Year seven of the Brian Kelly era wasn’t supposed to start out like this. Notre Dame wasn’t supposed to be out of the playoff mix by the middle of September. Notre Dame’s defense wasn’t supposed to be among the nation’s worst. But it did, they are, and it is. And at this point “almost” being great is no longer good enough.
Last year, with a star studded team that featured multiple early NFL Draft picks, Notre Dame “almost” made the playoffs. Two close losses to two of the top 5 teams in the country separated Notre Dame from a perfect regular season and a 10-2 mark.