Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/542018
THE FIFTH QUARTER LOU SOMOGYI standable and something I am guilty of as well … but not nearly as much this season. To me, a "successful season" in 2015 constitutes — at minimum — winning a major bowl for the first time in 21 years, something about three-dozen other teams have done over that span. I say at minimum because a berth into the four- team playoff for one of those major bowl wins shouldn't be unrealistic. Why are my high expectations in 2015? Let us count the ways: • Seldom does any college football teams return 19 of its 22 starters from the previous season's bowl victory like the Fighting Irish do. That's not even including the readmission of senior Kei- Varae Russell, who was in exile last year after being pegged as potentially one of the nation's premier cornerbacks enter- ing 2014. You need to carpe diem now and not talk again about being "a year away," as we often have over the past couple of decades. • Among the 22 starters, I see at least eight on defense and eight others on of- fense (including the entire line) playing in the NFL some day. Not many teams have such star power. • Next year, everyone will be talking about how rough it will be for Notre Dame to open the season at Texas and close at USC. This year, both are at home. Meanwhile, the two tough- est road games on paper, Clemson and Stanford, are against teams undergoing major rebuilding on defense. • The current junior class, led by linebacker Jaylon Smith and featured in this edition, is at least comparable to the class signed in 2003 with quar- terback Brady Quinn, receiver Jeff Sa- mardzija, tight end John Carlson, top offensive and defensive linemen such as Ryan Harris, John Sullivan, Victor Abiamiri and Trevor Laws, safeties Tom Zbikowski and Chinedum Ndukwe … They led back-to-back BCS bids in 2005-06 as juniors and seniors. This year's juniors should be able to match that feat — and beyond. Since 1994, Notre Dame has had eight seasons of nine or 10 wins, and one of them 12. Been there and done that. It has gone to a major bowl a half dozen times — but lost each one. Been there and done that. It has finished in the top 10 twice, No. 9 in 2005 and No. 4 in 2012. Been there and done that. What is the next step? Well, at least winning one of those premier bowls, which would mean Notre Dame would have to go no worse than 10-2 during the regular season. Another 9-3 mark would be way too status quo … and you don't even want to think about 8-4. Like with the men's basketball pro- gram last year, there can no longer be satisfaction in just making the NCAA Tournament. There can't be contentment anymore of just making a big bowl. Being guarded with anything is un- derstandable, but this is a year where meeting or going beyond high expecta- tions is needed. ✦ Senior Editor Lou Somogyi has been at Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 1985. He can be reached at lsomogyi@blueandgold.com