If Notre Dame football qualifies for the College Football Playoff this year, there’s one possible opponent that would likely add more entertainment value for Fighting Irish fans than others.
On3’s J.D Pickell postulated that if former head coach Brian Kelly were to lead his LSU Tigers to a matchup with the Irish, it would be a lot of fun to watch — especially if the game was played in South Bend.
It goes without saying, however, that if Notre Dame were to lose, it would be gut-wrenching to fall to its ex-coach. On the other hand, an Irish win could represent a semblance of revenge against the coach who fled for Baton Rouge.
Well, at least some fans would be out for revenge. Others were likely happy to see Kelly go — despite Kelly taking the Irish to the BCS National Championship game and two different CFP appearances. The Irish were outclassed in all three of those games — twice by Alabama, once by Clemson — and there were rumblings that Kelly couldn’t get Notre Dame over the hump to win a title.
My favorite CFP hypothetical matchup: LSU at Notre Dame
Brian Kelly's return to South Bend would be streamed in theaters across America.https://t.co/dKyfqkYKrg pic.twitter.com/Il7vIXqVl6
— J.D. PicKell (@jdpickell) August 8, 2024
Marcus Freeman has been relatively well-received as Kelly’s replacement, even if his seat is getting a bit hotter as he enters year three with a 19-8 record. The Irish were never in the playoff conversation in his first season and fell out of contention with disappointing losses to Louisville and Clemson in 2023.
Freeman could secure his legacy with a deep playoff run that includes a victory against the coach that spurned Notre Dame after failing to win a title.
Imagine how sweet that would be.
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