Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 6, 2017 7 UNDER THE DOME come together with a more common purpose than maybe the '12 team, in a sense because we have a lot of younger football players impacting what we're doing." When asked if the 35-point win over the Trojans would rank among his finest moments, Kelly didn't take the bait. "I wouldn't rank it anywhere in terms of anything but how it impacts this team," Kelly said. "It was a really good win because it strengthens their belief in how we're preparing, and that's really the only focus that we have. What's important now is this football team and what they believe. "… When you beat a really good football team like USC in the fashion that they did, that strengthens their belief and what they're doing and how we're doing it on a day-to-day basis. We don't look at anything else but what's important right now." If somebody else defeats Notre Dame this year, Kelly doubts it would be because of complacency or a letdown. There is too much hunger after last year 's meltdown to take anything for granted. Only one other time in Notre Dame's 89-game series with USC has it trounced the Trojans by a greater mar- gin (51-0 by the 1966 national champs). Going from a 45-27 defeat last year to a 49-14 win — a 53-point turnaround — is a validation to the players of the toil and sacrifice they've made over the past 10 or so months, and this is not the time to smell the roses. "They know how they got to where they are," Kelly said. "They certainly want to continue to be in this po- sition. … Now it's my job and our staff 's job to continue to see that that preparation and that mindset continue to evolve and develop on a day-to-day basis." ✦ SAY HELLO TO THE NEW BRANDED SHOE NOTRE DAME BUY IT HERE bit.ly/NDbandit 'Every Game Is A Playoff For Us' College Football Playoff talk involving Notre Dame in late October wasn't a "distraction" for head coach Brian Kelly, who feared no team letdowns from all the sudden praise heaped on the Irish. He reiterated that complacency is not an issue because, despite last year's 4-8 finish, the standard at Notre Dame remains unchanged. It's not like improving to 6-1 and a No. 9 ranking is the destination or creates satisfaction that the objective has been met. There is still much more work ahead, so the preparation cannot falter. "You guys are just catching up to us," Kelly said of the media that suddenly began discussing Notre Dame in terms of national title conversation. "Whatever is being said and has been said has been what our mission has been from day one." Whereas USC was eliminated from College Football Playoff discussion by the Irish, it still can win the Pac-12 title and play in the Rose Bowl, which is always a cherished goal there. Conversely, Notre Dame is not in a league, so its aspirations must be even loftier. "We don't have anything else to play for," Kelly said of the College Football Playoff picture. "We've been in the playoffs since we lost to Georgia. Every game is a playoff for us. … Our guys don't know it any other way. We're an independent football team and our mission is to graduate all of our players and play for a national championship. That's all we have. It's not really any different than it was yesterday or the day before or last week." It is a heck of a lot different from a year ago. — Lou Somogyi