Can it be a season to remember?
Talented Irish should be in playoff contention
Attention to detail. Laser focus. Smart decisions. Gritty play. According to a sign that hangs in the auditorium of the Guglielmo Athletics Complex, those are the ‘‘traits necessary to complete Notre Dame’s football mission.’’
What is the mission? ‘‘To graduate all of our student-athletes and win a national championship.’’ By the way, that little part after the ‘‘and’’ (no big deal, right?) hasn’t happened in 30 years.
Much has changed in terms of annual expectations since Lou Holtz’s 1988 squad went 12-0, but Year 9 of the Brian Kelly era might re-establish the Irish as major players on the national scene.
Some would argue the Irish are at that level already, considering their 10-victory campaigns in 2015 and 2017. A 4-8 disaster in between, though, led to a major reset that’s still playing out in South Bend, Indiana.
What it’s really going to take for the Irish to erase lingering doubts about the program is a debut appearance in the four-team College Football Playoff. They got close in 2015. They were squarely in the hunt into November last season. And now? Kelly is talking big.
‘‘This is a very good roster from 1 through 85, and there’s depth in this roster,’’ he said. ‘‘And the one thing I can tell you is that they’re all very, very competitive.
‘‘We don’t have guys that are slackers. They want to be great.’’