With Christmas in the rear view mirror and the final days of 2012 upon us, two things are certain: The Mayans were wrong and Notre Dame is going to the national championship. For a while, I was thinking that those two events were unfortunately intertwined.
As you’d expect, that means the content is coming a bit faster and a bit more furious. (Perhaps this writer will do a better job of pacing himself next year...)
In between looks backwards and forward, let’s slip in a few more Irish Blogger Gatherings. When we decided to join forces with the Subway Domer, the guys at Her Loyal Sons and the Strong and True blog, I never expected us to be discussing national title implications. But now that we’re here, let’s have some fun.
Tour the neighborhood by checking out Strong and True, Her Loyal Sons and Subway Domer.
Below, the Domer answered a few questions of mine. Here goes nothing:
1. If you were Brian Kelly, and had to put together a priority list of things to work on in the 40-plus days between the USC game and the national title match-up, what would it look like?
I know this is going to sound very basic, but that’s what it really comes down to for games like this.
1) Conditioning. This is perhaps the most important thing. After a long layoff, and only 15 practices in 40-plus days, it is important to make sure that the entire team can go balls out for 4 quarters- and then some.
2) Strength. You may think that this goes along with conditioning, but it really doesn’t. More so, with Alabama being the opponent, players will need to be at their peak levels of strength. This will be a game much like Stanford, and the hitting twice as fierce. Man up.
3) Fundamentals. Sloppy play can really slow a team down to start these games. After a quarter or two they eventually get back in the swing of it, but it may be too late. The player’s technique must be near perfect from start to finish.
4) Gameplanning. Now, we finally get here. You aren’t going to change a whole lot of what got you there, but certainly there must be wrinkles adjusted for the opponent put in place. Don’t get too fancy though.
2. Obviously, winning and losing is really important on January 7. But will the results of the BCS title game make that much of a difference in how you view this season?
Unfortunately, yes. I know it shouldn’t and this has been an AMAZING season, and I am already happy and celebratory- but losing would leave a dreadful feeling of destitution. If the story is that Notre Dame has truly Returned to Glory, it can only have one real ending, and that’s a National Championship. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it goes with Notre Dame.
3. Will you let yourself picture what a victory against Alabama feels like? What does the Subway Domer do to celebrate a national championship?
I have allowed myself that feeling many times thus far, but I believe that it won’t even come close to the actual feeling when Notre Dame wins. I’m preparing for total emotional annihilation. As far as celebrating goes, I’m sure it will involve some sort of naked Warlord walking (not running) through the streets of Hicksville, Ohio with Notre dame flag in one hand and a bottle of Jameson in the other.
Please send bail money.