Eleven Warriors

^^ Agree

I dont think so either, but overall people still FEEL like they are coming back. It is at least helping them get a pretty darn good recruiting class... so maybe they will be bacl with the talent they are getting.

Man I love taking shots at ND's schedule but this year's thing looks like a slaughter house. This has "Hot Seat Year" written all over it if ND can't win close to 10 games this season. If they win 10, I'll actually respect their probable BCS nod for the first time in the history of their bowl births.

Notre Dame will be back, IMO. Kelly has been successful where ever he's been, and I just see no reason, now that he's been given a race car to drive, that he won't be successful at ND. Notre Dame is a premier brand. This is a school with top 5 tradition, an academic standard that is elite, and a national following that is impressive in number and enthusiasm. In addition, and most important, Brian Kelly is recruiting lights out. I'm an Ohio State alum and a huge Buckeye fan, but I have to give credit where credit is due. ND plays a gauntlet of a schedule (MSU, UM, Miami, Stanford, Oklahoma, USC), they're on TV most every week, and they're attracting top tier kids... again. Hate Kelly and/or Notre Dame if you want, but Colin Cowherd saying they're "irrelevant" is typical Cowherd hyperbole. He says stuff for effect. It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong, if it creates conversation on his show that particular day he'll say anything. ND is not irrelevant. They are always in the college football conversation. BCS conversations, conference realignment, recruiting, TV ratings, etc. That is being relevant. Being talked about, being courted by conferences and NBC, being polarizing. That is being relevant. They certainly aren't winning like Kelly or their fans would like, but that doesn't mean they aren't relevant. Cowherd is wrong.

I guess we are splitting hairs then when it comes to 'relevant'. Yes, Notre Dame's name is important because they are the most historically recognizable football program in the country. And yes, conferences want them as do BCS games because of the attention they bring. From a competitive stand point, 86-62 with a 2-6 bowl record, 3 of them being BCS embarrassments at the hands of Oregon State, LSU, and OSU in the last ten years is competitively irrelevant. Their name will always continue to matter but between the sidelines and endzones they simply haven't done what they need to and have slipped to the status of B-Level FOOTBALL program with A Level surroundings. Much like Florida State and Tennessee.

To address your 'back' statement, we shall see. ND pulls the trigger too soon on extensions AND firings but this schedule will be a win or die season for Kelly. Not saying they will fire him at the end of it, regardless of how it ends-but if he loses 5 games again (which might be the minimum) will the powers that be at ND accept another 8-5 run with the idea that his 4th year will\should be better? I don't know. This season has all the makings of the fire that warms his seat in South Bend and a year from now, ND will be starting over AGAIN.

Being raised a Catholic and going to Catholic schools my whole life, I can tell you that Notre Dame is pushed from K-12.  These football players dream Green and Gold.  The grade school I attended were called the "Fighting Irish", even though you would be hard pressed to find an Irish kid in the whloe school.  A more apt name would have been 'Mafia Mobsters'.

 We were the "Fighting Irish" too, K-12, and had the leprechaun with his fists up. (Should have been the fighting German Catholics.) That is partly why I hate ND, because of the jerk-offs that preferred them to the Buckeyes. (We all know the story about Woody Hayes not wanting to schedule ND because of not wanting to divide Catholic loyalties.)  

I was impressed with what Kelly did at Cincy. And I think that ND has too much football history and capital to become completely irrelevant. But I also don't see them improving a great deal over last year. I can't even watch ND vs. scUM because I dislike them both so much. 

SCHOOEY if that's the case you missed one of the better football games last year. I effing hate Notre Dame and UM, but good football is good football. Even if it is Denard throwing the worst duck jump balls and Hemingway is out jumping 3 white guys to get it lol. But as far as the article goes, I think when Coach Kelley gets his guy at qb they will be a 10ish win team year in year out. Especially if he can keep recruiting the defense like he has been.