Read the arguments from Bleacher Fan and Babe Ruthless.
Flash back 20 years ago to 1989. Michael Jordan had not yet won an NBA title. The Oakland A’s were a dominant baseball team. The San Francisco 49ers were a dominant football team… and Notre Dame was “THE” program in college football. The Fighting Irish were coming off of a national championship in 1988 and nearly repeated the feat in 1989 under master motivator and South Bend legend Lou Holtz. The program was the king of the college football castle.
Now flash forward to the present day.
Michael Jordan won six NBA titles, the last of which was earned 11 years ago. Oakland and San Francisco hardly resemble championship caliber organizations… and the Irish… well… the success on the field has been limited lately.
The Fighting Irish have won 10 games in a season twice since 1993, in 2002 (10-3) and 2006 (10-3). Until last season’s victory against Hawai’i in, you guessed it, the Hawai’i Bowl, the Fighting (well, apparently not enough fighting…) Irish had lost nine consecutive bowl games dating back to 1993. The last three head coaches – Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham, and Charlie Weis – have gone a combined 91-68 in the past 13 seasons. Combine that with Holtz’s 87-20 in his last nine seasons and it is quite obvious that the program has slipped, that it is not exactly “playing like a champion.” Notre Dame fans are hoping Brian Kelly is the man to right the ship.
However, Notre Dame football is still a draw. The fact that The Sports Debates is even having this debate today proves that Notre Dame football is still very much relevant in today’s college football landscape. How many other schools can boast an exclusive television contract? How many other schools have the tradition Notre Dame holds close? It’s hard to argue against the attention that Notre Dame gets in football.
That leads to today’s debate topic – Is Notre Dame still the best job in college football?
Bleacher Fan will argue that head football coach at Notre Dame is no longer the best job in college football, while Babe Ruthless will argue that it still remains the best job!
The winner of this debate gets the honor of leading the Fighting Irish band in the playing of the Notre Dame fight song! Ha!
