Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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the fifth quarter lou somogyi T Good, Better … But Not Always Best he most uttered sentence you will iors" Aaron Lynch and Tee Shepard likely hear in the coming months had left school, and yet another 8‑4 regarding the outlook of the 2013 or 7‑5 type of campaign loomed on Fighting Irish football team is one we the horizon. The optimism centered have already frequently heard: "Notre mainly on perhaps the program be‑ Dame's 2013 team ing "a year away" will probably be betfrom competing for ter than last year's — a BCS bid. but the record won't Lo and behold be as good." during the course That always has of a 12-0 regular been one of the par‑ season, we couldn't adoxes in athletics. have guessed that That's because it's Troy would burn not always about amidst a six-loss the physical talent campaign while but also dozens of Oklahoma's mojo intangibles: time would be shaken. and place in his‑ Michigan's magical tory, internal lead‑ run in 2011 while ership, momentum, winning the Sugar the mental frame‑ Leaders such as fifth-year senior offensive tackle B o w l s u d d e n l y work of the oppo‑ Zack Martin will attempt to keep the Irish from turned to a Notre sition, consistency regressing. Dame-like 8-5 cam‑ photo by bill panzica paign in 2012. in attitude toward Conversely, with each passing week competition, sense of entitlement, a Notre Dame's momentum and esprit fortuitous bounce here and there … A year ago at this time, USC was de corps after years of frustration was the popular preseason pick to win the palpable. There was a powerful sense national title based purely on physical of destiny that comes along about once prowess, while Notre Dame's Oct. 27 per generation, or in this case 24 years trip to Oklahoma also was penciled (1964, 1988 and 2012). Now comes the much tougher part. into the "L" column by a good majority As joyous as 1964 was, longtime of Irish faithful. The schedule was "brutal," a new Notre Dame backfield coach Tom quarterback had to be broken in, Mi‑ Pagna often told me the main frustra‑ chael Floyd was gone, defensive "sav‑ tion experienced in 1965 was the fact