If you'd like to see what's happening today in the area between Notre Dame's Main Building (Gold Dome), the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and Washington Hall -- on the day of the first ever College Football Playoff Game ever played -- just click on the link below the schedule...
Today's Schedule:
2:20 PM ET: Bag Pipe Performance at The Morris Inn
2:30 PM ET: Notre Dame Glee Club -- Hesburgh Library Reflecting Pool Stage
3:30 PM ET: ESPN College GameDay -- Hesburgh Library Lawn
4:30 PM ET: Bag Pipe Band Conceret -- In front of Main Building
5:40 PM ET: Player Walk from Basilica to Stadium
6:00 PM ET: Trumpets at the Dome -- Main Building
6:25 PM ET: Marching Band Concert -- Bond Hall steps
7:10 PM ET: Band of the Fighting Irish March Out to Stadium -- Main Building
Here is Notre Dame wide receiver (#10) Kris Mitchell walking from The Gug to the indoor practice facility this morning on campus. He's wearing the "gold" shoes that Under Armour gave each IRISH player for the College Football Playoffs.
Arike play too much! So honored to join the Red Bull fam with a Notre Dame legend. Who wins - my current squad or Arike's 2018 NCAA champs team? pic.twitter.com/XsGWjpCXur
North Carolina's Director of Athletics is Notre Dame alum Bubba Cunningham. Bubba introduced his Tar Heels' new coach today with a suit coat that had its sleeves cut-off -- AKA Bill Belichick.
Talanoa Hufanga lost his USC-Notre Dame bet with Aaron Banks. Hufanga set the stakes. If USC had won, Banks would’ve had to walk around the 49ers locker room in a leprechaun outfit and handcuffs pic.twitter.com/XZcyJGxsFP
I will tell you right now -- Notre Dame will not be a 7 seed in the NCAA College Football Playoffs.
ESPN has a multi-billion $$ investment in the SEC -- don't forget this over the next few weeks when their "talking heads" are talking about Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, etc.
The Ferris State Bulldogs -- ranked #1 in NCAA Division II -- hung 78 points on Central Oklahoma today in their Playoff Game in snowy Big Rapids, MI. The Bulldogs have won two the last three NCAA Division II National Championships!
I'm a proud Ferris State Bulldog! -- AKA: The Harvard of Mecosta County!
Xavier Watts staring down the Southern Cal sideline as he runs a 100 yard Pick 6 back to the house to seal the rout against USC and confirm a Notre Dame playoff bid is an all time moment in the rivalry pic.twitter.com/H6Sw60cMuf
"We earned the right to be here. We've got the largest victory margin in college football. People can stick that narrative up their you know what...."#iufb#NeverDauntedpic.twitter.com/GzcvFKvwuZ
A Notre Dame win over Army will give Notre Dame six (6) wins over bowl eligible teams -- the only team in the CFP Top 12. Alabama plays a "non-bowl" eligible Oklahoma Sooners today.
Here's a look at the nine teams the #19 Army Black Knights have played this season -- and their overall records -- going into their game this Saturday against #6 Notre Dame. The eight FBS teams they have played have a combined record of 27-53:
Here's a look at the offensive scoring prowess of the nine teams that Army has beaten so far this season -- Notre Dame's offense is currently ranked #11 nationally in scoring points:
Here's a look at Army's football schedule and the quality of the defenses they've played each week -- here's a comparison of the national rankings of the scoring defenses that Army has played this season -- Notre Dame is ranked #3 in the country:
My nephew is playing for the state title today. Instead of a coin toss, they drop the game ball from a helicopter and let the captains fight for it. Bring it to the league @NFLpic.twitter.com/SxywqpRBGS
Notre Dame's now ranked #8 by the College Football Playoff Committee. Win out and the Fighting Irish will host a first round Playoff game in the House That Rock Built -- in December!
Discussions going around about starting a new college football league with 70 teams -- and billions of funding. And, former Notre Dame Director of Athletics' Jack Swarbrick is involved...
Over the past twelve months -- since leaving Notre Dame and starting The Small Things Consultancy, LLC -- I've had the great honor of working with Purdue's College of Engineering on the planning for the celebration of their 150th Anniversary.
I learned a great deal about the consequential impact Purdue Engineering has had on our country and our world. Came away EXTREMELY IMPRESSED -- with this University and the people I worked with. What a treasure for the state of Indiana.
If you make the trek to West Lafayette tomorrow for the game -- you'll see this being commemorated in both end zones -- and you'll be treated by Purdue's All-American Band celebrating 150 years of Purdue Engineering during their halftime show.
It's ironic that we're kicking off their 150th Anniversary celebration tonight and tomorrow with events while the Fighting Irish are in town.
Notre Dame Football selected two Transfer Portal QB's these past two seasons from schools with low expectations for their respective football programs. Sam Hartman played for a Wake Forest program and Riley Leonard for a Duke program, where if you won more games than you lost -- YOU WERE CELEBRATED.
That is fact.
Now they walk onto one of the biggest stages in all of sport, where there's only one goal and that's a National Championship -- and you have to question, were they both ready for this?
I truly don't believe Hartman was and I'm now thinking Leonard isn't either.
Riley Leonard is a quality young man. He's the kid you want your daughter to marry someday. Yet, he's a "deer in headlights right now." He's indecisive / afraid to make a mistake.
He's missing WIDE OPEN THROWS by yards, not feet. In both games he's had Notre Dame wide receivers wide open, 15 yards away -- and his throws were not even close to the receiver.
Yesterday's BIG MISTAKE -- was missing an open receiver BY TEN YARDS that would have put the game away. To add insult to injury, the underthrow led to an interception and one of the worst losses in the history of the Notre Dame football program.
When you're TIGHT, INDECISIVE AND AFRAID -- this happens.
There's only five programs in college football who haven't thrown a touchdown pass in their first two games. And, the school that invented the forward pass IS ON THAT LIST!
I do not believe Riley Leonard is equipped for the bright lights of Notre Dame Football. He's a great young man, he's just not the guy to LEAD Notre Dame Football to the College Football Playoffs.
Look at the difference between Riley Leonard and Howard Cross' post game comments in the video above. Look at the body language of both -- who would give you confidence to follow?
We've experimented with turning our offense over to "renters" and it's not working -- let's give the "owners" a chance to lead.
Give the ball to Angelli or the young stud C.J. Carr.
Here's a look at the voters in the AP Poll and how they ranked our Fighting Irish. The high was David Jablonski (Dayton Daily News) who ranked Notre Dame #2 this week -- and there were three voters who slotted us at #10: Bob Ballou (CBS Austin, TX), John Clay (Lexington Herald-Leader) and Kirk Kenney (San Diego Union-Tribune).
Took a lap around the worldwide web this evening (early morning) to see what's being said about Notre Dame's 'gut-check' win over #20 Texas A&M on the road...
