“... and now Kelly has two undefeated regular seasons in South Bend. (Plus a third at Cincinnati, as he reminded the media postgame.)
The last Notre Dame coach to go undefeated twice was the great Ara Parseghian, in 1966 and 1973 — but that included a tie in ’66. The last coach to go undefeated and untied twice in his Notre Dame tenure was Frank Leahy.“
So the only thing lacking on Kelly’s resume is a National Championship. That is a monumental challenge and could be an insurmountable one but at least there is some hope.
The rules of the road at Alabama and Clemson and Ohio State are far different than in South Bend. Yes, they have the coaching and Saban will end up as one of the best. But they can also bring in any player they want, have a relaxed attitude toward conduct and academics, etc. Also, ND’s antiquated “red shirt” rule that only players who have graduated can get a fifth year does not help. Regardless of what happens going forward, we have to be proud of what this team has been able to accomplish and hopeful for the future.