A big season from the entire offense for Notre Dame football marked one of the biggest surprises in the country during the 2017 season.
Notre Dame football did defy expectations in 2017, after a four win season under head coach Brian Kelly in 2016. However, the Fighting Irish were once a solidified contender in the College Football Playoff race and only had one loss to the No. 1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs.
Two losses at the end of the regular season put the Irish out of reach of a New Year’s Six Bowl. Notre Dame takes on the LSU Tigers in the Citrus Bowl. This could end up being the most entertaining non-New Year’s Six Bowl.
A 9-3 record landed the Irish at a No. 14 ranking to round out the regular season. Moreover, if Notre Dame defeats LSU in the Citrus Bowl, it would be the first double-digit win season since the 2015 season, where DeShone Kizer was leading the offense.
Wins over the Michigan State Spartans, USC Trojans, and NC State Wolfpack displayed what Notre Dame was able to do at the height of its momentum this year. The November losses to the Miami Hurricanes and Stanford Cardinal crushed the Playoff hopes of the Irish.
Notre Dame had one of the toughest schedules in the nation this year. The fact they were able to come out of this grinding slate with nine wins is a positive result. The 2018 slate does not get much easier for them.
Here’s the five takeaways from the 2017 regular season for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.