BCS Rankings Just Released -- IRISH #5

The Bowl Championship Subdivision released its first rankings and the Fighting Irish are sitting at #5.

The computers have NOTRE DAME ranked #2 -- the humans do not...

BCS RANKINGS -- TOP TEN

1. Alabama
2. Florida
3. Oregon
4. Kansas State
5. NOTRE DAME
6. LSU
7. South Carolina
8. Oregon State
9. Oklahoma
10. USC

LINK:  BCS STANDINGS -- OFFICIAL SITE

"We'll Know Tuesday on Status" -- Coach Kelly

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly met with the media today -- via teleconference -- to talk about yesterday's OT win over Stanford.  The first two questions were about the status of injured Irish QB Everett Golson for the BYU game -- and the process Notre Dame goes through treating players with concussions...


Click on the link below for the answer to these and many other questions:

LINK:  COACH KELLY MEDIA SESSION -- SUNDAY

Notre Dame Moves Up to #5 in Major Polls

The Associated Press and Coaches Poll were released this afternoon and our Notre Dame Fightin' Irish are ranked #5 in both.  If you look at the "strength of schedules" for the teams ranked ahead of Notre Dame -- you'll find the IRISH are the only team who has beaten three "ranked opponents" this season.

YEAH, AND WE'RE STILL RANKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS GROUP...

Here are the teams ahead of Notre Dame in the polls and who they've beaten this season and their opponent's ranking at the time:

#1  Alabama

• #8 Michigan:  41 - 14
• Western Kentucky:  35 - 0
• Arkansas:  52 - 0
• Florida Atlantic:  40 - 7
• Ole' Miss:  33 - 14
• Missouri:  42 - 10

 #2  Oregon

• Arkansas State:  57 - 34
• Fresno State:  42 - 35
• Tennessee Tech:  63 - 14
• #22 Arizona:  49 - 0
• Washington State:  52 - 6
• #23 Washington:  52 - 21

#3  Kansas State

• Missouri State:  51 - 9
• Miami:  52 - 13
• North Texas:  35 - 21
• #6 Oklahoma:  24 - 19
• Kansas:  56 - 16
• Iowa State:  27 - 21

#4  Florida

• Bowling Green:  27 - 14
• Texas A&M:  20 - 17
• #23 Tennessee:  37 - 20
• Kentucky:  38 - 0
• #4 LSU:  14 - 6
• Vanderbilt:  31 - 17

#5 NOTRE DAME

• Navy:  50 - 10
• Purdue:  20 - 17
• #10 Michigan State:  20 - 3
• #18 Michigan:  13 - 6
• Miami, FL:  41 - 3
• #17 Stanford:  20 - 13

LINK:  TWO MAJOR POLLS

Louis Nix Interview After Notre Dame's OT Win!

The nose tackle, on the #5 ranked Notre Dame Fightin' Irish, met with the media after last night's OT win over Stanford.  Just click on the link below:

LINK:  LOUIS NIX

The Numbers: Stanford vs. Notre Dame & USC

Here are some interesting comparisons between Stanford's performance against Notre Dame and "that school in Los Angeles" -- remember, at the time USC played Stanford -- they had what most media experts thought was the most prolific offense in college football:

OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE:  NOTRE DAME & USC

FIRST DOWNS vs. STANFORD:

• Notre Dame:  19 first downs
• USC:  15 first downs

YARDS RUSHING vs. STANFORD:

• Notre Dame:  150 yards
• USC:  27 yards

TOTAL OFFENSE vs. STANFORD:

• Notre Dame:  334 yards
• USC:  280 yards  

DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE:  NOTRE DAME & USC 

TOTAL DEFENSE vs. STANFORD:

• Notre Dame:  272 yards of offense for Stanford
• USC:  417 yards of offense for Stanford

Inside the Numbers: Notre Dame vs. Stanford

Stanford came into last night's game as the #6 defense in the country against the run.  Here's how Notre Dame's rushing offense stacked up against Stanford -- as compared to their other opponents this season:

• San Jose State:  72 yards rushing
• Duke:  27 yards rushing
• USC:  26 yards rushing
• Washington:  136 yards rushing
• Arizona:  126 yards rushing
• NOTRE DAME:  150 yards rushing

BCS Rankings Released at 8:30 PM ET Today!

Notre Dame fans are going to want to turn their TV sets to ESPN this evening at 8:30 PM ET to watch the BCS release their first rankings of the top teams in the FBS.

I believe we may be surprised (in a good way) with our RANKING.  Stay tuned!

LINK:  BCS RANKINGS RELEASED

ESPN's Lee Corso -- Leprechaun Video

He broke tradition...

Lee Corso had never picked Notre Dame to beat an opponent -- when doing a College Gameday show from the University of Notre Dame campus.  That changed yesterday...

LINK:  CORSO GOES GREEN

NBC'S Notre Dame vs. Stanford Replay

If you'd like to watch Notre Dame beat Stanford 20 - 13 again in OT -- in its entirety -- just click on the link below.

The photo above is what I'm calling the CATCH OF THE YEAR -- folks, the touchdown catch T.J. Jones made on the pass from Tommy Rees in OT was incredible!  

LINK:  NBC'S NOTRE DAME vs. STANFORD REPLAY

The Mornin' After -- Notre Dame Goes 6 - 0 !!!

Notre Dame's 20 - 13 OT win is about thirteen hours old -- and my shoes still hold at least a GALLON OF WATER...

As has become tradition here at the ND GO IRISH BLOG -- we take a lap around the worldwide web to track the reaction to yesterday's football game.  Obviously, the "haters" are pointing the finger at the last call -- "was the Stanford runner down?"  Folks, if your offense can't move 18" in two plays -- with the game on the line -- MOVE ON.

Here's what's being said about Notre Dame's win over Stanford:

LINK:  ESPN'S "WOJO"

LINK:  SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS

LINK:  NEW YORK TIMES

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S OBSERVER 

LINK:  NBC NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE #2

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #1

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #2

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE #3

LINK:  ESPN'S NOTRE DAME BLOG 

LINK:  INDY SPORTS LEGENDS 

LINK:  LOS ANGELES TIMES