Kelly Blames Lay-Off for Loss to Alabama

Brian Kelly just can't seem to let it go.

It being the BCS title game that he and the Fighting Irish lost to Alabama back in January.

Kelly is still looking for reasons and excuses as to why his team played so poorly. This time, it's the long lay-off, as he explained on the Dan Patrick Show:

Dan Patrick: Could you have won that game against Alabama?

Brian Kelly: I think the circumstances needed to be a little bit different. I think if we had played in a playoff format the next week after the USC game, I think that would have been a better situation for us, but look, you know, could have, would have, should have. Alabama won the game, they were the better team that day. I think they were, in terms of preparation – that team was very well prepared. They had been in the moment before and I’m not going to take anything away from their performance on that particular day.

It wasn't because his team was unprepared, or he had a lousy game plan against the Tide, or  because Alabama was just the better team. Now his excuse is that it was the long lay-off. 

Yeah, because that would have made the difference in the Irish winning or losing!

You want to bet that Kelly sits in his office every night watching game film on the Tide, still trying to figure out what went wrong and reliving the nightmare in his dreams?

Watching Manti Te'o getting pancaked by the Alabama offensive line. Eddie Lacy breaking off 20, 30, 40 yards a clip. Yep, must be hard to swallow.

I know it's hard Coach Kelly, but don't you think it's time to let this go?

You have more important things to worry about, like your first game of this season.