I’m reasonably certain Mike Royko never said, “Some things you wonder, some things you think, and some things you just know.” On the other hand, I know I said on Rock’s House I would have a measure of this team by Halloween, once the fluffier first half of the season was over and the meatier second half was underway. Linus sits in the pumpkin patch, so here I am to make good.

I know this is the most fun I’ve had watching ND play football since 1993. When the team is performing well as the result of solid play as opposed to smoke and mirrors, it’s a great time for all.

Some friends think this season is a lot like 2012, but that’s not so. The 2012 team’s defense, while strong, was built around one guy, so when an across-the-board-talented team came along at the end of the season who could neutralize that one guy, the D couldn’t stop them. The offense, while “run-oriented”, still was too passive and gave in too many times to cute-by-half tendencies. The result was a lot of close games and the impression those guys weren’t as good as their record.

This 2017 defense is more talented throughout the depth chart and doesn’t present immediate weaknesses you know a team will try to exploit. All the units are playing hard instead of thinking hard, which makes them look more aggressive and helps the offense out. Meanwhile, the offense truly is run-first and is absolutely destroying opponents. Throw in the improvements in strength and conditioning, which has the team playing just as hard with three minutes left in the game as they do three minutes into one, and it makes you wonder if this team is better than its (very good) record.

I know that 77-yard run by Josh Adams Saturday will get him at least an invitation to the Downtown Athletic Club this December. I think if Brandon Wimbush can find the open receivers a second sooner than he is, not only will he be invited next year, he’ll bring the hardware home.

Some folks out there think the results so far this season indicate Brian Kelly is due some sort of apology from fans who were critical of him the past seven years. One thing I know for sure: Those folks are full of shit.

I think Brian Kelly deserves credit for a change in mindset this season. Even with all the changes made in the offseason, and while I thought ND had the talent to contend, I remained pessimistic because I wondered if Kelly could go against type and instinct and truly allow an assistant coach to take responsibility for the offense. Lo and behold, that seems to be exactly what he’s done. I didn’t think he could, but he did, so full consideration and kudos to him.

But let’s also remember how these changes came about. The underperforming coaches Mike Elko and Matt Balis replaced were kept LONG after their sell-by dates. It’s not like Brian Van Gorder had a stroke walking onto the field in Austin last year and suddenly lost the ability to call defenses — his shortcomings were evident in 2014, let alone 2016. And depending on who you believe, Kelly didn’t want to make those changes, but had his hand forced by people up the food chain. Good hires were made, no doubt about it … but let’s not pretend they were the latest in a string of them. They’re the obvious outliers in the last eight seasons.

This team is succeeding because it is doing the things I and those of my philosophical school have been asking Brian Kelly for: a team based on physicality that establishes its will at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball that uses a punishing ground attack on offense to soften up opponents. That approach caters to the kind of players Notre Dame recruits easily, has led to on-field success before, and we’re seeing it do the same in 2017.

Whining for apologies from the “meanie crowd” is like me wondering if the “harrumph, fullbacks” squad is going to admit they’ve been wrong about how ND can succeed for the last umpteen years. Answer: I really don’t give a damn because I’m having too much fun. As a friend of mine said, anyone watching this season thinking about settling Internet scores is living a miserable and annoying life. If and when ND men’s basketball makes the Final Four in the next couple years, I will burn exactly zero calories wondering what all the people who wanted Brey fired in the 2000’s are thinking.

So don’t wonder if I suddenly like Brian Kelly — I don’t. Wonder instead why you care if I do.