College Football SMQ: Which fallen blue blood program will win a championship next?

There was a time when Notre Dame was the preeminent program in the country. Their last period of sustained glory, though, is now three decades in the rearview mirror. The Fighting Irish won their last national title back in 1988, back when Lou Holtz was the head coach in South Bend instead of a television personality.

Notre Dame’s last period of relevance coincided with the last era when independent programs still held major influence over the sport. As the Fighting Irish continue to cling to independence, the blue blood faces an increasingly steep battle to regain the upper hand in the national title race.

Under Brian Kelly, the Fighting Irish have managed to get one shot at a national title. Notre Dame made it through the 2012 season undefeated, setting up a clash with SEC champion Alabama in the BCS national championship game. Nick Saban’s squad overran the Irish 42-14 in that game, preventing Notre Dame from adding a 12th claimed national title.

But of those blue blood schools that have fallen out of relevance, Notre Dame remains one of the biggest brand names of the bunch. Independence makes it harder to gain the upper hand, but any time the Irish run the table they will be among the four College Football Playoff participants. And any team that can get into the playoff field can ostensibly break a title drought.