One loss is not a mortal sin, a lot of very good teams have 1 loss and some 2 right now.

both coaches and players, have a bad game. It can easily be argued that ND fought its way back to take the lead only to be categorically screwed by the officials. You and I know this board well enough that, had we won the game on one last play, many would have been saying, "This feels like a damn loss."

I always had anxiety during a big game when Holtz was the coach. But, I also felt pretty confident that we would win. I haven't felt like that since he left and that's a damned long time.

I used to gripe that our opponents scheduling formula was to schedule 9 or 10 cream puffs and one or two real challenges, paving the way to the top of the polls. I really have had mixed feelings about us doing the same because I used to take pride in the fact that we played the best of the best. Our wins were real wins.

But after years and years of not getting over the hump, I figured it was just inevitable that we'd have to copy this formula. But, here we are. Weak schedule, 2 real tests, and we've failed one already. It's going to come down to Miami. I don't mind the anxiety of a big game, but feeling that it's forgone conclusion that we'll more than likely choke really sucks. And it's been that way for 30+ f'n years now.

Over the past two years.

And if we lose(again) to one of the best teams on our schedule, we won't be making the play-offs -- AGAIN -- when it should have been a fait d'accompli.

Anyone who doesn't question our coaching, if it happens again, accepts our mediocrity.

Six straight warm-up tomato cans that led to a very hollow streak of double-digit wins.

First ranked opponent of any consequence that represents our first true test of the season, and we get stage fright, look unprepared and soil ourselves on the big stage.

National vindication / humiliation stood in the balance. "Leave No Doubt" indeed.

...schedule.

And would be again this year

Outside of the 2024 Playoffs we have struggled mightly in big games.

Ws: Indiana, UGA, Penn State

Ls: OSU, TAMU, Miami, BYU

We are 3-7 in big games under Freeman and 0-4 with a non-gimmicky QB but better overall talent.

In that context, the losses are troubling at the least. Especially when we had better talent than two of the four and equal talent (and possibly better) than a third team (Miami).