MIAMI -- Luck of the Irish.
For starters, it's a misleading phrase, in that most historians would tell you Irish luck is not necessarily a good thing. No matter -- No. 1 Notre Dame enjoyed its share of fortunate breaks on its way to the BCS title game, with perhaps the bulk of those coming during a wild, wacky, marathon game at home against Pittsburgh on Nov. 3.
Irish 29, Pitt 26, triple overtime.
If any of at least a half-dozen plays in that one went another way, Notre Dame would be watching No. 2 Alabama play someone else for the title on Monday night. But the Irish found a way in that game, finished the regular season unbeaten and are now one win from capturing the national championship.
"I've always been one of those that doesn't really believe in luck," Alabama coach Nick Saban said. "You kind of create your own luck by how you execute and how you perform. I think sometimes people think you're lucky when you're able to make significant plays at critical times in the games."
Maybe, maybe not. Because on that day at Notre Dame Stadium, the Fighting Irish had luck in bunches.
There were plenty of things that went wrong for the Irish in that game, just a few of them including:
n A first-quarter play when a surefire touchdown was missed because an open receiver was never seen;
n A 43-yard field goal try at the end of the half going awry;
n Theo Riddick being ruled down just shy of the
n Everett Golson getting picked off in the end zone with 4 minutes left and Notre Dame still trailing;
n Cierre Wood fumbling the ball away an inch or two from the end zone on the opening possession of the second overtime.
And then came the moment, perhaps the quintessential moment of Notre Dame's season to date.
Pitt kicker Kevin Harper lined up for what would have been a game-winning 33-yard field goal in that second OT, with the stadium still somewhat stunned over the play where Wood simply lost the ball.
A veritable chip-shot.
Make the kick, Pitt wins.
Along the Notre Dame sideline, barely any of the offensive players could look at the scene.
Snap was high, but got down. Harper struck the ball, which went end-over-end toward his target.
"It was so close," offensive lineman Zack Martin said. "We heard their crowd up in the corner cheer, so we thought it was done."
The Pitt crowd's cheer was quickly drowned out, of course. The kick went past the right upright, a foot or two away from being enough to give Pitt the win. Harper missed, and that was just one of two breaks Notre Dame caught on that play. The other was that Bennett Jackson and Chris Brown -- players who both wear No. 2 for Notre Dame -- were on the field at the same time, meaning the Irish should have been penalized.
The infraction wasn't noticed by the officials.
"A coaching mistake," Irish coach Brian Kelly said.
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