SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly has a degree in political science and even has worked on a presidential campaign, but has no interest in trying to lobby for a spot for the fourth-ranked Fighting Irish in the national title game.
Kelly said Tuesday that’s because he doesn’t think it would help the Irish, who are 9-0 for the first time since 1993.
“If it helped, you know me, I could talk all day. If it really helped I would be on the stump for it. But it doesn’t do anything,” he said. “The only thing that does is winning football games, so I try spend all my time and energy focused on how we can get another win and getting to 10.”
Getting victory No. 10 doesn’t appear to be that difficult, considering the opponent Saturday is Boston College (2-7), who has just one win against FBS opponents. But the Eagles also have a history of beating unbeaten Notre Dame teams. They did it in 1993, when the Irish were 10-0 and again in 2002, when the Irish were 8-0 and won 14-7.
The Irish needed triple overtime to beat Pittsburgh (4-5) on Saturday, a team it was favored to beat by more than two touchdowns.
Kelly believes the Irish learned their lesson, saying they showed in coming back from a two-touchdown deficit they have the heart of a champion. Now it’s time to show they have the head of a champion, he said.
“The head of a champion understand that each and every week you’re going to get the opposition’s very best,” he said.
To play for a championship, the Irish are going to need some help. The Irish sit fourth in the BCS standings, behind Alabama, Kansas State and Oregon and likely won’t finish in the top two without some upsets.