How seriously did coach Lou Holtz have Notre Dame football rolling back in the day? In 1992, just to pick a year out of a hat, he signed the No. 1-ranked freshman class in the nation for the fifth time in six years. “As faxes arrived from Mississippi, Texas, Florida and elsewhere, Holtz counted 18 All-Americas in a class of 22 freshman prospects,” the Sun-Times reported. “Miami nine, and Florida State and Florida eight each.” It didn’t stop Holtz, who coached the Fighting Irish for 11 seasons, from bemoaning his own class’ renown, saying at the time, “People who get excited about recruiting put these kids in the Hall of Fame.” Holtz built the Irish back into a superpower — winning the 1988...
