to get better and get back to show these people that he can play better football in a bigger game.”

One thing that is going to help Book entering 2019 is that he won’t be losing a ton of blue-chip talent on the offensive side of the ball like the Fighting Irish did last year with Nelson and offensive tackle Mike McGlinchey being first-round picks.

“You look at Jeudy and I think this is a guy that is so quick, so fast, is able to make plays in the blink of an eye. He’s one of those guys that reminds me of a young Tyreek Hill. When you get the ball in his hands, he’s got the ability to do some incredible things.”

However, Notre Dame will lose a few excellent players from their defense in upcoming draft, including Love, defensive tackle Jerry Tillery and linebacker Te’von Coney. When asked how this trio of defensive stalwarts will help prospective NFL teams in 2019, Brown mentioned their intelligence as a key factor for them.

“NFL football on the defensive side is next-level stuff. You have to be willing to bring your game and adapt your game…I believe that with these guys playing high-level football, the adjustments can be made. If a guy plays at Notre Dame, he’s supposed to be a smart guy. Somebody who can be in the right position all the time. He may not be able to finish the play, but he’ll be there. I know that’s something a lot of NFL coaches love to have. Folks they don’t have to coach up all the time. One time and they’ve got it.”

High football IQ is paramount to both playing at a blue-blood like Notre Dame, as well as carving out a professional career. Even though Notre Dame isn’t playing in the national championship, Brown will have his eyes out on the perimeter, as there will be a ton of great receivers in this ball game.

From Jerry Jeudy to Jaylen Waddle at Alabama, to Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross at Clemson, it’s easy to understand why a superstar wide receiver like Brown will be tuning into this game. When asked if he’s got a favorite of the bunch, he revealed he’s pretty fond of the playmaking ability Jeudy has with the Crimson Tide.

“You look at Jeudy and I think this is a guy that is so quick, so fast, is able to make plays in the blink of an eye. He’s one of those guys that reminds me of a young Tyreek Hill. When you get the ball in his hands, he’s got the ability to do some incredible things.”

Besides the Fighting Irish, Brown was pretty fond of Oklahoma heading into the Playoff. But with no dog in the fight, Brown sees the Crimson Tide poised to repeat as national champions.

“I just don’t see anyone beating Alabama,” said Brown. “I thought Trevor Lawrence played a great game against a secondary that was pretty weak. I’ll take Alabama’s defense over a freshman quarterback, even though this kid is a next-level talent as a freshman. I think it’s going to be a tough night for him.”

Frankly, both Alabama and Clemson are dripping with talent. The same can be said for Brian Kelly’s Notre Dame program. Since arriving in South Bend nearly a decade ago, Kelly has brought the Fighting Irish back to national relevancy, rivaling how good Notre Dame was when Brown was playing for Lou Holtz in the mid-1980s.

Clearly, Kelly can evaluate talent, build an elite program and coach about as well as anyone in the FCS. So it’s understandable that he might garner some NFL head coaching attention this offseason and beyond.

When asked how Kelly would fare coaching in the NFL, or if he’s just better suited to stay at the college level, Brown shamelessly sided with the latter. Could you blame him?

“I just don’t see anyone beating Alabama. I thought Trevor Lawrence played a great game against a secondary that was pretty weak. I’ll take Alabama’s defense over a freshman quarterback, even though this kid is a next-level talent as a freshman. I think it’s going to be a tough night for him.”

“This may be a little bit of a selfish answer, but I think he’s better suited for Notre Dame,” said Brown. “He sort of reminds me of Lou Holtz where he’s an in-your-face-type of coach. He’ll scream and holler at you a little bit, get a little red-faced every once in a while. And that works in college and not so much in the NFL.”

Brown isn’t ruling out that Kelly could have another less abrasive coaching style better suited for the NFL, but it certainly works for him in college. “It would be awesome to see him keep coaching the Irish”.

Overall, the Playoff loss for Notre Dame still stings, but it’s not the end of the world for the football program. It was a great learning experience for Kelly, Book and all the Fighting Irish nonetheless.

Speaking of learning experiences, that would be a great way to chalk up Jon Gruden’s first year back as the Oakland Raiders head coach. Brown played for Gruden in Oakland from 1998 to 2001, making his final two Pro Bowls in the NFL during that span. But what did Brown think of Chucky’s first year back with the Silver and Black in 2018?

“It was probably not the year he envisioned when he got the job. I don’t think he envisioned getting rid of the league’s best pass rusher and a No. 1 receiver…But things happen for a reason and you’ve got to make the best of it. I think the season ended on somewhat of an upswing for them, winning a couple of games at the end of the year. So now it’s just time to go build, man.”

Oakland added longtime NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock as its new general manager, replacing Reggie McKenzie in the Raiders front office. McKenzie was the guy that drafted both Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper in the first round in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Gruden ended up trading both of those guys before the end of the year. Mack and Cooper both made the NFL playoffs on their new teams in the Chicago Bears and the Dallas Cowboys, respectively.

“I hear that Mike Mayock is another Gruden-type guy, who will sit in there and watch film until he’s blue in the face, go get a cup of coffee and go right back to it. So this should be a match made in heaven.

Odds are, the Raiders will be able to nail the 2019 NFL Draft, as Mayock is an elite evaluator of talent. Though massive rebuilds like the Raiders are undertaking used to take several years, Brown wouldn’t be shocked to see the Silver and Black back in just a few years time.

“I don’t think it will take four or five years like it used to. Back in the day, it would take that long. But now, in two or three years, you can get a team turned around and challenge for a championship if you make the right moves.”

“It was probably not the year he envisioned when he got the job. I don’t think he envisioned getting rid of the league’s best pass rusher and a No. 1 receiver…But things happen for a reason and you’ve got to make the best of it.”

Overall, the two teams that Brown is most associated with in Notre Dame and the Raiders have turned the page on 2018 and look to be full steam ahead to 2019.

Kelly and his staff are always recruiting, but now have a better understanding of what it takes to play at a high level in the College Football Playoff. The Fighting Irish must continue to build its team with speed in mind, as well as freakish athletes in the trenches like McGlinchey, Nelson and Tillery.

Now with the Raiders, it’s a little more vague when it comes to the type of players Gruden will want to build his football team with. Fortunately, he now has a guy in Mayock who has an incredible pulse on what the 2019 NFL Draft class will have to offer.

Oakland has three first-round picks in this spring’s draft: their own, Chicago’s from the Mack trade and Dallas’ from the Cooper deal. Together, Gruden and Mayock must commit to excellence and just win, baby.

Next: The 15 blue bloods of college football

Notre Dame should be at least a 10-win team next season. The Raiders will almost certainly win more than four next year, which would make Brown and the rest of Raider Nation very happy.