In the fall of 1977 I was living in Ypsilanti, Michigan and Texas was about to play Oklahoma (then #1, I believe) in the Cotton Bowl Stadium for their annual get-together. I remarked to a friend that Texas would beat Oklahoma, take over the #1 spot and then play again
in the Cotton Bowl, but this time against Notre Dame (who I predicted would go undefeated) for the national title - which, of course, the Irish would win.

Well, my beloved Irish did not go undefeated - they lost a game to Mississippi about mid-way through, but they did make it to the Cotton Bowl to play Texas (with Earl Campbell) and beat the Longhorns 38-10. As it turned out, Arkansas (under Lou Holtz) beat Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl and, wah-la - Notre Dame wins the nationl championship with Joe Montana at the helm. Oh, yes, I had moved to Dallas in December of 1977 and along with my father and a dozen or so of his buddies - I was in the stands for that game.

One of my fondest memories of my father was when several of us were half-way out of the stadium someone asked, "Where's Pat?" He wasn't with us so I went searching for him. Seems the Notre Dame band had come back out on the field and was continuing to play the fight song back-to-back-to-back, etc. I found my dad standing about half-way down an aisle with his hat raised high to the band below singing the fight song for all he was worth - what could I do but join him.
GO IRISH.