Notre Dame coach on facing Kentucky: 'We are America's team tomorrow'

When Notre Dame takes the court Saturday, they figure to be playing the part of the baby face. The fan favorite. The Rocky Balboa.

They're running up against 37-0 Kentucky, after all, and to hear Fighting Irish head coach Mike Brey tell it, the people always back the underdog.

"We are America's team tomorrow," Brey said Friday. "There's no question about it. I've gotten some great texts."

There's something to be said for Brey's logic, as March Madness is the time for Cinderella stories and Notre Dame has a history of toppling favorites, having ended UCLA's ridiculous 88-game winning streak back in 1974.

With the NCAA tournament breaking viewership records left and right, Saturday's 8:49 p.m. ET tip on TBS should continue that trend. Whether Brey's correct in his judgment of the public's support is impossible to know, but it's a safe bet that if Notre Dame keeps it close, they'll have the vote of the casual fan.

So Notre Dame may be America's team Saturday, but they're decidedly not Vegas' team, entering the Elite Eight showdown as 11-point underdogs.