The Mornin' After the News Broke -- Reaction

Took a lap around the worldwide web this morning to see what the media has to say about the news that Marcus Freeman would be named the Dick Corbett Head Football Coach at the University of Notre Dame.  Here's what I found:

LINK:  PETE THAMEL -- YAHOO! SPORTS

LINK:  NEW YORK POST 

LINK:  SPORTS ILLUSTRATED 

LINK:  FORBES 

LINK:  SPORTING NEWS

LINK:  CBS SPORTS

LINK:  NBC SPORTS

YES -- Marcus Freeman Will Lead the IRISH!

 

I have never been more excited about the future of Notre Dame Football.  Love this graphic by Irish Sports Daily!

Marcus Freeman will soon be announced as the 30th Dick Corbett Head Football Coach at the University of Notre Dame.

Tommy Rees "Commits Again" to Notre Dame

“This is where my heart is.”@T_Rees11 | #GoIrish pic.twitter.com/n8aVHm7GsB

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) December 2, 2021

Brian Kelly's LSU Financial Package

Here are some of the highlights of Brian Kelly's deal that apparently makes him the "highest paid coach" in college football:

• 10 year base salary worth $95 million
• A "stay at LSU" bonus of $500,000 -- paid out every July 1st he is employed at LSU
• A "bowl bonus" of $500,000 for every bowl game LSU plays in
• A "SEC Championship game appearance" and he gets a bonus of $75,000
• A "SEC Championship" win and he gets a $150,000 bonus
• A "National Championship" win and he gets at $500,000 bonus
  
• Win the first "SEC Championship" and his compensation increases $250,000 -- every year for the life of his contract
  
• Win a "National Championship" and his compensation increases $500,000 -- every year for the life of his contract
  
• Two car allowance of $1,000 a month
• An interest free loan of $1.2 million to purchase a home
• 50 hours of travel per year on private jets
• If Kelly is fired "without cause" -- LSU still owes him 90% of the balance of the ten-year salary
• If Kelly leaves while the current Athletic Director is employed:
• He would pay a $4 million "buyout" if he left in the next year
• He would pay a $3 million "buyout" if he left in year two of his contract
• He would pay a $2 million "buyout" if he left in any year after two years into his contract
• If the LSU Athletic Director leaves while Kelly is the Head Coach -- Kelly does not owe LSU a contract buyout fee if he leaves before his contract ends.
  

Brady Quinn Talks Brian Kelly's Departure

Peter King Opined On Kelly's Leaving...

Neuheisel & Dan Patrick Talk Notre Dame...

Dan Patrick Interviews the New LSU Coach...

Zorich Podcast: Kelly's Departure

Cowherd Talks Kelly Leaving Notre Dame...

Dan Patrick Show Talking Kelly's Depature...

Notre Dame Players Talk Kelly Departure

ESPN "Talking Heads" Talk Notre Dame...

 

You have a Trojan (Keyshawn) a Dukie (Williams) and Columbia (Kellerman)...

Jack Swarbrick's 10 AM ET Presser...

 

Watch it all right here!

If Brian Kelly Leaves for LSU -- We'll Be Okay!

If the stories are true that Brian Kelly is leaving Notre Dame to coach Louisiana State University -- good for him.  He did us right and if he's all about chasing a great contract to end his career -- he's earned that.

Here's why I'm excited tonight -- I believe college football is all about the "Jimmy's and Joe's" not the "X's and O's"  

Have you ever heard this phrase:  "Dabo Swinney is a great offensive mind."  I never have -- Dabo is a great recruiter and a great promoter.  Kids want to play for him, they see him running around that sideline hugging his players, laughing and having fun...

I believe we need a head coach that makes recruiting a PRIORITY -- to win that next National Championship.  It's been the team with the best TALENT that has been winning the titles.

So, be happy for Coach Kelly and his family.  And, pray we find a great coach -- who will recruit, recruit, recruit!!!

I am happy for Notre Dame tonight -- we'll be returning one of the top teams in all of college football next season -- and we'll do so with some new energy at the top.

All is good -- it really is.

Finebaum Talks LSU Pursuing Brian Kelly

Know Thy Opponent: Lincoln Riley's Welcome

 

USC is excited about their new football coach...

Let's Look at the "ONE LOSS" Teams in Top 6...

There is plenty of talk right now about what "one loss" teams should be selected for the College Football Playoffs -- so, I thought I'd give the Committee some background on each of these teams:

TEAM A (Michigan):

• Their one loss was to the currently ranked #11 team (9-2) by 4 points
• Strength of schedule is:  #13 
  
• Wins over FBS opponents:  11
  

 

TEAM B (Alabama):

• Their one loss was to the currently ranked #24 team (8-4) by 3 points
• Strength of schedule is:  #50
  
• Wins over FBS opponents:  9
  

 

TEAM C (Oklahoma State):

• Their one loss was to a currently un-ranked opponent (7-5) by 3 points
• Strength of schedule is:  #5
• Wins over FBS opponents:  9
  

 

TEAM D (Notre Dame):

• Their one loss was to the currently ranked #4 team (12-0) by 11 points
• Strength of schedule is #9
• Wins over FBS opponents:  11
  

 

So, right now -- two (2) ONE LOSS teams are set to make the College Football Playoffs -- how do you pick among these four teams?

• The two teams with the "best losses?"
• Notre Dame lost to #4
• Michigan lost to #11 
• Alabama lost to #24
• Oklahoma State lost to an un-ranked opponent
  

• The two teams with the most wins over FBS opponents?
• If Michigan beats Iowa they will have 12 FBS wins
• Notre Dame has 11 FBS wins 
• If Alabama beats Georgia they will have 10 FBS wins
• If Oklahoma State beats Baylor they will have 10 FBS wins
  

• The two teams with the highest strength of schedules? 
• Oklahoma State has the #5 toughest schedule
• Notre Dame has the #9 toughest schedule
• Michigan has the #13 toughest schedule
• Alabama has the #50 toughest schedule
  

 

OT: #1 Ferris State 54 vs. #3 Grand Valley 20

 

The top ranked Ferris State Bulldogs showed why they deserve the ranking -- as they rolled over #3 Grand Valley State today in the SNOW!!!

LINK:  STORY

Biggest Win of Niele Ivey Era -- Irish Over OSU

Well We're 11-1 --- Now We Wait...

The Fighting Irish just put Stanford away by the score of 45 - 14 and finished the season with just the one blemish vs. Cincinnati.

OT: #1 Ferris State vs. #3 Grand Valley Today!

 

The NCAA National Championship in Division II for football -- might just be played today in Big Rapids, MI -- as #1 Ferris State takes on #3 Grand Valley in today's NCAA Playoff game...

The game kicks off at 1 PM ET -- you can watch it LIVE right here: FERRIS TV

Ferris State is the only undefeated team in Division II --- and they're led by last year's top lacrosse player in Division I at QB!

Hamilton at #7 in This NFL Mock Draft

Finebaum Talks Notre Dame or Alabama...

 

Fast forward the video to the 5:10 mark to the talk about Notre Dame and the playoffs...

Notre Dame's Hype Video for Standord Game

Happy Thanksgiving From Notre Dame!

 

This is my wife Susan's creation this morning -- she's got a talent!

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Domer Dad & Great Notre Dame Friend...

 

Our guy Dick Vitale (father of two Notre Dame graduates) made his return to the broadcast booth last night after being treated for cancer these past few months...

Dick -- we're glad you are back doing what you love -- and what we all love!

Stanford Week: David Shaw, Players Talk IRISH

Brady Quinn Today on Dan Patrick Show

Notre Dame's Annual Thanksgiving Video...

 

We made the decision this year to recognize the thousands of "unsung heroes" here at the University of Notre Dame.  Their efforts kept the university up and running during the pandemic, while many other schools decided it was not worth the risk...

ln May of 2020, I watched singer/songwriter Jeffrey James (Brownsburg, IN) perform his song "We Can Be Heroes" on NBC's Songland.  I immediately fell in love with the song and contacted Jeffrey's agent the very next day and suggested that we shoot a music video of this song on the Notre Dame campus.

I quickly learned that because Jeffrey had just performed the song on NBC and the show's staff had helped him re-write some lyrics and change up the melody -- that the song was off limits for a year...

Well, a year passed and Jeffrey's agent -- Chris Ferren reached out to me and as they say -- the rest is history.

The same week we shot the music video on campus, Jeffrey performed at our Friday Night Bash at Notre Dame Stadium -- the night before our game against Purdue.

Hope you like the music video and the story it tells.  Please note, you're going to want to hang around and watch all of the credits...

Okay, We're Now #6 -- Here's How We Move Up

Notre Dame Football is now #6 in the College Football Rankings -- so, here's what it's going to take for us to get into the TOP 4 and earn a playoff spot...

1.  Notre Dame clobbers Stanford -- wouldn't it be nice if we kept Stanford without a TD!

2.  Georgia beats Alabama by two TD's or more in the SEC Conference Championship game.

3.  Cincinnati loses to Houston in Conference USA Championship game.

4.  Then we have the Big 12 -- we need an Oklahoma State loss either this week or Big 12 Championship game...

So, here's what happens:

• Georgia handles Alabama and Oklahoma State loses a game -- WE ARE IN
• Georgia handles Alabama and Cincinnati loses to Houston -- WE ARE IN
• Cincinnati loses to Houston and Oklahoma State loses a game -- WE ARE IN
  

TONIGHT at 8 PM ET from Notre Dame...

The University's 17th president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., will be taking part in a THANKSGIVING CHAT from Notre Dame's campus...

It begins at 8 PM ET -- should end at approximately 8:15 PM ET -- followed by the release of Notre Dame's annual Thanksgiving video.

LINK:  WATCH IT ALL RIGHT HERE -- BEGINNING AT 8 PM ET

ICON: Notre Dame 55 vs. Georgia Tech 0

Dunne / St. Ed's ND Interhall Football Champs!

Here's a photo of the Rector of St. Edward's Hall -- Fr. Ralph Haag, C.S.C. (in his cowboy hat) with his "Gentlemen" of St. Ed's after their combined team win of the Notre Dame Interhall Football Championship with Dunne Hall "under the lights" last night in Notre Dame Stadium!

Read the story below

LINK:  GAME STORY along with VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

Skylar Interviewed on "Suns TV" Saturday...

Trey Mancini -- Comeback Player of the Year!

The former Fighting Irish baseball star missed the 2020 baseball season due to colon cancer -- and he came back this year, hitting 21 homers and knocking in 71 RBI's in 147 games this season.

LINK:  STORY

Stanford Week: Brian Kelly Press Conference

 

Fast forward video to the 21:30 minute mark for the start of today's press conference...

Brady Quinn on the Dan Patrick Radio Show

Georgia Tech Safety Talks Loss to Irish

GT QB and OL Talk Loss to Notre Dame

Let's Revisit the CFB Playoff Discussion...

If you follow this blog -- you would have seen this post a couple weeks ago.  It laid out Notre Dame's journey to the College Football Playoffs -- BELOW IN RED.  Let's see how it's going so far:

Now, I will preface this exercise with I truly don't feel we have any chance of making the College Football Playoffs this year -- because of the lack of perceived quality wins...

Yet, the "fat lady's not singing" -- so, let's walk through the next five weeks of college football and show how our Fighting Irish could end up in the TOP 4...

WEEK ONE:

• #10 Notre Dame beats Navy convincingly CHECK!
  
• #9 Wake Forest loses to North Carolina  CHECK!                                                 
  

Notre Dame moves up to #9  CHECK!

 

WEEK TWO:

• #9 Notre Dame beats Virginia convincingly  CHECK!
  
• #8 Oklahoma loses to #14 Baylor  CHECK!
  
• #7 Michigan loses to Penn State  MISSED
  

Notre Dame moves up to #7 MISSED -- NOTRE DAME #8

 

WEEK THREE:

• #7 Notre Dame beats Georgia Tech convincingly  CHECK!
  
• #6 Cincinnati loses to SMU MISSED
  
• #5 Michigan State loses to #6 Ohio State  CHECK!
• #3 Oregon loses to Utah
  

Notre Dame moves up to #5 -- GOING TO PROJECT US AT #6

 

WEEK FOUR:

• #5 Notre Dame beats Stanford convincingly
• #4 Ohio State loses to Michigan

Notre Dame moves up to #4 -- GOING TO PROJECT US AT #5

 

WEEK FIVE:

• #4 Notre Dame is idle 
• No upsets in the Championship games // unless it's Oregon losing! PAC 12 IS OUT!
• NEED GEORGIA TO MANHANDLE ALABAMA  

 

2021 COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PREDICTION:

• #1 GEORGIA
• #2 OHIO STATE
• #3 CINCINNATI
• #4 NOTRE DAME
  

Notre Dame Sweeps #1 Michigan in Overtime!

Thunder, shaken.

Nothing better than ending the weekend with a 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐩 of top-ranked Michigan!#GoIrish pic.twitter.com/G1AfdBFumF

— Notre Dame Hockey (@NDHockey) November 21, 2021

Sign of the Day at Notre Dame!

 

Our Fighting Irish sacked the Georgia Tech QB -- 6 times today.  Making that 13 sacks in just the last two games and 37 for the season.  Should move Notre Dame close to the TOP 5 in the country in this defensive category!

 

 

 

Highlights: Notre Dame's Shutout Win Today!