that our 2012 team didn't. Yes, we were screwed on the call against Michigan where our TE caught the ball way in bounds and they ruled him out. Yes, that TD would have beaten them. However, we also fumbled the ball away multiple times that game to cost ourselves the game. That same thing happened a lot in 1986.
The 2012 team did very little to beat itself. That's why they were able to get what appears to be all the breaks. In reality they got a few breaks -- the same as the 1988 team got a big break that Michigam missed the 47 or so yard FG that would have ended our season before it ever started. Every undefeated team gets at least 1 big break.
Lou's best teams were 1989 and 1993 and his next best team was probably the 1992 team. He won a title with his 4th best team in 1988. In 1989 all he needed was his DL to fall on the ball on the 3 yard line and the game was over. They didn't, 3 and 47 happened next and the title was gone. The 1993 just needed a LB to catch a ball that he would catch 90 out of 100 times, but he dropped it and a kid made a 40+ yard FG to end the season. Even then, all we needed was Nebraska to make that same 40 yard FG to beat FSU in the bowl game and we'd still have won the title. We didn't get the 1 break those years that we got in 1988.
The 2012 team had the best defense ND has put on the field since 1980. That's why they won all the close games. It really is that simple.
