Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly is in a must-win even before his first game of the season.

A loss against South Florida will derail the careful narrative that the Irish will improve greatly from last season and play in a major bowl game, perhaps even a BCS game.

But a loss to South Florida would put all that to an end before the season really kicks off.

With tough games against Michigan and Michigan State upcoming a loss to South Florida would be devastating.

Unlikely as it sounds I have one word for the true believers.

Tulsa.

Notre Dame needs to get off to a fast start and hope that Crist and Floyd can look as good as they did in the early games last season.

Both have had their problems. Crist with injury, Floyd with DUI.

Hopefully they can put all those problems behind them and get the Fighting Irish off to the flying start the program needs.

Anything else would be a disaster.