Irish sack Troy, set sights on Miami

As the final seconds of our seemingly out-of-nowhere 12-0 miracle season ticked off the clock at the LA Coliseum, Notre Dame's 22-13 victory over Southern Cal left many loyal sons and daughters speechless, including Manti Te'o, who admitted he was at a loss for words.  

They say a picture is worth 1,000 words though, and the below video speaks volumes about the joy that so many of us share but can't quite describe:  (from UND.com)



As a added bonus for all those who love to hate on Lane Kiffin as much as I do, the first half of the below video shows him having to endure the ecstatic sounds of Notre Dame's post-victory locker room celebration featured in the above video as he answers questions about how he managed to somehow blunder his way to a 7-5 record after starting off season ranked #1:  (from USC Athletics)

Preseason Rankings:

USC: #1

ND: Unranked

Final Rankings:

ND: #1

USC: Unranked

"In the same way, the last will be first, and the first will be last, because many are called, but few are chosen." 
Matthew 20:16

#1 ND @ unranked SC

GO IRISH!

BEAT SC!

"Before, I always wondered, 'What would life be like if I went to USC? What would life be like if I went here or here?' I've always wondered that. But I think after this season, I don't have that anymore. This is where I was meant to be." -Manti Te'o

SCORE PREDICTION:

(#1) Notre Dame: 31

(unrakned) Cal Southern: 17

We'll see you in Miami...

Seniors' Final Salute

"When those books are written, 
they're written about championships." 

-Brian Kelly on the still unfinished legacy of his seniors

Saturday is Senior Day, and the last time I will ever watch a game from the student section inside Notre Dame Stadium.  It will be an emotional day for all those present, especially the senior class of players who have brought the light of hope back to this football program through their unyielding work ethic and undying faith in each other.  They will suit up in Blue & Gold to run out of that tunnel one last time, and over 81,000 inspired souls will salute their service.  

It's difficult to find the right words to describe what I hope will be the perfect ending to a great journey, so I will leave it to the pros:

From UND.com:

From Andrew Owens of The Observer,

 describing the significance of Manti's unlikely path to Senior Day: 

"The Loyal Son"

From Matt Fotruna of ESPN.com:

"Manti Teo's Irish Fairwell"

Score Prediction:

Notre Dame: 41

Wake Forest: 17

Taking Care of Business

Fightin' Irish fans have been hearing a lot about the lack of “style points” exhibited by the 2012 squad, and Saturday's seemingly routine 21-6 victory over Backup College did little to silence such noise.  

What some may have mistaken for a sluggish lack of energy probably should have been expected, though.  I mean... how many times can you beat up your little brother (BC) before doing so loses its excitement?  Once you've already established your unquestionable dominance, there's no longer any need to go any further than what is required to keep him in his place.  Am I right?

All joking aside... the "workmanlike" fashion with which the Fightin' Irish have amassed a perfect 10-0 record is not about to win them any beauty contests.  Most of the 10 wins have been anything but pretty... but who cares?  Kelly's lads have continued to bring their lunch pails to work each and every Saturday, and as their unblemished record shows, they haven't punched out early a single time in 10 games without taking care of business first.  

As long as we continue on in our "workmanlike" ways, we'll be fine.  We can't control who wins, who loses, and who “helps us out” in games that don’t feature the words “Notre Dame” on either side of the scoreboard… so all we can do is stick to Kelly’s master plan, take care of business, and let the chips fall where they may.  We'll leave the fussing, the whining, and the hapless prosthelyzing to the so-called "experts" at ESPN.  Why should we care what they have to say?  We don't have time for them.
We have business to take care of... 

Saturday is Senior Day in Notre Dame Stadium, where the Fightin’ Irish have struggled during their 2012 work schedule relative to their performances away from home.  It’s also the last game our captains Kap, Zach, Tyler, and Manti will ever play in the Cathedral of College Football.  Let’s honor them, along with all those playing in their final home game, by saluting the “workmanlike” mentality they've struggled so hard to instill in a program that lacked any real sense of direction prior to Kelly’s arrival.  

Let’s be “workmanlike” in fulfilling our own duties as fans.  Let's stay true to our unrelenting faith that, what though the odds be great or small, our team has the will to win overall.  Let’s take care of business by clocking in on Saturday, rolling up our sleeves, and going to work alongside our team as they march onward to victory.

Predictions: ND v. BC

University of Notre Dame

v.

Backup College

This one shouldn't be close.
Then again... last week shouldn't have been close.

What Fightin' Irish fans saw late in the game against Pitt should give them hope, though, as Diaco's defense returned to its dominant form when called upon, and Kelly's offense finally found its way.

What I'd like to see against BC:  

Everett "5uperman" Golson taking complete control of Kelly's spread offense by utilizing the versatile weapons at his disposal (namely Riddick, and hopefully a heavier dose of Atkinson III), relying on his athleticism to make big plays at big times, and embracing his "baller" mentality to become that leader his teammates can count on.

What I'm expecting to see against BC:  

A lot of sacks and interceptions, with BC's Rettig throwing 3 picks last week and getting sacked 7 times over their past 2 games, and ND coming off a season-high 5 sack performance against Pitt.  BC's run game is abysmal, meaning they won't be able to move the ball on the ground against Diaco's dominant front 7.  Kap, Tuitt, and Shembo should thus be able to tee off on Rettig, who will be forced to rush his throws and run for his life to avoid getting his head taken off by our D Boys.  

Bold Prediction: 
Sacks for Kap, Nix, Tuitt, Shembo, and Te'o, with Manti adding another INT and vaulting himself back into the Heisman conversation.

 PROJECTED SCORE:

UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME: 37

BACKUP COLLEGE: 10

5uperman 5aves 5eason!

What's that flying past defenders into the endzone?!  

It's a bird!  It's a plane!  No, it's Everett Golson!

After his late-game heroics this past Saturday, I'm not sure if that's a "5" or an "S" on his jersey.

What I do know is that Fightin' Irish fans had the good fortune of witnessing a 5uperstar in the making take his game to the next level, which will undoubtedly lead to plenty more daring feats of strength during his time at Notre Dame.

What does Golson's recent revealing of his secret 5uperman identity mean for the 2012 Fightin' Irish?

As Coach Kelly put it during his post game press conference, "…he competed his butt off" and provided "a shot in the arm" at a time when his teammates desperately needed someone to wake them up.  Not only did he step in to fill the leadership role on offense that his fellow #5 has assumed on the defensive side of the ball, but his developing 5uperhuman abilities are starting to allow Kelly to finally call the type of game that he wants to offensively.  Kelly hasn't been shy on this point, lauding Golson for bringing that added element he has been searching for in his offense by "spreading it out" and creating opportunities to "either throw the football, or keep it and run."  With this critical piece to the puzzle finally in place, the future looks bright and Irish eyes should be smiling as 5uperman continues to show up to save the day whenever the Fightin' Irish find themselves in need of a hero.

Game Day Pics: Triple Cardiac Catholics

After each home game, check with Irish Creed as TheNDleprechaun brings you a series of pics from the weekend.  You can also view the pics as they are taken by following on Instagram: "theleprecon" or on Twitter "@TheNDleprechaun"

Final Score (3OT)

Notre Dame: 29

Pittsburgh: 26