For everyone who said this past Saturday, “Ah, Navy beating Notre Dame isn’t that big of a deal with how bad the Irish are this year,” needs to check out John Feinstein’s article in the Washington Post.
Notre Dame has every advantage a football power can possibly have: an 80,000-seat stadium; its own TV network; arguably the greatest tradition in college football history (“win one for the Gipper,” Knute Rockne, Touchdown Jesus, the fight song); more money than it knows what to do with; and a great academic reputation.
What does Navy sell to recruits? The chance to play against Notre Dame.
Or maybe it’s the chance to wake up at 6 o’clock every morning; the chance to be screamed at by upperclassmen; the chance to lose your weekend liberty for carrying a book-bag improperly or for being 30 seconds late to class. Not to mention the chance to get shot at when you graduate.
The players Coach Paul Johnson recruits are frequently like Campbell and Singleton: too small for big-time programs like Notre Dame to bother with; tough kids who love a challenge and love proving they can do things that “can’t” be done.
Like beating Notre Dame in Notre Dame Stadium.
The entire article is an eye-opener and it’s no wonder that Navy cancelled all its classes on Monday to enjoy the win. Like Da Bear said in a recent post, the Midshipmen were out-manned, out-muscled and out-recruited, but not out-smarted. I’ll also add that Navy had more heart and determination and Feinstein’s article puts that all into perspective.
