Blue and Gold Illustrated

Nov. 27, 2017*

Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football

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54 NOV. 27, 2017 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED H alloween had passed nearly two weeks ago — but too many old ghosts returned to the Notre Dame football building following the 41-8 loss at Miami Nov. 11. The second largest margin of de- feat in the Brian Kelly era (behind the 49-14 loss at USC in 2014) dropped the 8-2 Fighting Irish from No. 3 to No. 8 in the College Football Playoff rankings. More distressing was it resurrected a paraphrased mantra that has been heard for more than 20 years: "Every time Notre Dame has a chance to re- ally make a statement to the nation, it soils the bed." The translation to the average fan is "Notre Dame can't win the big one, or when it really counts." Of course, there is some silliness to that statement. How does not going 5-3 versus USC since 2010, includ- ing 49-14 this year against the then- No. 11 Trojans, not "really count"? Rest assured that had the Irish lost by the same score to USC (which they did in 2014), then that would have been counted as "another big one" Notre Dame lost under Kelly. Nevertheless, there is a valid point that ever since the 42-14 BCS Na- tional Championship Game debacle against Alabama in January 2013, Notre Dame has remained mired in a collective 9-4/8-5 football purgatory — good enough to keep providing a glimmer of hope, but never quite enough to reach consistent top-10 program status. It has remained the perpetual B to B-minus student try- ing to gain admission into the Ivy League. Since 2013, Notre Dame is a pe- destrian 6-12 against the Associated Press top 25 and 0-4 versus the top 10 at the time of the game. The ghosts of the 41-9 loss in the 2001 Fiesta Bowl, 41-14 setback in the 2007 Sugar Bowl, 42-14 drubbing in the 2013 BCS National Champion- ship Game and even 44-28 in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl all were revived again in Miami. "When will Notre Dame football be truly great again?" is the popular chorus line — again. And no school compounds that exasperation more than Stanford, which has won 80 percent of its foot- ball games since 2010, the year Kelly took over at Notre Dame. The Cardinal represent that irri- tating neighbor boy or older sibling you are compared to by a parent or teacher that highlights your short- comings: "Why can't Notre Dame football be at least as good as Stan- ford?" The Cardinal have nowhere near the football tradition, have even higher academic standards (they don't take early enrollees), often have abysmal attendance at home games and don't recruit quite as well as Notre Dame, yet they consistently perform what is deemed beyond their means. How in the world can head coach David Shaw be behind only Urban Meyer and Nick Saban in winning percentage against ranked teams (22-12, .647) at the time of the game? The Irish's 2-6 record against Stan- ford since 2009 sticks in the Notre Dame craw like losing six in a row to Boston College from 2001-08. While the fiasco in Miami remains a sore spot in 2017, the far more per- tinent issue is finishing November with a flourish to position the Fight- ing Irish for a Big Six bowl berth. It has been 24 years since Notre Dame has won a "major" bowl, and in that span approximately three-dozen other teams have (32 since the BCS format was in place from 1998-2013, prior to the College Football Playoff). To win such a game, Notre Dame first has to earn the right to be invited to one. In the last 10 seasons from 2007-16, it has been invited to a major bowl only twice: the 2013 title-game loss to Alabama and the 2016 Fiesta Bowl setback to Ohio State. One of the main reasons why the Irish haven't been part of them more regularly is because of poor Novem- bers. In the four seasons from 2013- 16, Notre Dame was only 7-10 in the crucial final month of the regular season. If the 2017 Notre Dame team is in- deed going to be deemed "different" from the status quo of the past 24 years, it must win at Stanford for the first time in five tries, and not be the first-ever Irish team to lose the final regular-season contest five consecu- tive years. Part II to complete the job will be to actually win a major bowl for the first time since the 11-1 finish in 1993. A 9-3 record? Been there, done that numerous times since 1993 (1995 1998, 2000 and 2005). How about 10-3? Been there, done that too (2002, 2006 and 2015). Each was "a solid season," but ultimately unfulfilling in the big picture, much like 2017 would be with another such ledger. The subpar November perfor- mances from 2013-16 helped result in a massive overhaul of the football team's infrastructure last winter. However, another November loss to Stanford on the heels of the blow- out at Miami would ultimately renew skepticism about progress beyond the status quo, and the ghosts of the past would return in full force. ✦ Wins At Stanford, Major Bowl End Status Quo THE FIFTH QUARTER LOU SOMOGYI Senior Editor Lou Somogyi has been at Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 1985. He can be reached at lsomogyi@blueandgold.com Under eighth-year head coach Brian Kelly, a win at Stanford and in a major bowl would help end a 24-year cycle of end-of-season frustration at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY ANGELA DRISKELL

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