I've felt that we were competitive potential contenders pre-season several times in the Kelly-Freeman era. All manner of things would have had to happen to get us all the way, of course, but that's what not being an overwhelming juggernaut means. I've never felt that we were an overwhelming juggernaut, and (due to the quality of the competitors) do not feel so now. But "competitive contenders"? Hell yes. Generally speaking, I've enjoyed "modern" Notre Dame football. Great to get out of the Weis+ years, let alone the Kuharich years. (By the way, it was no walk-in-the-park even with Parseghian, Devine, and Holtz. There were MANY nail biters and some disappointments even then. You have to go to ancient history to get the kind of legend that some here want.