Some fairy tales are too good to be true, even ones ripe with Irish luck. When Notre Dame fell in overtime to No. 1 Nebraska in 2000’s second week, the loss also cost the Irish their starting quarterback, Arnaz Battle breaking his wrist.
In beating a top-25 Texas A&M to open the season and taking the top team in the country to the brink, Notre Dame had quickly gone from unranked to not only No. 21 in the polls but also on the front of the public’s minds. The next two games would be against top-25 opponents, as well, but who would lead the Irish offense?