UNDER THE DOME
results were perceptions.
In 2002, there were
no expectations on the
outside under a first‑
year head coach, espe‑
cially after going 5‑6
the year prior. So when
Willingham started 8‑0,
he was referred to as "a
black Moses" by Florida
State head coach Bobby
Bowden and ultimately
named Sportsman of the
Year by Sporting News.
A book entitled Return
To Glory was published
after the season — de‑
spite finishing the year
2‑3 and getting out‑
scored 72‑19 in the last
two games. That's how
much the bar had plum‑
meted at Notre Dame.
Four years later in 2006,
Weis and Co., had pre‑
season rankings of No. 1
or No. 2 after finishing
9‑3 and in the Associated
Press top 10 for the first
time in 12 years. So when
the Irish had a 10‑3 finish
that season, including a
47‑21 meltdown in a loss
to Michigan at home, it
was a huge letdown.
Two 10‑3 seasons four
years apart. One was
perceived (by some) as
a return to glory, and
the other a disappoint‑
ment. So how will the
10‑2 regular season fin‑
ish in 2015 be remem‑
bered?
Some Fighting Irish
faithful have already
called it a "great" season
because so many injuries
were overcome. How‑
ever, another defeat in
the Fiesta Bowl would
leave the ledger at 10‑3
a n d p o s s i b l y c re a t e
an unfulfilled angst of
"been there, done that."
To classify 2015 as a
"successful season," a
major bowl victory for
the first time in 22 years
would be the finishing
touch. We wouldn't say
a bowl loss makes the
season a failure, but it
would leave an unful‑
filled feeling to players
and coaches alike.
Here are a few ways
we judge a season's
body of work:
DID THE TEAM BEAT WHO IT
WAS "SUPPOSED" TO DEFEAT?
This often is an under‑
rated element. There al‑
most always is an upset
special or "trap game"
lurking: Syracuse in
2008, UConn and Navy
in 2009, Navy and Tulsa
in 2010, South Florida in
2011, Pitt in 2013 (and
almost in 2012, along
with Purdue and BYU),
and Northwestern and
GO IRISH
ONWARD TO VICTORY
FIESTA BOWL 2016
