When Notre Dame lost unceremoniously at home to 28 point underdog Northern Illinois in September, shock reverberated through the fan base. That was as ugly and unexplainable a loss as has ever occurred in the history of college football.
More than 3 months later, I still cannot make sense of it or put it into context- at least not yet.
Since that dismal loss, Our Lady's team has run off 11 straight wins to reach 12-1, including last night's epic win over top 10 Indiana.
Notre Dame capped of it's first 12 win season on January 2nd, 1989 with a national championship against West Virginia under legendary coach Lou Holtz.
Since then, the Irish have reached 12 wins in 1989-90, 2012-13 and 2018-19. All 3 times the Irish failed to win a national championship.
Is this the year ND gets it done? I think so.
On the night of January 1st, the Fighting Irish get a chance to get that elusive 13th win in a season, that elusive 1st win against the vaunted Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl and reach the final 4 for the 3rd time in the CFB playoff era.
When (not if) the Irish vanquish the dawgs, they will move on to a Thursday night January 9th clash in the Orange Bowl. That matchup would be against SMU, Penn State or Boise State.
What a start that would be for the Irish and their fans to 2025. What a story book come back that would be for the ages.
From the ashes of that devastating loss in September would rise a team playing for a National Championship on the very day that Donald Trump celebrates his own personal comeback story by being inaugurated President.
Sometimes sports stories really do take on a larger than life message. Sometimes, inspirational messages can arise from gridiron glory and from epic upsets
Even the term upset comes from an unthinkable win. In 1919, an upstart horse by that name became the only horse to ever beat the legendary Man of War.
In my lifetime, I have seen a few epic upsets.
One in particular, the 1980 US Hockey team win against the Soviets literally brought our nation together. The idea of the Americans beating the USSR that year was unthinkable, yet it happened.
Is it any less unthinkable that a storied team like Notre Dame could lose at home to Northern Illinois only to go on and become only the fifth 15-win national champion in college football history?
True- it hasn't happened yet.
True- it won't be easy.
Yet, it's out there. The dream is still alive, and dreams can keep us going.
A win against Georgia on January 1st, keeps the dream going.
PREDICTIONS FOR REMAINING GAMES
Penn State wins vs SMU
Clemson upsets Texas
Ohio State beats Tennessee (a reversal of previous prediction)
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