Everett Golson Will Lead Notre Dame to Playoff Berth in Bounce-Back Season

Two years ago, Notre Dame earned a spot in the BCS National Championship Game almost in spite of Everett Golson. Now that the senior quarterback has resurfaced as a vastly improved player, he is well equipped to lead the Fighting Irish to a College Football Playoff bid.

In his first game of the young 2014 season, Golson still saved the day late against No. 14 Stanford. With one minute left, he threw a game-winning touchdown pass to Ben Koyack to solidify a 17-14 victory. The big moment came with his back against the wall on 4th-and-long.

After sitting out all of 2013, a reinstated Golson has already exceeded 2012's 12-touchdown tally with 13 passing scores, producing at least two in all five games. Comparing his two seasons as Notre Dame's starting quarterback, it's no contest. This iteration of Golson kicks 2012 Golson's butt.

Year	Pass YDs/GM	CMP %	YDs/ATT	TDs
2012	200.4	58.8	7.6	12
2014	276.6	64.0	7.8	13

Head coach Brian Kelly noted his lofty progression on and off the field, per Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde:

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He's grown exponentially as a person in terms of his maturity, his leadership, his ability to communicate on a day-to-day basis, take responsibility. I could go on and on. He's a man. Again, he had to go through some tough times to get to that point. As a football player, he's evolving. He's getting better. He can make plays, as you can see, out on the field. But he's got a ways to go, too. He'll tell you that. I love the fact he's a pretty good player right now and he's only going to get better.

"

After watching the first two games of the season, Cincinnati head coach Tommy Tuberville also marveled to Forde about the returning quarterback.

“Gosh almighty, he’s good, now,” Tuberville said. “He’s real good. I think he’s made the most improvement. He’s got the team on his back.”

Saturday marks the first of five games during which Golson failed to complete more than 60 percent of his passes. While he went a lousy 20-of-43 against Stanford, he gets a mulligan, and not just because of his late-game heroics.

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Even after the loss, Stanford has allowed an FBS-low 8.6 points per contest. The Cardinal had yielded 296 passing yards all season, limiting their first four opponents to 3.7 yards per attempt and one touchdown through the air.

While Golson didn't enjoy the most accurate game, he moved the ball just enough to keep his team alive. With the Fighting Irish's defense, he'll rarely need a monster outing to come out ahead.

That's another reason to tout Notre Dame's ferocity with a capable quarterback. As usual, the defense is holding down the fort with aplomb. They've allowed 12.0 points and 254.6 total yards per game.

During their run to the BCS title game in 2012, Notre Dame didn't have the offense to keep up with a juggernaut like Alabama once the score inevitably climbed above the teens. This year, however, Golson gives the school a well-rounded offense that can hold its own in a shootout.

That will get put to the test two weeks from now against Florida State, who remains No. 1 at 5-0 despite showing blemishes along the way. Oklahoma State and North Carolina State both pushed the defense's limits in high-scoring affairs. The Seminoles survived because the offense always saved them.

They won't easily tally 40 points against Notre Dame's prestigious defense, putting the game in Golson's hands against a leaky FSU defense. If the Golson from the first five games shows up at Doak Campbell Stadium, they can seize the top ranking then and there.

A loss wouldn't crash Notre Dame's title hopes, as four teams entering Week 6 with a higher ranking than the No. 9 Fighting Irish suffered defeats. The new College Football Playoff has led the way to several more marquee matchups throughout the season, and the SEC will continue to beat up on each other.

There's a solid chance that at least one of the four playoff squads has a loss to its name. USC is the only other ranked opponent to come Notre Dame's way, so 11 or 12 wins isn't too tall of an order to fill.

A game manager/weak link two years ago, Golson is now a big reason to support Notre Dame's claim to a Top Five ranking this week. With his revival under center, the Fighting Irish are poised to snatch one of those four playoff bids.