SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame-Michigan is an old school rivalry with some old school flavor. And an Irish 25-23 win in a series that lay dormant for three years, generated some old school collegiate passion. Thus the old school reference: "If you don't know, now you know."

If you didn't know that Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham wore a green shirt because the students decided they would wear green, now you do. If you didn't know that in three short weeks he's already formed a bond with the student body and, and they with him, now you do.

Maybe you didn't know what happened right after the game. The students stormed the field and all kinds of people got hugged. A diminutive brown-haired girl ran up to defensive end Ryan Roberts and hugged him; outside linebacker Mike Goolsby hugged his coach, Bob Simmons; and last-minute hero, cornerback Shane Walton, who tried to end the game when he broke up Michigan's attempt at a two-point conversion, and then later did end it with an interception, got his Valvano on and ran around looking for people to hug.

If you didn't know that Walton is a pretty good football player, now you do.

If you didn't know that this football team is alright, now you do.

If you didn't know that at 5:30, the students exited the stadium through the same tunnel the team did, now you do. If you didn't know, by 6:15, they were still going, now you do.

If you didn't know that this Notre Dame season was special, it's OK. See, no one did. Except the team. Back in August, after a particularly grueling practice and seemingly endless set of sprints, the team huddled in the middle of the field and clapped. There didn't appear to be any reason to be clapping. Then offensive lineman Sean Mahan yelled, "Something's happening here! Something's happening here!"

If you didn't know what he meant, now you do.

Alan Grant is a senior reporter with ESPN The Magazine.