Muffet Reloads -- The #3 Ranked Class in USA!

Muffet McGraw's Irish, coming off their runner-up finish at the 2011 NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship -- just inked the #3 ranked recruiting class in the country!  In my mind, it's the greatest recruiting haul in Notre Dame Women's Basketball history!  Here are the three stars who will join the Fighting Irish next fall (that's Jewell Loyd in the photo).

• Jewell Loyd:  Guard -- ranked the #3 player in the country!
• Michaela Mabrey:  Guard -- ranked the #20 player in the country!
• Hannah Huffman:  Guard -- ranked the #27 player in the country!

LINK:  MUFFET'S CLASS RANKED #3

Mike Brey Got Himself a Recruiting Class!

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame basketball program signed one of their best recruiting classes since the good ol' days of Digger Phelps...

• Cameron Biedscheid:  6' - 6" Forward -- ranked the #30 player in the country!
• Zach Auguste: 6' - 9" Forward -- ranked the #93 player in the country
• Austin Burgett:  6' - 8" Forward -- ranked the #33 Power Forward in the country

Congratulations Mike Brey for delivering TALENT to our basketball program.  Here's a link to the UND.COM feature on the 16th ranked recruiting class in Men's Basketball.  Photo above is of Cameron Biedscheid.

LINK:  IRISH RECRUITING CLASS

Shamrock Series Week: Kelly After Practice

Coach Kelly met with the assembled media today after practice as the Irish prepare to travel to our nation's capital to take on the University of Maryland Saturday night.  Here's a link to Coach Kelly's media session:

LINK:  COACH KELLY AFTER PRACTICE

Shamrock Series Week: Kelly Talks Terps

The Fighting Irish will "host" the Maryland "Fighting" Terrapins this weekend in a suburb outside of our nation's capital at the home of the Washington Redskins.  Now called the SHAMROCK SERIES -- the game will match the ugliest helmet in Notre Dame history against the most unique uniform/helmet combination in college football this season.  Here's a link to Coach Kelly's comments:

LINK:  COACH KELLY MEDIA CONFERENCE

Shamrock Series: A New Adidas / ND Creation

Adidas and the University of Notre Dame athletic department announced today the creation of the SHAMROCK SERIES -- a game each football season when the Irish will deviate from the norm when it comes to their helmet, jersey, pants and shoes the team wears.

The photo above is of the helmet that's been designed by a California company -- that the Irish will wear this Saturday against Maryland.  It was also announced that ND will be wearing green jerseys, gold pants and white shoes...  Here's a link to the story at UND.COM:

Here's a second link to Jack Swarbrick's announcement about the SHAMROCK SERIES and what it entails:

LINK:  THE SHAMROCK SERIES

LINK:  JACK SWARBRICK -- ON THE SHAMROCK SERIES

Hydro Graphics -- Creator of the New Helmet

The gang in Portland, OR who took on the assignment of restoring the GOLD to the University of Notre Dame football helmet -- Hydo Graphics, Inc -- have posted a video on their website showing off the new helmet to Irish fans.  Here's a link to the video:

LINK:  THE ICONIC HELMET IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL

LINK:  HYDRO GRAPHICS FACEBOOK PAGE

Will the Broncos Turn to Brady Quinn Soon?

ESPN's Adam Schefter (a Michigan alum) is reporting that the Denver Broncos are almost done with the TEBOW EXPERIMENT and don't be surprised if Brady Quinn is the NEXT MAN IN.  The Broncos "activated" Quinn today for the game against Oakland -- if, excuse me, WHEN Tebow struggles -- it could be QUINN TIME in Denver.  Sure hope so for Brady's sake...  Here's some stories I just found about Quinn's situation in Denver:

LINK:  ADAM SCHEFTER REPORTING

LINK:  DENVER POST

LINK:  DENVER POST -- JEFF LEGWOLD

The Mornin' After the Irish Beat Wake Forest

Took my weekly Sunday morning lap around the world wide web to see what the media has to say about Notre Dame's 24 - 17 win over Wake Forest.  Here you go:

LINK:  WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL #1

LINK:  WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL #2

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE -- AL LESAR

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  CHICAGO SUN TIMES

LINK:  NBC SPORTS -- NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  NEWS & OBSERVER

LINK:  FOX SPORTS CAROLINAS

ND Team Celebrates Win Over Wake Forest

The boys at UND.COM were working late into the night capturing Coach Kelly's post game press conference, player interviews and locker room celebration (a pretty cool moment for the Golic family!).  A good win for the "beat up" Irish.  If you watch the entire post game media session -- you'll catch Coach Kelly take on a member of the media for a question asked about the Irish passing game...

LINK:  COACH KELLY POST GAME PRESSER

LINK:  IRISH PLAYER INTERVIEWS

LINK:  IRISH CELEBRATE VICTORY

ND Survives Wake Forest -- Injuries Pile Up!

Folks, the Irish are a "beat up" football team.  In this game, starting center Braxston Cave, starting linebacker Manti Teo, starting wide receiver TJ Jones -- all went out with injuries.  Aaron Lynch was hobbled -- the training staff is going to earn its pay this week!

Yet, Notre Dame played well enough to overcome a lackluster performance in the first half -- to win a game they trailed at halftime -- for the first time in Brian Kelly's tenure at Notre Dame.  Here's a quick look at what the media has to say just an hour after the game:

LINK:  CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

LINK:  ESPN BLOG

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

First Photo Tweeted From Wake Forest Stadium

Here's a photo just "tweeted" from Notre Dame fan @Irishroundtable -- of the view from the parking lot of Wake Forest's football stadium.

Irish Player @ Home in Carolina -- Tweets Photo

University of Notre Dame sophomore linebacker Kendall Moore #8 -- just "tweeted" this photo of his family taken in the lobby of the team hotel in Winston-Salem.

Photo of the Day -- ND Hockey In Pink

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame are in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan tonight (Marquette) to play Northern Michigan University in a CCHA game.  @ND_Hockey "tweeted" this photo from the Irish locker room just five minutes ago...

This is ESPN's Preview of Today's Game

The folks at ESPN will be televising tonight's game between Notre Dame and Wake Forest at 8 PM ET on ESPN2.  Here's a look at the statistical match-up:

LINK:  NOTRE DAME vs. WAKE FOREST

OT -- This Could Get Real Ugly for Penn State

Shocking news out of Penn State territory this morning -- former long-time Nittany Lion defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was charged with 40 counts of child sex abuse (that's Sandusky on the left in photo).  This is a sick man.

In addition, Penn State's Director of Athletics, Timothy Mark Curley was charged with perjury and is looking at the potential for SEVEN YEARS in JAIL!

UPDATE:  Curley was forced to resign last night (November 6th) by Penn State University's Board of Trustees.  Will Paterno be next?  I'm not holding by breath...

LINK:  PATERNO NOT CHARGED

LINK:  ABC NEWS COVERAGE

LINK:  GRAND JURY REPORT

Game Day! -- ND vs. Wake Forest Predictions

Opinions are free -- so there's plenty that have been expressed about tonight's PRIME TIME match-up between the Fighting Irish and the Deamon Deacons.

You can watch the game LIVE on ESPN2 tonight at 8 PM ET.  Here's a link to what all of the pundits have to say about tonight's contest:

LINK:  NOTRE DAME STUDENT NEWSPAPER

LINK:  WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL

LINK:  CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE #2

LINK:  FAYETTVILLE OBSERVER

LINK:  NEWS & OBSERVER

LINK:  DAILY PRESS

LINK:  ESPN BLOG

LINK:  HAMPTON ROADS PILOT

Now How's This for a Work Assignment!

The Taj Mahal -- one of the "Seven Wonders of the World" turned to a University of Notre Dame associate professor and students four years ago to do some research.  The work will continue next year as they will return to do a 3-D scan of the mausoleum in January.  Here's a link to the story:

LINK:  NOT YOUR AVERAGE JOB

Leave it to the Wall Street Journal...

All of the focus this weekend is on the matchup between #1 LSU and #2 Alabama -- and on the field -- that is the game. 

Now, in the game called LIFE -- it might be argued that the real game of the weekend is taking place in Winston-Salem, NC -- where the Fighting Irish will take on the Deamon Deacons.  In an article published today, the WSJ ranks the academic prowess of the student-athletes involved in these respective games and these respective universities.  Special thanks to ND GO IRISH BLOG regular, Ken Devine -- for alerting me to this story!

LINK:  THE OTHER "TOP MATCHUP" IN AMERICA 

48 Hours Til' the Smallest Crowd...

...to see the GOLD HELMETS in person, in more than 400 games!

Took a lap around the web tonight to see what's being said about our IRISH and their game this Saturday night against Wake Forest.  For those of you still wondering where you'll find the game on TV here's the answer:  ND vs. Wake Forest, Saturday @ 8 PM ET on ESPN2.

LINK:  COACH KELLY AFTER PRACTICE

LINK:  WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL

LINK:  ESPN BLOG

LINK:  CHICAGO TRIBUNE

LINK:  NBC SPORTS

LINK:  OBSERVER

LINK:  NEWS SENTINEL

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE

"Count On Me" -- Notre Dame Football Mantra

Apparently, Coach Kelly introduced a new rallying cry for his Fighting Irish this past week.  Here's a link to the Chicago Tribune story:

LINK:  COUNT ON ME