Fans torn between Sooners and Irish

“I cheer for Notre Dame against anybody else, most definitely,” Patlan said. “But Saturday I'll be cheering for the Sooners.”

THE RELIGIOUS TEAM

Mike Milligan was baptized in a Christian church in Oklahoma but converted to Catholicism when he married his high school sweetheart. He's lived here his entire life, except for the four years he spent at Notre Dame as a student studying accounting.

His family has been season-ticket holders at Oklahoma for 50 years, but he's chosen to cheer this weekend for the Irish.

More than 800 people influenced his decision.

Milligan is in charge of the tailgate party for the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Oklahoma.

He's traded thousands of emails and hundreds of phone calls with people from as far away as Hawaii. Their abundant love and excitement of the Fighting Irish has forced him to set aside his chants of “Boomer Sooner.”

“When they played in 1999, I really didn't root for anybody,” Milligan said. “I just watched the game, but in this case since I'm going to be surrounded by so many rabid Notre Dame fans, I think I'm going to cheer for ND.”