Notre Dame Concentrating on 'Changing the Narrative' Against Alabama
DALLAS — A common theme this week heading into the Rose Bowl for Notre Dame is changing the narrative.
What narrative is that? The recurring theme of while the Fighting Irish are consistently a top team, they just as consistently fall on the big stage.
The narrative began its construction in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game, where Alabama bowled over Notre Dame 42-14. In the Fighting Irish’s only College Football Playoff appearance in the 2018 Cotton Bowl against Clemson, the 30-3 final score in favor of the Tigers only expanded on the narrative of poor performance in postseason play when the season is on the line.
On Friday, Notre Dame has the opportunity to put an end to the destructive narrative against Alabama in the Rose Bowl. While the Crimson Tide are once again heavy favorites — a 19.5 point favorite compared to being preferred by 10 points back in 2013 — it is a prime opportunity for the Fighting Irish to bring an end to a 32-year long national title drought.
On Monday morning, Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said that he’s not sure why the narrative persists when his team consistently shows up opponents in bowl games.
“We’re knocking on the door every year playing really good teams and great opponents,” Kelly said. “And there's elite football teams. I don't know why this narrative continues to pop up when we're always in the games. No, we haven't won a National Championship, that's correct. I'm not changing the record. But we are there every single year and we're grinding it out just like everybody else. And only one team gets to celebrate at the end of the year.
“And we're going to keep banging it, and we're going to keep getting back here. And that's our job. And that's our challenge each and every year is to compete for a National Championship, and we'll continue to do that.”
Kelly’s point is a valid one. Aside from losing to Ohio State in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl and its 2018 CFP loss, Notre Dame is 4-0 in bowl appearances. Kelly’s record as a head coach with the Fighting Irish during the postseason is impressive, but the narrative still continues due to poor playoff and national championship play.
On Tuesday, Fighting Irish sophomore safety Kyle Hamilton stressed that his team is ready to move away from the narrative. While Hamilton wasn’t on the team when it lost to Ohio State in 2018, defensive coordinator Clark Lea used the game as a recruiting tool for Hamilton, saying that he would one day play on a large stage and get his shot.
On Friday, just over two years later, Hamilton expressed that he want redemption for him and his program.
“I think it's cool how everything has come full circle,” Hamilton said. “Obviously that game didn't go as we wanted it to. But, I mean, we all have the chance to make up for that now and change the narrative. I think there's a lot of hype surrounding the game, just talks about Notre Dame not being this or Notre Dame being that. I think within the program we all know who we are and know what we can do. And we all know what kind of game we can play if we're on the same page.
“It's cool to get that second chance, and definitely seeing that in person makes it mean more -- I mean, we'll be there on Friday, hopefully perform how we need to.”
So what happens now?
After decades of bowl appearances and disappointments, the Fighting Irish are poised to take yet another attempt at cleaning up a somewhat messy postseason legacy. The opportunity to change the narrative begins — and ends — here.
While Kelly and his players all admitted that they want to change the narrative, they also state that they aren’t listening to it. Instead, the team is focused on the here and the now: Alabama. Rather than listening to the past, the team is keeping its eyes on the present.
On Thursday morning, Kelly reiterated that he and his team are ignoring the narrative, but at the same time are still striving to change it against the Crimson Tide.
“We know the challenges in front of us, but we welcome those challenges,” Kelly said. “That's why we go to work each and every day to put ourselves in this position. And we're going to keep knocking at the door. We don't listen to the narratives about what Notre Dame can and can't do.
“We're just excited that we're going to keep banging at this door and we're going to get through. We're going to keep putting ourselves in this position. And we're excited about the opportunity that we've got for us tomorrow.”
