Given the struggles our OL has had with GT, UM, UCLA and others, and our secondary's penchant for giving up TDs in excess of 30 yards, I can understand why voters are a little skittish about ND.
The media have always been manic-depressive about Notre Dame. Early in the year, TSN had us at #1, and we were ranked as high as #2. Then we got our arses handed to us at home by Michigan, needed an amazing comeback against a mediocre MSU team, gave up 250 yds receiving to a Purdue WR, solidly beat a winless Stanford team, and then needed a miraculous finish handed to us by Dorrell's decision to go into cover two prevent rather than coming after Brady as he had--successfully--all game long.
The only way we get any respect is beating SC and winning the bowl--wherever it is. This next stretch of games, where we likely win the Commander in Chief trophy and go to 2-0 in the ACC won't impress anyone. There is only downside if we don't win convincingly or, God forbid, lose any of these games.
Beating a top tier team on the road at the end of the year is when it counts most--right before BCS bids. I hope SC runs the table before and after our game, and we get the OL and pass defense where it needs to be the next four weeks.
We're not there yet, fellas. And its gonna get worse before it gets better, unless Weis' recruits step up and over what's left of Willingham's "classes."
That said, we're at 6-1, with a legit shot at 11-1 or 10-2 going into a bowl. Not where ND wants to be, but better than where we have been since, oh, 1996 or so.