The Mystique of Notre Dame

The last national championship that Notre Dame football won was over 20 years ago.

Tim Brown is the last Fighting Irish player to win a Heisman Trophy, and that was in 1987.

Since the 1994 Cotton Bowl, the only bowl victory for the Irish was 2008 in the Hawaii Bowl against Hawaii.

Anyone under the age of 30 may be able to recall some of the Irish football glory, but probably understands the tradition of football in South Bend through stories from the media, family, or friends.

The idea of the University of Notre Dame football team joining an athletic conference, with the most common rumor saying the Big 10 would be the most likely destination, is nothing new. It was about five years ago that talk began that Notre Dame needed a conference more than a conference needed the Irish. Once again, talk was dismissed and the Irish continued to be one of the few independent schools in college football.

Yet today Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick admitted that he is watching conference alignment carefully and foresees a situation where the Irish may join a conference format.

Supporters of the Fighting Irish joining a conference point to the shared revenue and stability that an affiliation brings. They look at the struggles of Notre Dame in recent years, such the hiring of five coaches since legendary Lou Holtz stepped down in 1996. There has been a lack of stability in South Bend (remember one coach never coached a single game after it was found that George O'Leary lied on his resume). But joining a conference in hopes of finding stability is not the solution for Notre Dame.

The problem on the field in recent years with the Irish was the lack of defensive support for the high scoring offense led by Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen. In 2006, Charlie Weiss led the Irish to a 10-2 record and sent eleven players to the NFL draft. Unfortunately that defense also gave up 44 points to rival USC after losing to Michigan earlier in the season by giving up 47 points, at home.

Only one year earlier Notre Dame could have secured a victory over the top-ranked Trojans with one final defensive stand. Instead, Reggie Bush pushed Matt Leinart into the end zone for a 34-31 victory in South Bend.

In 2005 and 2006 the national media attention returned to South Bend as the Irish played with pride and respect for their traditions. In 2005 I was a college freshman and remember cramming my room with friends to watch what some in the media said could be one of the greatest games of all time. We were babies when the Fighting Irish won its last championship but the anticipation for the game was as high as any other game in recent memory.

Years like 2005 and 2006 should serve as examples to the Notre Dame athletic department that a change in conference affiliation is not necessary to develop a winner once again in South Bend. It's going to take a return to the culture of success that was prevalent for so long under Lou Holtz. Players went to the Irish to win championships. They bought into his system, respected the past, cherished their place in the history, and did what each of them symbolically promised to do before every game, they played like champions.

Notre Dame needs to remain an independent in college football. The team needs to continue to schedule neutral site games like against Army in Yankees Stadium next season, or Maryland in Washington D.C. in 2011.

The scheduling of those games proves that Notre Dame is still a national draw. Sports fans, whether they support Notre Dame or not, like the tradition and enjoy the powerhouses that dominant athletics. It is a powerhouse that Notre Dame needs to return to, and remind conference leaders that the Irish do not need a conference to succeed, but a conference may need a Notre Dame to succeed.

Elsewhere...

With conference tournaments well under way, and the Big East tournament starting earlier today, I figured I would make some picks for the big match ups taking place tomorrow. I will go ahead and pick every game from the major conferences.

Georgetown over South Florida
Texas Tech over Colorado
UPSET SPECIAL: St. John's over Marquette
Missouri over Nebraska
Oklahoma State over Oklahoma
Louisville over Cincinnati
Texas over Iowa State
UPSET SPECIAL: Seton Hall over Notre Dame