The late Ara Parseghian heard the infamous phrase often during his 11-year career at Notre Dame from 1964-74: He can’t win “the big one.”
“The ‘Big One’ is always the one you lose,” he mused years later in retirement.
Although Parseghian’s Fighting Irish won the 1966 national title, critics claimed “The Big One” was the 10-10 tie with No. 2 Michigan State in which he was vilified.
Then from 1967-72, Parseghian was 0-4-2 against archrival USC, making that always “The Big One,” and he also lost three straight to Purdue teams ranked in the top 10 from 1967-69.
A second national title in 1973, highlighted by wins over USC and No. 1 Alabama stemmed the tide (no pun intended), but future coaches such as Florida State’s Bobby Bowden, Nebraska’s Tom Osborne, Texas’ Mack Brown or more recently Clemson’s Dabo Swinney heard the same before winning national titles.
Brian Kelly and Jim Harbaugh are experiencing similar situations now in their careers. Both have finished 12-1 at the collegiate level, and Kelly also had a 12-0 regular season at Cincinnati in 2009, while Harbaugh has even made it to a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers, where he lost to brother John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens.
Both recognize how vital getting off on a strong note to 2018 is to be in contention for the College Football Playoff. However, Kelly also knows how an early season defeat doesn’t end the dreams.
In game two last year the Irish lost 20-19 to Georgia — who went on to advance to the national title game — but were still 8-1 and No. 3 in the CFP rankings entering the Nov. 11 game at Miami.
Along the way, Notre Dame routed several teams that would finish in the top 25, including a 49-14 whipping of Pac-12 champ USC, but “the big one” was Miami after a 41-8 defeat.
Ideally, Kelly said all Football Bowl Subdivision coaches would like to expand to an eight-team playoff, but because it’s not happening in the near future, the heat is on to not stub toes early.
“Until the new agreement comes up and there's negotiations with it, we are playing at four, and it's very selective,” Kelly said of the College Football Playoff. “So hunker down and fight, fight, fight. Win them all and you probably are in.
“If you lose one, better be at the right time and you better play well at the end. Well at the end usually helps you more than it hurts you.”
As for Harbaugh, he was on the cusp of a playoff bid in 2016, but then last year he and the Wolverines lost their final three games to finish 8-5, and suddenly Harbaugh is now mocked as the coach who can’t win the big ones.
The Notre Dame-Michigan series was discontinued after the 31-0 triumph by the Irish in 2014, but it has been temporarily renewed for 2018-19.
“This is something that Jim and I wanted to get on the schedule — and be careful what you wish for,” Kelly said. “We’re excited about this matchup, we think it’s great for college football and I know our kids and our coaches can’t wait for Saturday night.”
For several decades, Michigan and Notre Dame ranked Nos. 1-2 on college football’s all-time winning percentage list. Michigan enters 2018 still No. 1 at .72914. At the turn of the new year, Notre Dame was so close that a victory over the Wolverines this Sept. 1 would have put the Fighting Irish at the top.
Alas, on Feb. 13 the NCAA denied Notre Dame’s appeal and required it to vacate all 21 victories in 2012 (12) and 2013 (nine) because of the use of self-reported ineligible players, and that dropped the all-time winning percentage to No. 4 on the chart at .72422.
However, since 2007, both of the venerated names in college football have been mediocre overall.
• From 2007-17, Notre Dame is 85-55 (.607), while Michigan is two games behind at 83-57 (.593). Both have still had their moments during that 11-year stretch.
• Notre Dame finished No. 4 in 2012 after getting pounded in the BCS National Championship Game by Alabama, while Michigan finished 11‑2 in 2011 after a Sugar Bowl victory.
• In 2015, 10‑1 Notre Dame was oh so close to CFP contention before losing on the final play to Stanford 38‑36.
• In 2016, 10‑1 Michigan was oh so close to making the CFP before falling 30‑27 in double overtime at Ohio State.
• Kelly has been a two-time National Coach of the Year after 12‑0 regular seasons at Cincinnati (2009) and Notre Dame (2012) — but critics note that during his Irish tenure he is merely 14-17 against teams in the Associated Press top 25 at the time of the game and 13-22 versus teams that finished in the final poll of the season.
Meanwhile, Harbaugh’s 28-11 record his first three years in Ann Arbor is identical to the 28-11 mark registered by Kelly his first three at Notre Dame from 2010‑12.
What has the natives restless is Harbaugh is 0‑3 versus Ohio State, 1‑2 against “little brother” Michigan State, has lost two straight bowl games when the contests appeared in hand, was crushed 42-13 at Penn State last year … and a defeat at Notre Dame would put him on a four-game losing streak.
For both coaches and teams, victory is badly needed to defuse early negative energy.
Without it, they would continue to be the coaches who have not won “the big one.”
Of course, if Kelly were to win and then lose to Stanford or USC, that would be “the big one.” Or if Harbaugh were to emerge victorious but lose to anyone else, especially Ohio State, then that would be “the big one.”
Such is the life in big-time coaching.
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