Notre Dame, 2010-19: Which Team Was The Best?
Prior to each college football season, the vast majority of faithful followers or even coaches preface their aspirations by stating, “if the stars all align right …”
That is because having a confluence of everything coming together ideally — offense, defense, special teams, schedule, coaching staff, the right bounce, etc. — is rare.
Just when it looks like the defense has the experience and star power, the offense might be in a state of flux, or vice versa. Sometimes it’s the schedule, which often prompts the statement, “this team might be better than last year’s, but it might not show in the record.”
The past decade from 2010-19 at Notre Dame is a reflection of finding that ideal confluence.
If you could have only one Fighting Irish team to represent the school in a 2010-19 College Football Playoff, which would it be?
• The 2012 edition that played in the BCS National Championship Game had the best defense, led by linebacker Manti Te’o. The 12.77 points allowed per game remains the best at Notre Dame since 1980 (10.7, including the bowl).
However, the offense was only 78th while producing the lowest scoring output of the decade at 25.77. Losing 42-14 to Alabama in the finale, a game not as close as the score, put a damper on an amazing journey.
• The 2017 unit became the first at Notre Dame since 2002 to defeat four teams that finished in the Associated Press top 25: No. 12 USC, No. 15 Michigan State, No. 18 LSU and No. 23 North Carolina State. It was so dominant with its 8-1 start that it rose to No. 3 in the CFP rankings.
But then it lost 41-8 at Miami and fell in two of its last three regular-season games, although it capped the year with a thrilling 21-17 victory versus LSU in the Citrus Bowl to finish No. 11.
• The 2018 squad that finished the regular season 12-0 was more prolific on offense than in 2012 with a 31.3 scoring average, and defeated three teams that finished in the top 25 (No. 14 Michigan, No. 15 Syracuse and No. 21 Northwestern). Yet it wasn’t quite as dominant while struggling to home wins versus lesser foes such as Ball State (24-16), Vanderbilt (22-17) and Pitt (19-14).
If we were to engage in “fantasy football,” however, the single most all-around talented Notre Dame team from 2010-19 might have been the 2015 outfit that finished 10-3.
The two regular-season losses were last-second heartbreakers on the road to the teams that finished No. 2 (24‑22 at Clemson) and No. 3 (38‑36 at Stanford), plus in the Fiesta Bowl to No. 4 Ohio State (44-28), which in reality probably was the single most talented team in the sport that year.
That 2015 offense featured a line with three first-round picks (Ronnie Stanley, Mike McGlinchey and Quenton Nelson) and one in the second (Nick Martin), a first-round game breaker at wide receiver (Will Fuller), a second-round quarterback (DeShone Kizer) and three running backs (C.J. Prosise, Josh Adams and Dexter Williams) who stepped in for an injured Tarean Folston and later played in the NFL, as did tight ends Durham Smythe and Alizé Mack.
The defense was headlined by Butkus Award winner Jaylon Smith at linebacker to go with eight other starters who would play in the NFL, including currently the entire line with Sheldon Day, Isaac Rochell, Romeo Okwara and future first-round pick Jerry Tillery. Unfortunately, few assistants in Notre Dame annals came under more fire and doubt that 2014-16 defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder.
Our ”fantasy league” would include 2018-present defensive coordinator Clark Lea instructing the 2015 defense — which would provide the best of both worlds. As stated, everything meshing at once becomes the ultimate challenge.
So often it's like the unrealistic male who desires a woman with Victoria's Secrets supermodel looks (and bank account), Julia Child culinary skills and the heart/background of Mother Teresa.
Sometimes the stars do align perfectly. Perhaps some year in the 2020s, it might at Notre Dame too with the ideal blend of personnel on both sides of the ball, the right coaching combination, a navigable schedule and the right bounce at the right time.
----
• Talk about it inside Rockne’s Roundtable
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue & Gold Illustrated.
• Follow us on Twitter: @BGINews, @BGI_LouSomogyi, @BGI_MikeSinger, @PatrickEngel_, @ToddBurlage and @AndrewMentock.
• Like us on Facebook.