PSA: Notre Dame Is Back

Going into this week, Notre Dame was a legitimate candidate to go to a BCS game.  After the Irish went into Norman and took a 30-13 contest that was MUCH closer than the score indicated, they put themselves in the National Championship discussion.

A big takeaway from this game is the maturation of freshman quarterback Everett Golson.  There were times this season where Tommy Rees had to bail out the Irish.  Last night is Norman was not one of those nights.  After the Sooners tied the game in the 4th quarter at 13, Golson almost immediately hit freshman Chris Brown with a 50-yard pass that set up an Irish touchdown.  Notre Dame rode that momentum to a 30-13 victory.

Golson did an effective job at managing the game and made a big play when he needed to.  The defense did their job and let up 13 points to a really good Oklahoma team on the road.  That is why Notre Dame is a serious contender for the National Title.

Irish Nation thinks it's about damn time.  Notre Dame has been a perpetually average team since the early 90's and a win over OU in Norman put them back on the map.  Brian Kelly, an assistant at Grand Valley State the last time the Irish won the National Title, was hired by Notre Dame in December of 2009.  In his first two seasons at Notre Dame, they crushed Miami in the Sun Bowl and almost knocked off Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl.  The Irish were on the up and up.  Nobody expected what would happen this season.

It's 2012 and the Golden Domer defense has been all of the rage in South Bend.  We knew they were going to be led by Punahou School grad Manti Te'o.  We knew that Te'o was well on his way to a first round selection and an All-American season.   We knew the Irish going to play teams like Michigan State, Michigan and Stanford tough.  What we didn't know is that the Irish would walk out of Norman undefeated and that Te'o would be the premiere defensive player in college football.  The only players that are as good as Te'o on his side of the ball are Jarvis Jones and Jadeveon Clowney, who I would argue will turn out even better.  Nobody expected Notre Dame in a National Championship discussion that currently involves Alabama, Kansas State and Oregon.

Here we are.  Kelly, a product of Big East football and their Mid-Late 2000's heyday, has led Notre Dame to prominence in under three seasons.

Kelly has put together a team that consists of more than just some smart football players and a stud linebacker.  Guys like Golson, ex-Vernon Hills Cougar DaVaris Daniels, Cierre Wood, George Atkinson III and Kapron Lewis-Moore have served at groundwork being laid for a new culture in South Bend.  These are the same caliber of players that Charlie Weis recruited at Notre Dame.  The difference, we have learned, is that Brian Kelly is an effective head coach.  We learned that at Cincinnati and that's why Kelly was a popular hire.  Now look at what he has accomplished so far.  

If you haven't picked a side already America you need to pick now.  Do you love Notre Dame or do you hate Notre Dame.

Either way, the Fighting Irish are back.  They are not going away anytime soon either.