BCS-bound

Had to listen to the ND game last night via WLS radio, over the internet... local ABC affiliate here decided to show us Georgia-GA Tech.. can't say as I blame them, given the pre-game no-hype over ND-Stanford...

But man, did they miss out on a nail-biter!
And so did I... almost.
With a couple of minutes left in the 4th quarter and ND leading by only 6 points (30-24), the WLS internet radio broadcast was interrupted by a message indicating that they had to end their copyrighted broadcast over the internet or something like that... it was Heidi-like timing...

So I watched the herky-jerky play-by-play scroll on the ESPN gamecast for a few minutes-- long enough to 'see' ND miss a 29 yard field goal and then Stanford scores after a 79 yard completion and goes up by 1.

What's that sucking sound you're hearing?

Geez-Louise I HATE games like this (no kidding).

And just as I was cursing the gods of Internet radio (okay, well, that's a bit melodramatic)... over my shoulder, I hear ESPN News switching over for 'bonus coverage' of the closing minutes of the ND game... and man, am I glad they did!

I have to say-- in that closing two minutes, once again, the Irish showed the kind of poise I can't recall seeing for many years before this season. Starting from their own 20, ND moved swiftly down the field (with two long pass plays to Samardzija) and scored on a powerful run from Darius Walker, reaching out and holding the ball over the goal line for the win... so tough! (capped by a two-point conversion made on a direct-snap to Walker who went in untouched)

So today, both the AP and Coaches Polls have dropped the Irish from #6 to 7... not that I can say I'm crazy with the way the Irish won.. but how may times before, in reference to USC's many close calls this season, have we heard "Just win"...

Ah well.. I'll still be munching some tortilla chips for the New Year... and for the first time in a decade, I feel like the Irish have a legitimate shot at winning the thing!