Notre Dame’s Clemson Hangover

Notre Dame’s heartbreaking 24-22 loss to Clemson this past Saturday will have all sorts of consequences for the Fighting Irish this season.

Playoffs?

We might as well check this one off the list right away. Notre Dame dropped to #15 in both polls, and although both of the polls become moot once the Playoff Selection Committee releases their rankings, we can start to imagine the possible scenarios that would elevate the Irish into the top 4.

The most obvious statement is that Notre Dame has to win the remaining games on it’s schedule to have a chance (and some of those will have to be overwhelming victories).

So, yes there is still hope- there is still a LOT OF HOPE. But now (and maybe for the better) this team and this fan base can concentrate on the game in front of us each week. That’s all that’s important now.

Kool Kizer

For a redshirt freshman making his first start on the road in what was commonly described as an extremely hostile environment, DeShone Kizer played amazingly well. Did we even mention the weather? He wasn’t perfect, but given the circumstances, Kizer showed himself to be a really good quarterback for the Irish.

What was more important for Notre Dame than Kizer’s stat line, is how he carried himself throughout the game. The running game struggled and he was playing from behind the entire time. Through it all, Kizer played with a calm determination and showed the country what type of poise he could play with- even in the worst of conditions.

Brian Kelly Problems

How are we at the same crossroad concerning a 2 point conversion? WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING FOOTBALL GODS? Well, it’s because football coaches in the heat of battle use a flowchart. It’s the same for almost every program. It’s hard to be both right and wrong when it comes to using this system, but in Brian Kelly’s case he has done it once again.

To be honest, I had no issue with Kelly making that call when he did. I did take issue with Robinson not coming down with it (as well as another drop that was likely a touchdown). I took issue with the play call for the last 2 point conversion, because really… Clemson owned the Irish running game.

So, of course, Brian Kelly has created more PR problems for himself- but what else is new? Brian Kelly is going to do whatever he sees is the best way to win a football game. Right or wrong, it’s what Irish fans have to deal with as we all hope Notre Dame can crawl back into the playoff race.

Moving Forward

Notre Dame goes back to Triple Option School as the Navy Midshipmen come back to Notre Dame Stadium. While we can and should expect a similar defensive effort against Navy as we saw against Georgia Tech, this game is particularly tricky coming off of a game and a loss like the one against Clemson, and right before another home game against Southern Cal. “Focus ” will be the keyword all week long- for all of us. It’s one game at a time all the time.