Props for Notre Dame

Notre Dame's win in Norman was its best in 20 years.

First off, as I promised him, I'll give some public props to my friend and fellow Irish fan, Stan. He predicted a 27-17 win for the Irish in Norman. I thought Notre Dame would play well, but I didn't think they would pull that off. Kudos to the Irish... and Stan.

So, what does this win mean? I'll keep it simple. It means the Irish are good... this year.

Before the season, after Rick Reilly blasted Notre Dame for being irrelevant and not deserving its perks, I defended the Irish to an extent. Back then, I said Reilly was right that Notre Dame has not been truly relevant in 20 years, but I said the Irish shouldn't apologize for taking advantage of its history.

Also in that blog, I said that Notre Dame would never be an elite program again. I said it could have a good season here and there like Boise State has, but as far as being dominant year in and year out like Alabama is, I couldn't see it.

So, what's happening now? Well, let's not overblow this win over Oklahoma, but let's not sell it short, either. That was easily the best win for Notre Dame since 1993, when the Irish won a 1 vs 2 matchup against Florida State and Heisman winner Charlie Ward.

A lot of Notre Dame's "good" wins since then have turned out to be not so great as teams like Michigan and Michigan State tend to fade into nothing in years when Notre Dame has beaten them. This win in Norman, though? That was fantastic. Oklahoma is a legit power loaded with blue chip talent, and that was only the fifth home loss for Bob Stoops since he took over in 1999. The Irish were an 11-point underdog, went into a hostile environment, and they pushed the Sooners around and made enough plays to get the win. They didn't do it with smoke and mirrors or controversial game-altering officiating. They won, plain and simple. Every Sooner fan and reporter I follow on Twitter simply said the Irish outplayed Oklahoma, and they were right.

If you're not willing to at least concede that this Irish team is different than those coached by Davie, Willingham and Weis, you either aren't watching or you just hate Notre Dame so much that not even a win over Alabama wouldn't convince you anything. This is a solid team, especially defensively. It deserves to be in the top five in the BCS at this point in the season.

If you think Notre Dame is overrated at four, what are they then? 10? 15? 20? Look at the teams down there and tell me who's better. While I'll grant you that teams like Florida and South Carolina may be more talented and get beat up in the SEC, I'd love to hear a list of 19 teams with more accomplishments than the Irish this season. Are Michigan and Michigan State down? Yes, but the Irish beat the teams on their schedule and passed their huge road test. They deserve to be where they are.

As far as the Irish being "back," I don't like using that phrase. What is "back?" Is it "elite top-five program?" Because that takes more than one good season. Brian Kelly says that all the time. He said before the Oklahoma game that he wants his program to be like OU, a program that is routinely in the top ten and in the BCS mix. Time will tell on that.

Does "back" mean they are the best program in the nation and will win several national titles like they did in the '40's? Then no, Notre Dame is not "back" and never will be.

If "back" means they are watchable, talented, and interesting, then yes. Notre Dame is "back." I could watch Manti Te'o play linebacker all day. The defensive line is as good as any I've seen this year (and yes, I watch SEC football every Saturday). For all of his flaws, Everett Golson is fun to watch as he matures. I said in last week's picks blog that he had to play the best game of his career for the Irish to hang with Oklahoma. He did.

"Back?" Not sure what that means, but there is no doubt
that Kelly has done a great job with the 2012 Irish.

There are still games to play this season. As Irish fans remember, after that great win over Florida State in 1993, what happened next? Tom Coughlin's Boston College Eagles broke Irish hearts with a game-winning field goal. BC is still on the schedule this year, and Notre Dame can't be caught sleeping against them, Wake Forest or Pittsburgh. The Irish should, though, SHOULD head to USC at 11-0. What happens from there is anyone's guess.

But you have to give Brian Kelly and his Irish credit. They don't need to apologize for Michigan, Michigan State, and Miami being mediocre. They've passed every test so far and deserve to be where they are. I'm not saying they're the best team in the country. That's Alabama by a country mile.

As far as where Notre Dame in relation to the rest of the country, let's play out the next two months and see where the chips fall when it's all over.