As our current team rated #1 gets ready for the game that will define their season, I am reminded of past horrors the Irish experienced in the LA Coliseum — there were a lot of them but 2 in particular broke many hearts and crushed dreams:

• 1964–Ara’s first year brought a juggernaut to LA #1 Notre Dame vs. a 6-3 USC team. ND cruised in first half leading 17-0 and a NC just 30 minutes away. ND lost with a minute left 20-17. that team reminds me of the 2012 team–QB John Huarte All American and soon to be Heisman winner. Star receiver Jack Snow. We have Eifert All American receiver and Te’o(Heisman?).
• 1970–Notre Dame arrives in LA rated #2 (9-0) and on their way to the NC game against a bad SC team (5-4-1) and lose 38-14 even though Joe Theisman passed for 526 yards in the pouring rain. ND fumbled their way to defeat.

So I am very apprehensive as Saturday approaches–stars just don’t seem to be aligning. Too much going on at SC with 2nd team QB guaranteeing victory and All American 1st team QB allegedly unable to play–I’ll believe this only if he is on sidelines in civvies.

PAST HISTORY–1966 game of the century, 22 All Americans on the field and ends in a 10-10 tie ND vs. Michigan State. Alabama, meantime is undefeated and ranked #3. So ND’s #1 ranking in jeopardy on their way to final game against USC so Ara runs up the score 51-0 to cement #1. In those days ND did not participate in Bowl games and Alabama howled. Too bad but that 66 team would have crushed Alabama–really wished ND would have lifted the ban that year–the whole country wanted that game. Also USC’s Head Coach–the great John McKay vowed that he would never again lose to ND and then he went 8-1 against ND.

Finally, The Last Goddamn Thing We Need supplied By Sports Illustrated.