Notre Dame football fans hope for a championship
Notre Dame fan Jhade Avila of Bucktown is among many Fighting Irish followers in Chicago looking forward to the team play for the national championship for the first time since losing to Alabama in 2013.
"It’s going to be such an exciting game," said Avila, 27. "But, win or lose, for me, it’ll always be ‘God, country, and love Notre Dame.’”
Avila, who lives in Bucktown, said Thursday's comeback win over Penn State was stressful.
"The first half was nerve-wracking because we were down but that turnaround after the second half was the best feeling ever," she said. "I was going to be in tears if we won and I was going to be in tears if we lost but I really wanted them to win and they did."
So it looks like she'll be crying either way after the title matchup in Atlanta on Jan. 20. If the Irish win, it will be their first national championship since 1988.
"It's about time," said longtime fan Rob Mazzela, 23. "Notre Dame is relevant again. I remember watching the last championship game with my dad, who's a huge fan. It feels good knowing the team is doing well and we'll be able to watch them play again."
Mazzela,, from Roscoe Village was with a few friends at Commonwealth Tavern, 2000 W. Roscoe St., Friday night to watch the Cotton Bowl game between the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes.
Ohio State won to move on to face Notre Dame for the championship.
Roscoe Village resident Ronny Ventura had hoped Texas would win — just so he could watch them lose against his beloved Notre Dame later this month.
"Texas is overrated and I don't like their fans," said Ventura, 23.
Longtime Notre Dame fan Will Hiteshew, 24, said Thursday's game was hard-fought but felt the team deserved to play in the finals.
"I'm pumped they won," said Hiteshew, of Roscoe Village. "The last time they played a championship game they got killed," he said, referring to Alabama's 42-14 win 12 years ago.
"But this year, they have a great coach, the players run the ball really well, they hit hard. The team has it all."
Irish fans at the Commonwealth seemed to agree that facing Ohio State — with eight national titles — would prove to be difficult. Hiteshew was "terrified" by the prospect.
The game against the Buckeyes, he added, "will be won in the trenches."
But Notre Dame fans were confident in their team and credited the team's success during the season to head coach Marcus Freeman.
"The coach reps the school well," said Ventura. "The team just needs to clean up the offense and they'll have a real shot at winning."
Even Matt Delaney, 30, a Notre Dame hater, agreed the reason the team was headed to the finals was because of Freeman's coaching.
"I hope they lose," said Delaney, who lives in Norwood Park. "I've always hated Notre Dame. But they have a really good coach. He's put them in a position to win."