Manti Wins the Bronco Nagurski Award !!!

The Charlotte Touchdown Club awarded Notre Dame's All-American Linebacker the Nagurski Award -- symbolizing the top defensive player in the nation!

Once again, Manti is the first Notre Dame player to win this award!

Congrats!

LINK:  TE'O WINS NAGURSKI

When Did the WSJ Turn Into a Sports Paper?

Some of the more engaging stories these past few weeks on Notre Dame football have come from the Wall Street Journal -- can you believe it!

Here's another fun story about Notre Dame's game with Alabama:

LINK:  BAMA, NOTRE DAME, OH MY!

Looks Like We'll Have Some Fans in Bama!

The students at Auburn have created these "WAR IRISH" t-shirts to wear to show they're rooting for Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship game...

Does that mean "half the state" of Alabama will be rooting for ND?

Manti Te'o -- Butkus Award Winner!!!

This is the first HONOR of many this week for Notre Dame's two-time All-American Linebacker -- as Dick Butkus personally called Manti to let him know he's been selected to win the award. 

He'll be presented the Butkus Award on December 17th on the Notre Dame campus.

Manti Te'o is the first Notre Dame player to ever receive this award.

Congratulations Manti!

LINK:  BUTKUS AWARD

BCS Bowl Teams -- Graduation Success Rate

The BCS Bowl Selection Show aired this evening on ESPN -- and here's the list of the teams playing in the BCS Bowl Games and their NCAA Graduation Success Rate.  As well as all of the other Bowl Games...

If you look at the BCS Bowl Match-ups -- you have three of the five games that will have a hard time selling all of their tickets:  Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl and yes, the Rose Bowl... 


BCS National Championship Game -- January 7, 2013

• #1 Notre Dame: 97 GSR
• #2 Alabama:  75 GSR

Current Betting Line:  Alabama is an 8.5 point favorite.
 

Rose Bowl Game -- January 1, 2013

• #6 Stanford:  90 GSR
• NR Wisconsin:  65 GSR

Current Betting Line:  Stanford is a 7.5 point favorite.

Sugar Bowl Game -- January 2, 2013:

• #3 Florida:  75 GSR
• #21 Louisville:  63 GSR

Current Betting Line:  Florida is a 16.5 point favorite.
 

Orange Bowl Game -- January 1, 2013:

•  #12 Florida State:  55 GSR
•  #15 Northern Illinois:  83 GSR

Current Betting Line:  Florida State is a 14 point favorite.


Fiesta Bowl Game -- January 3, 2013:

•  #4 Oregon:  64 GSR
•  #5 Kansas State:  58 GSR

Current Betting Line:  Oregon is an 8.5 point favorite.


ADDITIONAL BOWL GAMES

Cotton Bowl -- January 1, 2013

• #9 Texas A&M:  69 GSR
• #11 Oklahoma:  47 GSR

Capital One Bowl -- January 1, 2013

• #7 Georgia:  69 GSR
• #16 Nebraska:  68 GSR

Outback Bowl -- January 1, 2013

• #10 South Carolina:  55 GSR
• #18 Michigan:  69 GSR

Chick-Fil-A Bowl -- December 31, 2012

• #8 LSU:  77 GSR
• #14 Clemson:  75 GSR

Alamo Bowl -- December 28, 2012

• #23 Texas:  58 GSR
• #13 Oregon State:  60 GSR

Holiday Bowl -- December 27, 2012

• #17 UCLA:  62 GSR
• NR Baylor:  63 GSR

MAACO Bowl Las Vegas -- December 22, 2012

• NR Washington:  74 GSR
• #19 Boise State:  81 GSR

 LINK:  FINAL BCS STANDINGS

Quinn Leads Chiefs to Emotional Win Today...

Former Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn, led his grief stricken teammates to only their second win of the season today -- throwing two TD's in the Chiefs' 27 to 21 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Chiefs' starting LB Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend yesterday morning before turning the gun on himself a little later in front of coaches at the Kansas City Chiefs practice facility.

Brady was 19 for 23 for 201 yards and the two touchdown passes.  It was Quinn's first win as a starter for the Chiefs.  Here's what's being said about today's game...

LINK:  KANSAS CITY STAR

LINK:  BRADY QUINN POST GAME

LINK:  CHIEFS POSTGAME LOCKER ROOM

Three College Coaches Did Not Vote ND #1

The last vote of the college football season by the Coaches -- is made public.  And, fifty-six of the fifty-nine coaches voted NOTRE DAME #1 !!!

Here's the three who did not -- and where they placed the IRISH -- click on the link below to see how all of the coaches voted:

• James Franklin, Vanderbilt -- picked Notre Dame #4
• Tommy Tubberville, Texas Tech -- picked Notre Dame #2
• Rick Stockstill, Middle Tennessee State -- picked Notre Dame #2

(Photo above of Vanderbilt Coach James Franklin -- who picked Alabama, Georgia and Florida ahead of the IRISH -- all fellow member of the SEC.)

LINK:  FINAL USA TODAY / COACHES POLL

Former MLB Commissioner Talks Notre Dame

Come to find out -- Fay Vincent, the former CEO of Columbia Pictures and Commissioner of Major League Baseball -- is a Notre Dame fan.

Just this week he authored an editorial about the Fightin' Irish football team -- pretty cool!

LINK:  A LIFE LONG PASSION FOR NOTRE DAME

"Biggest BCS Underdog of All-Time" I LOVE IT !

It didn't take long for the media to turn on our Fightin' Irish...

Here's what they have to say less than 12 hours after Georgia 'runs out of time' -- and Bama squeaks by them.

WHAT THOUGH THE ODDS BE GREAT OR SMALL...


LINK:  ESPN'S COLLEGE FOOTBALL FINAL 

LINK:  BCS CHAMPIONSHIP WEBSITE

LINK:  CBS SPORTS

LINK:  SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  LINDY'S SPORTS

LINK:  YAHOO SPORTS

LINK:  BUSINESSWEEK

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  BLEACHER REPORT

BRING ON BAMA !!!

The Alabama Crimson Tide were too much to handle for the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC CHAMPIONSHIP game -- earning the opportunity to play Notre Dame for the National Championship with their 32 - 28 victory this evening...

It's pretty obvious what the IRISH will have to do -- make BAMA pass the ball.  It's going to be FUN!

LINK: WATCH CBS' POST GAME

The Turning Point's USC Video -- A CLASSIC!

I missed this video earlier in the week -- you're going to LOVE this...

LINK:  THE TURNING POINT -- PROTECT THIS HOUSE

Musical Tribute to Manti Te'o -- Must See !!!

I received a text and an email today from ND GO IRISH BLOG regulars Dave Peloquin and Michael McLaughlin alerting me to this video -- IT IS A MUST SEE!!!

LINK:  MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO MANTI

Video of Coach Kelly at SEC Championship

University of Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly was a guest on the CBS set at the SEC Championship game in Atlanta, GA today.  Here's a link to the interview:

LINK:  COACH KELLY AT SEC CHAMPIONSHIP

She's the #1 College Golfer in the Country!

For the first time in the history of the golf program at the University of Notre Dame -- an IRISH golfer is ranked #1 in the country.

And, she's a FRESHMAN!

Lindsey Weaver -- who as a high school senior became only the 2nd female golfer in history to shoot a 59 in competition -- is now ranked the #1 player in the country!  Here is her story:

LINK:  THE #1 PLAYER IN THE COUNTRY

Notre Dame & NBC -- "Best Friends Forever"

That's the headline of a Bloomberg Businessweek story...

Here's a business magazine's perspective of Notre Dame and NBC's relationship.

LINK:  NOTRE DAME & NBC

Manti Mania! -- Here's What You'll Find Today

Took a lap around the worldwide web to capture what the media is sayin' about Notre Dame's  All-American linebacker Manti Te'o -- here's what I've found today:

LINK:  DAN PATRICK SHOW

LINK:  SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  NESN

LINK:  NBC'S NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

The Heisman Push Began Today for Manti!

Notre Dame's two-time All-American linebacker -- Manti Te'o -- spent the afternoon today with his own press conference (link below), followed by an award presentation ARA'S SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD during the Irish's game with Kentucky and a live "in-game" interview  with the ESPN crew -- also linked below...

I suspect we'll see a pretty good run of Manti stories over the next week as we lead up to next Saturday's Heisman Trophy presentation in New York City.

LINK:  MANTI'S PRESS CONFERENCE

LINK:  MANTI'S ESPN IN-GAME INTERVIEW

Notre Dame Beats #8 Kentucky EASILY!

Mike Brey's Fighting Irish played tonight like we thought they would this season...

They DOMINATED the defending National Champions -- after overcoming a slow start when the Wildcats took an early 12 - 6 lead.  The Irish led by as many as 20 points in the second half -- finishing with a 64 - 50 win.

IT'S ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN JOHN CALIPARI'S FOUR SEASONS AT KENTUCKY THAT HIS TEAM HAS BEEN BEAT BY DOUBLE DIGITS!

Notre Dame's back court tandem of Eric Atkins and Jerian Grant led the Irish -- combining for 29 BIG points, 10 assists and 4 steals!

Here's what the media had to say about Notre Dame's big win - along with a link to Coach Brey's post game press conference and game highlights!

LINK:  COACH BREY'S PRESS CONFERENCE

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  ESPN

LINK:  ESPN BLOG

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

LINK:  LEXINGTON HERALD LEADER

LINK:  GAME BLOG -- HERALD LEADER

Coach Parseghian to be Honored at Disney...

Former Notre Dame all-time great football coach -- Ara Parseghian -- will be honored next Thursday night at Disney World during the HOME DEPOT COLLEGE FOOTBALL AWARD SHOW on ESPN.  The show will be aired beginning at 7:30 PM ET.

I suspect they're just might be a few more members of the current Notre Dame football program being honored that night as well!

Congratulations Coach Parseghian!

LINK:  ARA TO BE HONORED

Photo of the Day: Writer Shining Helmets...

He's a "un-named" former Sports Illustrated writer who, a few weeks ago, wrote a less than complimentary article about the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame. 

Today he was in "taking his medicine" for his prediction that USC would beat ND.