Challenge for Notre Dame Fans and Media

After a painful loss to Navy, Notre Dame fans need to realize that the season is not over, and there is still a lot of football to be played. The Irish have three very tough games left and then another tough opponent in a bowl game. It starts this Saturday at Pittsburgh, and then they finish the year with Connecticut and Stanford.

In spite of the loss, I still think Notre Dame can finish the year strong. I am done sulking over the defeat and now am looking at Pittsburgh. They do have an impressive record of 8-1. However, they have yet to really face the tough part of their schedule.

The only common opponent was Navy, whom the Panthers beat 27-14. However, Pittsburgh's lone loss came against NC State, who is only 4-5. Boston College smoked the Wolfpack 52-10. Of course the Irish beat BC. Therefore, Notre Dame does have the talent to beat Pittsburgh.

To beat the Panthers though, we need to see a Notre Dame that we haven't seen since Nevada quite frankly. We need an angry Irish team.

I will never forget last Christmas. Notre Dame had finished with a very mediocre 6-6 record. They dealt with three weeks of public scrutiny. Their character was questioned. They had to listen to how bad their coach is. They had to listen to all the talk about how Notre Dame is no longer the elite program.

They showed up to the Hawaii Bowl, and we know the rest. As I sat in that stadium, I observed a side of these players that I hadn't seen in two years. They played like they were tired of hearing about it. Granted it was against Hawaii, but the team I saw on that day was not the same team I saw against Navy.

During a season which has had many highs and some bad lows, it has been emotionally draining on me as a fan and writer. I can only imagine that has had a toll on the players as well, because against Navy they looked like a team that lost their edge.

If Notre Dame wants to avoid another 6-6 season, they need to get that edge back. We need to see the team that we saw in Honolulu and again against Nevada. The way I see it, there is only one way to get it back. That is the same way they got it in the first place.

My challenge to fans, writers, and other media is this: Make this team tired of it again. This time we only have a week and not three, so the amount of negative press toward Notre Dame must intensify to a level that is triple than normal.

This week, let these players and coaches see it everywhere they go. Put up billboards, post signs, do whatever you can to make these players remind these players of just how bad that loss to Navy was.

It goes beyond questioning their heart. Heck, challenge their manhood. Insult the size of their jock straps. Do that for every player in the locker room. If you are good with computer graphics, make out pictures of the players wearing dresses and heels and carrying purses.

If I were in South Bend, I would already be decorating the town in my own way. Unfortunately I am in the middle of the ocean, so others need to do this. I love my domers, but this is my way of tough love. Come Saturday this team just needs to be so tired of all this so that they never want to experience it again.

That is the only way to get this team back to having that edge it will need to get a win against the Panthers and end the year with a strong finish. If they don't get that edge back Pittsburgh will kill them, and so will Connecticut and Stanford.

This article is also posted on http://fightingirishgameday.com/