SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Michelle Goodhart grew up in Green, Ohio, near Akron, cheering for the Ohio State Buckeyes. 

Then she married her husband Nate Brown and inherited a Notre Dame football family, then became a Brady Quinn fan a few years ago.

"I root for both teams now," she said while closing up the family's tailgate party in the parking lot in the shadow of Notre Dame stadium.

Although the game was about to begin, she was not in too big a hurry to head inside.

"I've never really seen the campus," she explained, "the bookstore and the whole experience."

It was her second visit to South Bend.

Mary Ellin Brown from Norwalk had an entourage of six family members at Saturday's pivotal game against USC.

They came from Ohio Friday night and stayed about an hour from campus.

"My husband had some hotel points to use," she said, "and it's really not that far."

"We come to a few games a year," Brown told WKYC, "we love tailgating and seeing the campus and enjoying ourselves. We from a big Notre Dame football family."

Inside, Northeast Ohio fans had big games from some Notre Dame players who hail from that part of the Buckeye State.

When senior wide receiver Robbie Parris hauled in a pass on a fake field goal in the first quarter, Irish fan Pete Hlabse had forecast it a few seconds beforehand.

"I 100 percent called it!" Hlabse exclaimed, as Parris rumbled down to the two-yard line and set up Notre Dame's tying touchdown.

Hlabse, from Brecksville, Ohio, attended Cleveland's St. Ignatius High School as did Parris.

Seamus Laird, seated at the 25 yard line, joined in.

"They fooled everyone," he said, "they hid him on the sideline and everyone thought he was subbing out."

Northeast Ohio fans came to their feet again when senior defensive lineman John Ryan from Westlake, Ohio ripped down USC quarterback Matt Barkley for a 7 yard loss with under six minutes left in the game.

It put the Irish in position to mount a late comeback.

Parris had the Cleveland area contingent screaming again when he hauled in an incredible catch with 35 seconds left in the game on fourth down to keep a desperate Notre Dame drive alive.

Parris gave the Northeast Ohioans all they could have wanted with 9 catches for 90 yards in his greatest game for the Irish.

Although the Irish fell short 34-27 when a pass with one second left landed incomplete in the end zone, Notre Dame fans who hail from the Cleveland area had high praise for their effort.

"A lot of people questioned the ability of this team," said Sean Poe of Chagrin Falls. "

After this game there can be no doubt that this team possesses a greater attribute - heart."

Another fan who had made the 260 mile trek put his hands in his pockets and walked briskly from the stadium.

"It wasn't supposed to end this way," he sighed.

"Not like this in the last second. But I'll be back."