Before looking forward to Saturday's showdown with the Sooners, it's appropriate to look back one last time on how the Irish have arrived at 7-0.
Notre Dame's last two victories were anything but pretty. They had to overcome mistakes and late deficits, to win over Stanford and BYU. And in both wins, the Irish exhibited something we haven't seen in awhile. Toughness.
"The pride and tradition of Notre Dame football will not be left to the weak or timid or non-committed," head coach Brian Kelly preaches.
"That's in our locker room. That was put up the first day I got here. This is a process of developing physical and mental toughness."
Faced with adversity the last two weeks, Notre Dame was at it's best. This week against BYU and last week against Stanford? Those are games that a few years ago, Notre Dame would not have won.
But now they are winning. And more importantly, starting to believe they'll win. It's a process Brian Kelly began when he took over at Notre Dame nearly three years ago.
And the process is working. Notre Dame was 3-5 in games decided by 7 points or less during Brian Kelly's first two seasons. In 2012, in games decided by the same margin...Notre Dame is 4-0.
Notre Dame will face their toughest test of Kelly's era this Saturday night in Norman. It will take an effort equal to what they've given all season, and execution, to an even higher degree.
But most of all, that same toughness.
