FanPost
I’m strangely not concerned about the outcome of this coming game. Like… not at all. And it’s not because I think a win is anything close to guaranteed in the National Championship game. Because it’s objectively not. Not even close. But it is still possible, which is why I have taken a day off from work to see this game for myself.
Let’s face it, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish playing for the National Championship AT ALL is a historic occasion! Any of us would be a fool to miss out on this game. Because there is ZERO guarantee that we will ever be in this position in the future!! So take it in while you can, boys. It’s only been twelve years since the last time we had a legit shot at the natty. No big deal or nothin…
If our chances are so low, then why am I so relaxed about the game? Well, there are three reasons. None of them have anything to do with Ohio State, how they are put together, or who is coaching them. All three have everything to do with the circumstances surrounding this game. And all three lead to the same conclusion: A LOSS IN MONDAY’S GAME DOES NOTHING TO HURT THE NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL PROGRAM AT ALL!
Let’s start with exhibit A, shall we?
1) Everyone, and their drunken uncle, Larry, is predicting Ohio State to win this game.
This is the most obvious reason. Nobody expects us to win. We are the underdogs. In fact, we are such massive underdogs, that half the country is more or less convinced that we are lucky to even BE in this game, much less have a chance to win it all.
Why does this make me relaxed?
Well, it’s simple. Ohio State is the overwhelming favorite to win this title. They are favored by upwards of ten points in Vegas (and every other casino that can legally gamble on sports these days). So many television pundits are predicting Ohio State has an overwhelming advantage over our team that I half expect Brady Quinn and Manti Te’o to join in, and say that the Irish have no flipping chance in this game! And I wouldn’t hold a thing against them for saying it, either.
But I like that. Seems counterintuitive that I’m not “insulted” by America’s complete disregard for this year’s Fighting Irish team. But I’m not. Because with ND in its’ current position, going into this game, the Irish are under absolutely ZERO PRESSURE to win this game. Nobody expects us to win it. Hell, most people don’t even WANT US to win the damn title this year! This means that all of the pressure to win is on Ohio State. Not on us. Nobody thinks we can do it, after all.
But Ohio State…? They are under a MICROSCOPE for this game! So many players who should be tearing things up in the NFL this year came back for “one more try” at Ohio State! Imagine those guys leaving campus empty handed, for the last time. Imagine what’ll happen to Ryan Day, in particular, if he loses this game! OSU fans will probably hire an assassin, to take him out in a dark alley, somewhere in Columbus, bury his body where it can’t be found, and then they’ll come to Marcus Freeman (the Buckeyes alum who actually DID win the National Championship), and throw every single cent of money/privilege that they can at him, to try and peel him out of Notre Dame’s arms.
That last sentence is actually sort of a scary thought, which is another reason I would not be terribly bent out of shape if Ohio State did beat us next week… The longer that Ohio State puts up with Ryan Day, the better for our program, if you ask me.
2. Marcus Freeman has already exceeded all of our wildest expectations, going into this season, without winning a title!
Think about it. How many of us, prior to even NIU, had a notion that this Irish team, even in its’ mythical third season under Coach Freeman, could run most of the table, wind up in the 12-Team Playoff, and then proceed to march methodically, like an army of relentless winning machines, all the way to the National Championship Game??
Let me ask another way. How many Irish fans AFTER WE LOST TO NIU, ON SEPTEMBER 7TH, thought that the Irish would be in the natty game, with America’s eyes watching, to see if we could actually take this trophy home?!
I’m willing to bet everything that I own that the answer to both of those questions is approximately NONE OF YOU! Nobody did! Not even me. And I’m as relentlessly optimistic an Irish fan as you are ever going to meet. My prediction for this season, back in August, was somewhere in the realm of: “We’ll go 11-1, we’ll make the Playoff, and then we’ll probably make it to the Semifinal, before we are finally knocked out by a better coach/opponent.”
What does this all mean? It means that there is no way that any of us have any justification to chalk this season up as a failure, even if we lose by multiple touchdowns to the Buckeyes. Because we have objectively treaded further than any Irish fan back in August dared to hope we would tread!
I mean, does anybody here even give a shit that we lost to NIU four months ago? No?? As I thought… That loss is officially a “blip” on Marcus Freeman’s resume. It doesn’t mean a thing at this point. And it never will, given what this team has accomplished since that embarrassing loss in September.
3. Both prospective recruits, and potential NIL transfers, have been eyeballing the Fighting Irish, and their completely unforeseen run to the National Championship Game this season!
Even if we lose, the only coaching staff that benefits more from what the Irish did this season is Ohio State. And while that IS annoying to think about, it also means that the Irish will be, in the coming seasons, positioning itself for more deep runs in the only postseason that matters anymore.
In other words, Coach Freeman is only going to make this program STRONGER, in the coming seasons. Best of all, we probably won’t suffer nearly the degree of injuries to our roster that we have suffered this year. This year has been… a ghastly year for injuries! Luck has simply not been on our side, when it comes to the health of our roster overall. I mean, what are we…? Down about a dozen starters since Opening Day?? Imagine what this Irish team could do, not only with more talent in the coming seasons… but also with a close to fully healthy roster, late in the year???
We’re not always going to be so relentlessly dogged with injuries, as we have been this season. This season is an unusual one. But the relentless erosion of injuries to our starting lineup has also uncovered a pretty significant DEPTH to this team, that most other programs (not even the ones in the SEC) do not have right now! “Next Man In” isn’t just a cute saying, with this bunch. Marcus Freeman seems to have made it this program’s MANTRA!
If I’m a future college football star, I’m taking notes from what I’m seeing Marcus Freeman do to elevate this roster. And I’m thinking: “Boy… If I were there, I could REALLY do some awesome shit!” That’s going to help with recruiting. Just look at how our recruiting, during the 2013 offseason, improved by seeming leaps and bounds, after getting embarrassed by Alabama in the last National Title Game we were playing in. Imagine what could be gained after ND just got done winning THREE PLAYOFF GAMES, against worthy competition in every round!
The outcome of Monday’s game will not alter this future.
I guess those are the three reasons I’m not panicking, or even losing a ton of sleep, over the potential outcome of Monday’s game. Do I want us to win? Of course I do! I haven’t seen the Irish take a National Championship Trophy since I was 8 years old!!!! I want to see that nearly 40 year streak come to an end next week, if possible! I want it so badly I’m almost willing to SELL MY SOUL for it!!
But I’m just saying… this isn’t going to be our only chance, under Coach Freeman. The man has more than earned his contract extension back in December! This will not be our only chance to win it all! If we lose, that sucks… but we lose nothing by losing this game. Ohio State can’t say the same thing. Because they’re “America’s Darling” right now. All the pressure is on the Buckeyes. Not on us.
I intend to enjoy the upcoming game, no matter what the outcome of that game may be. This is already one of the greatest Irish football seasons I have ever watched! Nothing at all on Monday can steal that feeling from me!!
That’s what “Playing with House Money” truly feels like.