Yeah, yeah I know you “play to win the game” and “a win is a win”, blah blah blah…..any number of clichés could be inserted here. But let’s skip it and look at the facts of where Notre Dame football stands after last week’s narrow victory over Louisville.
It seems to me “the facts” reveal that how you feel about this team, in response to an unexpectedly close 12-7 game, has a lot to do with the way you look at life in general………..
If your GLASS is HALF FULL:
Celebrate 263 yards rushing! A 22 game home win streak! The longest overall win streak in the nation! A 3rd down defense: 2nd best in the nation! No turnovers by the Irish last week! Louisville was held to 234 total yards and just 1 score!
The Irish got the win, and are now ranked 3rd in the Country.
But if your GLASS is HALF EMPTY:
A paltry 12 points were scored against a team that was giving up 29.8 per game! Just 106 yards gained on 11-19-passing, with no reliable wide receivers in sight! 60th in the nation in red zone efficiency! No turnovers forced, to a team that had coughed it up 3 times the week before! A failed fake field goal! Combined record of the 4 opponents faced so far: 5-16!
Last week the Irish and Louisville in the lowest scoring home victory for the Irish since 1978, combined for a total of just 7 possessions each and 2 touchdowns in a game that was over in an unheard of these days, 2 hours and 52 minutes.
If you liked Notre Dame’s defensive effort, and the simple fact that the Irish notched another win: your glass is half full.
But if you were looking for style points and offensive production and you are looking ahead to oh say CLEMSON in a couple weeks, your glass is half empty.
This week the 4-0 Irish are ranked 3rd in the Country, and no matter how you look at things, after an early season slate of sub-par opponents. The 2020 season is about to get real.