Rakes Report: A Notre Dame Podcast

Jessica Smetana joins to discuss Notre Dame's massive 48-20 win over the Trojans. (There's a weird vibration in the audio in the first 15 seconds but then it goes away don't worry, truly have no idea what it is. Happy Bye Week.) More from the Rakes Report: https://linktr.ee/rakesreport

Our USC Insider Nick Tresnowski joins to talk Caleb Williams, Alex Grinch, how Trojan fans feel about Lincoln Riley midway through his second year, players to know for Saturday night's primetime clash and much more. More from the Rakes Report: https://linktr.ee/rakesreport

Jessica Smetana joins to discuss Notre Dame's second defeat of the season, as well as offensive coordinator hypotheticals, a brief schadenfreude tour and a consideration of how the fortunes of head coaches are always rising and falling in America. More from the Rakes Report: https://linktr.ee/rakesreport

Jessica Smetana joins to talk about Notre Dame's very normal victory against the Blue Devils. More from the Rakes Report: https://linktr.ee/rakesreport

You're probably going to delete this immediately and that's totally okay but if your misery would like company Jessica Smetana is here to try and talk through things a bit. Note: Jess forgot to mention cell service was very bad on Saturday so if you're going for games maybe plan ahead a little bit for coordinating purposes. More from the Rakes Report: https://linktr.ee/rakesreport

Breaking down the Fighting Irish victory at NC State and the first quarter of the season.

Jessica Smetana joins to discuss the trip to Ireland, a fun Notre Dame victory and what we're looking forward to in Week 1. (This is a loopy one, sorry.) More from the Rakes Report: https://linktr.ee/rakesreport

Jessica Smetana joins for our annual offseason closing tradition: Drafting things we're excited to see this Fighting Irish football season. Topics include jinxing, the potential of the offense, Marcus Freeman Year Two, how many times can you play "Shipping Up To Boston" in a row, tough choices on big wins, Week 0 NIMBYism and much more. Note: At one point run game success rate is mentioned a second time when it should be explosive play rate, read about it here.  More from the Rakes Report: https://linktr.ee/rakesreport

Alex Herrmann and Andrew Smith of Notre Dame, Our Blogger join to preview all 12 opponents on this fall's Fighting Irish schedule. You know the three Big Ones, but what are the toughest challenges outside of that?  More from the Rakes Report: https://linktr.ee/rakesreport

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily joins for Part 2 of Frosh O, our run through every scholarship freshman on the Notre Dame offense. Included: Wide receivers you need to know right now Sorting through a lot of options on the line What if a running back was really fast? The potential for a freshman tight end to be in the mix Pat Narduzzi finds sowing more enjoyable than reaping More from the Rakes Report: https://linktr.ee/rakesreport

Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily joins for Part 1 of Frosh O, our run through every scholarship freshman (and one walk-on) on the Notre Dame defense. Included: Christian Gray is the best corner prospect since...*? Wyoming tourism tips Boubacar Traore's breakout camp Canadian power at tackle Knockout linebacker duo The overall talent of this freshman and sophomore class * The answer to this is pretty easy but it doesn't mean you can't ask the question. More from the Rakes Report: https://linktr.ee/rakesreport

Michael Bryan (18 Stripes) and Greg Flammang (Irish Sports Daily) join to break down the Fighting Irish in order of our confidence in each position group. Who ya got: Hartman or Morrison/Hart? Estime or Alt/Fisher? The linebackers or the DL? Those and many more difficult questions.

Eric Hansen of Inside ND Sports stops by to talk about Sam Hartman, the depth at running back, how the offensive line is shaping up, finding playmakers on offense, also finding some playmakers on defense and a little women's basketball.

In a supersized episode, Jamie Uyeyama of Irish Sports Daily drops by to get into the nitty gritty of football positions. This is a nerdy deep dive into the skills and traits you're looking for to fill in different spots on the roster during which the host embarrasses himself with a litany of dumb questions. Topics include the intricacies of defensive line play, what you need in modern linebackers and safeties, different types of corners and how they match up to different types of receivers and a whole lot more. 

 Michael Bryan of 18 Stripes joins to walk through the depth chart and discuss whether we feel better, worse or the same about the various position groups versus the start of spring practice.

An unofficial Part Two with our previous episode, this is a How Did This Get Made? for the New York Times op-ed written by Father Jenkins and Jack Swarbrick on the future of college sports. Jessica Smetana joins to talk with Notre Dame professor Katherine Walden about the history of sports labor, amateurism, potential Congressional action, gender equality with NIL and much more. (Note from Walden: She mentions The Daily in this episode but meant to refer to this episode of What's Next.) Links of note The New York Times op-ed Dianne Williams' op-ed on the AIAW WBUR story on Walter Byers and the origin of student-athletes Q&A with Nat Marshall

Jessica Smetana joins for a conversation with Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel about his interview with Jack Swarbrick, the doomsaying about NIL's effect on college sports, Notre Dame's chances at staying independent and Marcus Freeman's second season.

Patrick Engel of Blue and Gold and the On3 network joins to talk about early impressions from spring practice and the hiring of Micah Shrewsberry as Notre Dame's new men's basketball coach. Topics include Sam Hartman, development at wide receiver, the ceiling for the offense under Gerad Parker, potential breakout players on defense and how long a hoops turnaround might take.

Getting you prepared for the start of the tournament and beyond with an all-star lineup: Sabreena Merchant of The Athletic breaks down Notre Dame's corner of the bracket and their chances at making it to a second straight Sweet Sixteen. Then, Chantel Jennings of The Athletic stops by to talk about her great profile of Niele Ivey and what she learned about the Irish program while writing it. (30:22) (Read it here.) Finally, our friend Sam Werner joins for an update on the end of Mike Brey's tenure and the top contenders to be hired as his replacement. (49:49)  

Jessica Smetana and Jamie Uyeyama join to discuss Tommy Rees heading to Alabama and what Marcus Freeman should ideally look for in a replacement offensive coordinator. Jamie's list of potential candidates at Irish Sports Daily.