ND's Path to the Playoffs -- Got a Little Clearer!

WOW!

Going into this weekend I felt there were five teams in the way of Notre Dame earning a spot in the College Football Playoff; Baylor, TCU, Utah, Clemson and Florida State.

I'm assuming the Big Ten winner (Ohio State or Michigan State) will get a spot and I still believe the SEC winner (LSU or Alabama) will get one.

So here's where we stand after tonight's games...

I'm quite confident Georgia Tech's win over Florida State (video proof above) takes the Seminoles out of contention for a Playoff spot.  And USC's 42 - 24 win over Utah -- leaves the Notre Dame vs. Stanford winner (assuming ND beats Temple, Pitt, Wake Forest and Boston College) the Pac 12 "nominee" for the College Football Playoff...

That leaves two conferences who currently have teams ahead of Notre Dame in the race for a Playoff spot.  The ACC and Big 12 -- and we need to beat just one of them now for one of the four Playoff positions.


BAYLOR

• Lost their starting QB today with a neck fracture
• Still have to play; Oklahoma, @Oklahoma State and @TCU

TCU

• Still have to play;  @Oklahoma State, @Oklahoma and Baylor

CLEMSON 

• Florida State

Now, here's where it gets interesting...

What if:

• Ohio State beats Michigan State
• Ohio State loses to Michigan
• Notre Dame wins all of their games -- ND moves ahead of the BIG TEN teams 

What if:

• LSU beats Alabama
• LSU loses to Ole Miss or Texas A&M
• Notre Dame wins all of their games -- ND moves ahead of the SEC teams 

Bottom line -- I believe if we win our remaining five games -- we're heading to the PLAYOFFS!

Georgia Tech's "Miracle on Techwood Drive"

Click on the arrow above to listen to the radio call of Georgia Tech's final play win over Florida State!

ND Football Fan Wins World Championship!

Sam Grewe -- a 17 year-old from Middlebury, IN -- and an "official team member" of Notre Dame's 2012 football team -- won the high jump at the International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qata!

Grewe, a huge Notre Dame fan -- lost his leg to cancer three years ago. 

What a great story!

LINK:  STORY

Here's the "Game of the Day" for Notre Dame!

It's Utah at USC -- and it's not even close.

If the Trojans can beat Utah this evening -- then the winner of Notre Dame vs. Stanford will become the "Pac 12 Championship" game -- eliminating any PAC 12 team from the Playoff conversation.

Leaving Notre Dame with only FOUR TEAMS in its path to the College Football Playoff.

LINK:  TEAMS IN NOTRE DAME'S WAY

Notre Dame's Depth of Talent on Display!

How many teams ranked in the TOP-25 have lost SEVEN of their top 28 players to SEASON ENDING injuries?

None.  Only Notre Dame...

Here's the list:

• Jarron Jones -- starting DT, lost for the season in August.  Torn ACL
• Shaun Crawford -- starting Nickel CB, lost for the season in August.  Torn ACL
• Tarean Folston -- starting RB, lost for the season in Week 1.  Torn ACL
• Malik Zaire -- starting QB, lost for the season in Week 2.  Dislocated Ankle
• Durham Smythe -- starting TE, lost for the season in Week 2.  Torn ACL and Shoulder injury
• Drew Tranquill -- starting Safety (top Safety replacement), lost for the season in Week 3.  Torn ACL
• Alex Bars -- starting OG (top OL replacement), lost for the season in Week 6.  Dislocated Ankle

That's a lot of BIG TIME TALENT...

Just goes to show you how well Coach Kelly & Company have recruited and developed the talent here at Notre Dame -- we keep on winning -- and no one is talking about all of these injuries.

Temple Owls: Post Game Media After Win

Here's what Temple's star linebacker Tyler Matakevich and head coach Matt Rhule had to say after last night's win over East Carolina -- the #22 ranked Owls remain undefeated.

LINK:  HEAD COACH

LINK:  MATAKEVICH

Highlights -- #22 Temple Beats East Carolina

Temple (ND's Next Opponent) on ESPN2 @ 7 PM

If you'd like to learn more about the undefeated and #22 ranked Temple Owls -- Notre Dame's opponent next Saturday night -- here's your chance...

Their game tonight against East Carolina is on ESPN2 beginning at 7 PM ET.

LINK:  TEMPLE HEAD COACH PRESSER

LINK:  TEMPLE PLAYER INTERVIEWS

The "Best Of" ACC's Women's Media Day

You'll see Notre Dame Women's Basketball's Coach McGraw along with Taya Reimer and Lindsay Allen...

Hey Irish Fans -- Adopt My Bulldogs This Week!

Since our Fighting Irish are not playing this Saturday -- I have a team for the Notre Dame Nation to adopt and cheer for this weekend!

The undefeated FERRIS STATE BULLDOGS -- the #3 ranked football team in NCAA Division II -- play the #16 ranked Michigan Tech Huskies this Saturday in a "nationally televised" game at 12:04 PM ET.

The Bulldogs are led by QB Jason Vander Laan -- who's the ALL-TIME LEADING RUSHER IN NCAA HISTORY (any level) for a QB!  Vander Laan has already rushed for 5,218 yards in his 40-game career.

The 6'-4" 244 lb. QB, who won the NCAA Division II "Heisman" last year -- the Harlan Trophy -- is now just 3 TD's away from breaking the all-time NCAA rushing TD record for a QB of 72.

You can watch the Ferris State Bulldogs LIVE at the link below -- beginning at NOON ET this Saturday!

LINK:  FERRIS STATE vs. MICHIGAN TECH

USC's Adoree Jackson on Will Fuller's Speed

Thought you'd enjoy reading this story...

LINK:  "RARE TO SEE A GUY..."

ACC Women's Basketball Media Day 2015

LINK:  IRISH PICKED TO WIN ACC

OT: The Rush to be First in TV News, Backfires

The good folks at WZZM-TV 13 in Grand Rapids learned this the hard way at the end of Michigan State's last second win over Michigan...

LINK:  TV STATION APOLOGIZES

ESPN's College Football Power Rankings

The Fighting Irish are in ESPN's Top Twenty...

LINK:  POWER RANKINGS

ND In Possession of All Six Rivalry Trophies!

 

The Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy (bottom photo) was returned today -- as USC shipped it back home to Notre Dame!  At this moment -- Notre Dame is in possession of all six of the "rivalry" trophies:

• USC -- Jeweled Shillelagh Trophy
• Purdue -- Shillelagh Trophy
• Michigan State -- Megaphone Trophy
• Navy --  Rip Miller Trophy
• Stanford -- Legends Trophy
• Boston College -- Ireland Trophy

Inside Notre Dame's 41 to 31 Win Over USC

C.J. Prosise on Pace to Smash Rushing Record

Notre Dame All-Time Single Season Rushing Records:

• Most Rushing Yards:  1,437  --  Vagas Ferguson
• Games Rushing for 100 Yards or more:  9  --  Allen Pinkett
• Most Rushing TD's:  17  --  Allen Pinkett & Vagas Ferguson
• Rushing Yards Per Game:  130.6 -- Vagas Ferguson

C.J. Prosise Stats after 7 games this season:

• Rushing Yards:  922
• Games Rushing for 100 Yards or more:  5
• Rushing TD's:  11
• Rushing Yards Per Game: 134.1

Notre Dame Football in Elkhart Monday Night

Dan Patrick Talks Trip to USC vs. Notre Dame

Notre Dame vs. Temple -- Prime Time on ABC

The folks at ABC just announced that Notre Dame's game with Temple at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field will be played at 8 PM ET -- in PRIME TIME!

Just another prime time tilt for the Fighting Irish.

This will be the 25th out of the last 32 road/neutral site games for Notre Dame that will be played in PRIME TIME -- since 2010.  TV RATINGS!