This story appears in the Oct. 22–29, 2018, issue of Sports Illustrated. For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine—and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more.
If you haven’t visited South Bend since Notre Dame last won a national championship, it may seem the same at first. In the fall, whether you’re driving southeast from Chicago or north from Indianapolis, trees are full of color, pastures are lush, and John Deere tractors are shuffling along the open fields. But enter town, and you’ll see how much has changed since 1988.