It's now clear, even to the sightless, that these Irish can win any game they play, in any year, against any team.

Have you figured out what that means? Let's pause to reflect.

RETURN TO WHICH GLORY?

Return to Glory? Certainly. We're doing that now.

But which glory? As I wrote elsewhere, the legendary coaches of Notre Dame football comprise The List — names as close to immortality as college coaches can get, and closer than any pro coach will ever come. (See In a Word, Immortality for more on The List.)

Notre Dame's glory years appear in bursts, the greatest first, the lesser last. In inverse order of success, The List of great Notre Dame coaches includes Lou Holtz (1986-1996), Ara Parseghian (1964-1974), Frank Leahy (1941-1943, 1946-1953), and Knute Rockne (1918-1930).

Holtz won at an excellent clip; he had one National Championship (and should have had one more); and in 1988-1989 he produced a string of 23 unbeaten games. From 1988 through 1993 his teams were always in the hunt — jewels in the crown of Notre Dame football.

Lou faded though; his last three teams weren't up to the mark his earlier teams had set. This pushed down his Notre Dame win percentage — to a "mere" 77% — and took some shine off his reputation.

Holtz is the beloved-most-recent, the giant that under-30 fans remember as "their" Notre Dame coach. But while he stands with the great men before him, he stands a bit less tall.

THE GIANTS BEHIND THE GIANT

Parseghian, the giant behind Holtz, is regarded more highly and considered the better coach. His win percentage stands at a terrific 84%. He won two National Championships — and had Coliseum refs been honest, he would have won a third. In addition, he set the table for Dan Devine, who won yet another NC.

Parseghian had some of the best Notre Dame teams in modern football history. (The teams of the 40s and 50s, no longer remembered, can't be considered "modern."). His 1966 squad was an absolute crusher on defense, holding opponents to an amazing 3.8 points per game (including six shutouts), and it was loaded with offensive weapons, averaging 36 points per game.

Even so, it was said that Ara couldn't win the big one, and his contemporaries recall too many disappointing losses, too many two-loss seasons. Still, Ara Parseghian is unquestionably one of the best (and best loved) coaches of all time, a genius and a very good man.

The giant that stands behind Ara is Frank Leahy. His win rate was an astounding 86%, and from 1946 through 1949, his teams never lost a game. Think about that. If you were a freshman at Notre Dame in September of 1946, you never saw a loss (though you did see two disappointing ties and one team with no NC).

Leahy won or shared in five National Championships in 11 years, helped usher in the era of the T-formation (used also by the Bears to devastating effect), and sired numerous Heisman trophy winners. Bertelli, Lujack, Lattner, Hart — the sons of this legend are legends themselves.

Few are alive to remember his disappointments (why weren't those unbeaten teams all national champions? what happened in the early 50s?), so the death of active memory does its work, just as it will with Ara. Almost pure legend, Leahy stands now like a gridiron god, a veritable Vince Lombardi. His exploits seem unsurpassable.

Unsurpassable, and yet . . .

There's a giant behind Leahy as well, taller even than Frank. Knute Rockne, Notre Dame's coach during from 1918-1930, is arguably the greatest college coach of all time. As frequently as Leahy won, Rockne won more often. His win rate stands at an unimaginable 88%; he had five unbeaten, untied seasons; and his teams captured or shared in the mythical National Championship six times.

He inspired his generation and single-handedly created college football as a national sport, both as a spokesman and as an innovator. Before anyone cared about the Bears and the Lions, they loved Knute Rockne and Notre Dame. One imagines the world will never see his like.

Holtz, Parseghian, Leahy, Rockne — giants all. Which brings us to the new kid, Ty Willingham.

FROM LOU TO ARA IN ONE BIG SWING OF THE BAT

I've been bold this season — Rock's been swinging ahead of the curve all year and (thank God) smacking the long one. So let's not stop now.

In August, the inner betting of Notre Dame fans (the bets they place only with themselves) held that Willingham would be fortunate to equal Lou.

Holtz started slowly, going 5-6 and 8-4 in his first two years, building his base. In his third year, 1988, his team won the National Championship. Between 1988 and 1993 (right up to that devastating Boston College game), Notre Dame was a threat to go all the way.

No question Lou had a great run to glory. If Ty would just equal Lou, we thought, the Nation would be proud. Heck, much of the Nation wanted Lou himself back and would have gladly cast their lot with Lou Two. Either way, Lou was plenty good enough, thank you very much.

But Ty hasn't equaled Lou, he's surpassed him — and in his first time at bat. Ty's maiden squad, filled like Lou's with inherited players, stands 8-0 and threatens for the National Championship. Now. Not in three years — now.

As a result, Ty is no longer compared with Lou, but with the giant behind him — Parseghian, whose own first team, in 1964, also started the season 8-0 and also threatened for the National Championship.

Comparisons with Lou are so last summer. Ara has taken the stage.

LOOKING FURTHER BACK

Good, says the Nation, we'll take that. We wanted Lou, but we'll take Ara. We could settle for that.

But Rock says, why stop there? Let's look further back. What if Ty surpasses even Ara?

He might, you know. The current team is favored through the rest of its schedule. It could easily win out, play for the National Championship, and win it. Would you bet on this team to lose any game it plays? Nor would I. If he wins a National Championship this year, Ty will have surpassed Ara.

And if he does, we come to Leahy. Ara played strong in 1964, lost key players to graduation, came back weaker in 1965, then blew the world away in 1966 when his recruited freshmen became sophomores, and therefore eligible (at the time freshmen weren't allowed to play varsity sports).

Leahy's Notre Dame career started during World War II — disrupted years for college football, as teams were decimated by enlistment and the draft. Even though he won a National Championship in 1943, he didn't coach in '44 and '45, so let's consider 1946 to be Leahy's first "real" year. As you just read, Leahy's record for the four years starting 1946 was terrific — an amazing 36-0-2 with three NCs. He never lost.

Can Ty do that? Don't say no yet — think about it. Can Ty win the NC this year, not take a year off, win out again next year as well, and win out again the year after that? Can he not lose for four years?

Seems terribly unlikely. But is it impossible? It was possible when Leahy did it. Why not now?

THE MOST FOCUSED TEAM IN SPORTS

No great coach wants to lose. Lou didn't want to lose, yet he did, sometimes at the very worst time, often to Stanford, even in his glory stretch. Ara lost less frequently than Lou, but he did lose. His nemeses were Purdue and Southern California, and between them they killed a lot of seasons. Remember, Ara coached 11 years and "only" won two NCs. There's a reason there's only two — it's those losses.

As great as these men were, Ty seems better. Only time will tell, of course, but for my money, I've never seen any coach get the most from a team the way Ty gets the most from these Irish. This season has been a life lesson in left-foot right-foot, one step at a time, never let up, thanks for the win, time to move on.

Because of Ty, this is the most focused team in sports, eager and relentless. We're in the presence of a very special man. And his goodness — not just his greatness, but his goodness — makes him a leader the troops will follow to hell.

Given that, can Ty pull a Leahy? Can he not lose for the next four years? Leahy did it with a boatload of talent and the best coach on the planet.

Can Ty get a boatload of talent? What do you think?

Does Notre Dame have the best coach on the planet? What do you think?

Given what you've seen, when will you bet against Ty to lose at Notre Dame?

TIME TO TAKE A BREATH?

Yes, I know, these are heady dreams. Rock, you're going to say, you're so far ahead of the curve, the ball hasn't left the pitcher's glove. Time to take a breath, son, a deep one.

You're right, of course. Time to take a breath. But please take one with me. What was the heady dream last spring, less than a year ago? That Ty would do better than Davie.

What was the heady dream at the start of fall? That Ty's first year would equal Lou's.

Suddenly we're in Ara-land.

Hardly anyone thought we'd even get close (see Out On a Limb: This Problematic Season for Rock's take on this year's outlook). Yet before you can blink, we're knocking at the door.

So let's take that deep breath together, and let's take stock. We have the absolute master of winning the next game; the team gets nothing but better; and talent is lined up out the door to join us. When this defense is combined with a fully installed offense, Notre Dame will produce 40-0 games like clockwork, just like the old days.

I'll say it now — seen from today, equaling Leahy's win streak is no more unlikely than winning the 2002 National Championship seemed on August 31. You don't have to bet for it; but I wouldn't bet against it.

THE GIANT BEHIND THEM ALL

Did you take that deep breath? Good — time to let it out. Because in four years you just might need to take another. If this improbable possibility really does come to pass, if the Willingham freshmen truly don't see a loss, you and I will have to reset our watches, to 1918.

Because after Leahy there's only one giant left to surpass — the man my mother named me for; the giant behind the giants. Rockne.

That leaves me breathless. And yet it's been done, or the mark wouldn't be there.

TWO FOR ONE

This week the Rock is separating his column into two. The first part is the piece you're reading now. Hope you liked it. Consider it my contribution to rational exuberance.

The Florida State review and the fearless Boston College analysis will appear in a day or so. Please stay tuned.

In the meantime, enjoy. The ride has just begun.

Rationally yours,

The Rock