Zbikowski Has Several Talents
As Notre Dame makes its final preparations for the Sugar Bowl against LSU, one thing is sure - the defensive backfield for the Irish certainly contains a lot of “fight.” This quality is personified most prominently by S Tom Zbikowski, who takes that characteristic to the logical extreme.
Zbikowski is not only a feared hitter for any WR coming over the middle, but he’s also a feared “hitter” in the boxing ring. Zbikowski made his professional boxing debut over the summer, and defeated Robert Bell at Madison Square Garden. This is quite a unique skill set, and he is the “other” two-sport athlete on the Irish team along with WR Jeff Samardjia.
Samardjia was drafted by MLB’s Chicago Cubs, and each of these athletes adds to the overall athletic quality of this Irish team. If you’d like to see these two stars compete on the gridiron, just go to StubHub.com and grab some Sugar Bowl tickets.
Will Quinn Be a Star in the NFL?
Coming into the season, all the “experts” and fans merely assumed that Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn would not only win the Heisman Trophy, but also that he would be the top pick in the NFL draft and ultimately become a star in the league. While Quinn has been far from a bust this season, a few questions have arisen regarding all of this promise.
As everyone knows, Quinn did not win the Heisman, as Ohio State QB Troy Smith ran away with the award, but Quinn’s play in a few big games gave rise to whispers that he may not be all that he’s cracked up to be. In fact, a recent NFL mock draft had Quinn listed as only the fourth best prospect in the upcoming draft.
Our view? Quinn will be just fine in the NFL. He took a few lumps this season, but he’s been working with one of the best QB tutors in the game in Charlie Weis and has an NFL-ready body, arm and intellect. Quinn may wind up being this year’s Matt Leinart and slip a bit in the draft, but that’ll only make some NFL team very happy.
Fans have one more chance to see Quinn live at the Sugar Bowl, and after that it’s on to bigger and potentially better things.
Weis Squashes Latest Rumors
When you’re a coach who has won big everywhere he’s gone, as Charlie Weis is, you get used to hearing your name in connection with several job openings, sometimes even before these jobs become available. The latest Weis rumor is/was that he’s in line to replace Tom Coughlin as coach of the New York Giants.
Weis didn’t mince words when he denied any interest in the job, as was detailed in the South Bend Tribune today. Weis is concentrating on LSU and the Sugar Bowl, and he’s been putting down roots with his family in the area. There will always be speculation with a coach like Weis, but it appears that he’s set in his dream job.
If you’re still looking for Sugar Bowl tickets in the meantime, there’s no better place to do so than StubHub.com.
Notre Dame Sugar Bowl Update
There hasn’t been much new news surrounding the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and their upcoming match against the LSU Tigers in the Sugar Bowl. The Irish are viewed by many as the underdogs in the game. Any media and blogger buzz concerns just how the Irish are trying not to let their underdog status get them down. Sugar Bowl Tickets remain but time is running out to catch the Irish and the Tigers in action on January 3.
Coach Charlie Weiss has already accomplished something huge in his two year tenure with the Irish. He’s brought them back into the national spotlight. Now he has to do something his two predecessors couldn’t do. Bring home a victory in a Bowl game. The reason for doubt is that though the Irish are back, they haven’t beaten a team of real prominence in the last two years. And when they lose to good teams, they lose big. Michigan and USC combined for 91 points in both lopsided matches against the Irish this season. But we should have some faith in Charlie Weiss. He’s taken the team this far. He’s good at his job. But make no mistake; the Irish are heading into enemy territory in the Sugar Bowl.
What has Charlie Weis Meant to Notre Dame?
In a word, everything. Notre Dame was in shambles when Weis arrived, as the team had been suffering on the field tremendously in recent seasons. Weis’ credibility was unimpeachable, as he had coordinated the New England Patriots’ offense that won three Super Bowls and he developed Tom Brady. That by itself is a highly-impressive set of credentials.
Notre Dame has taken a lot of heat for thier place in the BCS this season, but they’re hoping to silence those critics with a win in the Sugar Bowl against LSU. That notwithstanding, Weis has morphed QB Brad Quinn into a top NFL prospect and helped restore Notre Dame as a recruiting force after several down years. Next year’s class is headed by QB Jimmy Clausen, considered by many to be the top recruit in the United States.
Notre Dame has a chance to return to its Golden Age under Weis, so act now to grab some Notre Dame tickets to see it all unfold.
Does Notre Dame Belong in the BCS?
Notre Dame football is as polarizing a force as there is in all of sports. Fans either love or hate the Irish, and every year seems to bring controversy. This year is no different, as Notre Dame was invited to the Sugar Bowl to play LSU, even though critics were jumping on them even before the bids were extended.
Notre Dame lost two games this season - to Michigan and to USC, the two Rose Bowl participants. The problem, as critics see it, is that neither game was close, and Notre Dame really didn’t register a signature win in 2006. However, the Irish did treat fans to some stirring wins, including an incredible comeback against Michigan State, and Notre Dame will always be a draw for fans who are either hoping they win or lose.
College football is about debate, and no team inspires more debate than Notre Dame. They’re high-profile for a reason, and Sugar Bowl tickets are going fast, as the game features this polarizing team and a “local” favorite in LSU. The game itself will help fans determine if Notre Dame was worthy of its place in the BCS.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Ready for Sugar Bowl
The funny thing about all the college football Bowl games is that there seems to be just so many of them. Heck, there’s even a PapaJohn’s.com Bowl game this year. Oh well. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are fortunate enough to be playing in the Sugar Bowl this year against the LSU Tigers. Fans looking to get their hands on Sugar Bowl Tickets can still get them through Stubhub.com. Sugar Bowl tickets cost anywhere from $125 and up and the game will be played January 3.
The Fighting Irish, for their part, are looked down upon as the underdogs coming into this game and the Irish are looking to bowl over their critics on January 3. The Irish are 0-2 against teams ranked in the top 10, and the Tigers are coming to this ranked with a rank of Number 4. Still, it would be premature to right-off the Irish. Notre Dame coach Charlie Weiss acknowledged LSU’s home field advantage, but also said that the Fighting Irish had every intention of going to New Orleans to win. The Tigers have reportedly been practicing since the start of December for this game, so expect LSU to be on-point.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Underdogs in Sugar Bowl
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are bristling as they head into the Sugar Bowl as underdogs against the heavily favored LSU Tigers. Fans looking to get their hands on Sugar Bowl Tickets can still acquire them through Stubhub.com. Sugar Bowl Tickets cost anywhere from $70 and up. One of the reasons why Notre Dame is seen as the underdog going into the Sugar Bowl is explained by Notre Dame Safety, Chinedum Ndukwe. “I guess we haven’t given them any reason to think otherwise with the two big games that we’ve played in.”
The Irish are 0-2 against teams ranked in the top ten, losing 47-21 against Michigan in the third game of the season and 44-24 against USC. In a high stakes game like this against a top-ten team, Notre Dame has yet to prove itself this season. A lot of questions have lately surfaced over whether or not Notre Dame even deserves to be in the Sugar Bowl. Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, on the other hand, says that he is tired of hearing about how badly his team is going to lose and argues that he and his teammates are not being given enough credit for all they have accomplished.
Notre Dame and Brady Quinn Prepare for Sugar Bowl
When the Notre Dame Fighting Irish travel to New Orleans on January 3 to take on the LSU Tigers in the Sugar Bowl, it will be Brady Quinn’s last chance to take home a Bowl victory for the Irish. Fans can pick up Sugar Bowl Tickets through Stubhub.com. A few tickets can still be found for under $100 while other Sugar Bowl tickets can cost upwards of $500 at this point. It all comes down to location, really.
For Brady Quinn, who finished third in the Heisman trophy vote, the Sugar Bowl has been a subject that he hasn’t been able to escape, even during finals week at Notre Dame. The political science and finance major, who was the first and second 3,000-yard passer in Notre Dame history, is expected to be picked up early in the NFL draft next season.
LSU, meanwhile, is chomping at the bit to get on to the gridiron with Notre Dame. Considered by many to be the favorites in this match-up, the LSU Tigers wouldn’t have even made it to the Sugar Bowl had Southern California not been upset by UCLA. And while the Tigers may be disappointed about missing out on a chance to play in the Rose Bowl, the prospect of facing Notre Dame is exciting. The last time LSU faced Notre Dame was in 1998 when the Irish won 39-to-36 in South Bend.
Notre Dame – LSU Preview
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish will take on the LSU Tigers in this year’s Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Fans looking to buy Sugar Bowl Tickets can still pick them up through Stubhub.com for anywhere from $200 and up. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are going to be facing an uphill fight in this one despite going way down South for the game.
MSNBC says that Notre Dame couldn’t ask for a worse place to play as it tries to end an NCAA record-tying Bowl losing streak. LSU, meanwhile, will be playing just down the street and is looking to end their season on a high note. The 11th-ranked Irish have lost their last eight Bowl appearances and are hoping not to make it nine when they face LSU. Notre Dame will be facing a raucous crowd as they try to snap an eight-game Bowl losing streak, tying a record held by South Carolina (1945-1988) and West Virginia (1987-1998). The Sugar Bowl was moves to Atlanta last year, after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, but is now back home in New Orleans where the city is quickly preparing for the game.