Fiesta Bowl

So, tomorrow's a big day.

The Fighting Irish of Notre Dame meet the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University. The Irish are currently ranked number 5 in the country, Ohio number 4. A match-up of traditional powerhouses, but the two teams have only met four times. Some folks suggest that in the 1920's the coaches at Michigan and Ohio State appealed to the anti-Catholic prejudices of other Big 10 schools to block Rockne's efforts to get ND into the Big 10. Whatever, there must have been some bad feelings - Notre Dame didn't play Michigan or Oho State for almost 50 years.

This will be Ohio States third Fiesta Bowl in four years, and who could forget that double overtime win over Miami for the National Championship in 2003? Oh, by the way, did you hear Maurice Clarett, star running back of that 2002 Ohio State team is wanted by the Columbus OH police for an armed robbery outside a bar last night? (Notre Dame fans can't help mentioning "character issues" relating to other teams players and former players.) Meanwhile Notre Dame hasn't won a bowl game in twelve years. Irish fans hope they've turned the corner with Charlie Weis in the head coaching position.

We're going to watch the game at Steffy and Mark's house, and hope to have a small crowd in attendance. I got to select the menu, so its smoked butt sandwiches and suusages and sauerkraut. Maybe some on the ladies will provide more delicate fare.

I figure Coach Weis will try to play some ball control offense to keep the Irish offense on the field since the Irish defense lost a lot of starters last year and has been vulnerable in 2005. He'll want to keep the good Buckeye linebackers away from his QB, Brady Quinn. So maybe screens, and reverses. I don't know. They say Weis is successful in part because he's so hard to predict.

But don't underestmate the Irish D. The new kids are experienced now, and may want ot prove that they're not the team's weakness. Ruck Mintner is a good defensive coordinator and coached D for Lou Holtz at Notre Dame, (though, I think, Holtz's best defenses were Barry Alvarez's squads.)

Hmmmm, lets say ND 31 OSU 24 GO IRISH!