Forget about the "What if" scenario for the moment, and take a look at that schedule. If that was our 2007 season, we would be looking at some great games... tough ones, but GREAT! 7-4-1 = sucks!

Nice write-up. I can't wait to see the one on the Rocket clip at the climax of the ND/Col. game.
LADomer | Email | Homepage | 07.25.07 - 8:28 pm | #

Forgot about the blown call versus Michigan; is it me, or does the copy not quite match with the W-L grid? Anyway, the '86 team was a classic brutal team to play (they just couldn't win). That "14 point" statistic remained well-known for the next couple of years.

In a strange sort of way, I think this year's team will be a hybrid of our '86 - '87 squads (which is why I really think we'll be lights out in '08).

Off topic a bit, but it's kind of surprising that the Filer commit drew so little response. Let's not get too spoiled, too soon.

Go Irish
Bill H. | Email | Homepage | 07.25.07 - 8:37 pm | #

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if memory serves me right, the Michigan loss in '86 was the first time in history that a team lost their first game and moved UP in the rankings. I could be imagining this, but I think we moved from the "unranked" to #23 in the polls.

I think the expectations were so low for ND and so high for Michigan, that the "closeness" of the game caused the pollsters to give us some early season accolades.

Or, it could just be the haze that was my senior year.
Big Tobacco | Email | Homepage | 07.25.07 - 9:15 pm | #

or what about....if reggie bush had chosen ND over USC..? would he have been the enough of a difference maker to keep Ty in for 2 more years and thus we wouldn't have Charlie?.....
irishguy06 | Email | Homepage | 07.25.07 - 9:39 pm | #

***been the enough of a difference maker*** my bad
irishguy06 | Email | Homepage | 07.25.07 - 9:40 pm | #

***been enough of a difference maker*** ....man I'm an idiot
irishguy06 | Email | Homepage | 07.25.07 - 9:41 pm | #

L11 refs also missed Asaph pushing the ball "over the plane" v. MSU in 2005. One less loss for CW.

Sigh.
ThE LoSt BoY | Email | Homepage | 07.25.07 - 10:59 pm | #

Watching the '86 team (as a senior) was awesome! It was abundantly clear that ND had turned the corner after the Dark Years (Faust) and, despite the record in '86, with a little time and patience ND would hit the heights. They just PLAYED differently. As great as NC years and near-misses have been, I'll always remember '86 fondly.
Shoe Trees | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 12:55 am | #

I believe it is the only time a team has ever entered the polls after a loss, however, you are incorrect on one matter, Mr. Tobacco: The polls in those days didn't go to 25, just to 20(I believe the change was in '89).
crazy tom | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 1:46 am | #

Here's a BIG "What if?"

What if Justin Tuck returned for his final year of eligibility. That was Weis' first year. I think that would've helped the defense tremendously!
sellario | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 1:53 am | #

Bo is "out of this mess,
so be my guest and let him rest"
ThE LoSt BoY | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 8:54 am | #

Great series.

While it may be painful - what about a negative what if, such as "what if Ivory Covington hadn't stopped the two point conversion"?

It might also help us appreciate how fortunate we've been over the years.
Randy | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 11:35 am | #

As an 87 grad, I was just wondering:

Was Wally "Hit em wit your purse" Klein actually a leader in 86?
JohnF | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 11:44 am | #

Crazy Tom,

I think the 2000 ND team entered the poll with a loss after the first week. If I remember correctly, an unranked ND played #1 Nebraska in the opening game of the year and lost in overtime. The next polls came out and ND was around 23.
ND Alum | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 11:49 am | #

shoe trees, i couldn't agree more. i remember watching that team and thinking that they just had a whole different attitude than the year before. even tho they had a losing record, i was satisfied withthte direction of the program.

and lou walked into a situation like urbie at fla....previous coach couldn't win, but brought in great talent. certainly different than what charlie walked into.
yz | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 12:03 pm | #

I am not sure why Kent Graham would have been able to go undefeated in '88 (I doubt it but you never know), but only 8-4 in '89. It may have been a tougher schedule, but if the team could go 12-0 in '88, then obviously the offense would have developed some chemestry. At any rate, Rice will probably always be my favorite Irish QB, as he led them to the only National Title in my memory and it followed so many years of frustration. At the age of 17, I was beginning to believe the Irish would never get it done, now thanks to Tony and the rest of the team, I am always optimistic about every season.
pups | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 12:51 pm | #

Remember early last season when everyone was comparing Weis's record to Willingham's? I think this is very simular to ND having the same record in '85 & '86. Yes the records were the same, but anyone who watched the games could tell the difference in what direction the team was going.
pups | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 12:52 pm | #

Sorry, I meant to put my Tony Rice comment on the other story.
pups | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 12:52 pm | #

How about a "what if" we had Rashon Powers-Neal in the USC game. Does any one remember how much our success on short yardage plays suddenly dropped that game? Including a couple key red zone plays.

"What if" CW didn't have the integrity to uphold the team rules and let Rashon play? (like the Jim Tressels of the world)
FightingSonOfNotreDame | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 1:39 pm | #

In response to your "What if . . . Joel Williams TD" scenario, the ref did blow the call, but the end result was correct. Joel Williams feet were in bounds on the catch, but the catch should not have counted anyways. If you watch the entire route on tape (and not just the last 3 steps of it), Williams stepped on the line at the back of the endzone. He is therefore not eligible to be the first person to touch that pass, which he was. The correct ruling is "incomplete pass." My seat in the student section for that season lined up with the back of the endzone.
Eric | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 4:45 pm | #

Great column. Lots of possible implications that you touch on thoughtfully.

How about expanding it to "what if... ND never used Big Ten refs in their home games".... There were a lot of games where calls went against the Irish on dubious calls. What was the Michigan game where a penalty was called on ND on a Michigan kickoff return at the end of the game to set up a winning score... (I know that happened in the Fredo game of 93 to set up the winning FG).

Keep up the great work.
PZ | Email | Homepage | 07.26.07 - 7:57 pm | #

First off, great blog. I love reading it daily.

Sorry, I'm not buying this TD argument. I'm the biggest ND homer there is but there is no way on God's green earth that Williams was in bounds on this catch. Too many clues are stacked against him.
First, the ref is smack on top of the play, 10ft away with no obstruction. Bo is right. We get that call in ND stadium if he's really in.
Second, Williams' body language in your third slide shows me a guy trying to contradict what just happened instead of celebrating a TD that he knows just happened.
Third, we would be able to see him step on the line if we had the slides inbetween 2 and 3. There has been a nice amount of time elapsed between those shots as evidenced by the both the ref and Williams' shadows relationship to the pylon.
I've watched this play time and time again on Tivo from ESPN classic and it looks like it's too close to call every time. I'm taking the word of the ref that could smell Williams' shoes on the play.
You want a real controversy...check out the catch Jamie Morris made in the endzone for UM's last touchdown. Replay would have overturned that call in a NY minute.
gill | Email | Homepage | 07.27.07 - 10:48 am | #