If ND went to the playoff say 6 of the next 10 years, but got pounded in the ass like tonight every time, would you still be satisfied? Because while it is a great achievement to go undefeated and make the playoffs, it feels fairly meaningless when you don't validate it with a competitive performance on the big stage. ND did not have to win tonight to validate their season and prove they belonged, but after 3 pts and another 20+ point beatdown against the big boys of college football in 2018, to say they even remotely closed the gap with Alabama and Clemson is comical.