It's Less Than 16 Hours to IRISH Perfection!

Folks, I have a GREAT FEELING about tonight's game between our Fightin' Irish and that school in Los Angeles.  Around 11:42 PM ET -- I expect to be watching a number of Notre Dame students gathered at North Quad's "Stonehenge" celebrating PERFECTION!
  
This is the sixth time we've gone to the LA Coliseum #1 to play USC and the IRISH are 3 - 2 in those contests.

Now, there's a few media types who don't agree with me -- so, to get you fired up for tonight's game -- here's what's being said:

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

LINK:  THE SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  PACIFIC TAKES

LINK:  THE OBSERVER

LINK:  ESPN NOTRE DAME BLOG

LINK:  ESPN USC BLOG

LINK:  ESPN'S DESMOND HOWARD

LINK:  ESPN'S DARRELL REVELL

LINK:  ESPN'S KIRK HERBSTREIT

LINK:  NBC'S NOTRE DAME CENTRAL

LINK:  LOS ANGELES TIMES

LINK:  LOS ANGELES TIMES #2

Mel Kiper Picks NOTRE DAME over USC

Kiper readily admits he's a Notre Dame fan -- so it comes as no surprise to me that he picks the Fightin' Irish over USC tomorrow:

LINK:  KIPER ON THE IRISH

Their THIRD TIME Coaching ND vs. USC

The following Notre Dame football coaches BEAT USC in their third-year running the IRISH football program -- Ara Parseghian in 1966, Dan Devine in 1977 and Lou Holtz in 1988 -- and all three won the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP that season!

Note to the Notre Dame Family -- this is Coach Kelly's THIRD SEASON at the helm of the Fightin' Irish!

1966:  ARA PARSEGHIAN'S IRISH ROLL USC

1977:  DAN DEVINE'S IRISH ROLL USC

1988:  LOU HOLTZ'S IRISH ROLL USC

IRISH Did Have A Walk Through @ Coliseum!

Here's a photo of Coach Kelly with ABC's Kirk Herbstreit and Brent Musberger on the LA Coliseum field this afternoon.  "Tweeted" by #125NDFB.  I'm attaching some additional photos as well!

Photo of the Flight Crew Taking the IRISH to LA!

This is the second photo just "tweeted" by #125NDFB. 

Notre Dame Football Heading to Los Angeles!

This photo was just "tweeted" by @125NDFB of the Fightin' Irish boarding their charter flight to Los Angeles!

GO IRISH!

Evan Sharpley Talks Notre Dame Football

Former Notre Dame QB and First Basemen -- Evan Sharpley -- wrote a story this morning in the South Bend Tribune about the resurgence of the Notre Dame football program. 

ND fans will find this enlightening!

LINK:  THE RETURN OF NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

USC's Lane Kiffin Plays the Brian Kelly Card

Lane Kiffin is under the microscope right now with the performance of his football team this season -- so what does he do a little more than 48 hours before kick-off against Notre Dame?

Kiffin "plays the Brian Kelly card" -- talking to the media yesterday -- sending a message to USC Athletic Director Pat Haden...

LINK:  LANE KIFFIN

Surpassed the HALF MILLION MARK last night!

At 11:38 PM last night -- a Notre Dame fan from Charleston, SC became unique visitor #500,000 to the ND GO IRISH BLOG!

I am very thankful that so many members of the  Notre Dame Family have chosen to follow the positive news about our favorite university at this site.  Seems appropriate that this milestone would be achieved on THANKSGIVING DAY.

As has become custom here at the ND GO IRISH BLOG -- I compare the visitor count to the size of an American city.  At 500,412 (where we're at at the moment of this post) the ND GO IRISH BLOG would be the 34th largest city in America -- just ahead of three "California towns" -- could be a good omen for Saturday night!

• #33 Tucson, AZ:  520,116
• #34  ND GO IRISH BLOG:  500,412
• #35 Fresno, CA:  494,665
• #36 Sacramento, CA:  466,488
• #37 Long Beach, CA:  462,257

Thank you Notre Dame Family!

Photo of the Day: Flying the Notre Dame Flag!

ND GO IRISH BLOG regular Jim Farrington '74 (Stamford, CT) sent me this photo of a Notre Dame ROTC grad flying the flag!  Thanks Jim!

"Twitter Photo" Irish Have Arrived in LA

Here's a photo "tweeted" by ND women's basketball coach Niele Ivey -- of her, Muffet McGraw and Carol Owens.  The Lady Irish play UCLA tomorrow in basketball.  Notice the Notre Dame Football truck in the background!

This Will Give You Goose Bumps -- ENJOY !!!

This was the opener to the Love Thee Notre Dame Celebration held on the campus of the University of Notre Dame on Saturday, September 22nd.  If this doesn't get your heart pumping...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING from Notre Dame !!!

On Thursday, November 1st more than 1,000 Notre Dame students said THANK YOU in a big way!

Enjoy!

LINK:  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Coach Brey's IRISH Beat His Alma Mater !

The George Washington Colonials played their first ever game against Notre Dame last night and Coach Brey's FIGHTIN' IRISH won the game 65 - 48.

Here's what the media had to say after the game -- see links below.  At the post game press conference, Coach Brey showed up wearing his alma mater's jersey.  ENJOY!

LINK:  GAME HIGHLIGHTS

LINK:  FORT WAYNE JOURNAL GAZETTE 

LINK:  SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE

LINK:  SPORTING NEWS 

LINK:  ESPN BOX SCORE

LINK:  COACH BREY POST GAME

Does Notre Dame Drive College Football?

The folks at ESPN, in cooperation with a company called Global Strategy Group, conducted a survey of "self-identified college football fans" -- and MORE THAN 50% said they WERE MORE EXCITED ABOUT THIS SEASON THANKS TO NOTRE DAME...

Here's the story:

LINK:  NOTRE DAME'S RESURGENCE

Pat Haden: "One Brand in College Football"

University of Southern California Athletic Director Pat Haden was on ESPN's Colin Cowherd radio show this morning...

During the interview -- Haden, who was NBC's "color guy" on Notre Dame football for many years -- came out and made this statement:

"THERE IS ONLY ONE BRAND NAME IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL...

IT'S NOTRE DAME."

I'm sure the USC fan base isn't happy with this...

Here's the entire interview -- Notre Dame fans will enjoy this!

LINK:  HADEN ON NOTRE DAME

Father Jenkins Talks Notre Dame's Success

The Chronicle of Higher Education interviewed the Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., (president of the University of Notre Dame) to talk about Notre Dame's success on the football field and in the classroom.

This is the FIRST TIME EVER that a university has sat atop the BCS rankings and the NCAA GSR rankings at the same time. 

Yes, it can be done!

LINK:  FATHER JENKINS

Coach Kelly & Coach Kiffin Talk Saturday Night!

The head football coaches at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Southern California -- met with the media today (on their respective campuses) to talk about Saturday night's PRIME TIME game.  Here's a link to both press conferences:

LINK:  BRIAN KELLY, NOTRE DAME

LINK:  LANE KIFFIN, USC

Bears QB Cutler "...Huge Notre Dame Fan."

Chicago Bears QB Jay Cutler went public today with his passion for the University of Notre Dame.  The former Vanderbilt football star admitted he was a "huge fan" and that he "wanted to play football there..."

Here's a link to the story:

LINK:  CUTLER -- IRISH FAN

USC's New Starting QB: "We're Going to Win..."

They must have a different policy regarding "bulletin board" material at that school in Los Angeles...

USC's Max Wittek, who will be making his first start Saturday night -- let the world know his Trojans would beat Notre Dame.

Add this to the comments made after the game last year that the "IRISH QUIT" -- by multiple USC players -- and I trust Coach Kelly won't have to say much before this game.  Here's the latest coming out of Trojanville:

LINK:  WITTEK SAYS THEY'LL BEAT NOTRE DAME

LINK:  VIDEO OF WITTEK AT PRACTICE