ND has the potential to have its highest three-year win %

in over 25 years.

Doing that, even with some ugly results, would be noteworthy.

That being said, ND hasn't had a good season W/L wise that didn't include a season ruining blowout since... 1993?

Just using a low-bar baseline of 9 wins, here's the seasons that qualify going back to Holtz' tenure, and the blowout losses in each. Parentheses indicate borderline blowouts:

2018: Clemson
2017: Miami, (Stanford)
2015: (Ohio State)
2012: Alabama
2006: UM, USC, LSU
2005: (Ohio State)
2002: USC, NCSU
2000: Oregon State
1998: MSU
1995: Ohio State
1993: ---
1992: Stanford
1991: Penn State
1990: ---
1989: Miami
1988: ---

On the plus side, we're starting to regularly have good W/L records again. 3 seasons in a row, and 4 out of 5 would be good progress. But we haven't had an unambiguously good season in a loooong time. We crucially need to avoid blowouts, and could desperately use a serious prestige win. Fewer than 10 wins is a failed season.

Nit: 2015 Ohio St wasn't a blowout. Not even borderline.

With a 7 point lead, Ohio St converted 3rd & 9 and 3rd & 11 deep in their own territory. Had they not converted either of those, ND would have gotten the ball back with sufficient time to get a touchdown, and (as Weis later divulged) a game deciding 2-point conversion.

Yes I realize there was a large difference in total yards in Ohio St's favor but that doesn't make it a blowout. Nobody's saying we blew out South Florida in 2011.

Click here for link at https://www.espn.com/college-football/playbyplay?gameId=2600

I won't protest too much on that. *

Pretty sure you meant 2005.

And I agree, it wasn't a blowout.

Yes, of course. Thanks for catching that.

Instead of correcting it, I'll let my brainfart remain there in the subject line as a testament to my stupidity.

25+ year streak of 0 wins vs top 10 teams

BK continues to enhance ND's mediocre Bisquik brand of football.

Bookstore continues to offer honey packets with its $100 home game t-shirts.

MSU was a top 10 win. Only loss for them that year

You point is generally still valid, but we haven't gone 25 years without a top 10 win. MSU ended in the top 10 and Oklahoma was top 10 at the time we beat them in 2012. Weis also had some top 10 wins at the time of the game and so did Ty and Davie.

So, 1 win against a team that finished Top 10 in 25 years?

Holy shit balls, that's bad.

Iowa State had 2 such wins in 2017 alone.

Stanford in 2012, Michigan in 2002

Several more top 15 in that time frame. And a lot of losses.

2012 Stanford W was vacated *