UHND.com - Notre Dame Football, Basketball, & Recruiting

ND needs to keep getting to these games until they can consistently compete / win. They are much better than the 2012 team that got spanked by 'Bama. Yes, this year they would need to play their best and Alabama would need to make a few mistakes - but in 2012; ND could have played their best and 'Bama could have been bad and the Irish still would have lost. That's not the case today. In 2012, they didn't even have a punchers chance. Do I think they are going to win - no, but I do think they have a punchers chance- yes. They are bringing in better players, they are more physical, they are much deeper, and they are getting better every year. Today, there is Clemson, Alabama; then a group of Ohio State, ND, Florida, Oklahoma, Georgia, and LSU; and then a group of everyone else. A couple years ago, the Irish were in the "everyone else" group. Today, I'd put them close to the top of that second tier group. It's a big leap from the top of that second tier to the Clemson, Alabama tier - but they are as close to that jump as anyone else. They finally have speed at ruining back, and this recruiting class is bringing in a lot speed and talent at a position they haven't had before - wide receiver. They are getting closer every day. Soon, in these games - it'll be a lot closer than a punchers chance.