ND: Toughest Football Schedule in America!

College football "guru" Phil Steele just released his list of the top 10 toughest football schedules in the country...

NOTRE DAME WILL TAKE ON THE TOUGHEST SCHEDULE IN THE COUNTRY!

BRING IT ON!


LINK:  TOP TEN TOUGHEST SCHEDULES

MUST SEE TONIGHT! Strong & True 6:30 PM

Notre Dame fans will want to tune-in to the NBC Sports Network tonight to watch STRONG & TRUE -- Prelude 2014.  A look at our Fighting Irish as they prepare for the upcoming season.

The show airs TONIGHT at 6:30 PM ET -- NBC Sports Network.

Here's a "sneak-preview" of tonight's show:

LINK:  STRONG & TRUE

Notre Dame Student-Athlete: Higher Standards

The Wall Street Journal published a piece over the weekend that offered this question -- "Is Notre Dame Football to demanding?"  It is linked below...

The story goes on to compare the academic demands placed on student-athletes at a school in the SEC vs. the demands of a Notre Dame student-athlete.

LINK:  WSJ STORY

Classes Start This Tuesday at Notre Dame

If you visited downtown South Bend today -- you would have seen this message on their marquis...

Here's a quick look at the quality of Notre Dame's Class of 2018:

LINK:  CLASS OF 2018

Jimmy Clausen Earns Bears' Back-up QB Job!

Former Notre Dame student-athlete Jimmy Clausen will start the NFL season as the "back-up" to Jay Cutler in Chicago -- congratulations Jimmy!

LINK:  CLAUSEN #2

49ers Having Trouble Growing Grass in Cali

The brand new Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA -- the home of the San Francisco 49ers -- has a grass problem.

I guess $1.3 billion (the cost of the brand new stadium) can't buy a great grass surface.  The original sod was planted in April -- and it didn't make it through one game...  The replacement sod isn't doing much better today in the game against the Chargers.

The gang at Field Turf might be getting a phone call from northern California.

LINK:  TURF TROUBLES

Tate & Floyd -- NFL Fantasy Football Top Picks

If you play Fantasy Football -- you've got to look at a couple of former Notre Dame All-Americans for your team...

Golden Tate with the Detroit Lions and Michael Floyd with the Arizona Cardinals -- both are projected to be big time Fantasy Football draft picks.  Here's what the Fantasy "experts" think:

LINK:  GOLDEN TATE

LINK:  MICHAEL FLOYD

Update: NFL Final Roster Cuts for Domers

Took a lap around the worldwide web to see how a few of the Fighting Irish players who were on the proverbial "bubble" of making their NFL team's 53-man active roster -- were doing -- here's what I found out:

That's Jonas Gray in the photo above.

LINK:  JONAS GRAY -- PATRIOTS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  T.J. JONES -- LIONS -- RESERVE "PUP" LIST FOR THE SEASON

LINK:  JIMMY CLAUSEN -- BEARS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  DARIUS FLEMING -- PATRIOTS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  PRINCE SHEMBO -- FALCONS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  RJ BLANTON -- VIKINGS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  SERGIO BROWN -- COLTS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  LOUIS NIX -- TEXANS -- LOOKS POSITIVE  

LINK:  CHRIS WATT -- CHARGERS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  ROBERT HUGHES -- CARDINALS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  THEO RIDDICK -- LIONS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  ERIC OLSEN -- TITANS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  DARRIN WALLS -- JETS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  RYAN HARRIS -- CHIEFS -- LOOKS POSITIVE 

LINK:  TREVOR ROBINSON -- BENGALS -- LOOKS POSITIVE

LINK:  BRADY QUINN -- DOLPHINS -- NOT SO POSITIVE 

LINK:  GEORGE ATKINSON III -- RAIDERS -- NOT SO POSITIVE

LINK:  DAN FOX -- GIANTS -- NOT LOOKING GOOD

LINK:  CIERRE WOOD -- RAVENS -- NOT LOOKING GOOD 

LINK:  SAM YOUNG -- JAGUARS -- NOT LOOKING GOOD

LINK:  BENNETT JACKSON -- GIANTS -- NOT LOOKING GOOD

LINK:  KONA SCHWENKE -- CHIEFS -- NOT LOOKING GOOD

LINK:  ZEKE MOTTA -- FALCONS -- ON "PUP" LIST

Golson Picked "One of 25 Most Interesting..."

The gang at ESPN is doing a feature on the "25 Most Interesting People in College Football" -- and wouldn't you know it -- the QB at NOTRE DAME is on that list!

LINK:  EVERETT GOLSON -- MOST INTERESTING

Notre Dame Football -- GET READY!

This video will get you pumped up for the Notre Dame football season!!!

LINK:  PROTECT THIS HOUSE

OT: The Brilliance of Robin Williams "The Flag"

Must See: Robin Williams telling the story of our American Flag.  What a talent he was...

LINK:  THE FLAG

Know Thy Opponent: Rice Owls Video Update

With Notre Dame 127th football season just 7 days away -- I took a look around the worldwide web to see what I could find about our first opponent, the Rice Owls. 

Just click on the links below:

LINK:  VIDEO REPORT -- SCRIMMAGE #2

LINK:  VIDEO REPORT -- SCRIMMAGE #1

LINK:  VIDEO REPORT -- PRACTICE #4

LINK:  VIDEO REPORT -- FIRST DAY IN PADS

LINK:  MEDIA DAY -- HEAD COACH

LINK:  MEDIA DAY -- DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

LINK:  LSU TRANSFER JOINS RICE TEAM

ND Volleyball -- Experiences "The Program"

Debbie Brown's Fighting Irish were caught off guard with a two-day experience they won't soon forget!

LINK:  THE PROGRAM

Story: A Dad Drops His Son Off at Notre Dame

If you haven't had the honor of dropping off a son or daughter at college -- please know you're in for a rush of emotions that will hit you like Niagara Falls...

I remember all three of our "drop-offs" at college -- I balled my eyes out -- every time.

Well today, ND GO IRISH BLOG regular Rick Becker had the great honor of dropping off his son Ben at the University of Notre Dame.  Here is Rick's story -- a MUST READ!

Rick, thanks for sharing -- and yes, it's going to be alright!

LINK:  "STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE"

Leaving Locker Room for Team Photo Today!

Here's a look at the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame dressed in their new Under Armour gear -- walking down the steps from the locker room towards the PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION TODAY sign...

The photo above is of the players at the Tight End position at the University of Notre Dame and their coach Scott Booker.

LINK:  IT STARTS HERE!

Game Day "Dress Rehearsal" for Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame -- rehearsed their GAME DAY preparations for next Saturday's opener with the Rice Owls.  Here's a video of them practicing the entrance during warm-ups from the Student Section of Notre Dame Stadium.

LINK:  DRESS REHEARSAL

First Look at Notre Dame's "Red Army" Hat!

This is the Under Armour hat you'll see the Notre Dame QB's wearing on the sidelines during the games...

Shamrock Series Helmets in Brian Kelly's Office

Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly has a number of football helmets on display in his office -- here are the Shamrock Series helmets...

National Championship Rings for ND Fencers!

These are the rings created for Notre Dame Fencing's two individual NCAA National Champions -- Gerek Meinhardt and Lee Kiefer!

2014 Strength of Schedule vs. Notre Dame

This is the second segment of the ND GO IRISH BLOG's look at the  TOP 25 teams in the AP POLL and their strength of schedule (SOS) vs. Notre Dame's.  These are the teams ranked 6 to 10 and their SOS vs. the Fighting Irish.

Folks -- the PLAYOFF COMMITTEE better be looking at this!

#17 NOTRE DAME

• Opponents Won / Loss Record in 2013:  103 - 56
• Opponents With Double Digit Wins in 2013:  6
• Opponents Ranked in 2014 Top-25:  5

#6 AUBURN

• Opponents Won / Loss Record in 2013:  93 - 60
• Opponents With Double Digit Wins in 2013:  3
• Opponents Ranked in 2014 Top-25: 6

#7 UCLA

• Opponents Won / Loss Record in 2013:  82 - 72
• Opponents With Double Digit Wins in 2013: 4
• Opponents Ranked in 2014 Top-25:5

#8 MICHIGAN STATE

• Opponents Won / Loss Record in 2013: 82 - 71
• Opponents With Double Digit Wins in 2013:  3
• Opponents Ranked in 2014 Top-25: 3

#9 SOUTH CAROLINA

• Opponents Won / Loss Record in 2013:  96 - 59
• Opponents With Double Digit Wins in 2013: 4
• Opponents Ranked in 2014 Top-25:  5

#10 BAYLOR

• Opponents Won / Loss Record in 2013:  78 - 72
• Opponents With Double Digit Wins in 2013: 2
• Opponents Ranked in 2014 Top-25: 1

LINK:  TEAMS #1 - #5 -- STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE