Brian Kelly and LSU to Visit Notre Dame Stadium in College Football Playoff?

Talk about a dream matchup for literally everyone involved

Nov 25, 2023; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly waves to fans during warmups before the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Tiger Stadium. / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame and LSU are two of college football's biggest brands as both have been synomous with winning for quite some time.

The two don't play anything on the regular and aren't scheduled to anytime in the future but will forever be linked thanks to Brian Kelly leaving Notre Dame for LSU at the conclusion of the 2021 regular season.

The only way the two would play for the time being would be in a postseason matchup, something that has actually happened four times since 1997. But what if that postseason matchup wasn't just an ordinary bowl game, but instead a homecoming of sorts for Brian Kelly at Notre Dame Stadium?

The Athletic Projects Notre Dame vs. LSU College Football Playoff Matchup

Jan 1, 2018; Orlando, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Drue Tranquill (23) and safety Jordan Genmark-Heath (13) tackle LSU Tigers running back Darrel Williams (28) during the second half in the 2018 Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium. / Matt Stamey-USA TODAY Sports

Austin Mock and The Athletic staff released their College Football Playoff projection ahead of the regular season and have Notre Dame and LSU meeting in the No. 8 vs. No. 9 first round College Football Playoff game this winter.

That game would be played in Notre Dame Stadium as the higher ranked team gets the benefit of playing on its own campus for the four first round playoff games.

To say this would be a massive draw for college football fans near and far, regardless of their fandoms, would be a massive understatement.

The way Brian Kelly up and left Notre Dame in the middle of the night for LSU left a sour taste in the mouths of Notre Dame fans and certainly won't be forgotten anytime soon which would just fuel the potential matchup.

That didn’t last long. That was Brian Kelly driving away in the blue Mercedes SUV. He appears to be outta here. pic.twitter.com/1YhgEPpRcy

— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) November 30, 2021

Notre Dame has never played host to a former Fighting Irish head coach who returns as the head coach of an opponent. This nearly happened in 2019 when Notre Dame hosted New Mexico but former Notre Dame coach Bob Davie missed the game due to being hospitalized with heart issues.

Notre Dame vs. LSU All-Time Results

Jan 1, 2018; Orlando, FL, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Miles Boykin (81) makes a catch in front of LSU Tigers cornerback Andraez Williams (29) during the second half in the 2018 Citrus Bowl at Camping World Stadium. / Matt Stamey-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame and LSU have met 12 times all-time, with Notre Dame holding a minimal 7-5 advantage. Here are the results of those 12 meetings:

1970: Notre Dame 3, LSU 0 (Notre Dame Stadium)
1971: LSU 28, Notre Dame 8 (Tiger Stadium)
1981: Notre Dame 27, LSU 9 (Notre Dame Stadium)
1984: Notre Dame 30, LSU 22 (Tiger Stadium)
1985: LSU 10, Notre Dame 7 (Notre Dame Stadium)
1986: LSU 21, Notre Dame 19 (Tiger Stadium)
1997: Notre Dame 24, LSU 6 (Tiger Stadium)
1997: LSU 27, Notre Dame 9 (Independence Bowl)
1998: Notre Dame 39, LSU 36 (Notre Dame Stadium)
2007: LSU 41, Notre Dame 14 (Sugar Bowl)
2014: Notre Dame 31, LSU 28 (Music City Bowl)
2018: Notre Dame 21, LSU 17 (Citrus Bowl)

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