The Anti-Preview: #8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish VS #21 Stanford Cardinal

It’s the last game of the regular season and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish still have something to play for on Saturday night against the Stanford Cardinal. At 9-2, the Irish can lock up a double-digit win season, and a major bowl invitation - probably the Cotton Bowl.

It’s been a long and very unusual season for Notre Dame, and for fans that aren’t too LIVE AND DIE BY THE IRISH it has actually been quite entertaining. I think a lot of fans probably had Notre Dame with 8 or 9 wins heading into this game in Palo Alto, but it’s the way in which they have done it is what has been so surprising - and at times quite refreshing.

Still, that old Notre Dame that we have come to fear in November has somewhat returned, and a lot of those “goodwill” feelings hinge upon this game.

This is LATE AF thanks to a better than expected Thanksgiving holiday, so please forgive me as I breeze right through this thing.

STANFORD

Pat Sullivan already did a knock out preview of the Cardinal, so PLEASE READ THAT HERE.

The Legends Trophy is on the line, and we have the chance of seeing David Shaw in full MELTDOWN mode. We need this.

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE DRINKING?

The Chainsaw

• 1 1/2 oz chilled tequila
• 5 - 10 dashes Tabasco® sauce
• 1 splash Rose's® lime juice
• 1 splash lemon-lime mix
• 1 pinch black peppers

Pour chilled tequilla, Tabasco, Roses, and lemon-lime mix into a cocktail mixer with ice. Shake briefly. Fill a ( chilled in freezer) shot glass, garnish with black pepper, and serve.

Photo by Martin Hangen/Getty Images

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE EATING?

Get over the Thanksgiving slump with the best fucking sushi you can find.

SUSHI

Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Lifetime

WHAT SHOULD YOU BE WEARING?

Don’t you just have to go full LUMBERJACK mode with your CHAINSAW cocktail and your BEST FUCKING SUSHI EVER? Yes - yes you do.

Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images

WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS GAME?

If Notre Dame wins...

• David Shaw cries (more)
• Cotton Bowl
• 1st win in Palo Alto since the stunning 2007 season.
• Have I mentioned the Legends Trophy?

5 REASONS TO HATE STANFORD

1. The birth of the Harbaugh (really)
2. David Shaw’s whining
3. That fucking cow pasture of a field
4. Their “band” and their mascot
5. They can actually be called a “rival” without me rolling my eyes.

SHAMROCK STARS

Kevin Stepherson. If there has been one player on the offense deserving of this kind of confidence (not named Nelson) it’s Stepherson. I expect a gameplan that looks to use a lot of the sophomore speedster.

Shaun Crawford. At some point in the second half of the season, Crawford is going to have another one of those playmaker playmaking games. This so happens to be the last game of the season. I’m putting my bet on Shaun to do some damage.

AT THE END OF THE NIGHT...

I have no idea which Notre Dame team is going to show up. Will it be the team that just whooped USC and N.C. State’s ass, or the shell of itself that we saw in Miami? I’m going full fanboy and saying the former. Notre Dame 38, Stanford 24