On Saturday, the Fighting Irish was up to #3 in the country, their highest point this season, and were back to South Bend to take on the 4-win Pittsburgh Panthers. The score was 20-6 in favor of Pitt heading into the 4th quarter when a 11-yard pass to TJ Jones from Everett Golson that made it 20-12, but the extra point attempt was no good. Then came a Red Zone situation for the Irish inside the 10, when an End Zone pass from Golson was intercepted for a Touchback. After that was a "3 and Out" for the Panthers, Notre Dame started at the 50. Then Golson unleashed a 45-yarder that brought the Fighting Irish to the 5. The very next play was a 5-yard TD pass to Theo Riddick and a 2-point conversion run by Golson tied the game as OT was on its way. Both teams' kickers, Notre Dame's Kyle Brindza and Pitt's Kevin Harper, kicked 35 plus-yard FG's to send it to 2 OT. The Fighting Irish had the first possession and it had looked like Cierre Wood had ran into the End Zone through Pitt's D-line to give Notre Dame a lead, but Wood fumbled and lost the ball in the End Zone and Pitt picked it up for a turnover. It was 4th Down for the Panthers and it looked as if Harper would lock up a huge upset with a FG, but his kick was wide right. In 3 OT, Harper kicked a 44-yarder, but a 1-yard run from Golson gave the Irish a hair-greying win, 29-26. However, since they went into 3 OT with a 4-4 squad, they fell 1 place in the BCS Rankings as Oregon is now the #3 team.
The Giants were as well back home to play Ben Rothlisberger and the "Big Bad" Pittsburgh Steelers. In the 2nd QTR, Emmanuel Sanders caught a 4-yard pass, and Pittsburgh was up 7-0 before a 1-yard run from Andre Brown and a Lawrence Tynes PAT that ties the game at 7. Then Michael Boley picked up a Rothlisberger fumble and ran 70 yards to make it 14-7 Jints. In the final seconds of the 1st half, Shaun Suisham kicked a 30-yarder and it was a 4-point game. The 3rd quarter was all Giants as all the scoring was 2 field goals by Lawrence Tynes as New York was doubling up Pittsburgh heading into the 4th. Then in the 4th, the Steelers scored 2 TD's from Mike Wallace and Isaac Redmanthat gave Pittsburgh a 24-20 lead. The last 3 possessions for the Giants were "3 and Outs", as New York took the loss, 24-20.
Rutgers had this week off after their upset loss to Kent State, and after completely falling from the Rankings, the Scarlet Knights are back on as #23 with a 7-1 record. They will host Army on Saturday.
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