Earlier this week, Notre Dame unveiled their new FieldTurf design that will debut this season. Jack Swarbrick made some waves by announcing there would be a midfield logo and shamrock kickoff markers, elements of design that have never been seen in Notre Dame Stadium. But if you think that announcement caused an uproar, you should see one of the design finalists that was rejected in favor of what was announced this week. That design was...well, it was certainly different: And yes, ...
Michigan
Friday Roundup: The “Independence” Edition
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved a now well known document declaring independence from the British Crown. While we celebrate our independence this day to commemorate that act, it's easy to forget that July 4, 1776 was only words on a piece of paper. General Conrwallis didn't surrender until October 19, 1781. The Revolutionary War itself started in April of 1775 well before the Declaration of Independence was even drafted. So why celebrate the date a piece of paper was ...
Notre Dame 2014 Opponent Preview: Michigan
It's time to continue our preview of Notre Dame opponents for the 2014 football season. This week we focus on our most hated team from up north, the Michigan Wolverines Skunkbears. This game will be the last time the Irish will face off against Michigan for the foreseeable future so get the hate ready early. Previous Opponent Previews: Rice Vitals Offense Despite Al Borges getting canned, Michigan's offense really wasn't a disaster, just the scapegoat for a disappointing ...
Friday Roundup: The “RIP, Tex” Edition
Here's a recipe for disaster: have your NOLA bachelor party the weekend after you come back from a trip to Vegas. 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 ...
Friday Roundup: The “What is Michigan?” Edition
You know, we give Michigan a lot of hell via internet print, and rightly so. However, there are days in which things happen that allow us to sit back and laugh at Michigan without really having to do anything. Today is one of those days. Oh, and we get to take a shot at Urban Meyer and Texas too! So this happened last night on Jeopardy!: http://youtu.be/mZDHh2z_My4 Let's break down this 1:20 of glory that was the "College Football Coaches" category. Let's take the category for $200, ...
Friday Roundup: The “85” Edition
After a successful signing day, Brain Kelly still had one more scholarship available for the 2014 season. That spot has now been filled by Cody Riggs, a Flordia graduate transfer. The defensive back brings some much needed depth and experience to a secondary that can certainly use it; however, I'm more impressed with the outlook of the program overall. And it isn't just hitting the 85 scholarship cap either. The class of 2015 has a minimum of 11 scholarships available and that's ...
Friday Roundup: The “Unchecked Aggression” Edition
Scene: Bowling alley. NDtex, Bayou Irish, and Irish Elvis are all on the same lane shooting a practice round. Elvis is at the line while Tex has recounted a story of how a large tree branch from an elm tree feel on a fence in his backyard, pissed that the damage isn't severe enough to even cover his deductible. Elvis, unaware of the story at hand, rolls a strike... Elvis: WHOOO! I'm throwin' rocks tonight! Mark it, Tex. Completely unaware, Bayou continues the conversation with ...
Friday Roundup: The “Embracing a Heart Attack” Edition
Let's take a look at the last decade of Notre Dame/Pitt: Save for Weis making quite the debut against a very unprepared Pitt led by Dave Wannstedt, the ND/Pitt series has been defined by a single possession contest as of late. To be honest, it's really hard to explain why. For the most part, Pitt has been a medicore team that Notre Dame is usually better than. Last year's game was probably the best example of this: an undefeated Irish squad hanging on for dear life against a team that ...
Friday Roundup: The “THIS IS…Sparta?” Edition
Michigan State will enter Notre Dame as the #1 defense in the nation. Sure, their schedule has been an absolute cakewalk thus far (Western Michigan, South Florida, and Youngstown State), but, despite that, holding opponents to only 177 yards/game is impressive no matter who you are playing. But then you look at the other side of the coin and you realize that Sparty's offense is objectively one of the worst things to ever grace a football field. Ignoring Youngstown State (which you should ...
Friday Roundup: The “Get Excited About Purdue” Edition
Look, I know we here at HLS always give Purdue a solid, swift kick to nuts every time they play them. We're all familiar with the bit by now. Purdue sucks, they are boring zzzzzzzzzzz and all that. This week though, you should be excited. I'm serious here, stay with me on this. Look, I know Purdue is a horrible football team. And yes, they have a safety that played with two broken hands only to break his leg. Their leading receiver is out too, so that doesn't help matters for ...