Coach Brian Kelly was doing the same thing Notre Dame fans around the country were doing last Saturday night, flipping back and forth between the Kansas State and Oregon games and cheering loudly for one of the top two teams in the BCS standings to lose so the Fighting Irish could have a shot at the title game.
When both went down, though, he says he felt neither a sense of elation nor satisfaction. It was more a feeling of control. The Fighting Irish (11-0) were now in control of their own destiny, knowing a win Saturday over rival Southern California (7-4) puts the Irish in the BCS title game.
"We get a chance to play for the national championship provided we win this week," he said.
It's been 19 years since the Irish were last able to think like that. Actually, 18 years, 11 months and 29 days. But who's counting?
That's how many days it had been since Notre Dame was last ranked No. 1. That's a span that began after Boston College shocked the Fighting Irish with a 41-39 victory in 1993 a week after second-ranked Notre Dame upset top-ranked Florida State to claim that No. 1 ranking.
That's the same ranking the Irish held in 1990, 1989, 1988 and for 77 games over the years until ending the longest streak ever without a No. 1 ranking in Notre Dame history with a 38-0 win over Wake Forest last Saturday.
The Irish aren't just No. 1, they are a unanimous No. 1 in the Associated Press poll after improving to 11-0 for the first time since 1989. A week earlier some scoffed at Kelly for ranking the Irish No. 1 in the coaches' poll. This week 55 of his 59 colleagues agreed with him. Kelly said he didn't feel any sense of vindication.
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Damn I hope Notre Dame dont fuck this up.
