This is quite a milestone for us, and considering that we aren’t connected to a blogging network, have struggled through growing pains like server moves, redesigns, and crashes, this is simply awesome — especially considering we have a full month to go in 2012!

I would like to personally thank all of our staff for all of their hard work on the blog and behind the scenes. This doesn’t happen without their dedication.

I would also like to thank anyone that has ever linked us, shared our work, or suggested to people that they come drop on by. Of course huge thanks are in order to NDNation, One Foot Down, The Subway Domer, and Inside the Irish for consistently linking our work through their sites and Twitter. A special thanks to the Strong and True blog as well for coming into the blogging game in all their official glory and showing us some link love as well.

Of course, there are loads of others that have shared our work, and they are too numerous to name. Trust me, it’s very appreciated.

And finally, a thanks to the Loyal Readers that continue to come here every day to read our work and talk Irish football with us. I can’t thank all of y’all enough. It’s just going to keep on getting better from here!

The Roundup

The coaching carousel has started. One Foot Down has a good overview to get you caught up.

Happy trails, Monte Kiffin. I have a feeling USC fans are wishing a different Kiffin is leaving though.

There is one other game of musical chairs going on. The ACC needed a replacement for Maryland and they found one in the Cards.

Law & Order: Teabagging. Remember that Alabama idiot that put his junk on the face of a passed out LSU fan? Well, he’s about to enjoy two years of prison. Want a do-over there, buddy?

You realize there is going to be a drug test right? Here’s a suggestion, Honey Badger, lay off the weed so you don’t screw this up too.

We can never have too many #HEISMANTI posts. Here’s a fantastic (and long) piece that John Walters put together for UND.com.

Put These Games on Your Radar

#2 Alabama vs #3 Georgia, SEC Championship, 4:00pm EST, CBS -Pretty simple, future scouting of ND’s future opponent. Should be a great one.

#11 Oklahoma @ TCU, 12pm EST, ESPN/WatchESPN – Should be a good start to the day and if OU wins, they could win the Big XII title if…

#18 Texas @ #6 Kansas State, 8:00pm EST, ABC – …Texas manages to pull this game off.

And a special, FRIDAY game:

#21 Northern Illinois vs #17 Kent State, MAC Championship, 7:00pm EST, ESPN/WatchESPN – Thought I was going for the Pac 12 Championship didn’t you? Nah, we’ve seen that game already, settle in for some MACtion and possible BCS hilarity. If Kent State wins, they might actually find their way into a BCS game as well.

Predictions

Closest to the Pin – Week 12

Well, the regular season is over and Twibby takes the last win coming scarily close with his 22-13 prediction. Only one more to make, but until January, here are your standings:

Bayou likely has the title in hand; however, an exact prediction by either Biscuit or Twibby will mean a tie for first.

The Beer

I know Biscuit hates when I tap into my Texas roots and suggest a Shiner beer, but I’m going to do it anyway.

With Winter now upon us, the ever so delicious Shiner Cheer is available once again. If you can get this, I cannot recommend it enough:

This brew is easily my favorite Shiner seasonal. I’m usually not a fan of sweet brews, but this is an exception. Peaches and roasted pecans are the major players here and they are delicious.

Plus, this is definitely a season full of cheer: a shot at the title and a basketball team off to a great start.

P.S. If you are a current student right now, I hate you so much, you lucky bastards.

The post Friday Roundup: The “One Miiiiiiiiiiillion…” Edition appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

On January 7, 2013, Notre Dame will in all likelihood play the winner of the SEC Championship. To be played in Atlanta on December 1, the game will feature Georgia, the SEC Eastern Division Champion, against Alabama, the SEC Western Division Champion. Before the airwaves fill with the moonshine-fueled invective launched by either team’s partisans, I wanted to calmly compare the two teams and project a likely winner.

The University of Alabama began on December 18, 1820. It started its football program in 1892 and enrolled its first African-American student in 1956, promptly expelling her three days later “for her safety.” I am not making that up. Seven years later, Alabama managed to enroll and graduate two black students. As of 2012, Alabama has amassed 1,765 football national championships. Their GSR is 75%.

This season, the Crimson Tide sit atop the SEC West at 11-1. They’ve played three AP Top 25 teams (Michigan #21, LSU #9 and Texas A&M #10), losing to Texas A&M. They finished their season by whooping West Carolina (a FCS team) and Auburn (a FCS team) by a combined 98-0. Their FBS opponents’ average Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI) is 56.8.

The Crimson Tide are averaging 39 points per game, on an offense producing 6.90 yards per play. On the ground, they are averaging 5.42 rushing yards per attempt, 2570 yards total and have converted 47.86% (68/142) of Third Downs and 60% (6/10) of Fourth Down attempts. They’ve thrown for 2626 yards in the air and two interceptions. Alabama’s defense gives up 9.3 points per game.

The University of Georgia was founded on January 27, 1785, making it the first publicly-funded place of “higher education” in the country. It started its football program in 1892 and enrolled its first African-American student on January 9, 1961. As of 2012, Georgia has amassed 2 football national championships. Their GSR is 69%.

This season, the Bulldogs sit atop the SEC East at 11-1. They’ve played two AP Top 25 teams (South Carolina #11 and Florida #5), losing to South Carolina. They finished their season by whooping Georgia Southern (a FCS team) and Georgia Tech (a fine engineering school) by a combined 97-24. Their FBS opponents’ average Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI) is 65.0.

The Bulldogs are averaging 38 points per game, on an offense producing 7.04 yards per play. On the ground, they are averaging 4.98 rushing yards per attempt, 2281 yards total and have converted 46.00% (69/150) of Third Downs and 42.86% (3/7) of Fourth Down attempts. They’ve thrown for 3283 yards in the air and eight interceptions. Georgia’s defense gives up 17.7 points per game.

The ‘dogs and the Tide have each defeated acclaimed 2012 EssEeSee teams Tennessee, Missourri and Mississippi.

As you can see, this is a match between two evenly matched foes. ‘bama is the safe pick, but they struggled against and lost to Texas A&M, a passing team, and struggled against LSU, kind of a passing team. Seeing as how its essentially a home game for the Bulldogs, I’m taking Georgia in the slight upset, 21-17.

Spoiler alert: in case you haven’t already heard it, get ready for nothing but SEC “trash”-talk. I put “trash” in quotes because what you call “trash,” SEC-fan calls “patio furniture.” In any event, please consider the following as a helpful quiver of informational arrows in the weeks to come:

The University of Notre Dame began on November 26, 1842. It started its football program in 1887 and enrolled its first African-American student in 1944. As of 2012, Notre Dame has amassed 11 football national championships. Their GSR is 97%.

This season, the independent Fighting Irish are ranked #1 in the BCS at 12-0. They’ve played three AP Top 25 teams (Michigan #21, Stanford #8 and Oklahoma #12), beating them all. They finished their season by whooping Wake Forest (a FBS team) and USC (the preseason #1 team in the country) by a combined 60-13. Their FBS opponents’ average Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI) is 47.92.

The Irish are averaging 26.8 points per game, on an offense producing 6.03 yards per play. On the ground, they are averaging 4.99 rushing yards per attempt, 2430 yards total and have converted 47.34% (80/169) of Third Downs and 60% (3/5) of Fourth Down attempts. They’ve thrown for 2626 yards in the air and seven interceptions. Notre Dame’s defense gives up 10.3 points per game.

Bottom line: scoreboard, baby. We’re Number One. And the data backs that up.

The post Looking Ahead: Georgia, Alabama Battle to Play Notre Dame appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.