All the ingredients were there for Notre Dame to have a poor offensive line this season, at least relatively speaking. Only so much can be expected when two All-Americans hear their names called in the first nine picks of the NFL draft, when an esteemed position coach also heads to the NFL and when a presumptive All-American tears his ACL in the first half of the season.
Yet, this Irish line has been good enough to support this unbeaten push to the Playoff, though by doing so its greatest challenge now awaits.
WHERE NOTRE DAME WAS
The loss of fifth-year left tackle Alex Bars cannot be overstated.