Notre Dame 2020 Looks More Like ND 1988 Than It Does ND 1993
As soon as Notre Dame's revised 2020 schedule was released I'm sure there were many Fighting Irish fans that had the same reaction I did. Boston College, really?
Notre Dame always had Clemson on its schedule for Nov. 7, but when the original schedule released the Irish were slated to play a road game at Georgia Tech the week after. The Yellow Jackets are in the second year of the Geoff Collins era and were coming off a 3-9 season.
When the new schedule came out the Georgia Tech game was moved up to Oct. 24 and Boston College was dropped into the schedule right behind Clemson.
My immediate reaction was flashbacks to 1993. That, of course, was the last time Notre Dame beat a No. 1 team (Florida State), and the following week the Irish were knocked off by Boston College, ending the last legitimate run for a national championship.
As this season has played out, the only thing that really compares to that 1993 season is the timing of playing Boston College following the No. 1 powerhouse from the ACC. Beyond that, this season, and the timing of Notre Dame's huge win, has much more in common with 1988 than it does 1993.
There are a few reasons for that.
Miami vs. Clemson / Florida State vs. Clemson
Florida State ultimately won the 1993 national championship, but it was a bit disputed when you consider how thoroughly the No. 2 Fighting Irish out-played them. Florida State was just coming into its own as a true power after having been dominated by Miami, who won seven of the previous eight games against the Seminoles heading into that season.
Clemson in 2020 is more like Miami was in 1988, a proven champion with a loaded roster. No, the Tigers aren't quite as good as that Miami team was in 1988, but they are certainly a more established program than was Florida State in 1993. Clemson, of course, has won two of the previous five national championships, the same as Miami heading into the 1988 matchup.
Timing
When Notre Dame beat Florida State it improved the squad to 10-0, and the Irish immediately seized the No. 1 ranking. All that was standing between Notre Dame and a shot at the national title was Boston College.
In 1988, Notre Dame still didn't have the No. 1 ranking following its win over Miami; that honor belonged to UCLA, and Notre Dame didn't seize the No. 1 ranking until after it beat Air Force and Navy, and following a UCLA loss to Washington State.
Notre Dame's win over Miami give it a 6-0 record, and the Irish still had five games left to play before the bowl game. Although the first four games weren't overly daunting, there was always a season-ending matchup against USC looming. Notre Dame needed to win a No. 1 vs. No. 2 game away from home to secure a chance to play for a title in the postseason.
That meant the Irish could not have that "we've arrived" moment after Miami, but that was a far greater possibility for the 1993 squad.
In 2020, Notre Dame is far from a "we've arrived" moment, as the Irish must still play four more regular season games and prepare for a likely rematch against Clemson. With the quality of opponents in 2020 being greater than the post-Miami slate in 1988, this Notre Dame squad must be even more locked in following its big win.
2020 Notre Dame Resembles 1988 Notre Dame
This isn't mean to be a direct comparison, but the makeup of the team, however, is similar. An embattled quarterback that many wanted replaced the year prior, that's a story that was told of Tony Rice back then and Ian Book now.
A front seven that was short on star power but long on experience, toughness and clutch playmaking ability.
Notre Dame's 1993 squad had an explosive offense, but it was vulnerable on defense. That team gave up at least 20 points in six of the team's 11 regular season games, and it held just two opponents (1-10 Purdue, 3-8 Pittsburgh) to single digits. It should not come as a surprise that Notre Dame lost a shootout to a talented BC offense.
Notre Dame's 1988 squad gave up 20 or more points just twice, including its win over Miami. The 2020 squad has also given up more than 20 just twice.
The 1988 team was built around a suffocating defense and a punishing ground attack, one that overcame an inconsistent pass offense. But it's the defense that truly brings comparisons to the 2020 squad. There was no Bryant Young up front for the 1988 squad, which had a sum that was greater than the individual parts, especially up front.
Let's look at the three defenses.
Scoring Defense (national rank):
1988 - 3rd
1993 - 20th
2020 - 8th (6th if you only include teams with more than 3 games)
Total Defense (national rank):
1988 - 13th
1993 - 20th
2020 - 7th
I think a guy like Clark Lea more closely resembles Barry Alvarez than he does Rick Minter.
When you sum it all up, it's easy to see comparisons between the 2020 Notre Dame team and a past squad, but this is a team that much more closely resembles the 1988 squad, not the 1993 squad.
That should give Irish fans a bit more confidence as the team heads into its matchup against Boston College.
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