Notre Dame football is forced to find a plan for more difficult injury news, could make or break a College Football Playoff run
Notre Dame has another injury that they need to find an answer for.
Notre Dame football is coming off a nice 34 to 24 rivalry victory over the USC Trojans last week, but there was a potential loss that Fighting Irish fans are worried about that happened in that contest. During the matchup, starting left guard Billy Schrauth left the game with an apparent leg injury. It was the second time he was helped off the field during that particular matchup, and left the fans on edge for what the prognosis would be.
It was reported by CBS Sports college football reporter Matt Zenitz that the redshirt junior offensive lineman is dealing with a sprained MCL injury that will keep him out for 3-4 weeks. There was some initial worry that the injury could be much more severe, so that update was very positive for the Fighting Irish. The bye week seems to be coming at the perfect time for both Schrauth and this Irish offense.
In terms of the long-term outlook for Notre Dame, this is extremely positive. After the bye week, Marcus Freeman’s squad will have five games to make their best case for a College Football Playoff berth. It’s quite simple for the Fighting Irish: win out and you’re in more than likely. They have a great chance to do just that when looking at their remaining schedule against Boston College, Navy, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Stanford.
What’s Notre Dame’s replacement plan for Billy Schrauth?
Like any injury news, the Notre Dame staff needs to hope for the best but expect the worst. The timetable is very positive for the 6-4, 310-pound mauler, but setbacks can occur. Joe Rudolph will need to prepare his Irish offensive line accordingly. Having a good replacement plan in place could potentially make or break the team’s chances down the stretch.
This injury comes at a very unfortunate time for Schrauth, who just had his best game of his career against USC. With Schrauth out, the most likely replacement for him in the starting lineup is redshirt sophomore Sullivan Absher. The 6-8, 326-pound behemoth brings a steadying force to an unnerving situation potentially.
Before the season, Absher battled it out with Guerby Lambert for the starting right guard spot after Charles Jagusah was injured. Absher did a good job in that position battle but was relegated to a backup role. The good news is that the North Carolina native brings a solid floor to the table with his size and physicality, and has been trusted by Coach Rudolph to be the first offensive lineman off the bench at multiple spots.
Odds are that Absher will do a solid job at least.
Behind Absher is where the bigger questions exist. For the short term at least, Notre Dame is going to need to find a backup plan. If Absher or Lambert are compromised at any point in the near future, who would be the next offensive lineman in the game? That’s a big question mark, and one that will need to have an answer for.
The hope is that true freshman five-star offensive lineman Will Black will step up and be ready for game action if another injury does occur. The 6-7, 305-pounder has been practicing inside at left guard since fall camp began. While he doesn’t have much experience, Black has an argument as the most talented offensive lineman on the roster.
Black will need to be ready. There aren’t many answers remaining on this roster. He’s one injury away from playing a substantial role moving forward.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish News
It’s time for LSU fans to finally admit that the Irish fanbase was right all along about Brian Kelly and his self-created ceiling
Notre Dame fans deserve an apology.
