Notre Dame Football: Ranking the top 5 moments from the 2010s

5. Notre Dame makes the BCS Championship

While the final score will remain unmentioned, Notre Dame football made a statement in and of itself by clinching an appearance in the 2013 BCS National Championship game. The Irish went on to lose that game to Nick Saban’s Alabama squad, but the poor outing failed to take away from the excellent regular season put forth by the Irish.

After all, Notre Dame’s loss came to one of Saban’s most talented teams, a squad that featured seven future 1st/2nd round NFL draft picks in the starting lineup alone. However, 13 of the Irish’s starters would go on to be selected at some point in future NFL drafts, so it’s not as if there was a lack of talent on the Irish sideline.

Everett Golson would make the start at quarterback alongside running back Theo Riddick, passing behind an offensive line that included the likes of Zack Martin and Chris Watt. Tyler Eifert continued to serve as Golson’s top receiving threat. On the defensive side of the ball, the entire Irish defensive line and 75 percent of the starting secondary would go on to be drafted into the NFL.

Manti Te’o served as Notre Dame’s sole first-team All-American representative, but more importantly functioned as Notre Dame’s heart and soul while throwing his hat in the ring as a Heisman candidate. While the NCAA would void all of Notre Dame’s wins from 2012-13, this season will continue to exist as one of head coach Brian Kelly’s best.