Acquiring good players in the portal who have the academics to make it into Notre Dame is one part of the equation. Notre Dame is a unique place. It isn't for everyone. Ensuring these players are a good culture and locker room fit in South Bend is the second aspect of this dynamic.

Notre Dame beating Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to earn a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals is a program-defining result.

Notre Dame is headed to the College Football Playoff semifinals after stunning second-seed Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, being played in New Orleans just a day after an attack on New Year’s revelers left 14 people dead.