Joel Klatt evaluates what win over Ohio State would mean for Notre Dame

The biggest game of the college football weekend will be in South Bend, Ind., when No. 6 Ohio State takes on No. 9 Notre Dame. It’s the type of game that has the potential to help define a season.

But Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt thinks for the Fighting Irish, this game’s importance is immense. He argued on the most recent episode of the The Joel Klatt Show that Saturday’s game is the biggest game for Notre Dame in 30 years.

“They’ve actually, if you look at the numbers, reached the top five at some point in five of the last seven seasons, and yet wouldn’t this feel different?” Klatt said. “You see because as well as Notre Dame has played, let’s be fair. I don’t think any of those seasons any of us would have put them above the line. I think that that’s a fair and honest assessment. In none of those seasons, did I feel like, you know what, they can beat insert above-the-line team here. Bama, Clemson, Georgia, even in a couple of those years, like Ohio State like in ’19. I never felt that. I think if you’re being honest, you would agree even if you’re a Notre Dame fan. Now this year is different because that line has moved and if they are able to beat Ohio State, don’t they feel like a national title contender? Yeah, yeah they do.

“That’s why this could be the most significant game that Notre Dame has played in at least 30 years because it’s been that long.”

The Fighting Irish have played in one BCS Championship Game and two College Football Playoff semifinals over the past decade or so. But none of those games were close.

Alabama won 42-14 in the 2012 BCS Championship Game, and then 31-14 in the 2021 Rose Bowl. Clemson beat Notre Dame, 30-3, in the 2018 Cotton Bowl.

“I know people are going to be saying like, This is crazy,” Klatt said. “They played for a national championship in 2012. They were in the playoffs, so on and so forth. They were never above the line if we’re honest. If we’re honest. Okay, let’s peddle in honesty here. Since 1994, so that’s 30 seasons, Notre Dame is 4-19 in top-10 matchups. 4-19.

“Here were the wins. They beat Clemson, who was No. 1 in 2020. They didn’t have Trevor Lawrence. That was the DJU game. They later lost to them in the ACC Championship Game, and let’s face it, that wasn’t a close contest. They beat them on on an emotional night at home. I never at any point said to myself, ‘yep, that’s an above-the-line team.’ Remember, where was the line back then in 2020. Two, three, maybe. They weren’t above that line. And if we’re being honest, we would all agree with that. They beat No. 7 Stanford in 2018, weren’t above the line in that year. They beat No. 8 Oklahoma in 2012. Maybe, this is pre-playoff, we’ll get to 2012 in a moment. And they beat No. 6 Texas in 1996.”

Klatt then does a deep dive into that 2012 season. The Fighting Irish entered the championship game undefeated while Alabama had one loss.

But the Crimson Tide entered the game as favorites after a thrilling SEC title game versus Georgia.

“Let’s go to 2012,” Klatt said. “You could be telling me all you want like, ‘no, Joel, they played for a national championship. They played against Alabama. That was an undefeated team with Manti Te’o. That was an above-the-line team.’ I’m here to tell you they weren’t. They weren’t. There were two teams above the line, maybe a third, in 2012…None of us gave Notre Dame a chance in that National Championship. None of us and, by the way, rightly so. And that’s how the championship game played out.”

That all sets the stakes for Saturday’s game. The Fighting Irish have plenty of other difficult opponents left on their schedule, including USC, Duke and Clemson.

But a victory over Ohio State would be a statement. And Klatt says that statement is that Notre Dame is a true title contender.

“If they win Saturday night, they are an above-the-line team,” Klatt said. “Now the line has moved, but that’s a good thing for Irish fans. That’s why this game is so important. It will legitimize them as a playoff contender, surely, and even a national championship caliber team. They finally have the requisite quarterback. They’ve got a good running game. I like their skill on the outside. I like what they are at the line of scrimmage and we’ll see if their defense can hold up. This would not be just a great top-10 win for Notre Dame. This would mean something very different for them.”