The Irish Keep on Fighting

Notre Dame knocked off the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners 30-13 on the road last night. Welcome back Notre Dame

(GETTY IMAGES/Wesley Hitt)

By Audrey Hart

After one of the highest falls from greatness in college sports, it appears Notre Dame is back.

No. 5 Notre Dame is undefeated, earning their reputation as a college football powerhouse for the first time in years.

Notre Dame has said that it plans on staying an FBS independent, despite the rest of the athletic department switching to the Atlantic Coast Conference. It has agreed to play against five ACC teams a year and will be part of the ACC’s bowl arrangement.

Before the season though, in the wake of the new playoff system agreed upon for future post seasons, this move seemed like a last chance holdout to stay independent.

Head Coach Brian Kelly was challenged. Make Notre Dame a threat again. Prove the team is worthy of its elite status.

And Kelly brought it. A contender for the national title now, if Notre Dame can play out the rest of the season undefeated, no one will balk about them just getting into the game because they’re Notre Dame.

Their schedule to go holds No. 8 Oklahoma State, Pitt, Wake Forest, Boston College and No. 9 USC, Boston College. Not too hard beside the bookends, but they’ve already faced the likes of No. 10 Michigan State, No. 18 Michigan, and No. 17 Stanford.

Notre Dame’s defense has allowed fewer touchdowns than any other team in the nation (including Alabama) and it hasn’t allowed a single rushing touchdown all year.

In the final two games against ranked opponents, Notre Dame will face some serious offenses though. Oklahoma has Blake Bell, the 6’6’, 254 lb quarterback who doesn’t throw touchdowns and instead bulldozes through the red zone for eight rushing touchdowns this season. USC has Matt Barkley, Marquis Lee, Silas Redd, and Robert Woods. Does anything more need to be said?

The Irish’s defense has proven itself on paper and on the field. Its possible they can do it again. That’s not the problem at hand.

Notre Dame has an average offense. If they can figure that part out, Notre Dame fans might have their dreams of a national championship come true.  If not, Notre Dame will have a successful season, a possible BCS bowl berth, but no national title.