The win at Michigan State and the loss to Georgia look better by the week, but tough remaining games say the Irish’s fate is yet to be decided.
Saturday, November 26th, 2016: The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame were wrapping up a disappointing 4-8 campaign with a 45-27 loss in Los Angeles against USC. The season couldn’t end soon enough for the Irish. ND headed into the off-season with more questions than answers.
Nov 26, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly walks off the field after a NCAA football game against the Southern California Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC defeated Notre Dame 45-27. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Irish fans aren’t used to a season like that. The biggest question was whether or not head coach Brian Kelly was the man for the job. Many thought he had worn out his welcome.
Then something important happened.
At the end of each year, coaches have season-ending “exit meetings” with players. The meetings serve as a way for coaches to tell returning players what they need to improve. But that’s not the way things went last winter in South Bend. The exit meetings also served a reverse function. Several players told Coach Kelly what he needed to do. They told him that he needed to change his attitude if he wanted the team to be successful. He was being too hard on them, taking the fun out of football.
Coach Kelly took these words to heart and came into camp this season a new man. And the difference shows in how the Irish are performing. The Irish are off to a strong 5-1 start. And while all the credit can’t be all showered on Kelly, his change of attitude is definitely helping … as are his two new coordinators.
Their best win to date was on the road a few weeks ago against Michigan State, 38-18. The Irish dominated (what at that time was thought to be) an “iffy” team. But that win is looking much better after the Spartans’ win last week against rival Michigan.
Courtesy: UHND.com
And the odd thing about the season may be this: ND’s lone loss–a 20-19 home defeat to Georgia–may have been the Irish’s best showing. Few thought the Bulldogs to be a national power, but the team from Athens is now undefeated, ranked #4 in the country.
So how will the Irish finish the year? Let’s take a look at their remaining schedule.
October 21 vs. USC: This is a big rivalry game. The Irish get the Trojans at home and that should be the difference.
October 28 vs. NC State: This contest gives the Irish back-to-back games against ranked teams. The Wolfpack are a vastly underrated team, especially on defense. If the Irish don’t come ready to play, they could easily be tripped up.
November 4 vs. Wake Forest: This will be ND’s third straight home game. The Demon Deacons got off to a strong start, but have since struggled in the ACC. Wake’s offense isn’t strong, but it has a dominant defense. They held Clemson to 28 points and battled the whole way.
November 11 @ Miami: The Irish travel to Miami to take on ranked Hurricane team that’s competing for an ACC championship. Mark Richt has Miami playing well this year. And while the Hurricanes have faded down the stretch in past seasons, I don’t see that happening this year. The Irish will have their hands full.
Courtesy: NavySports.com
November 18 vs. Navy: Navy was supposed to be down this year, not in the mix for the AAC crown. Well, surprise! The Midshipmen enter this week undefeated–doing what they always do … RUN THE BALL! After four straight high-intensity games. the Irish will need to be careful in this one. The Midshipmen won’t be intimidated by the Irish. The reason? Navy has beaten ND recently.
November 25 @ Stanford: The Irish travel out West to take on a Stanford team that always seems to get better as the season goes on. Bryce Love is turning into a phenom and Coach Shaw has his kids playing hard. The Irish may need a win to get into a major bowl. I’m just not sure they’ll get it.
What’s the takeaway message from this analysis? Tough remaining games say the Irish’s fate is yet to be decided.
