Don't forget how tough the schedule was in 1986. We took Michigan, LSU, and (eventual National Champion) Penn State down to the wire. The toughness and discipline were back. Holtz took over a talented but mentally weak team. He changed the culture practically overnight.

Also, don't forget that Holtz had already proven himself to be a very good head coach when we hired him. He was about 15 years older than Freeman is now and (understandably) knew a lot more about assembling a coaching staff, game planning/preparation, developing an offensive identity, motivation, etc. than Freeman does at this point.

There is plenty to like about Freeman, but there are still a lot more unknowns about him than there were about Holtz after year 1 at ND.

As a senior, I stumbled out of the stadium after the Penn State loss knowing that the team was going to win a National Championship shortly after I left. The close game with LSU and the USC win only further fueled that optimism.

I'm not sure if I have that same unbridled optimism about the future now. But I am supremely confident that we've hired the best man to roam those sidelines in 26 years.

going to be ok. I don’t have that same feeling yet with Freeman. Every time Lou is mentioned, I’m reminded how much prior experience he had coming into the position which he relied on during his time at ND.

I do now. I'm glad Kelly is gone and Freeman is very likeable. However the OC situation and Freeman's lack of experience as a head coach still leaves me feeling there is a good chance he won't bring the level of success we want.