Notre Dame Football: Is Notre Dame Back?

Is it me, or is Notre Dame becoming relevant again in college football?

Critics can say what they want about Brian Kelly, but at every coaching stop he has made, Kelly has left a positive imprint on that program. Notre Dame flat-out dominated the Maryland Terrapins, and the RB duo of Cierre Wood and Jonas Gray once again proved why they are one of the best one-two rushing attacks in the nation.

The team proved yet again that if they play mistake-free football they will have the opportunity to win the game, and that was the case against Maryland.

With this victory, Notre Dame moved to 7-3 on the season, with their eyes set on the season-ending clash with the Stanford Cardinal. Assuming Notre Dame wins next week against a lackluster Boston College team, the Fighting Irish have an outside chance at a BCS bowl.

One key component in a BCS berth will be the maturation process of Tommy Rees. Michael Floyd has  continued to be the best player on the offense; and along with Tyler Eifert, these players have been huge for the development of Rees.

This kid is as up and down as it gets. One moment, he makes a jaw-dropping throw for a score, and the next play he completely blows a read and throws an interception.

In recent weeks, we have seen the best of Rees, and the Irish have come away with the win.

I trust Kelly’s system and judgment with QBs because, say what you want about Rees, he has 18 TD passes on the season.

Interesting news concerning the quarterback situation are the rumors that in-state QB Gunner Kiel is currently favoring the Irish. Although Rees has had some success at as a starter, he also has shown to make crucial mental errors and has looked lost at times on the field.

I assure you that Gunner Kiel will not make such mistakes. This kid is a five-star recruit for a reason and was also featured on the ESPN Elite 11, which aired earlier this year.

If Kiel is indeed in the fold, will other prospects such as Nelson Agholor and Keith Marshall take notice? One thing I do know, is that if the Irish continue to win, it will certainly help recruiting.

Hypothetically speaking, if Kiel commits, that will leave the Irish coaching staff with an interesting yet rewarding dilemma. They will have four quarterbacks with great talent; however, Hendrix, Golson and Kiel will likely be favored after this season.

For Brian Kelly’s spread offense to work at its highest level, he needs a mobile QB. One thing I know for sure is that out of the many problems a coaching staff could be facing, having too many GOOD QBs is not on that list.