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It's been hard to see the Irish play well at times and then find ways to lose games. After the end of last year, it looked like we were on our way. Winning the last five (5) games while giving few points was like a watershed moment. No longer were we just a good offensive team, but we looked good on defense. Coach Kelly went out and recruited a good defensive class. It looked like things were coming together.
But, the first two games of the year, were all but wins.
I know it was hard for some ND fans to watch the USF game. I couldn't believe how poorly we played in the first half. I kept reminding myself that we could "Shake down the thunder". I saw it many times during my time in South Bend. We won it all my freshman year (1988). I saw a good team become great before my eyes. Small mistakes were few and scattered. Never more than we could overcome in one game.
So, I was expecting a little more this season. Our (former) penchant for winning in spite of tough odds was the only missing piece. That comes with good coaching and athletes who believe in themselves. I don't want this to sound like we have bad coaches or players who don't believe in themselves. Far from it. It just looks like those two halves have not come together.
We stood at 2-2. Two losses vs USF and at Michigan.
The next game against MSU looked much better.
The last one against Pitt looked like a repeat of the first two. We manhandled Air Force and even broke out Andrew Hendrix, a "BK-type" quarterback. It looked great. We had two weeks before the USC game and lots of momentum.
Then it happened again. More turnovers and an anemic offense. USC took charge and never looked back. They came to play and we laid down.
I know we can put a good game together. The real test will be two of those games, and then three.
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Why on earth would you be expecting anything "more" this season? The only pundit who expects this team full of heartless underachievers to get to a BCS bowl is Lou Holtz - who is nursing a serious relationship with senility these days. The last GREAT QB you had was Joe Montana... CLASS OF '79! Notre Dame isn't just a tired dynasty, it's a DEAD one. The only thing more pathetic and selfish than the way this team plays are its deluded fans who still think Rudy is a true story, and that a national championship is just a few "good breaks" away.
Notre Dame is a team with a few GREAT athletes who are vastly more invested in their own self-promotion than they'll ever be with winning for the folks in South Bend. The rest of the team expects to win just because they strap on the gold helmets each week. At least the rock-stupid kids recruited by the SEC schools don't feel like they're ENTITLED to a win just for showing up.
Watching my boys beat the Irish in 2007 was the greatest day of my sports life. Feel free to enjoy the moment as I did here: http://www.broowaha.com/articles/2580/the-reckoning There is no greater morality play in college football than the hard-working men from Annapolis taking on the privileged few from South Bend and their mindless masses of fans.
We'll be looking to lay another smack down this Saturday - and I'm quite certain you'll greet us with another condescending grin, like some kind of little brother than has no business on the field, but has smacked you around 3 out of the last 4 years, and will be looking to turn our own season around by driving your faces in the dirt once again.
Save the surprise and disappointment. Once you, the rest of the fans and the school realize that it's a privilege to be playing at all, maybe you can stop fantasizing about national championships, making excuses for not winning them, and start playing with the heart that might actually make some of that possible.