Unfortunately, Notre Dame fans have been here before. For folks my age, this is the only Notre Dame we’ve known. Failing to win on the biggest stage. In the most humiliating and excruciating ways. One of the main lead-up storylines to this ballgame was the notion of “if not now then when” for the Irish in one of these moments. That question hits home hard after this outcome.
While this game ended in hauntingly similar “Bush Push” style, the feel is different. Notre Dame had about 10 different situations where if any 1 goes their way, they win. Notre Dame made none of those plays. The Irish blew this one. There’s no way around it. And that’s what hurts the most. Notre Dame doesn’t know how to win these kinds of games, which is devastating given that a hundred years of Irish lore is based upon the opposite being the case.
Let’s dissect some of the carnage, shall we?