At the beginning of the year, there were a few Notre Dame coaches who were disliked as much as Chris Ash. The Irish defense struggled mightily in the team's first few games, and people thought long and hard about how nice it would have been to have Al Golden back. What a difference a few months make.
Ash's defense, while still having struggles here and there, has completely righted the ship. The unit is once again one of the best in the country. Better, in fact, than most people realize. And it's especially effective in crunch time when it matters most.