FanPost
“Well, then, I guess there’s only one thing left to do. Win the whole fuckin’ thing.” Jake Taylor from 1989’s Major League.
Notre Dame is on the precipice of something truly amazing, having recently accomplished something that seems so foreign. It’s not that they haven’t been in a CFP Semifinal before. No, we all remember 2018 and 2020 and I won’t be Debbie Downering anyone with trips down those memory lanes today. That can wait for a more appropriate time (like the after the PSU game, whomp! whomp! Sorry, couldn’t help myself.) It’s not that they haven’t played in National Championships, both on the winning and losing end.
No, Notre Dame is back! They just beat an SEC Champion Georgia Bulldogs team by double digits. That’s the first win ever versus the Bull Dawgs and the first postseason win over a Top 10 team since 1993! They did it in relatively dominant fashion. Sure there were times when it looked like Georgia might climb back in this one, but the defense put the clamps on the Dawgs and Riley Leonard led a closeout drive for the ages. Call me Les Miles because I think this is a “damn good football team.”
However, this is still a team just on the precipice of greatness, but it’s the furthest to tipping over the edge the Irish have come since 1988. That season tells us something of the greatness that Notre Dame may be on the verge of achieving this year.
When Notre Dame beat Miami in a close contest, it felt like a cloud was lifted. Gone were the beatdowns at the hands of the Hurricanes over the last several years. While Indiana was no Miami, beating them signaled that ND had finally lifted a cloud: Big postseason play wasn’t a specter around the program anymore. They had won on the national stage in a playoff game and there was real momentum towards winning a national championship.
Fast forward to the end of the season in ‘88. The Irish are facing the number 2 undefeated USC Trojans in the Coliseum. One thing you could always count on was that a great Trojan team could ruin a great Notre Dame team’s season. Yet the Irish cruised through the contest. In the Sugar Bowl this past Thursday, the Irish pulled a similar monkey off their back. They won a major bowl game for the first time since 1993.
In the game, it felt like there were times Georgia could take off or climb back in depending on the score. However, ND had an answer on defense, special teams, and even offense at crucial times. I spent most of the 4th quarter trying to convince myself that the Irish had really done it because it all was coming together so matter of factly. The Irish won with little panic, stress or theatrics at the end. The Irish just won the damn thing and they did it their way.
Now, though, we come to the harsh realization, that the Irish are still just a semifinal participant. They’ve never made it further in the CFP era. And they haven’t hoisted a Natty Trophy in 35+ years. That’s where I would normally take you to the 1990 or 1991 ND vs PSU games. But I promised I wouldn’t do that. So instead, I’m going to focus on this Notre Dame roster: a roster of guys who shouldn’t be here. They don’t belong on this stage by any other metric than they’ve earned it.
Xavier Watts converting from 5th string receiver to best safety in the universe? He’s the Jake Taylor of this group. A grizzled veteran that most had written off before last year’s Renaissance.
Jordan Faison being a Lacross dude who runs go routes suddenly becoming Mr. Clutch in postseason play? He’s Willie Mayes Hayes
Riley Leonard can’t hit the broad side of a barn to at times, but he also does electric things that make even the most Randy Quaid of cynics (me) embrace him? He’s Rick “Wild Thing” Vaughn
How about Al Golden pulling a Lou Brown and coming out of perdition to become the best non head coach in college football. Dude had banners flying above Miami games calling for his head less than a decade ago.
And none of this includes the running backs (Love, Price and Williams) who have taken the next step to explosiveness, our Pedros Cerrano learning to hit the breaking ball.
I don’t have a Richard Dorn character because none of these guys really come from a place of putting in low effort, but the O Line certainly has rallied at key moments to allow the running backs to get those explosive lanes and give Leonard just enough time to do his amazing/head scratching things.
Running out of characters to compare so let’s say that Mitch Jeter has gone from groin ailing pariah to Reggie Ho levels of clutch.
Jaylon Sneed has made big enough plays to make Teo and Jaylon Smith blush.
Donovan Hinish is the better Hinish brother? Really?
Most of the transfers are turning out to be excellent choices? So the roof wasn’t fretted gold (John Milton reference)
Every player on this team has managed to do something special this year it seems? Even Christian Gray?
Marcus Freeman is a couple of games away from making Brian Kelly (Rachel Phelps) look like the dumbest money grubber in the history of college football?
Is this all really happening? Are we really going to do this? Why is Wild Thing starting to play over the loud speakers. Wait? Who is Bob Ueker in all of this? Is it Sean McDonough? Reggie Brooks? Gahh! Who cares!!! I’m ripping off my shirt in ecstasy! Let’s go out there and win the whole fuckin’ thing!