Idenity

For a couple of weeks now I hear the same question posed over and over again to Notre Dame coaches, players and analysts.  Everyone is inquiring about the team’s “identity.”  Most of it is driven by comparison to last year’s squad and its defensive prowess, sprinkled in with hints of Manti and Golson absences.  And with three less than impressive/dominant wins and one loss to a team that has struggled to beat the likes of Akron and Connecticut, who can blame them?

It struck me that their identity, if they need one, is the same as last season – just win.  And an expansion of that -play till the end.  Last season, after a 50-10 thumping of Navy, there were several knock down, drag out battles with close calls, many against top-notch talent, including a 13-6 win over Michigan, a 20-13 OT win over Stanford, a 20-17 win over Purdue, a 17-14 win over BYU, and a 29-26 triple OT win over Pittsburgh.  Even the big wins didn’t pass for flashy on the eye test.

Look at the stars and emerging stars on this team, lunch box guys.  Heading into the 2013 season, the offensive line was expected to be a high point of this team bringing experience and leadership.  Let’s face it, the O-Line has never been a glamorous role in football at any level.  Running back Cam McDaniel is emerging as the hard-nosed, clean-cut, hard-working player that we knew he was for two years.  Even one of Notre Dame’s biggest personalities (and bodies) Louis “Irish Chocolate” Nix with his YouTube Chocolate News plays with a “get the job done” attitude at Nose Tackle, taking on double and triple team blocks so his teammates can rack up tackles while he sacrifices his own stat sheet.

During Saturday’s win over the formerly undefeated and number one-ranked defense Michigan State Spartans, I questioned play calls, player substitutions and the overall state of the team.  However, I did that during every game last season, and up until BCS game, things worked out okay.  Over the next few weeks against Oklahoma, Arizona State and USC, Notre Dame’s identity will be defined one way or another.  Until then, just win.