Golson Can Give The Irish Hope By Beating Michigan

I can still remember like it was yesterday. Rees throws the would-be winning touchdown pass to Riddick and the Irish are up three with thirty seconds to go.  Now I am dancing on my neighbors couch and singing one of Kayne West’s favorite lines, “We in the (Big) House.” I scuffed up that couch like Rick James only to have Denard Robinson rip out my heart thirty seconds later.  The Irish were then 0-2 and all hope was lost for the 2011 season. Same thing happened last season when turnovers ultimately killed the Irish’s chances in Ann Arbor. Golson was gone and fans had the look in the mirror and accept that this was going to be Notre Dame’s team in 2013. Kind of like when Costanza accepts that he’s bald, unemployed and lives with his parents. It was disheartening.

The outcome of Notre Dame’s annual September matchup with Michigan is usually a reliable barometer of how Notre Dame’s season is going to turn out. 2010, 2011, and 2013 losses showed that the Irish were going to have disappointing seasons. But, the 2012 contest gave Irish fans hope for that season. This means that after Saturday fans are no longer going to be able to say, “We’ll see after they play Michigan.” I actually am kind of sad to see them go. It’s kind of like breaking up with your girlfriend. You guys had a long and fun relationship, but then you had a nasty breakup and won’t return each other’s calls. Then one of you starts dating the other’s best friend and it gets real ugly. But time heals all wounds and eventually you realize the breakup wasn’t in everyone’s best interest after all.

Maybe it will turn out like that. I don’t know.

All I know is that when it’s all said and done Saturday night, Golson can give the Irish and their fans something they have needed for a long time, Hope. Sure, every fan had a little hope when Golson was readmitted to Notre Dame back in December. And that hope grew a little more after the Rice game. Now if Golson can go out and dominate Saturday night, he will give the Irish and their faithful a shot in the arm full of hope. Exactly how Donald Sutherland said it in The Hunger Games, “A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous.”