Know Your Foe: Notre Dame 2010

The 38th version of the Michigan / Notre Dame game will take place this Saturday in northwest Indiana. The Irish and their new coach Brian Kelly dispatched the Purdue Boilermakers last week setting up an intriguing game.

For both of us, this game offers another opportunity to take another step towards respectability. I am sure Notre Dame would like nothing better than to push us back down after the high of last week. Michigan holds an all-time 21-15-1 advantage in the series. We won last season 38-34 in exciting heart stopping fashion.

History: In 1830 a Catholic missionary priest named Stephen Badin purchased 524 acres of farmland with the intention of expanding the mission with the nearby Pottowattamie Indians. The land cost $1.25 an acre. The only problem, is the Indians weren’t really interested in converting to Catholicism and promptly moved away. With no use for the land, Badin resold the land with the condition it would be used to establish an orphan asylum.

Badin holds the distinction of being the first Catholic priest to be ordained in the United States. He was originally born in France, but came to America after the French Revolution interrupted his education.

After a series of transactions and failed attempts, the land was offered in 1842 to another French priest named Edward Sorin. Because he was mandated t had to build a university within two years. The 28 year old Sorin quickly traveled to the site, and started teaching two local boys in the log chapel left by Badin 10 years earlier.

According to a legend, when Sorin arrived at the location, everything was frozen and he thought there was only one lake, and named the place “L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac” (The University of Our Lady of the Lake). The word Lac is singular, the land actually contained two lakes.

The early years at the University of Notre Dame were pretty elementary. There was very little higher education going on here. The school was primarily a religious grade school with a manual labor department serving only men. The collegiate curriculum never attracted more than a dozen students a year in the early decades. Notre Dame did not start admitting women until 1972.

The Roman Catholic influence on this place is very strong. A vast majority (80%+) of the current students identify themselves as Catholics. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart sits in the center of campus, a statue of the Virgin Mary stands on the top of the famous Main Building Golden Dome, and of course there is the omnipresent Touchdown Jesus on the Hesburgh Library looking into the football stadium.

Location: The campus is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, an unincorporated community northeast of South Bend. There is no municipal government here, as the entire area is made up of three college campuses (Notre Dame, St. Mary’s, and Holy Cross) . Notre Dame provides its own water, power, and fire department.

Most people just call it South Bend - which derived its name because it lies at the southernmost bend of the St. Joseph River. It was originally a fur trading post in the 1820s and officially incorporated as a city in 1865. Like most Midwestern cities, heavy industry have always dominated the local economy. Companies like the Studebaker Corporation, the Singer Sewing Company, and Oliver Chilled Plow Company were the early driving forces in the growing city.

U.S. Grant’s Vice President Schuyler Colfax lived in South Bend and represented the state in Congress and served as Speaker of the House during most of the civil war. He died of heart attack brought on my extreme cold and exhaustion in a Minnesota train station in 1885. He is buried at the local cemetery.

Nickname: They call themselves the Fighting Irish. There is no official story as to how or why. One would think because of the French background of the name and original founders of this place, they would call themselves the Fighting French. Then again, considering the history of the French military in the past century, maybe not.

During the era of the Four Horsemen (1920's) they were called the Rovers. Other times they were called the Terriers, after a priest’s dog. They also were called the Ramblers, because the football team would travel anywhere to play anyone. None of those names stuck.

To me, the best and most logical explanation for the “Fight Irish” name comes from the Irish Brigade in the American Civil War. This decorated infantry unit, originally made up of the 63rd New York, the 69th New York, and the 88th New York was filled with Irish immigrant soldiers fighting for their adopted country.

Many joined the army to gain military experience with an eye to returning to Ireland and freeing their country from the British. This unit first gained notoriety when, before the war, their Colonel refused an order to parade the troops for the English Prince of Wales. He was arrested and faced a court-martial. Once the war started, charges were dropped and the Colonel was sent into the fight.

I could write a doctorate thesis on the Irish influence and involvement and influence of the Civil War, but I won’t do that here. If you have ever walked the Union line at Gettysburg you will see a statue of Father William Corby (a Detroit Native) giving the Irish Brigade general absolution before the 2nd day of the historic battle. Corby later became Notre Dame’s 3rd (and 6th) President.

I say this every year, but I don’t understand is why the NCAA considers Native American nicknames like the Indians or Redskins offensive, but turns a blind eye to the equally as racist and offensive moniker Fighting Irish? Imagine if UTEP called themselves The Marauding Mexicans ? I can only assume the NCAA does not know that Ireland is a sovereign nation. Characterizing the good citizens of this nation as leprechaun fighters, is patently offensive.

Mascot/ Colors / Logo / Helmet: In 1965 Notre Dame named the Leprechaun as their official mascot. Each year a current student is selected to dress in a Lucky Charms outfit and hop around the sidelines. As far as costumed mascots go, this one is pretty goofy.

Many people associate green with the Notre Dame, but the official colors are “Madonna blue and Papal gold”. Throughout the history of Notre Dame football, they have sometimes worn green. During the Dan Devine era (1975-80) Notre Dame wore green uniforms almost every game. Today they reserve the green jerseys for special occasions, like when they are getting ready to lose to USC.

They use a classic interlocking ND as the primary logo. I noticed they incorporated it onto the sleeves of their 2010 football jerseys. This has been the Notre Dame logo since at least the 1960s. At times, a shamrock as appeared behind it. It is one of the most recognizable and iconic logos in American sports.

They wear a plain gold helmet. No logos. No stripes. No “good job” stickers. This helmet has become a symbol of the university as much as the golden dome itself. The Irish are one of the few schools to never change from the traditional grey color of their face masks. As with so many things about this school, they have made a big tradition for the student managers to spray shiny new gold paint onto the helmets before each game.

Fight Song: In 1908 brothers John and Michael Shea wrote The Notre Dame Victory March. It was copyrighted by the university in 1928. It has become is one of the most recognizable college fight songs in history. Sports Illustrated ranked it in 2006 as the #5 fight song. In the same poll, Michigan's The Victors was ranked #1.



Rally sons of Notre Dame
Sing her glory and sound her fame,
Raise her Gold and Blue
And cheer with voices true: Rah, rah, for Notre Dame
We will fight in ev-ry game,
Strong of heart and true to her name
We will ne'er forget her
And will cheer her ever
Loyal to Notre Dame

Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame,
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send a volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky.
What though the odds be great or small
Old Notre Dame will win over all
While her loyal sons are marching
Onward to victory.

Academics: Once a popular choice for good catholic boys to attend college, Notre Dame has become one of the top academic institutions in the country. According to the latest US News and World Report it is ranked #19 amongst National Universities.

With no Northwestern on our schedule this year, Notre Dame is once again the only school ranked higher than us in the USNWR ratings. With a strong national alumni base and popularity amongst subway alumni (people that associate with but never attended the school), a Notre Dame degree is very valuable. I find it interesting the contrast between view of their subway alumni and our non-alum fans. We get ridiculed for being “Wal*Mart Wolverines” while they are considered a foundation for the fan base.

Football program: In 1887, the Michigan Wolverines introduced football for the first time to Notre Dame and shut them out 8-0. In 1888, we beat them three times in the same season. Not to be dissuaded, Notre Dame’s program got better and better, capturing the national attention and building an impressive tradition.

Today not too many schools can compete with their impressive history. In 121 seasons, they have only had 13 losing seasons. They have the third most wins (behind Michigan and Texas) and second highest winning percentage in history (behind Michigan). They claim 11 national titles, 12 undefeated seasons, and 7 Heisman Trophies. In total, the Irish have fielded 99 All Americans and 48 College Football Hall of Famers. They have produced the largest number of players to go on and play in the NFL, have had 463 players drafted, highlighted by 5 overall #1 picks. All very impressive.

Other Sports: Notre Dame fields a Title IX friendly 13 men’s and 13 women’s varsity sports teams. Most of these teams play in the Big East Conference, the obvious exceptions being football (independent) and hockey (CCHA). Over the years they have won National Championships in six different sports (seven in fencing, two in women’s soccer, two in men’s tennis, and one each in men’s golf, men’s cross country and women’s basketball).

Famous alums: Notre Dame has an substantial list of notable alumni including many corporate execs, elected officials, and educational leaders. Recognizable names include Charlie Weis (KC Chiefs offensive coordinator) George Wendt (Norm from Cheers), and Steve Bartman (brainless Cubs fan). They also have Condoleezza Rice (former US Secretary of State), Eddie DeBartolo Jr (former owner of the San Francisco 49ers), Alan Page (NFL Hall of Famer and Minnesota Supreme Court Judge), Phil Donahue (former TV talk show host), Regis Philbin (Annoying TV personality), Hanna Storm (TV Host), and Don Criqui (sportscaster). The Notre Dame football team can claim NFL hall of famers Paul Hornung, Joe Montana, Nick Buoniconti, and Dave Casper and many others. Other famous football names include Joe Theisman, Tim Brown, Jerome Bettis, Rocket Ismael, Brady Quinn, and Jimmy Claussen.

There are no former US presidents with a ND degree, Josiah Bartlet does not count. Former President Ronald Regan is closely associated with the school because he acted in a famous movie about a Notre Dame football player. They can claim former presidents of Panama and El Salvador.

I found 3 former astronauts.

The Game: This is always one of those games I never feel comfortable with. I have seen too many good Michigan teams go to Notre Dame and lose. Strange things always seem to happen in that stadium.

Notre Dame had some great recruiting classes under Charlie Weis. The potential for Brian Kelly to take those prospects and turn them into a decent football team is there. Our defense caught some breaks last week. I don't anticipate Dayne Crist, Armando Allen and Michael Floyd to come anywhere close to the inept UConn offense we all saw on Saturday.

As it will be with most of our games this season, it will come down to the defense. We can win if we make some stops and cause a couple of turnovers. I am sure our offense led by Denard Robinson will score points. I just have no confidence in our defense. I also never expect to get a win at Notre Dame. I hope I am wrong.

Michigan 24
Notre Dame 32

EA Sports: NCAA Football 11 Video

No longer afraid of the dark

The Michigan athletic department today confirmed what was rumored yesterday -- we will host Notre Dame for our first-ever night game on Sept. 10, 2011 at 8PM.

"This will be an unprecedented game-day atmosphere that our fans have not experienced at Michigan Stadium," said athletic director David Brandon. "It's a great opportunity to showcase our program, University and Ann Arbor to a primetime viewing audience. This also adds a new chapter to the storied rivalry between our two great programs."

"Our players have always enjoyed playing night games and I think it's something that our fans will truly enjoy and embrace," added Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez. "I expect the atmosphere will be electric for this match-up at the Big House."

Michigan Stadium has never before hosted a primetime affair. I think it is about time.

Brian Kelly to Notre Dame

Just in case you have been living under a rock, Brian Kelly has been hired as the new head football coach at Notre Dame. He will not coach his undefeated Cincinnati Bearcat team in the Sugar Bowl game against Florida.

I think Kelly is a great coach. He has done a great job at Grand Valley and Cincinnati. I have to admit, over the last two painful seasons I have thought many times about what he might have done in Ann Arbor. I am afraid he might just make an immediate and lasting impact in South Bend. I find it interesting that two former 'Nati coaches are now lined up as annual rivalry games for Michigan. I expect Kelly to be a little less abrasive than Douche-bag Dantonio, at least I hope so.

I understand that ND is a dream job for many college football coaches. But, how can a coach leave an undefeated team preparing for a BCS bowl game ? His players have every right to be pissed off.

For the record, I did not care for the way that Rich Rodriguez left West Virginia two years ago to come to Michigan. The storm following his departure is still a black mark on our program. I like this even less because RR's last WVU team was not undefeated and there was no apparent animosity between Kelly and UC. Shameful.

Discuss.

Down goes Charlie...

"Every game you will have a decided schematic advantage..."
~ Charlie Weis to his players shortly after he was hired at Notre Dame

Fired. Let the wild coaching search rumpus begin.
As always, there are a ton of names being tossed around. Bob Stoops ? Not a chance. One name I keep hearing is Jim Harbaugh. I would be very shocked if Harbaugh jumps ship to Notre Dame. If he does, it will essentially eliminate any chance he has to become the Michigan football coach in the future.

Black Friday Bargains!

Need a solution for that unwanted backhair???
Try the ManGroomer, available at Bed Bath and Beyond, Target, Amazon, and other high-end retailers.
With it's 135 degree angled design (patent pending), it allows you to reach all areas of your back. The 1.5 inch cutting edge blade enables close results without ingrown hairs! It's discreet and compact design also allows for an extendable and lockable lengths--to get to those hard to reach places.
At $39.99 (with whatever coupons you can find) this is a tremendous deal !!!

In fact, Fat Charlie is a fan.....

maybe he'll buy one for Jimmy Harbaugh after tomorrow's game??????

Forget Lil' Bro---Cousins crushes the family

Yeah, Dantonio is definitely short some inches.
And poor Kirk Cousins. With the opportunity to put the dagger thru Fat Charlie once and for all, he forces a throw off his back foot and chucks a pick to McCarthy, thereby crushing Sparty's hopes of yet another victory in South Bend.

Drew Sharp tries to lipstick the pig in the freep: Spartans show character in hard-luck defeat I can only imagine how forgiving and supportive AC Drew Sharp would have been if we lost.

The Emu at EMU ?

After the avalanche of content and posting this week (hell, we pulled T9 away from her real job for a couple of minutes) I need to get focused. Last night I began preparing the Eastern Michigan University edition of Know Your Foe.

During the process of my extensive research I have discovered some great old pictures of Huron/Eagles football teams from years past. In the 1970's they wore a jersey with a large "EMU" on the front each shoulder.

Of course my mind starts wandering around and I start thinking: what if.... instead of going to Notre Dame and playing in the 2000's Jimmy Clausen went to Eastern Michigan and played in the 1970's?

The photoshop possibilities are endless.

Unbecoming Conduct

What ever happened to to days when you just won or lost a game?

There has been a lot of talk and complaining from Notre Dame fans and coaches regarding the Excessive celebration / unsportsmanlike conduct penalty given to Armando Allen following their two point conversion in the fourth quarter on Saturday. As expected, Brian has provided a definitive and appropriate response.

When Allen got the flag, I had a major rush of déjà vu. It isn't like Notre Dame hasn't seen this before. I talked about the exact same situation in the 1999 Notre Dame Rewind post. Here is the recap notes from MGoBlue.com:

To widen the margin, Notre Dame completed a two-point conversion on a flicker pass over the defense to Bobby Brown, setting the score at 22-19 with 4:08 remaining. Notre Dame was penalized 15 yards for excessive celebration following its conversion and was forced to kick off from its 20-yard line, and Thomas' 20-yard return gave U-M the ball at its 42-yard line with 4:08 on the clock.

As a service to future Notre Dame football fans, coaches, and players -- I have prepared a very clear image to print and pass out to all your friends so they understand the rules.

Wallpaper Wednesday: Return of the Wolverines

The wallpaper this week needs no explanation other than it sure is nice to have a football team again.

The win on Saturday helped ease (not erase) the pain from last year. I don't expect us to win every game (but I will take it). I don't expect us to win the Big Ten Championship (but I will take it).

I just feel happy and relieved to have a football team to cheer for that has a chance.

Edit: Thanks to reader "justthinking" for pointing out that I had the wrong score on the original. Brain cramp. It is now fixed.

It is better in HD

Block M at the stadium

Even the Lions can't wipe the smile I have after the game on Saturday. I thought the student section "block M" this year was a vast improvement over the previous attempt. Moving it out of the corner helped. Nice job to those that organized this, it looked great on my HD TV.

UNREAL

Michigan 38

Notre Dame 34

Gameday 2009 - Notre Dame Open Thread

Never underestimate a man who overestimates himself.
~ Franklin D Roosevelt

Go Blue.
Beat the Irish.

Know Your Foe - Notre Dame 2009

A year ago I wrote this in my Notre Dame KYF:

… two of college football’s most storied and successful programs meet in cute little model of Michigan Stadium in Northwestern Indiana on Saturday. It will be broadcast on the Notre Dame Broadcasting Conglomerate and most of the football watching country will tune in, if only to see how bad both teams really are…

The 37th version of the Michigan / Notre Dame game has the familiar feel of big rivalry showdown between two competent college football teams. For the first time in years, this game is actually drawing some national respect and attention. For us, this game offers the opportunity to take another step towards respectability. For them, it is another chance to beat a hated rival. Michigan holds an all-time 20-15-1 advantage in the series, losing last year in embarrassing fashion. Here are some things about Notre Dame you can use to dazzle your friends and family.

History: The farm land on which the University of Notre Dame currently resides was originally purchased in 1831 by the first Catholic priest ordained in the United States, Stephen Badin. Badin acquired the land with the intention of establishing an orphan asylum. He abandoned the asylum idea four years later and left the land in trust (to the local Bishop of Vincennes) for anyone who would build a school on the site.

After a series of transactions and failed attempts, the land was offered in 1842 to French priest named Edward Sorin, under the condition he build a university in two years. The 28 year old Sorin quickly travelled to the site, and started teaching two local boys in the log chapel left by Badin. He named his newborn institution “L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac” (The University of Our Lady of the Lake). Though the word Lac is singular, the land actually contained two lakes. According to a legend, when Sorin arrived at the school, everything was frozen and he thought there was only one lake, and named the place accordingly. The early version of Notre Dame was a university in name only. It was primarily a religious preparatory grade school with a manual labor department. The collegiate curriculum never attracted more than a dozen students a year in the early decades. The institution was also only open to men. Women had to attend the nearby female only St. Mary’s College.

The Roman Catholic association and influence on this place is still very strong. A vast majority (80%+) of the current students identify themselves as Catholics. The Basilica of the Sacred Heart sits in the center of campus, a statue of the Virgin Mary stands on the top of the famous Main Building Golden Dome, and of course there is the omnipresent Touchdown Jesus on the Hesburgh Library.

Location: Contrary to popular belief, the campus is not in South Bend, it is in Notre Dame, Indiana. I have been there many times and the best thing I can say about the location is that you can be back in Michigan in about 5 minutes, depending on the lights and traffic flow.

South Bend derived its name because it lies at the south bend of the St. Joseph River. It was officially incorporated as a city in 1865 and now has a population of about 250,000. Like most Midwestern cities, heavy industry has always dominated the local economy. The Studebaker Corporation, a famous, now dead car company was once headquartered there. Other than the university, the key tourist sites for this place is the local Mall, the Studebaker National Museum, and the College Football Hall of Fame. The Arizona Diamondbacks have a minor league baseball team there.

The actual campus area has a traditional college feel, with a series of beautiful quad areas. There are no fraternities or sororities at Notre Dame. Dorm associations make up a large part of the social structure. There really are no convenient off-campus housing options. As a result, about 80% of the student population lives in the 27 campus dorms, including roughly half of the senior class. Many students live in the same dorm their entire collegiate career.

As a parent, Notre Dame is a safe place to send your kids because it is pretty hard to get into trouble here. Ask any Notre Dame alum about their fun times on campus – and they will talk football games or hanging out with the co-eds from St. Mary's or going to Chicago. Chicago is a 95 miles away.

Nickname: They call themselves the Fighting Irish, but I can’t find an official reason why. During the era of the famous Four Horsemen (1920's) they were sometimes called the Rovers. Other times they were called the Ramblers. Reportedly this was because the football team would travel anywhere to play anyone. Neither one of those names stuck.

At one point they were even called the Terriers, because a local priest had an Irish Terrier on the sidelines during games. Perhaps the Irish came from that?

My favorite theory regarding their name comes from the the Civil War and the Union Army's Irish Brigade. This decorated unit was filled with Irish immigrant soldiers fighting for their adopted country. If you have ever walked the battlefield at Gettysburg you will see along the union line a statue of Father William Corby (a Detroit Native) giving the Irish Brigade general absolution before the 2nd day of the historic battle. Corby later became Notre Dame’s 3rd (and 6th) President.

Maybe it was the 1899 game against Northwestern. Notre Dame was winning 5-0 at halftime causing the Northwestern fans to cry "Kill the Fighting Irish".

Then again, maybe it was the 1909 Notre Dame-Michigan game. Legend has it a ND player yelled to his teammates (who had names like Dolan, Kelly, O’Brien, and Ryan) "What's the matter with you guys? You're all Irish and you're not fighting worth a lick." Notre Dame came back to win the game (of course they did, some things never change) the newspapers reported the game as a victory for the "Fighting Irish".

Perhaps the most interesting is the violent 1924 confrontation between students and faculty from Notre Dame and the anti-Catholic Ku Klux Klan. Todd Tucker wrote a book about the clash. Notre Dame vs. the Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan

I said this before and I will say it again. I don’t understand is why the NCAA considers a Native American nickname like the Fighting Sioux or Redskins offensive, but turns a blind eye to the equally as racist and offensive moniker Fighting Irish? I can only assume the NCAA does not know that Ireland is a sovereign nation and characterizing the good citizens of this nation as fighters is patently offensive.

Mascot: The Leprechaun was named the official Notre Dame mascot in 1965. Each year they actually conduct and a Notre Dame student is selected to play the part. It is considered a great honor to dress in a Lucky Charms outfit and hop around the sidelines of a Notre Dame sporting events. The student Leprechaun brandishes a shillelagh and supposedly brings good luck to the Notre Dame team. Clearly this has not been enough luck to deliver a recent victory over arch rival USC.

Colors: Notre Dame’s official colors are blue and gold, although many people associate the color green with the school. Throughout the Dan Devine era (1975-80) Notre Dame wore green uniforms almost every game. Today they reserve the green jerseys for special occasions. Typically they will warm up with their traditional navy blue, quietly switching to green before the kickoff. That quick change tradition was started in 1977 USC game. Notre Dame has even switched to green jerseys at halftime, as they did during the 1985 USC game. In 2006 Coach Charlie Weis engineered an end to a painful four game “green jersey” losing string, against college football super power Army.

Logo: Notre Dame uses a classic interlocking ND as its primary logo. This has been the Notre Dame logo since at least the 1960s. At times, a green or blue shamrock as appeared behind it. It is one of the most recognizable logos in American sports. As with most iconic logos, the ND logo is simple and effective.

Helmets: Notre Dame plays football in gold helmet. No logos. No stripes. No “good job” stickers. Instead they rely on the simple and effective brand built over years of excellence. The ND helmet has become a symbol of the university as famous as the golden dome. The Irish are one of the few schools to never change from the original grey color of their face masks. As with so many things about this school, they have made a big tradition and honor for the student managers to spray paint shiny new gold paint onto the helmets before each game.

Fight Song: Written by in 1908 by John and Michael Shea, the Notre Dame Victory March is one of the most recognizable college football fight songs in history. Next to Michigan’s The Victors, this is perhaps the best college fight song ever written. Literally hundreds of high schools use it as their own battle song.



Rally sons of Notre Dame
Sing her glory and sound her fame,
Raise her Gold and Blue
And cheer with voices true: Rah, rah, for Notre Dame
We will fight in ev-ry game,
Strong of heart and true to her name
We will ne'er forget her
And will cheer her ever
Loyal to Notre Dame

Cheer, cheer for old Notre Dame,
Wake up the echoes cheering her name,
Send a volley cheer on high,
Shake down the thunder from the sky.
What though the odds be great or small
Old Notre Dame will win over all
While her loyal sons are marching
Onward to victory.

Academics: Once a popular choice for good catholic boys to attend a safe college, Notre Dame has transformed into a highly selective and respected academic institution. According to the 2009 US News and World Report it is ranked #20 amongst National Universities (down from #17 last year). Michigan is ranked #27 on this list.

Because we don’t play Northwestern this year, Notre Dame is the only school ranked higher than us in the academic ratings. With a strong national fan base and popularity amongst subway alumni (people that associate with but never attended the school) there is no doubt a Notre Dame degree can open a lot of doors.

Football program: The 1887 Michigan Wolverines brought football to Notre Dame shutting them out 8-0. The next year we beat them three times in the same season. But as college football evolved in the early 20th century, Notre Dame’s program got better and better, capturing the national attention with star players, excellent coaching, and compelling stories.

Today not many schools can compete with their impressive history. They have the third most wins and second highest winning percentage in history (cough, both behind Michigan). The school claims 11 national titles, 12 undefeated seasons, and 7 different players have won the Heisman Trophy, both of which are the most of any program in the country. In total, the Irish have fielded 96 All Americans, 42 College Football Hall of Famers, 10 Pro Football Hall of Famers, 461 NFL draft picks and 5 overall #1 selections. If you want to argue with a Notre Dame fan about who has the best tradition, you really should avoid the historical performance angle.

Notre Dame is one of two catholic schools in the country to field a FBS team, the other is Boston College. They were first team to leave the College Football Association (the controlling body for college TV rights) and established its own network TV deal. They set the NCAA record for most consecutive wins over one opponent, beating the US Naval Academy 43 times in a row before finally falling to the Mids in 2007. They are one of only four (out of the 119) teams to have never played a FCS (formerly Division I-AA) team. However, I am willing to bet the 2007 Appalachian State Mountaineers would have crushed the pathetic 2007 Fighting Irish squad.

Once again during this off season there was talk about Big Ten expansion. This conversation tends to always gravitate to the natural fit of Notre Dame into the conference. But like the handsome bachelor that gets laid any time he has the urge, there is absolutely no incentive for them to marry to the Big Ten. The Irish make a tremendous amount of money from their exclusive NBC football coverage and the Big East gives them what they need (opponents) in the non-revenue sports. About the only way the Big Ten is going to convince Notre Dame to join the conference would be to stop playing them. We all know that is not going to happen because Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue make too much money from this annual game.

Other Sports: Notre Dame fields an impressive 26 Division I intercollegiate sports. Over the years they have won 14 non-football National Championships in six different sports (seven in fencing, two in women’s soccer, two in men’s tennis, and one each in men’s golf, men’s cross country and women’s basketball). They compete in the Big East in every sport except football (independent) and hockey (CCHA).

Famous alums: As you expect from a school with the national draw and reputation of Notre Dame they have an extremely lengthy list of notable alumni including many corporate execs, elected officials, and educational leaders. Recognizable names include Condoleezza Rice (former US Secretary of State), Eddie DeBartolo Jr (former owner of the San Francisco 49ers), Alan Page (NFL Hall of Famer and Minnesota Supreme Court Judge), Phil Donahue (former TV talk show host), Regis Philbin (Annoying TV personality), Hanna Storm (TV Host), and Don Criqui (sportscaster). The Notre Dame football team can claim NFL hall of famers Paul Hornung, Joe Montana, Nick Buoniconti, and Dave Casper and many others. Other famous football names include Joe Theisman (ESPN Analyst), Tim Brown, Rocket Ismael, and Daniel Ruettiger (The original Rudy).

There are no former US presidents with a ND degree. They can claim Ernesto Perez Balladares who was once the President of Panama.

They also have a real US President that once portrayed an ND football player in a movie and another actor that played a fictional US President with a Notre Dame degree in a TV series.

There are 2 former astronauts: Michael Good and James Wetherbee. Two other ND guys that helped launch and guide flying machines for NASA.

The Game: I am no longer afraid of getting embarrassed by Notre Dame for a second season is a row. Last week cured me of that. Even if we do lay an egg, I know we can all survive a mind blowing melt-down loss and live to see another day. I used to dread this game every year because we seemed to never play to our potential. Recently, we have blown the doors off Notre Dame in several memorable beat-downs that has forever changed my attitude on this game. Bring 'em on.

Our performance last week was matched by ND’s 35-0 shut out of Nevada. While we are not Nevada -- Notre Dame is also not Western Michigan. I expect a tense, defense dominated first half with both offenses making mistakes. Michigan will come out in the second half and dominate led by a confident and maturing Tate Forcier.

Michigan 28
Notre Dame 18

Wallpaper Wednesday: Hail

It is Notre Dame week.

There aren't too many things I enjoy more than watching a Michigan win or a Notre Dame loss. The thing I love most about this game is the potential to see both at the same time.

Go Blue.

Beat Notre Dame.

Rewind: 1999 Notre Dame

I chose this game for a couple of reasons. First of all it was one of the more exciting games of this classic rivalry. Even though it was our opener in 1999, this game is relevant this week because Michigan had lost an embarrassing game at Notre Dame the season before and there was a quarterback controversy competition brewing on the team. I want everyone reading this to understand, I don't think there is any quarterback controversy on the current Wolverines. This is Tate's job -- with Denard offering something very scary for defensive coordinators to prepare for.

1st Quarter: Outside the midwest, ABC started their broadcast in the middle of the 1st quarter, because the early game ran late and they did not change over. The same thing that happened last week for me against Western. Michigan was leading 3-0 when I actually got to start watching and recording. Michigan had all the momentum early when the defense recovered a fumble.Tom Brady was able to get into position for another field goal and you just knew not scoring touchdowns was going to haunt. The Irish marched down the field thanks to a long swing pass to RB Tony Rice and a bad facemask penalty. WR Joey Getherall scored on a slick option reverse that confused the over pursuing Michigan defense and took a 7-6 lead.

2nd Quarter: As was the custom in 1999, sophomore Drew Henson came in to guide the offense in the 2nd quarter. He displayed his massive potential, completing a couple of nice passes, but Michigan kicked yet another field goal and re-established a 9-7 lead. We exchanged punts and Notre Dame drove down and scored another touchdown on quarterback Jarious Jackson's Whirling Dervish dive into the endzone to take a 14-9 halftime lead.

Coming into the game, Notre Dame was very confident their offense could bewilder our defense because they had hired former Syracuse offensive coordinator Kevin Rogers for the same position. Rogers was the OC for the 1998 Syracuse team (led by Donovan McNabb) that came into Michigan Stadium and shredded us. Rogers is currently the QB coach at Virginia Tech. However, Jarious Jackson was not McNabb and our defense held him in check most of the game.

3rd quarter: Tom Brady was given the keys to the offense in the second half, and he did not disappoint. The first pass of the quarter was a 28-yard bullet to David Terrell. He guided the the team 80 yards in just nine plays, closing with an Anthony Thomas' two-yard touchdown run to give Michigan the lead 16-14. Michigan blew a golden opportunity to put some distance between them and the Irish when Ian Gold caused a fumble in Irish territory, but Jeff Del Verne missed a 27 yard FG. Late in the quarter Del Verne made his 4th FG of the game to extend the lead to 5 points, 19-14.

4th quarter: The emotional leader and defensive star of the game was safety Tommy Hendricks. He picked off a Jackson pass after visibly limping a couple of plays before, but we missed another FG, allowing the Irish to stay in the game. For some reason the Michigan defense went into prevent mode with and allowed Notre Dame to pick them apart. The Irish scored a go-ahead touchdown with 4 minutes left in the game when they converted a 4th down. Musburger went crazy screaming "shades of Desmond Howard" when he saw the wide open tight end with nothing but 10 yards of open space between him and the endzone. Notre Dame head coach Bob Davie called time-out following the TD to set up a 2 point conversion play designed to give a 3 point cushion, and they succeeded -- BUT Notre Dame WR Bobby Brown decided to pose for the TV camera and was flagged for a 15 yard misconduct penalty on the kick. This was a HUGE moment in the game because it stuck a big needle and exploded the Irish momentum bubble.

It was now Tom Brady time to give the nation a preview of future his Super Bowl form. After Marcus Knight dropped a pass on the first play, Notre Dame continued their implosion with a stupid late hit on TE Shawn Thompson on the second play of the drive. Brady and Terrell connected on beautiful post pass to take the Wolves to the 5 yard line - and you started to wonder if we would score too quickly. Anthony Thomas delivered the rest, even though he needed to score twice (no replay in 1999). Irish fans will forever complain that AT did not get across the goal line on the touchdown. Michigan leads 26-22 with 1:38 left. Maybe we did score to early.

Notre Dame sputtered initially but converted on a critical third down pass for 36 yards (don't they always do that against us?) and the next thing you knew they had the ball inside the 20 yard line. But the football gods were on our side as time ran out when they got the ball to the 10 but did not cross the first down marker and Michigan stormed the field with the victory.

Interesting notes: You can see highlight of this game from Wolverine Historian on YouTube. This game re-set the NCAA record for largest crowd with 111,523 crammed a the very warm Big House. Even in the first game of the season, our grass was a problem, check out the divot made by the Notre Dame tackler on AT's final touchdown. ABC's Brent Musburger was even more annoying 10 years ago than he is today. His future broadcasting partner Bob Davie was on the sidelines. If you pay attention you can see Florida coach Urban Meyer on the sideline for the Irish, he was the WR coach. Michigan was blessed with an unbelievable array of NFL talent on this team. The set of linebackers: Ian Gold, Dhani Jones, and Larry Foote have all gone on to very productive careers. After a couple of years of sitting on the Denver Bronco's bench Jarious Jackson has been a very productive professional QB for the BC Lions in the CFL. Tom Brady was a stud then, but no one knew it.

What did we learn from this game?It is better to score touchdowns than it is to kick field goals. Anthony Thomas was rugged running back for Michigan and could carry the load of an entire game. Drew Henson had a cannon for an arm and should have never listened to George Stienbrenner. It is sure is nice to have a future Hall of Famer at QB when you are down and need to score late in the 4th quarter. Undisciplined players and too much celebration can hurt you in so many ways. Both teams showed that a prevent defense can sometimes prevent winning. And finally, beating Notre Dame is always fun.