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Ages ago, back in early September, before the impossible was realized and college football's most polarizing brand morphed into a beloved postseason contestant, rock bottom was realized.
Final score: Northern Illinois 16, Notre Dame 14.
That result pulsated for months. It haunted the Irish's renewed push for the playoff every step of the way, even as the wins stacked up and wishful thinking became something more.
That outcome, an outcome a team with Notre Dame's history should never produce, fed the content machine.
More specifically, it gave those wishing for the program's demise ammunition for many months.