MY FEUD WITH HADEN!!!

So I hear that Pat Haden disagreed on air with my column about the Irish heading into the steamroller portion of their schedule. Dog, why you gotta be frontin'?

Unlike me, Pat Haden has a law degree, a Rhodes Scholar background, an NFL career, and a couple victories over the Irish as a quarterback at Southern Cal. But what does he know? I hear that Haden believes that UCLA will be a trap game for the Irish...and by the way, this game is a long way from over, though it bears mentioning that the Irish had as many first half first downs (22) as they've had in any SINGLE GAME this season.

Still, Mr. Haden, J.D., hear me now and listen to me later: Notre Dame will have a far more difficult time beating Navy than they will UCLA. Notre Dame will be coming off both a bye week and fall break (students are gone that week) and will be itching to play a glamorous opponent like the Bruins. The following Saturday they'll be in Baltimore against the No. 1 rushing team in the nation, a team whose players know that they'll never have to buy a beer (or swab a deck) for the rest of their lives if they end the notorious losing streak.

As for today, Purdue's 88-yard TD with a minute left in the half gave Weis the ammo he needs to rip into the Irish at the half. If the weather does not stop the Irish (it just began raining here), I don't think that Purdue will either. I see them putting up 49.