THE FIFTH QUARTER LOU SOMOGYI
exacerbated when the schedule is so
treacherous.
Think of it this way: In Brian
Kelly's six years at Notre Dame
(2010‑15), not even Alabama's Nick
Saban — today's version of Frank
Leahy — has finished a regular sea‑
son undefeated.
Notre Dame recruits well at a
top‑10 to top‑15 level, but not at the
elite magnitude Alabama currently
does, or the Irish did from 1987‑90.
Kelly is a proven, quality head coach,
but not yet quite in the same category
at this point as Holtz.
We're aware that "taking on all
comers" is part of the Notre Dame
fabric. But even during the run to
his first consensus national title in
1924, Knute Rockne began the nine‑
game regular season with Lombard
and Wabash, and ended it with so‑so
Northwestern and Carnegie Tech.
As Lou Holtz liked to say, "The
schedule wouldn't look so difficult if
we were better." Yet one can't over‑
look that in 21 of the last 22 seasons
Notre Dame suffered at least three
losses (and five or more 12 times).
Notre Dame's Catch‑22 is it needs
to upgrade the schedule for College
Football Playoff contention — yet the
potential degree of difficulty is what
might also keep it out of it.
That's the chance that must be
taken if one dares to be great. ✦
Senior Editor Lou Somogyi has
been at Blue & Gold Illustrated
since July 1985. He can be reached
at lsomogyi@blueandgold.com
1-800-421-7751 • www.BlueGoldOnline.com
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