Notre Dame And The Fiesta Bowl Hangover

Notre Dame and its Fiesta Bowl hangover helps us see the truth of the matter.

This won’t take very long, and given the level of disappointment from the Irish faithful- you shouldn’t mind the brevity either. There are just a few small yet broad points that need to be made, and then we can all move on- just as we see underclassmen moving on to the NFL draft.

Ohio State Is A Better Team

Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) reacts in the end zone as he celebrates a second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Buckeyes defeated the Fighting Irish 44-28. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

As much as we as Notre Dame fans might have deluded ourselves into thinking that Notre Dame was the better team, that point was severely proven wrong in Arizona. That doesn’t mean that Notre Dame had zero chance of beating the Buckeyes, as we have seen so many times in sports the opposite, but it does mean that when the better team shows up to play balls out… the odds plummet against such an upset.

It’s okay. Ohio State had the better roster, were the defending National Champions, and is lead by a head coach that just does it better than Brian Kelly. This shouldn’t be an indictment of Kelly and the Irish program, but more of yet another stepping stone for a program full of supporters that refuse to accept that fact.

The better team won.

Injuries Hurt, Suspensions Hurt More

We saw this coming four months ago, and we were prepped very soundly on that principle in 2014. The philosophy of “next man in” is great and all, and the Irish nearly defied the injury tyranny all together in 2015- but at some point, something has to give.

We saw flashes of what Jarron Jones brings to the table when he saw 15 snaps against OSU after a season on the injury list. Imagine what he could have helped with in a season that saw 2 losses by 4 points. Maybe he was the tipping point?

So, when injuries ravage a team, what do suspensions (especially those at the last minute) do to a team? Would Redfield and Tillery have helped deny the Buckeyes for jumping to a 14-0 and then 28-7 lead? Would that have been enough to turn the tide? I say “yes.” Perhaps that is a little bold, but I feel that could have been the difference- even more so than the tragic loss of Jaylon Smith in the first quarter.

Jan 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Jaylon Smith (9) waves as he leaves the field following the 2016 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Smith was injured in the first quarter and left the game. The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame 44-28. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports /

Moving Forward

The only thing to do with a loss such as this is to move forward and improve. Maybe that means some staff changes? Maybe that means a harder push to end the recruiting cycle? The Irish are losing players for 2016 to the NFL at breakneck speed right now, and if they want another shot at the playoffs, Kelly and the staff (or new staff) are going to have to figure out what changes need to be made- for example:

Defensive overhaul
Redzone offense
Health
Another QB dilemma

The list is actually quite a bit longer, but we have many months to go until the start of the 2016 season. Perhaps we should just let a few things play out first. Dear lord… GO IRISH!

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