Oh, sure, it was a work trip to Vegas; however, since I learned how to run a much smoother trade show, I actually got to hang out with my coworkers and they are just as much a bunch of gambling/drunk degenerates as I am. The most painful of these nights was spurred by one of my bosses leading the way to terrible decisions.

Needless to say, I had a blast.

Now, by the time you read this, I will be boozing in NOLA with practically no recovery time. I never claimed to be smart, but here I am ready to absolutely destroy myself as my groomsmen happily lead me down the path to a liver transplant.

To put it mildly, if I don’t die/pass out on Bourbon Street/get stabbed/thrown in jail, I will consider the weekend a smashing success. Yes, I’m all about tripping over low bars.

My imminent demise aside, if this is my last Roundup, I’m going out with a bang because we have loads of links for you this week. So let’s get to the stuff you actually care about.

The Roundup

I hear Athens is great in the fall. Georgia that is. Please let this happen.

Happy trails, Digger. The former Notre Dame coach will be leaving the Worldwide Leader.

It doesn’t look like Nix is missing that Pinstripe Bowl PS4. He might be missing the joy of a sandwich, but not the next-gen entertainment.

Looks like a “Where Are They Now?” waiting to happen. Christ Stewart is winning awards at the ND Law School.

One of our sponsors is up for a Webby. Do us a favor and give the ND alumni-run Bouqs a vote.

The 21st century version of the “big one that got away.” The save button is a very, very important feature.

I think this guy is lucky this is the worst that happened to him. Flying rival colors in your dorm room? That’s either serious cajones or insanity.

Speaking of dumb Kentucky fan decisions… Not only was this tattoo a stupid idea, but apparently the guy is more than willing to keep it.

I’ve always known ref rage is a real thing. Seeing it so scientifically quantified though is a thing of beauty.

Looks like UCONN won three titles. This little flub is beyond hilarious.

Hope you had fun a prom, bro. Because I think Chizik is going to kill you.

Law & Order: Missouri. Star wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham has found himself suspended indefinitely after being being involved with an assault.

Brent Musburger must be beside himself. AJ McCarron and his bride to be, Katherine Webb, are about to be reality stars.

New recruiting tactic: winking at mom. Coach GQ has found himself quite a nice recruiting advantage.

Michigan’s spring game is in the book. Things in Ann Arbor are going…well, not so great.

And now your moment of Nix… Yes, we have a Roundup that features Big Lou and he didn’t make his namesake. That honor goes to the ND and Florida State baseball teams for their rain delay antics.

The Booze

As much as I’m loathe to admit it, I’m sure, at some point, a Liquid Cocaine shot is happening. This shot is now a long running joke between my best man and I because, in our younger years, when this was consumed either willingly or unknowingly (he gave me a shot and said it was Jager on my 22nd birthday), bad things happened. Granted, “bad things” is better translated to “stupid, embarrassing shit” that we did when the inevitable blackout happened. It probably didn’t help that these shots also happened after we had already been drinking as well.

Everyone’s favorite moment of me on this shot: a picture of me being bottle fed beer while I’m flipping off the camera. No, I am not posting that picture here.

I’m still hopeful that I can avoid this, but I am resigned to my fate if it does. If you want to know why I fear this, I suggest finding a safe location, taking this shot first, and trying this out for yourself. You have been warned:

Mix 1 part Jager, 1 part 151, and 1 part Goldschlager (or Rumple Minze) over ice. Pour into shot glass. Kiss your ass goodbye.

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Before we go further, check out Biscuit’s  preseason take on the position

The Irish:

In 2012, in getting to 12-0, Coach Kelly rolled out a multi-faceted offense that featured Theo Riddick, Cierre Wood, George Atkinson, III and Cam McDaniel at RB. The workhorses in that stable, though, were the seniors, Theo and Cierre. Theo ran for 880 yards and 5 TD’s while Cierre put up 740 and 4. Theo, another Jersey phenom, found success in the backfield after playing receiver, fly half and striker. Cierre is leaning towards a move to the NFL after this year, and with a 14 month old daughter to support, who can blame him. The two each had signature games, BYU for Theo and Oklahoma for Cierre, whose stunning sixty yard run announced that the Irish had come to Norman not just to play, but to win. If the Irish are going to do the same to ‘Bama, both will need to turn in huge games.

And it’s going to be tough. Alabama comes into Miami with the best rush defense in the country, giving up just under 80 yards per game. ND has the nation’s fourth-best rush defense, so this game has all the potential of being a “slobber-knocker.” And, just as an FYI, Stanford and BYU have the other “top four” rush defenses, so it’s not like The Irish haven’t tangled with the top before.

The Enemy:If ND if going to win the crystal football, they’re going to have to handle the two thousand-yarders in ‘Bama’s backfield: T.J. Yeldon and Eddie Lacey. As you can see in the video below, that’s going to be very, very hard:

The scary thing is that Yeldon’s a freshman, and while that may put his chances of graduating from Alabama at between slim and none, he’s just going to get better. Having put up 1,000 yards this year, that’s very bad for defenses around the country. His junior stable-mate, Eddie Lacey, broke off 1,182.

This is not to say The Irish haven’t faced and defeated better backs: Le’Veon Bell, Stepfan Taylor, Denard Robinson and Ray Graham come to mind. But it’s rare to have two in the same game, much less on the field at the same time. Looks like Manti and the Boys will have their work cut out for them on the 7th.

Putting football aside, I want to wish all of you and yours the best in 2013. Obviously, I want that to start with a National Championship, but in every way, I hope that the New Year is one of health, tranquility and prosperity in all its forms for you.

The post Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy (The NCG Edition): Running Back appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.