Muffet's Fighting Irish Picked to Repeat in ACC

The Atlantic Coast Conference's Women's Basketball Media Day was held Monday at the Grandover Resort in Greensboro, NC -- and Notre Dame's Muffet McGraw and Jewell Loyd were in attendance.

The Fighting Irish -- who have never lost an ACC game -- received fourteen of the fifteen first place votes from the coaches (Duke received the other) in the preseason poll.  In the Media Poll -- Notre Dame received 38 of the 41 first place votes.

Jewell Loyd was named the "Preseason Player of the Year" and she was joined on the "Preseason First Team by her running mate at point guard Lindsay Allen.  Freshman Brianna Turner was named to the "Newcomer Watch List."

LINK:  ACC PRE-SEASON PICKS

ESPN: Can Notre Dame Edge Out a SEC Team?

The folks at ESPN -- who are partners with the SEC in the SEC NETWORK -- are asking the question does a "one-loss" Notre Dame team beat out a second SEC team from making the College Football Playoff?

See what they think:

LINK:  IS NOTRE DAME IN OR OUT?

Most Watched October College Game in History

Folks, the Notre Dame - Florida State football game was watched by more than 13 MILLION VIEWERS -- the largest TV crowd ever for an October college football televised game in history!

Notre Dame's Future ACC Football Schedule...

The folks at the Atlantic Coast Conference released the future football schedules (through 2025) involving their "new toy" -- the Notre Dame Fighting Irish -- in the wake of the most watched college football game EVER in the month of October!

LINK:  NOTRE DAME ACC SCHEDULE

OT: Nebraska's Pelini Calls out ESPN for Bias

The new College Football Playoff system is prompting coaches and their media outlets to do what they can to make sure their team, or their conference, is in the TOP FOUR...

Here's a "shot across ESPN's bow" by Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini:

LINK:  BIAS

The Oregonian: "PAC-12's Notre Dame Issue"

With nine weeks of college football in the books and the first ranking of teams upcoming from the College Football Playoff Committee (October 28) -- the media and coaches have begun their "lobbying" for their favorite teams...

Here's a columnist from The Oregonian -- who's worried about the "DUCKS" not getting into the Playoffs because of Notre Dame's success to date and their upcoming games against Arizona State and USC.

Take a look:

LINK:  NOTRE DAME

Stat of the Day: You Can't Make This Up...

Andrew Hendrix '14, Everett Golson and Gunner Kiel -- all one-time or current time Notre Dame QB's are tied this season with 19 total TD passes -- seventh best in college football.

They're also tied with a QB from Oregon named Mariota...

Thanks to @TurningPoint for uncovering this unique fact!

LINK:  COLLEGE QB TD PASSING STATS

Coach Kelly Looks Back at Florida State Game

Here is Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly's weekly TV show -- Inside Notre Dame Football.  This week he looks back at Saturday night's game against Florida State...

LINK:  INSIDE NOTRE DAME FOOTBALL

Full Game Replay: Notre Dame vs. Florida State

If you can stomach this -- here's you link to watching the full game replay of Notre Dame's game with Florida State...

LINK:  FULL GAME REPLAY

Muffet & Staff Watch Sparty & Pistons Practice

The Notre Dame Women's Basketball coaching staff took a "road-trip" to Michigan to see the Detroit Pistons and Michigan State Spartans conduct their practices -- looking to learn a new trick or two or three...

Here they are with the Spartans' head coach Tom Izzo and Pistons' head coach Stan VanGundy...

Notre Dame fans might not be aware that MSU's Tom Izzo grew up a HUGE NOTRE DAME FAN in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  He and his child-hood friend Steve Mariucci dreamed of coaching at Notre Dame -- see story below:

LINK:  IZZO -- NOTRE DAME FAN

Jimbo Fisher Walks Out of Media Interview...

Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher walks away from media questions today -- he did however weigh in on the controversial play and Coach Kelly's comments...

Take a look at him walking out in the first link -- see all of his comments in the second:

LINK:  JIMBO

LINK:  TRANSCRIPT

The "Non-Call" on the Infamous Last Play...

Players can not take their helmet off on the field -- PERIOD.  It's an automatic "dead ball" 15 yard penalty.  The ACC head of officials apparently chose not to address this in his interview with the ACC Network yesterday...

If the call is made, Notre Dame gets the ball back -- automatic FIRST DOWN -- and we probably get two more shots from the 3 yard-line to win the game AGAIN in the final 13 seconds.

Here is an example of this being called by a BIG TEN official in Saturday's game between Maryland and Iowa.

LINK:  REMOVING HELMET PENALTY

Monday Morning Radio Shows Talk ND vs. FSU

I took a lap around the web to see what the national radio talk shows were saying about Saturday night's PRIME TIME game between Notre Dame and Florida State:

LINK:  COLIN COWHERD -- ESPN RADIO

LINK:  Mike & MIKE -- ESPN RADIO

Why the Officials Closest Did Not Throw a Flag

Have you wondered why didn't the officials closest to the play (who had the best view) did not throw a penalty flag on the 4th down play that decided the outcome of the Notre Dame / Florida State game?

Here's the best physical evidence and description of the play, from a camera behind the endzone -- and it is an EYE OPENER.

MUST SEE -- warning, this is going to make you sick...

LINK:  THE PLAY -- ND vs. FSU

ACC Confirms Penalty Call on Notre Dame

The Atlantic Coast Conference's head of officials Doug Rhoads confirms that his officiating crew made the "right call" at the end of Saturday night's game.

What else was he going to say...
 
Here is his explanation linked below -- please note, they did not address the FSU player who took off his helmet on the play -- which would have nullified the penalty called against the Irish and have given Notre Dame an automatic first down "and at least two more plays from the 3 yard line" in the remaining 13 seconds to try to WIN THE GAME AGAIN.

LINK:  ACC EXPLANATION

NCAA Woman of the Year is Elizabeth Tucker!

The NCAA just named Elizabeth Tucker '14,  as its WOMAN OF THE YEAR at an event last evening in Indianapolis!  She is the first Notre Dame student-athlete to receive this honor and the first ever soccer player in history.

Tucker played soccer for the Fighting Irish, winning a National Championship in 2010.  She graduated this past May from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Accounting and a PERFECT 4.0 G.P.A.

You are going to want to read the story linked below -- she's a remarkable young woman.

LINK:  ACC REPORT

Domer Tate's "ROUTE RUNNING" Leads to Win

Former Notre Dame All-American Golden Tate watched his Fighting Irish lose to Florida State the night before in an eerily similar play call that required Golden to "occupy" a couple of defenders with his route -- that led to an open teammate and the Detroit Lions shocking win over the New Orleans Saints!

That's Golden addressing his teammates after the win in the Lions' locker room in the photo above.

Tate deserves the GAME BALL with his big 73 yard TD catch and run, 154 total receiving yards, and his ability to "occupy" a couple of Saints defenders in the endzone clearing the way for Fuller (isn't it ironic) to catch the game winning pass from Stafford:

LINK:  TATE'S ROUTE RUNNING ON WINNING TD

LINK:  TATE'S 73 YARD TD CATCH & RUN

LINK:  TATE'S GAME HIGHLIGHTS

A Look at the 6 Teams Ahead of ND in AP Poll

So, let's assume our #7 ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish find a way to win their remaining five games this season -- and finish 11 - 1.

Here's what the six teams ahead of us in the AP Poll have left on their schedule -- see below.

I believe it's safe to say we will only have one undefeated team in college football at the end of the regular season and that will be Florida State.  So, who will get through this gauntlet with only one loss -- besides Notre Dame? 

#7 NOTRE DAME -- FIVE GAMES REMAINING (All FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  24 - 14
• Key Games:  @Arizona State (#14), Louisville (#30) and @USC (#20)

#1 MISSISSIPPI STATE -- SIX GAMES REMAINING (Five against FBS opponents)

• FBS Opponents W/L Record:  22 - 12
• Key Games:  @Alabama (#4), @ Mississippi (#3)
• 1-AA game:  University of Tennessee-Martin

#2 FLORIDA STATE -- FIVE GAMES REMAINING (All FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  20 - 15
• Key Game:  @Louisville (#30)

#3 MISSISSIPPI -- FIVE GAMES REMAINING (Four games against FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  20 - 7
• Key Games:  @LSU (#24), Auburn (#5) and Mississippi State (#1)
• 1-AA game:  Presbyterian College

#4 ALABAMA -- FIVE GAMES REMAINING  (Four games against FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  20 - 7
• Key Games:  @LSU (#24), Mississippi State (#1) and Auburn (#5)
• 1-AA game:  Western Carolina

#5 AUBURN -- SIX GAMES REMAINING (Five against FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  28 - 8
• Key Games:  @Ole Miss (#3), @Georgia (#9) and @Alabama (#4)
• 1-AA game:  Samford   

#6 OREGON -- FIVE GAMES REMAINING (All FBS opponents)

• Remaining FBS Opponents W/L Record:  19 - 14
• Key Games:  Stanford (#32), @Utah (#19) and Oregon State

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREDICTION:

• #1 Seed: Florida State:  11 - 1
• #2 Seed: Alabama:  12 - 1
• #3 Seed: Oregon:  12 - 1
• #4 Seed: Notre Dame:  11 - 1 

Coach Brian Kelly: "FSU Blew the Coverage..."

Notre Dame head football coach held his Sunday teleconference with the media today -- and he didn't hide his displeasure for the penalty call that took the win away from the Fighting Irish. 

Here's the quick story:

LINK:  "FSU WAS REWARDED..." 

Replay: College Football Live in Tallahassee

If you can stomach this...

LINK:  COLLEGE FOOTBALL LIVE