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Well, keep in mind that Pitt is actually a pretty good team. Their own defense is ranked #16. And they knocked off some pretty good teams in Virginia Tech, Rutgers and USF. As for the overtimes, you had two exhausted teams slugging it our in cold, wet weather. ND fumbled 3 times. Pitt missed a FG, but so had ND, along with a fumbled sure touchdown that would have ended the game. It was just a slugfest in the mud. And sh*t happens, but, this time, it didn't . . . which is part of the magic of this team, in this storybook year. Here are a few more facts about Teo from the ND website:

CAREER: Consensus preseason first-team All-America linebacker for 2012 ... played in all 38 games in Notre Dame career, starting 36 total games including 35 consecutive contests for the Irish ... one of highest regarded and most-decorated defensive recruits to select Notre Dame in recent memory ... totaled 324 tackles, 157 solo stops, 28.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, six pass breakups and two forced fumbles ... ranks eighth at Notre Dame in career tackles ... named a second-team All-American by five outlets in 2011 ... earned Capital One Academic All-America Second Team honors in 2011 ... finalist for the Lott Trophy and Butkus Award in 2011 ... his 133 tackles in 2010 finished just outside the top 10 in single-season school history ... the 133 tackles were the most by an Irish player since Tony Furjanic made 147 in 1983 ... has recorded 10 or more tackles in a game 18 times over his career ... only four Irish players started more games on defense in 2009 ... recorded third-most tackles ever by an Irish freshman and ranked fourth on team with 63 stops.

And that doesn't even begin to touch his personal story, the tragedies he has suffered this year, the hardships he has played under, the inspiration he has given the team, the leadership on and off the field, the support of fellow players (especially Golson). Few people know that when Declan Sullivan fell from the tower and was killed last year, the first to rush to his side, kneeling over him in prayer, was Manti Teo. This is a good guy. And a really deserving guy.