Manti Te'o To Stay at Notre Dame: Will the Irish Get Back to the BCS in 2012?

Many expected this to be the year that the Irish returned to the top of the college football world. But after two quick horrible losses, those expectations quickly went away.

Notre Dame didn't have a bad season at all. Statistically they could compete with any team in the country but the 26 turnovers is the only statistic that really matters. Only 18 teams in Division I have turned the ball over more times than Notre Dame this year. Those miscues are a huge reason for their four losses and the reason they didn't reach a BCS bowl this year.

This was a veteran team coming in and for that reason had huge expectations.

Although one of the leaders to this squad, that many thought was leaving for the NFL draft is returning for his senior season. Linebacker Manti Te'o will be on this team next season as he has decided to put the NFL on hold and try and do what Notre Dame was supposed to do this season.

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"One of inspiring things he shared with us was, what can he live with if decided to go pro?" Manti's father Brian Te'o said. "Can he live with not having the memory of his senior season? Could I be satisfied with millions and live without the memory? Or can I live without the millions and have the memories?

"He goes, 'I can do that. I can live with my career possible ending at Notre Dame.' If he leaves this life in general, he'll know he gave Notre Dame everything he had. He felt he didn't do that yet. He really hasn't given Notre Dame everything he's got."

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Although there are a lot of players that are leaving this Notre Dame team after this season. Six starters on the defense alone are seniors. That doesn't include three offensive lineman and the top receiver at the program Micheal Floyd.

This program will lose a lot of talent this year.

They also have a brutal schedule that includes Michigan State, Michigan, Miami, Stanford, Oklahoma and USC.

Notre Dame does have a fine head coach in Brian Kelly, depth at the quarterback position and one of the top recruiting classes coming in. That should at least make things a little more easier to deal with.

If the Fighting Irish are looking to make a run towards a BCS bowl next season, they will have their work cut out for them. But it's not bad to start with one of the top linebackers in the game, a leader on the field and the leader in tackles, sacks and tackles-for-loss.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]