Notre Dame Football Will Rise Again: Consider Other "Dead" Programs

It appears on of the more popular theories floating around of late is that Notre Dame football will never rise to the levels of the past decades.  A variety of reasons have been offered; high academic standards, poor geographic location, more competition in recruiting, etc…

Well history may prove all of the naysayers wrong.  Take a look at some of the more prominent college football programs…..when they were down and out:

-          USC: From 1996 to 2001 the mighty Trojans had a cumulative record of 37 wins and 35 losses; certainly nothing to be proud of yet it did not lead to the demise of their program;

-          Nebraska: During the stretch from 2004 to 2007 the Huskers won 27 games but lost 22.  Now they are playing for the Big 12 Championship;

-          Alabama: The big Red from 2000 through 2007 won 53 times but also lost 46 times; and that included a couple of 10 win seasons during this stretch.  Take those out of the mix and you have 33 wins in six seasons.  Where are they now?  Roll Tide Roll;

-          Oklahoma: The 90’s were not kind to the Sooner Boomer.  Oklahoma racked up 61 wins during this decade; but they also got thumped 51 times and kissed their ugly sister 3 times;

-          Penn State: Joe Pa had a bad run from 2000-2004; only 26 wins to go along with 33 losses….ouch!  But the old man didn’t give up and the past few years have been pretty rich;

-          Florida: The pre-pre-pre-Tebow years were a bit lean.  From 1986 through 1989 the Gators ate their opponents 26 times, but the Gator got eaten 21 times;

-          LSU: From 1998 to 2001 LSU’s overall record was 25-22, with 2001 being a 10 win season.  They appear to have survived quite well….Hold That Tiger;

-          Texas: The Burnt Orange had a couple of stretches when they were left for dead.  In the late 80’s, 1986 through 1989 they actually lost more than they won, with a 21-24 record.  From 1991 through 1994 their record was 24-20-1.  In total, they had a pretty poor stretch from 1986 to 1994.  Only a 10 win season in 1990 kept them on life support…..Hook ‘Em Horns!

All of these programs are alive and well.  Between them they have accumulated several National Championships over the recent seasons.  Three of them are in the mix for this season’s championship.  They all had challenges to overcome, some which were very similar to Notre Dame’s.  However, they all had the same positives in their favor, just like Notre Dame; pride, tradition, dedicated alumni, great student bodies, and massive national fan bases.

Certainly the Irish have some major hurdles to overcome, but there is little doubt that just like other prestigious collegiate football institutions that were left for dead over the past decades the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program WILL rise again!