The Jeweled Shillelagh

Ahh yes, it's been cold & crappy lately. Macy's has Christmas trees up. The movie theater was playing Christmas Carols yesterday. And it's ND-USC this weekend. Everyone's favorite time of year.

Wait, what? It's not Thanksgiving weekend?

I swear, Christmas is going to start on July 5th pretty soon. It keeps getting pushed up more & more each year. Hell, we're only two weeks away from the start of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's winter tour, and the start of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, or whatever it's called now-a-days. Christmas has now merged with Fall AND Winter, to join with Spring & Summer as the three seasons of the year.

"What's your favorite season?"
"Summer..."
"Weird, I'm a personal fan of Christmas."

Anyway, USC-ND is this weekend, because every few years, for whatever reason, these two teams play in the middle of October instead of in the last week of the season. I have no complaints. I don't care when they play, just so long as they play.

I was trying to remember the last time I was this pumped up for a sports game. In all my years, I can only think of maybe 7 or 8 games where I was anywhere near as excited for them as I am for tomorrow's game. The last being the Devils-Senators 2003 East Championship Game 7. I didn't even get this excited about any of the Finals Games vs the Ducks, probably because by that point the Devils were the closest thing to a Dynasty hockey had seen since the Oilers, and I never took the Ducks seriously.

But anyway, the point is, I'm pumped for this game. One minute, I think the Irish actually have a chance to beat the #1 Trojans tomorrow. The other minute, I know that's just false hope and that they're going to lose. But either way, I'm excited.

USC has been the #1 team in the country for 25 straight weeks or something like that. What more fitting way then to lose that distinction then to be beaten by their biggest rival, in South Bend, with Touchdown Jesus watching over.

Matt Leinart & Tom Brady Quinn have identical stats this season, with both passing for 1600 yards & 65%. Leinart has 12 TDs & 2 picks, Quinn has 13 TDs & 3 picks.

USC's two RBs are both in the top 10 in the country in rushing for the season. ND's defense is bad, except against the run, where it has been surprisingly effecient all season long.

USC has shown more then a few times this season that it can be beaten. But the teams that USC ended up coming back against & beating weren't as well-off talent-wise as ND is, nor were they as well coached. When watching video over the last two weeks, Charlie Weis, the leprechaun himself, has only showed his players first half film of USC from their games this season. Instead of showing him what the Trojans are capable of when they are on their game, he shows them where they are weak when they are off their game. Weis may be the one mind in college football who can outcoach Pete Carroll right now.

Add to that the fact that Weis, who learned from Parcells & Belicheck, had a bye last week, and has had two weeks to prepare for the Trojans.

In Jeff Samardzija, Matt Stoval, Anthony Fasano & Darius Walker, Tom Brady Quinn has 4 legitimate playmakers to get the ball to against a weaker then normal Trojan defense. These aren't his only weapons, but they are still more then any other team has thrown at the Trojans this year.

And lastly, the Irish freaking rub some gold off the Dome on campus before every home game, as is tradition for the last 900 years, melt it down and paint it onto their helmets the night before each game. Come on, any team that plays with actual gold on their helmets has to be doing something right.

I don't know if the Irish will actually win this game, but all the pieces are in place, and they certainly have a better chance of doing so then any of the last three Irish teams, which have each lost by exactly 31 points.

Win or Lose, I'll be at a pub bright & early tomorrow for a day full of guiness, and I can't wait. The 3:30 kickoff can't come soon enough.