The Five Biggest College Football Disappointments of the 2014 Season
By Jerry Levi
Nov 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans receiver George Farmer (8) is defended by Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Devin Butler (12) on a 31-yard touchdown reception at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
5. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Preseason Ranking: No. 17 AP Poll & USA Today Poll
Regular Season Finish: 7-5
The Irish started the year at 6-0 headed into the Florida State game with defeats of Michigan 31-0, Stanford 17-14, and a points deluxe game against North Carolina 50-43. It was Tallahassee on a Saturday night. 4th Down and the Irish score, take the lead against the top ranked Seminoles! Bring it back on a penalty. 1st loss of the season. After a win over Navy, Notre Dame has lost 4 in a row, including 2 at home. The final nail came courtesy of USC last Saturday when they drubbed the gold 49-14 in Los Angeles.
What happened? Everett Golson was back this year and had the hot hand. Folks will say that it was supposed to be an ‘off year’ anyway, but when you start 6-0, your expectations should shift with your progress, not completely dismantle in the second half of the season. Looking back at how high the Irish were ranked (#5) to now, 7-5 and unranked, they’re just lucky (pun intended) to make it to a bowl game.
Next: #4 Oklahoma