I feel like you'll -- them. -- is. You're in the history books out. You put yourself in the the history books. We won this game like we won every game. This year we are we all our determination. And grit are walked into his daughter. Football game -- got past that I. -- great coaching staff got. We're both healthy. -- what a great scene last Saturday night as the Irish completed their perfect twelve and all regular season earning a trip to the BCS title game joining us -- the podcast the Tribune's Notre Dame beat writer. He is Brian Hamilton Brian thanks for joining us now. Our first thing as you look at this it was an improbable journey that this team went on this year I mean last year they were eight and five. We knew the defense would be good reality we've got to be his stellar roster as it was. Wayne did you get an idea. That this team had what it so to run the table. Oklahoma. And that was sort of the one game that you thought. There's no way they were gonna win and and he thought you go and in Norman and just. That would be the time that it that a young team to get exposed especially in the secondary but I Landry Jones and athletes they have on offense he thought that. The sooners defense would certainly be good enough to kind of jam up ever -- on the road and you know it was a it was a close game until the enemy Notre Dame on a couple scores -- -- make it look right -- and wise. But that was the day I mean that was a -- said OK they are national championship contender will they finish it off who knows it is. I mean this is all new territory for them even at that point but. That game says okay Notre Dame UN on the road you want not -- -- here you probably can be just about anybody. 88 you know while again it was a great defense that night in Norman -- like it all the way late to win at 3013. What what I've marveled that was OK we still had to see you know is the Stanford game the Pitt game and there were there were -- falls along the way. And I marveled that it's. Yeah you know they put their best effort out there at each everywhere found ways to win and I I you know nobody. Takes on Notre Dame -- and does not give their best effort. I mean they are circled on everybody's got probably and that's what I was impressed with most as they ran this table. Yeah I mean that's Brian Kelly's thing is that. Every game is like a bowl game for them every game's a championship game because of the way teams approach them. The team like Michigan and even maybe in Michigan State in the place -- pretty big games to Stanford plays some pretty big games too so. Once you get to that high level of competition I'm not sure. How much these teams really say Notre Dame is the game of the season for us I don't think that's necessarily true for some of the other teams but. You're certainly getting get the best shot. From the bad -- you know you're -- that the Boston college's of the world wake forests of the world the Pittsburgh in the world. The middling to bad teams are definitely give you their best they might just get run over another game so. Comment. They found ways to win all year I'd I don't think. That's a mark against them I think you can be a championship team by just eking out ways to win by being a little lucky here and there was they have been. That's just probably is what has happened to every championship team their -- and I don't I'm not made up of how it's gone for everybody that's won a title but. I'd be hard pressed to imagine that every team that's won the BCS title hasn't had a little bit of benefit along the way -- just found a way to win when things were on the wrong why. Yeah they say defense wins championships truly this was a defense that was worthy of a chance to the question was could the offense improve. And especially. The maturation. Of ever Colson I mean a redshirt freshman. Who is getting yanked in and out of games at the beginning right like it was pop Warner like like Brian Kelly was. Your manager calling for you know Tommy Reese out of the bullpen I mean. In a way did that helpful did that reset goals and I mean there's a -- American -- for disciplinary actions I wondered it may be. -- maybe he does better when he comes in off the bench because the pressure. Is is not too much for him yeah I'm not. Sure how much did form. Brian Kelly's talks recently. Maybe last few weeks about how I ever calls and haven't really dealt. We're getting pulled so well earlier in the year -- -- he would be once he got pulled out of the game he'd be in a mental funk in the lost. For that game in there is as you progressed it was okay gets pulled but then he goes back in yet and then he doesn't get pulled because he start to play better so. It was it was interesting quarterback imagine from Brian Kelly -- think any of us have seen anything like it. Just like having that relief pitcher come in Tommy -- to finish off games huge gamble that worked out for them but. -- -- The one thing it's really surprised me about him this year is how he well he's taking care of the ball on the passing game Watson fumbles early in the year reiter Austria that way but. With the exception of couple throws this is not a guy who was put in a traffic all the time and just get away with murder being careless with the ball he. Took great care of the ball for guys a redshirt freshman never played the game before this year that's why -- it's part of the reason why they're twelve those because their defense. Was able to work against a long field's most of the time as opposed to having short fields and team in cheap points along the way. Running game certainly helped him out a lot I mean theoretically it's huge in that at USC game. A Sierra good at -- can say they all had their moments of brilliance during this twelve and all season how old. Did Kelly handle that trio and keep them happy. And get them all touches yeah I think with acting -- it was maybe a little bit less to worry cries -- like the first time coming through all this but. -- feel are best friends I mean they lived together. They love each other. I don't think he really. Worried about carries and who's getting why as long as they're kind of both getting their share but. He'll wreck. His progress from the beginning of the year we think about a guy's a natural running back who was playing receiver for the last couple years. From the start this year -- and this year it's amazing how far he's come alone and against USC mean USC's defense is bad. But they have athletes and they know how to put strong guys on the field. And he just ran through everybody and bounced off guys time and time and time again and he was. It was a sound and him one of the other writers on the beat commented the other day at the Heisman Trophy winner. Of that game would be number six not number fives for the way theoretically so. If you can run like that against an SEC team in the championship game you -- Definitely going to give yourself a chance we'll see him in the front any any defense they play either defense and playing SEC title game is going to be far far away better. There -- USC put out there. Gotta talk about man -- -- on your from afar. He seems like the guy every coach would want to have on his team every dad who want the daughter to date. His stories incredible the way he plays the what you hear he says in the huddle right. It and just the way it ended it at USC was was so appropriate. But as a guy who's covered this team every day. -- what did you take away most -- I -- but. He's a guy that and Thomas cynical -- Like I I don't believe what I see a whole lot about it and I don't believe that you can sit -- their auditorium interviewed Kidd and have a perfect idea of what that kid is like every other aspect of his life. Man ties though -- what you see is what you get guys and now I'm convinced of that based on observing and based on talking to his parents I mean. Based on just hearing anecdotally from campus. What he's like he is the genuine. Article and that that is that's impressive because here's a guy who who clearly -- gone NFL last year. Very viable. Pro future is going to millionaire. And it hasn't changed him and he certainly is still the same character guys the same personal guys seem polite guy it seems. He's always been knows everybody's name on campus. Always goes out of his way to but it needs -- stories this year about how he's got out of his way on ask tell her letters to PLO picked up their day. He's he did not go on a Mormon mission because he felt. That and he said his mission was going to be staying at Notre Dame sort of ministering. The football and he's doing I mean if if if if at the end they say you know I can't go to -- more Michigan Maru my pro career. He's at least following through on the -- part in terms of what he represents and how he treats people and what how he's reaching out to people so. And that's to me he's the ultimate what she sees what you get guy and that's pretty impressive -- this well. It's. Up next did tragic events like the death of Jacqueline Sullivan's change Brian Kelly in the way Notre Dame operates and -- they came with the SEC champ. In the title game the TV broadcast this coming right back.