I love college football. The passion, rivalries, conferences and atmosphere is unlike anything else in sports and no team encompasses college football better than Notre Dame.
That is why, in the past few years, the college football landscape has felt a little off. It has been a while since the Fighting Irish have been relevant this late in the season. And by relevant I mean national championship contenders.
When Notre Dame is good you can hear an extra buzz in the air. They seem to make the college football world spin a little faster.
Not everyone is a fan of the Fighting Irish, but anyone who pays attention to collegiate sports knows the history behind the program: thirteen recognized national championships, 96 consensus All-Americans and 32 unanimous All-Americans (more than any other university).
Notre Dame is 8-0 this season. They are ranked third in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) standings and fourth in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
If you were concerned about the Irish being a legitimate team this year, those concerns fell by the wayside after last weekend.
After No. 5 Notre Dame traveled into Memorial Stadium and dismantled No. 8 Oklahoma, 30-13, the team left little doubt as to whether they were back.
UND also proved, on national television, its defense can compete with the notorious defenses of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The defense might even be better. The Fighting Irish completely perplexed the Sooners and held them to only a touchdown and two field goals.
OU averaged 44.67 points per game before they met the mighty Irish. Even more impressive is the fact that Oklahoma had pounded out nearly 200 rushing yards per game but had 15 yards on 24 carries against the golden helmets.
Sooner quarterback Landry Jones passed for 356 yards, however he never came close to tossing a touchdown pass. But, he did throw an interception.
One thing that makes Notre Dame’s defense so devastating is its ability to keep opponents out of the end zone. OU is the only team that has managed a rushing touchdown against the Fighting Irish this season.
Their D does all the little things to perfection. In other words, they do everything the University of Texas defense hasn’t done at all this year. For instance, line up correctly, take good angles to the ball, shed blocks and most importantly tackle.
The Irish’s last four opponents are the University of Pittsburgh, Wake Forest University, Boston College and the University of Southern California (USC). Southern California is the only team in that group with a winning record.
Although my Longhorns are not in the national championship picture, again, Notre Dame has risen back to the top which is exactly where they should be. So I say, “Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!”
