Have we finally burned through our equity?
by potatohouse (2019-12-05 10:08:37)
Post Reply Return to Rock's House

Imagine a year where we failed our only two tough tests of the season, needed a last second touchdown to beat a lesser opponent at home, and could only build a victory resume on the backs of teams ranked at the very bottom of the Top 25? Now imagine that team is a virtual lock (logistically and via perception) to play in one of the 4-5 most important bowl games of the year.

Now think hard about 2006 and try to remember how you felt.

It's eerie how similar that regular season was to this one. Except that 2006 was worse. We played two premium opponents and were outclassed and non-competitive each time. We impressively beat one (versus three this year) fringe ranked team, and we had to scrape by even more often against lesser foes. 2006 is 2019's slightly uglier twin.

And yet on a personal level, I absolutely expected that we would go to a BCS game. I bought Sugar Bowl tickets in advance because I was so sure. Now obviously a lot has changed with the system setup, contracts, tie-ins, and whatever else. But beyond the logistics, I just mentally assumed we belonged.

Now when I look at 2019, I feel like most here do. 15 feels about right. It was a solid season, but being on the outside looking in at the adult table is exactly where I'd put us. And the pollsters seem to agree. We made no marks and took a gut shot when it mattered. We are who we are.

So what's different? Is this just the product of an individual season and to look for trends or tea leaves or bigger pictures is overstepping? Or, despite the belief that the program is healthier overall than it has been in a while, have we actually, ironically, redefined ourselves to our detriment. It is possible that our goodness under Kelly has finally convinced others that this is actually our greatness?

Maybe I'm making too much of it. Maybe this is what is supposed to happen when you do what we did. I just remember that the last time we did what we did, it felt different. And we were treated different. We feel further from the benefit of the doubt we once (perhaps unfairly) enjoyed and relegated to the bucket occupied by PAC12 runner-ups and Big East flavors of the year.

In 2006 when we won ten games, we were still Notre Dame. In 2019, the line forms back there.

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