Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/1061429
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com JANUARY 2019 37 DEALING WITH THE SKEPTICS By our count, more than three-dozen Football Bowl Subdivision teams have won a major bowl (including when the Peach was not a major until the playoff era started, or the Cotton fall- ing out of that ranks at the turn of the century). Consequently, the current Notre Dame team is perceived as an extension of past frustrations. Even during the Dec. 2 pairings of the four-team College Football Playoff, one of the primary topics centered on how Georgia and Ohio State, both of whom ended up on the outside looking in with the CFP, would be definitely favored against the Irish on a neutral field. "Nobody likes Notre Dame — that's just the reality of it," said two-time senior captain/linebacker Drue Tran- quill, not one typically to acknowl- edge the outside noise. "If you're not Notre Dame, you don't like Notre Dame. All the experts have to pull from their recent experience is what's happened over the last 10 years, and how we got blown out by Alabama in '12 and lost to Ohio State in '15 in the Fiesta Bowl. Every time we go against a school with seemingly superior ath- letes on paper, we haven't fared well. "This team is different. This team is not the '12 team. This team isn't '15. Look at our athletes on paper. I think we've got a pretty good spread as well, and I'd take us … I guess we'll find out on Dec. 29." Never underestimate the motiva- tion and fire smoldering amongst Irish players, which then brings us to … DIFFERENT DYNAMIC Back in 2012, the entire month of December was a "Notre Dame ad- miration fest" nationally because of its Cinderella story of rising from the ashes following five straight seasons (2007-11) with at least five losses. De- fending national champ Alabama was the "other team" smoldering in the background while "The Notre Dame Miracle" — as Sports Illustrated la- beled it on its cover — was celebrated. This year, it is Alabama that is ex- alted as potentially "one of the great- est teams ever," with Clemson per- ceived as its lone challenger the past four years. Meanwhile, Oklahoma owns the nation's top scoring of- fense and the Heisman Trophy win- ner. Notre Dame is perceived as "that other team" easy to ignore among the much more prominent programs this past decade. It is the Fighting Irish who are looming in the background, primed for an ambush. In no way does that mean the Irish will emerge victorious, but it does create a different dynamic than in 2012 when even though they were the underdog, head coach Brian Kel- ly's troops were the media darlings. Interestingly, in the first four years of the College Football Playoff, the No. 1 seed has never won it all, and two of the winners were the No. 4 seeds (Ohio State in 2014 and Ala- bama last year). Sometimes when one might least expect it — a la Notre Dame wom- en's basketball last spring — being the overlooked or underrated team can be beneficial. ✦ GAME PREVIEW: CLEMSON Thanks to talented players such as Pro Football Focus All-American defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, Clemson was an 11.5-point favorite over Notre Dame as of early December — which may allow the Fighting Irish to sneak up and upend the Tigers. PHOTO BY CARL ACKERMAN/COURTESY CLEMSON Predictions Corey Bodden: Clemson 38, Notre Dame 28 A tight contest before the Tigers eventually pull away with a late touchdown. Notre Dame could have success stretching the field if Ian Book gets time to throw the way Jake Bentley of South Carolina did for 500-plus yards, but I think the Tigers will be able to slow down the Irish running attack enough. Bryan Driskell: Notre Dame 27, Clemson 24 Clemson is without question the most talented team Notre Dame has faced this season, but the same is true for the Tigers, who have yet to face a group like the Irish defense. David McKinney: Clemson 30, Notre Dame 27 A lot of national prognosticators have decided Clemson is going to roll over the Fighting Irish on their way to the final. I think the Tigers win, but I don't believe it will be a cake walk like previous Notre Dame major bowls. Lou Somogyi: Notre Dame 27, Clemson 23 Notre Dame is way, way overdue for one of these type of wins. The three regular season priorities were to beat Michigan in the opener, hold serve at home and win the month of November. Ending the ridiculous 24-year drought with no major bowl win has to be next on the check list.