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Bittersweet: That is the word to describe Irish fans’ mixed emotions after another season of Notre Dame football has come and gone.

For some, the 10 wins, including a dramatic New Year’s Day victory over LSU in the Citrus Bowl, were a welcome improvement after the 4-8 campaign in 2016. In particular, home wins over USC and NC State were among some of the sweetest in recent memory. 

For others, the road losses in November and the fall from No. 3 in the College Football Playoff Rankings overshadowed the team’s successes. Going from being a playoff contender to playing in the Citrus Bowl left a bad taste in mouths of many. 

In this year’s annual Scholastic Football Review, we take you through the highs and lows of season number 111 of Fighting Irish football. 

We wrote game recaps for the team’s dominating wins that inspired championship hopes, like those over Michigan St., USC and NC State. We also analyzed the heartbreaking losses to Georgia, Miami (FL) and Stanford that brought back memories of falling just short in years past.

We discussed the impact of Notre Dame’s new coaches, looked at individuals who are leaving the program and handed out our end-of-season awards. We also look forward, exploring the 2018 recruiting class and the expectations for next year and beyond. 

Here, we celebrate the good and confront the bad. We are reminded of what makes Notre Dame football so special, win or lose. The team and its fans always come back, hungry for another helping of Irish football, starving for a national championship. 

We, the editors, writers, designers and photographers, are proud to present this look back on the 2017 Notre Dame football season. We hope you enjoy. 

Go Irish,

David Korzeniowski