What should be the goals for Notre Dame for the rest of the season?

After catching a beatdown in Ann Arbor Saturday night, it’s time to reevaluate where Notre Dame football is headed in 2019.

Saturday night’s loss to Michigan doesn’t hurt Notre Dame’s season. It only hurts our pride.

Some may have argued that the Irish had an outside shot at a loss before the game, but it was a long shot. Before the season started, however, few experts felt they had good odds of beating Michigan at the Big House.

What’s different now? A “2” in the loss column, instead of a “1.”

However, their season goals should still be the same. That’s because making the College Football Playoff should not be the first goal of any Notre Dame season. The end goal of a Notre Dame season should be to win a New Year’s Six Bowl game, not a National Championship.

Put aside Notre Dame’s prestigious history, especially the 11 National Championships. They were decades ago. More so, Notre Dame hasn’t so much as won a major bowl game since the 1994 Cotton Bowl. Not to age myself, but I wasn’t alive for that.

That futility has become a running joke. Notre Dame might be good, but no one ever thinks they can be great. This perception means that to make the Playoff, Notre Dame must go unbeaten.

Don’t believe me? Just think about other teams who’ve lived futile existences in college football. Minnesota is unbeaten and ranked only 13th. Wake Forest is merely 23rd as a 6-1 ACC team. Pitt, despite having 9 claimed National Championships, would need to go unbeaten to make the Playoff.

Why is that? Because they’ve been mediocre for decades now. Their last major bowl win was the 1981 Sugar Bowl. 40 years of being average has set them backwards.

Georgia, on the other hand, has been able to remain relevant in the National Championship conversation. They’ve done so, despite only having won two National Championships. Their last was well before Notre Dame’s last, in 1980. How do they stay relevant? They win major bowl games, and have proved they deserve to be in the conversation.

Simply put, by beating the average and bad teams on your schedule, you prove that you’re a good team. To be a great team you need to beat other great teams. Since Lou Holtz, even when Notre Dame has been good, they’ve struggled to be great.

They’ve struggled to beat other good and great teams. Look at Notre Dame’s two losses this season. One where they had every chance to beat Georgia if they were just less sloppy. One where they got knocked to the mat and didn’t bother getting up against Michigan. This season’s win are against a couple of cupcakes and average P5 teams.

Notre Dame is good, not great.

The goal for the Irish needs to be to take the next step towards being great. They must set their sights on making a New Year’s Six Bowl Game and winning it. Once the Irish have beaten another great team on a major stage, then they can return their attention towards winning a National Championship again.

Put the Michigan game out of our minds. Go 10-2 this season and make a New Year’s Six game. Beat whoever is put up against you. Change the conversation surrounding the Notre Dame program. Get the big game monkey off your back.