Dayne Crist News

Since the 2009 Heisman race is over, why not jump the gun and take a peek at the top candidates for next year's stiff-arm trophy? Obviously, this is far out from when Heisman buzz typically starts, and it's hard; some of the seemingly top targets might still declare they're jumping into April's NFL draft.

Athletic director Jack Swarbrick said he reached out to a number of people during the search for Notre Dame's next football coach.

It came literally in the first few days of Jack Swarbrick moving into the Joyce Center, perhaps before he had even located the coffee maker.

Now that the search is over, the real fun begins. Who will soon-to-be-anointed Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly surround himself with? "That's every bit as important as the head coach hire, when it comes to recruiting," CBS College Sports recruiting analyst Tom Lemming said.

No one ever knows whether a coaching hire is going to work; even cana TMt-miss marriages sometimes do.

Brian Kelly has his dream job. Now he has to figure out how to turn Notre Dame back into a national championship contender.

Brian Kelly hopes to last longer than his recent predecessors in South Bend. Counting George O'Leary's few days as an employee, Notre Dame football has had five head coaches since the 2001 season.

Notre Dame football had been responsible for a bevy of major college football announcements over the past few days with far-reaching implications for the reputation of Notre Dame and the future of the program.

The Gator Bowl said Monday that the Jan. 1 game that will be Bobby Bowden's coaching finale sold all 77,474 tickets in record time, less than two hours.

Coach Brian Kelly confirmed on Monday that he will meet with Notre Dame officials about their open job, leaving fourth-ranked Cincinnati with a lot of uncertainty heading into its first Sugar Bowl appearance.

Jimmy Clausen wasn't the only big name to announce he won't be returning to South Bend next year as Golden Tate made it known that he will also enter his name into the 2010 NFL Draft.

There was never a formal vote, not that there needed to be. In a decision that was so painfully obvious to everyone involved that it barely made it to the "sources said" rumor stage, Notre Dame on Friday officially took its football program out of consideration for a postseason bowl game.

Winning percentage in five seasons, worse than predecessors Tyrone Willingham and Bob Davie when they were fired 3 concerns Players Quarterback Jimmy Clausen and receiver Golden Tate could decide to leave for the NFL draft instead of returning for their senior season.

Notre Dame is going to hear "No" a few times before it hears a yes. The Fighting Irish have tradition and history and a pulpit that remains as bully as any in college football.

Mr. Clausen, this is nothing personal. You did all you could and have played your heart out all year.

Before there was "the streak," there was "the escape." Then came "the ankle," "the ceiling fan to the forehead," the excruciating pain Sam Young sometimes played through from injuries he never blabbed to the media about - none of which were able to truncate "the streak" before it stretched into the Notre Dame football record books.

Pittsburgh - From the outside looking in, college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit sees a fan base reaching its boiling point.

It's been a fun nine weeks , watching the slow, tortuous slide into mediocrity of the Longhorn football program, even as its deluded fans continue to fantasize about a BCS title, completely unaware that Notre Dame is breathing down their back ready to take that title away.

The boldest statement to come out of Notre Dame Sunday regarding the state of its distressed football program was that there wouldn't be any.

Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen looks on as the team sings the Notre Dame alma mater.