💬 Notre Dame - CFP's X Factor?

[bradenob]

Why Notre Dame could cause major CFP headaches

Oh really, Ms. Dinich? Let's actually look at some facts, shall we? Maybe a LOT of them??!!

Notre Dame 2015 Football Schedule

September 5 7:30 p.m. Texas #11 Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN NBC W 38–3 80,795
September 12 3:30 p.m. at Virginia #9 Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA ABC W 34–27 58,200
September 19 3:30 p.m. #14 Georgia Tech #8 Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN NBC W 30–22 80,795
September 26 3:30 p.m. UMass #6 Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN NBC W 62–27 80,795
October 3 8:00 p.m. at #12 Clemson #6 Memorial Stadium • Clemson, SC ABC L 22–24 82,415
October 10 3:30 p.m. Navy #15 Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN (Rip Miller Trophy) NBC W 41–24 80,795
October 17 7:30 p.m. USC #14 Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN (Jeweled Shillelagh / Rivalry) NBC W 41–31 80,795
October 31 8:00 p.m. at #21 Temple #9 Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, PA ABC W 24–20 69,280
November 7 Noon at Pittsburgh #9 Heinz Field • Pittsburgh, PA (Rivalry) ABC W 42–30 68,400
November 14 3:30 p.m. Wake Forest #6 Notre Dame Stadium • South Bend, IN NBC W 28–7 80,795
November 21 7:30 p.m. vs. Boston College #5 Fenway Park • Boston, MA (Holy War/Shamrock Series) NBCSN W 19–16 38,686
November 28 7:30 p.m. at #13 Stanford #4 Stanford Stadium • Stanford, CA (Legends Trophy / Rivalry)

Not a bad schedule, but not good, either. They lost to #2 and #3 (Clemson, Stanford) in the final polls (http://www.cbssports.com/college-fo...-16-rankings-for-every-college-football-team/). They beat Texas (#70 ), Virginia (#87), Georgia Tech (#88), U Mass (#111), Navy (#18), USC (#28), Temple (#27), Pitt (# 49), Wake Forest (#101), and Boston College (#95).

Strength of schedule was ranked 17th (Sagarin - http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/ ) and they were 1-2 vs top 30 opponents. Alabama's S o S was #1, and we were 10-1 vs top 30 opponents. Of note, Auburn (4th, 0 & 6 [giggle]), LSU (5th, 3 & 3), Arky (6th, 4 & 2), and ole piss (16th, 5 &2) all had better S o S than Notre Dame.

So Coach B Kelly can go EABODs claiming that we take off a week playing an FCS opponent - only 6 of their games were against teams in the top FIFTY, and they went 4 & 2 (67%) in those!

Funny that the author states that ND "has one of the most difficult openers in the country, as its Sept. 4 game at Texas." REALLY?? They finished 70th last year!!!

Consider looking forward to 2016 while thinking about Kelly's comments (and the author's).

According to the simple won/loss method (2016 College Football Strength of Schedule - Win/Loss Method) LSU (1), Arky (2), Ole piss ( 3), awbarn (4), 'Bama (8), A&M (15), and USCe (23) all have a tougher S o S this fall than ND (25). Even that's deceiving as you look at the list below - Navy, NC State, VaTech, and arguably Mich St and Duke, will all be worse.

For kicks, 247 Sports has ranked the 10 toughest for the fall, and ole piss (2), 'Bama (5), LSU (6), A&M (9), and Arky (10) are ranked but.... no notre dame - huh? The irish have @Texas, Nevada, Mich St, Duke, @Syracuse, @NCState, Stanford, Miami, Navy, Army, VaTech, and @USC. So they have one tought road game (USC) and two tough home games (Mich St, Stanford)? I'm not impressed - the rest ARE cupcakes, through and through, so I think the female reporter needs to watch and read and understand football for a while before writing another article for ESPN, or ANYONE ELSE!!

 

[TerryP]

Notre Dame, assisted by the power of its brand and the muscle of its independent schedule, has the potential to elbow one more big-time champ out of a semifinal spot.
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A one loss ND team versus a one loss P5 team ... ND gets the invitation over what, 90% of the field because they are Notre Dame. I saw one of the national guys tweeting about that yesterday. He was right, as is she.

 

[252BAMA]

Notre Dame, assisted by the power of its brand and the muscle of its independent schedule, has the potential to elbow one more big-time champ out of a semifinal spot.
​

A one loss ND team versus a one loss P5 team ... ND gets the invitation over what, 90% of the field because they are Notre Dame. I saw one of the national guys tweeting about that yesterday. He was right, as is she.

I hit the like button and then thought WTH? I don't like what he is saying, I just agree with it.

 

[TerryP]

I just agree with it.

Lest anyone forget. How quickly did we see the love affair they felt, nationwide, just a few years ago before a certain trip to Miami?

During Alabama's bye-week this year, I won't be surprised if we find ourselves talking about how Michigan is dominating the conversations and the only team they've played is Wisconsin who has/will have already lost two games on the season. The same type of 'love affair' Notre Dame received (and may be at the time as well.)

 

[AFF]

They (media) have always been in love with ND. It would have been such a fairy tale ending for them had ND beat Bama back in '12. Now that we're back defending yet another NC they are REALLY praying hard that Harbaugh and Michigan will be the team to finally supplant us and ease their Bama fatigue. My wish this year (besides another NC) is for Harbaugh and Michigan to either (a) totally collapse and lose 5 or more games, or (b) they go undefeated, win the Big10, and we give them a Mich. St. style ass-whoopin'.

 

[TUSKtimes]

If Texas comes out like their manhood is being challenged, maybe they can measure the domers in Austin. Otherwise, out of the ACC, they don't get Clemson or Florida St. Replaced by Duke and VaTech seem manageable. Michigan St. lost a lot of pieces and Miami and Stanford are going to south bend. Helton is not keeping USC engaged for an entire season and should have them imploding by then. Very doable schedule.

 

[alabama mike]

I have several problems with the college in Indiana that date back years (read into this 1966 and 1978) and here is what I see. nd always, every year, gets the love of the people who rank college football. Top 25? No problem. Top 10? Usually, no problem. They have the national media wrapped around their little finger, play a weak schedule almost on a yearly basis and yet continue to be ranked in the preseason polls. Just about every broadcaster cannot say enough good things about nd.

Another thing that grips my butt is that nd was the yearly winner of the Commander n Chief trophy for years because they beat Army, Navy and Air Force. Nothing wrong in playing one of the service academies from time to time. In my personal opinion, every Power 5 conference school should play only Power 5 conference schools, no exceptions. Yes, this includes Alabama.

 

[252BAMA]

I have several problems with the college in Indiana that date back years (read into this 1966 and 1978) and here is what I see. nd always, every year, gets the love of the people who rank college football. Top 25? No problem. Top 10? Usually, no problem. They have the national media wrapped around their little finger, play a weak schedule almost on a yearly basis and yet continue to be ranked in the preseason polls. Just about every broadcaster cannot say enough good things about nd.

Another thing that grips my butt is that nd was the yearly winner of the Commander n Chief trophy for years because they beat Army, Navy and Air Force. Nothing wrong in playing one of the service academies from time to time. In my personal opinion, every Power 5 conference school should play only Power 5 conference schools, no exceptions. Yes, this includes Alabama.

1977.

 

[alabama mike]

1977.

77-78 season after the bowl game where they jumped from #5 to #1...DISGRACE!