WASH. ST. 61, NOTRE DAME 41

So Notre Dame just got beat. Plain and simple. Every now and then you have to tip your hat to your opponent who just played better than you did. That's exactly what happened on Saturday night in Denver, CO as the Cougars put a hurting on Notre Dame.

To all those nay-sayers out there who want to blame head coach Mike Brey for the lose -- stop. You are wasting your time. It wasn't coach Brey's fault they lost. They guy is one very good coach who gets a lot out of his players. He deserved his Big Easy Coach of the Year award the past two years.

Notre Dame lost for one major reason, Washington State played great defense. They impossed their will on the Irish from the outset and Notre Dame couldn't recover. These things happen. It is unfortunate for it to happen against a team I enjoy rooting for but it is what it is.

It was a fun year to root for a team that was picked to finished ninth in the preseason Big East poll and make a run into the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It's not so much the loss that's bothersome, it is just the fact that you can't watch a team you enjoy rooting for a several months. But, until next season ...