Notre Dame Football: The Southern Cal Hangover

The funny thing about the last football game of the season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish against the USC Trojans, is that despite all of the noise before the game and all of the noise following the game, I generally felt entertained by the game itself.

By “noise,” of course I am talking about all of the program issues that the Irish have to deal with and figure out.

• Brian Kelly
• Academic probation
• Brian Kelly
• Jack Swarbrick
• Brian Kelly
• 4-8?
• Brian Kelly

Yeah... the Brian Kelly situation was intertwined with every aspect of the game before kickoff and every aspect after the final whistle.

You may not think that a 45-27 loss would be entertaining. In fact, most of you probably think I am crazy as hell or just talking out of my ass- but it’s the truth. Even when it looked obvious that Notre Dame was going to lose this game, I still thought there was hope. It wasn’t because I was just bleeding blue and gold blood all over my living room while drinking a Trojan Blood (best drink ever), it was because Notre Dame really wasn’t getting as outplayed as everyone thought they would.

Notre Dame came into this game as a 17 point underdog and lost 45-27. So... USC covered and I look like an idiot for saying such things. I sound even more ridiculous considering that Notre Dame’s last touchdown came with just over a minute left in the game. So... it was a big blowout of 24 points.

Am I high?

No, but after this season who can blame anyone that was.

Look, the Trojans scored 21 points on 2 special teams touchdowns and an interception return for touchdown. Statistically though, the team stats were pretty close comparatively.

Via ESPN.com

Damn... that’s crazy close. Like, how do you lose by 18 points when the stats are that close? Oh, yeah... those 3 touchdowns.

The biggest stat though isn’t even a stat- it’s a ranking. USC is the best team Notre Dame has played all year, and the Trojans are playing almost as good as anyone right now (I’m not high enough to put them with Alabama... 52-6 y’all).

All of this, and Notre Dame was 100% playing for nothing with a 4-7 record.

It’s not like USC blew the doors off of Notre Dame. It wasn’t 2014, and it sure as shit wasn’t like any of those losses during the Pete Carroll era (excluding 2005 of course). It was a night for Adoree Jackson to show why he is so incredible.

Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images

So... I just don’t see the talent dearth that so many think that they see with the Irish. That means that we are all correct... THIS IS A COACHING PROBLEM.

I’m not sure why I chose to highlight that statement with an entire article when it’s been obvious for a long time now- but I just did. I did, and it actually made me happy. It made me have some type of hope that maybe things will end up alright.

Did I really see DeShone Kizer get under center on a 1st and goal at the one? I mean, if I saw that for real, than maybe that’s proof enough that things can change and Notre Dame is just trolling everyone this year.

That’s a nice story and all, and I wish to the gods that the story turned into reality, but we are pretty sure that it won’t. I was entertained during a 18 point loss.

Praising every god that ever existed that the season is over. The bill from my shrink is going to be killer though.