As football evolves, Brian Kelly instills hope at Notre Dame

Six games into the 2011 season, it seems as if Notre Dame football has finally found its identity after dropping its first two games of the year to South Florida and Michigan.

Sitting at 4-2, Notre Dame and its fans have found themselves back in the BCS race with realistic aspirations of the type of season so many expected in South Bend. And this time, those BCS aspirations carry the plausible expectations of competing in and/or winning that BCS game, opposed past years when an SEC or Big Ten beat down was awaiting the Irish in January.

After a decade-long turmoil, Notre Dame turns to coach Brian Kelly.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or Notre Dame biochemistry major to see that the Irish’s defense is what has the program back in the national spotlight on. Potent offenses were not an issue during the Charlie Weis, Bob Davie and even Tyrone Willingham regimes, but it was rather a defense that was softer than the other side of the pillow.

And don’t get me wrong, Notre Dame still possesses room for improvement on defense. If it can’t solve it’s inability to cover athletes in space, there will be no crystal ball coming back to the Golden Dome.

What is particularly interesting, however, is that Brian Kelly has solved the defensive woes with essentially the same players from Weis’ tenure. Credit experience or coaching, but one cannot deny that Brian Kelly gotten the message across to his players who were routinely torched by the likes of Michigan, USC, and Michigan State in years past.

After committing 10 turnovers in its first two contests, Notre Dame found out how to use itself instead of beat itself. There isn’t a defensive back in the country who can shut down Michael Floyd; simple as that. And, I would go so far as to argue there is not a quarterback with more growing confidence than Tommy Rees–who is 7-1 as a starter for the Irish.

The only thing holding Notre Dame back from a 10 or 11-win season is Notre Dame. The turnovers. The 80-yard drives in less than 60 seconds of play. The penalties. Did I mention Notre Dame heads into a bye week this week before its annual matchup with USC–a matchup at home?

Everything is ripe for the picking heading into the second half of the 2011 season. The only questionable matchup left on paper for Notre Dame is the final one when the Irish head to Paolo Alto, Calif. to face Andrew Luck and Stanford.

No one argued this season would not be a pivotal one for the Domers, especially with year two being a very telling year for coaches in college football as of late.

Here’s the catch many Notre Dame fans will never accept, but is probably true: If Brian Kelly isn’t going to return Notre Dame to Notre Dame, then get out the tapes of the Rockne, Leahy and Holtz days. Ara Parseghian is not returning to the sidelines. I’m pretty sure Lou Holtz is comfy behind his broadcast desk with Mark May at his side.

The truth is, college football–particularly its recruting aspects–have evolved.

Notre Dame does not have the sales pitch Florida, USC, and South Carolina have. Instead, it has restrictions; restrictions on academics, personal conduct, and redshirting. And if Notre Dame is going to continue football independence and the mistake of holding similar academic standards for its athlets as it does its students, its chances of a true “Return to Glory”  will only wane  with the years.

But with Brian Kelly, there is hope. There is hope of a BCS bowl win and hope of that return to the former Notre Dame level. There is no question the second half of the season will be very telling for Notre Dame and the future of its program.

After all, they do say winning is the ultimate cure.