Our NC hopes and Te'o Heisman

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Does a team that gives up 51 points and 620 yards on defense deserve to pass us?

as scary good as oregon's offense was today i think this game hurts them (or at least it should) in the eyes of voters.

Great teams don't concede 51 points and 620 yards of offense at least that's what our slogan should be.

Yeah because a team that lost to Youngstown State didn't take Oregon to triple overtime.

 

[ThePiombino]

Does a team that gives up 51 points and 620 yards on defense deserve to pass us?

as scary good as oregon's offense was today i think this game hurts them (or at least it should) in the eyes of voters.

Great teams don't concede 51 points and 620 yards of offense at least that's what our slogan should be.

Wishful thinking.

 

[EifertPower]

Les Miles is killing LSU will his bonehead play calls today

 

[PJWhitfield]

Kicking game and special teams are biggest drags on Notre Dame right now. Maybe it's time to check out the soccer team for a better kicker.

 

[EifertPower]

I agree our special teams needs work...and we need better kickoff returns and punt returns, but even if Brindza made every fg today we still are down 11 heading into the 4th quarter and are down by 4 points late in the 4th quarter.

What is Brindza on the season? 17 for 23 on fgs and 17 for 18 on extra points. How does that compare to other fg kickers in the nation?

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

LSU being stupid gangbangers and horrible people just killed our chances. The worst year to go undefeated.

 

[phork]

NCG game gone. Les Miles payback for us stealing Gunner.

Focus: Rosebowl vs Indiana.

Yes it is true. If they win 2 of the next 3 they will be in Indianapolis.

 

[Junkhead]

NCG game gone. Les Miles payback for us stealing Gunner.

Focus: Rosebowl vs Indiana.

Yes it is true. If they win 2 of the next 3 they will be in Indianapolis.

You serious clark?

 

[Fbolt]

Fair or not... Both Oregon and Alabama have to win a conference championship game in addtion to finishing the "regular " season undefeated...all it takes is one loss to knock a team out of the NC race at this point. As long as the Irish stay undefeated it doesn't matter if they win ugly from here on out. Just like a Win is a Win... Undefeated is Undefeated. Each weekend there is a surprise (like we just witnessed), so I still feel like there is a likelyhood of ND playing in the NC.

Yep-all ND has to do is keep finding ways to win. It will all work out in the end.

 

[DomeLover3]

pessimistic post...

at least with our nc hopes being a longshot, a loss wont hurt so bad knowing we'll still go to a bcs bowl in all likelihood.

 

[Fbolt]

Just in case you don't know, it's a two part issue. #1 ND has to win BC, WF, and USC. #2, KSU, Alabama, and Oregon have to win out, which include league championship games for Alabama and Oregon.

ND is undefeated at this stage, so, there is a likelihood that they could play for the NC. Guess what? So could Oregon, KSU, and Alabama. I think the odds for the Irish are as good as any other team.

Not pessimistic, reality.

 

[IrishinSyria]

Alabama's comeback today definitely didn't help the Irish.

 

[Crazy Balki]

Yeah because a team that lost to Youngstown State didn't take Oregon to triple overtime.

Up to this point, Oregon hasn't played anybody as good as Pitt.

 

[Crazy Balki]

If ND wins out, they're in. Period. Why is that? 3 words. Strength of Schedule. Oregon's and K-State's is a joke.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

If ND wins out, they're in. Period. Why is that? 3 words. Strength of Schedule. Oregon's and K-State's is a joke.

Wrong. They will have played just as tough schedules, but more importantly, the human polls will not move us up past #4.

 

[KPENN]

IMO you are kidding yourself if you think he's gonna win it or thought he was gonna. Just strictly as a defensive player getting invited is quite an accomplishment.

 

[IrishinSyria]

If ND wins out, they're in. Period. Why is that? 3 words. Strength of Schedule. Oregon's and K-State's is a joke.

Hardly true- K-State's beat Oklahoma, Ok St, West Virginia and Texas Tech. If they win out, they'll own wins over Texas and TCU as well. Each of those teams could be ranked (not saying they will be) at the end of the season. Not the hardest schedule in the country, but respectable enough to get some love from voters.

 

[KPENN]

Up to this point, Oregon hasn't played anybody as good as Pitt.

Uhhh USC?

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Uhhh USC?

And Arizona, ASU, and Washington. Probably more. Pitt is awful.

 

[STLDomer]

IMO you are kidding yourself if you think he's gonna win it or thought he was gonna. Just strictly as a defensive player getting invited is quite an accomplishment.

Not directed only at you but If Klein is hurt, who wins it now?

Te'o? Stock probably dropped after this week
McCarron? Didn't play very well in the 2nd half except the winning drive
Barkely? Probably out now
Geno Smith? Probably out now
Barner? Stock is rising
Braxton Miller?

Anyone else?

 

[Yes]

This would be such a perfect year for the 4-team playoff

 

[EifertPower]

Just in case you don't know, it's a two part issue. #1 ND has to win BC, WF, and USC. #2, KSU, Alabama, and Oregon have to win out, which include league championship games for Alabama and Oregon.

ND is undefeated at this stage, so, there is a likelihood that they could play for the NC. Guess what? So could Oregon, KSU, and Alabama. I think the odds for the Irish are as good as any other team.

Not pessimistic, reality.

^THIS. Notre Dame going 12-0 would be enough of a challenge and accomplishment. I'm just worried about that and hope everything else takes care of itself. If it doesn't then so be it. I get the sense some of you would prefer us to go 11-1 if there are 2 or 3 12-0 teams just so that it doesnt hurt that we might not get in the national championship game.

 

[EifertPower]

Not directed only at you but If Klein is hurt, who wins it now?

Te'o? Stock probably dropped after this week
McCarron? Didn't play very well in the 2nd half except the winning drive
Barkely? Probably out now
Geno Smith? Probably out now
Barner? Stock is rising
Braxton Miller?

Anyone else?

Watching Barner last night I thought he and Klein were the two best players i've seen in the nation this year, but then i looked at his stats and wasnt really impressed. However, if he puts up good numbers against Stanford and Oregon State then i think he can win it.

Klein if he's healthy i think is the clear favorite. In fact, even if he isn't healthy then i think he can win. Let's say he's injured, cant play, and Kansas State loses a couple of games....doesn't that show his value?

Manti still has a chance and i dont think individually this game hurt him as much as you all think. What hurt him from the Pitt game was that our defense gave up 23 points. I think the key for Manti is to pad his stats a little. Voters want stats...so if he can rack up sacks against BC and Wake and some big time tackles for a loss and maybe a forced fumble he'll have a good chance provided we are 11-0 and he does something special in the USC game.

To me, not only should Ohio State forfeit team awards this season but also individual awards. Hence, Braxton Miller should not win the Heisman.

Barkley still to me is the best QB in the nation but he should suffer the same fate as Jimmy Clausen did. Because the USC defense cant stop anyone, it will cost him the Heisman.

McCarron is a good QB in the Alabama system but not a serious Heisman contender in my opinion.

Is there anyone else worthy of going to NYC for the Heisman that I missed?

 

[BurningRiver]

Our only hope at the NC game is if two or more of the Alabama-Oregon-KSU group lose, which at this point I find unlikely. If we're undefeated at the end of the season I'd have a hard time believing we'd get passed up for a 1-loss Alabama or Oregon, so if those teams lose we'd control our own destiny. That being said though I find it unlikely for those teams to lose. This weekend was definitely our best shot at that.

 

[IHateMarkMay]

Just got done watching something on ESPN. Pissing me offffff. Apparently, our offense keeps us out of the "top tier" of teams. No mention of Alabama's offense that isn't that great. K-State just gave up a ton of points to Okie State, and Oregon (the best team apparently to Pollack) couldn't stop USC from hanging 50+ on them... WTF

 

[InKellyWeTrust]

After sleeping on it I can say a win is a win, and that's pretty much it about ND's performance yesterday. Does it hurt NC hopes? Maybe, but if 3 or 4 teams go undefeated we weren't going to the NC game anyways, so we are still pretty much in the same position.

What hurt us more yesterday than anything was frickin Les Miles. His team played a brilliant game, but he made 4 bonehead decisions that Saban was more than ready to counter. And why, why, why does LSU play soft on that final drive? Bama couldn't move past the 50 the whole 2nd half then LSU decides to give the receivers 15 yard cushions? Whatever.

Also, Oregon is not going to lose to any Pac-12 team this year. They are too good. KState is vulnerable if Klein has any significant injury. Bama has a ton of confidence coming off that LSU game and it would take Vince Young-esque performance by Johnny Football to knock Bama off at this point. So here we are, still left with four undefeated teams.

 

[JadeBrecks]

My NC pipedream. ND vs Kansas St.

 

[arrowryan]

Just keep winning, everything will else will figure itself out.

By the way, I would LOVE yo play IU in the Rose Bowl

 

[irishtrain]

Just keep winning, everything will else will figure itself out.

By the way, I would LOVE yo play IU in the Rose Bowl

First of all hats off to Pitt. They played better than Notre Dame played bad. Meaning I think the Irish were ready Pitt just had a great effort from their d line early and some trick/junk plays that worked. That game takes on a totally different slant if they punch it in early in the game when Pitt held. It happens. As far as a berth in the last game-yeh it would be nice-but for me an undefeated regular season is the buliding block for the following years. I really dont care what a voting system tells me about my Notre Dame. I have picked against these guys all year ( for the Holtz affect ) and say right now they should beat BC/Wake. southern cal ( notice small caps ) IS the bowl game and it must be won. After that let the chips fall where they may and let the so called know it alls out there who vote do whatever. This team is remarkable/tough/and seemingly rolling with destiny. They gotta take care of business these next 2 games. Then remember southern cal said you 'quit' last year. Southern cal may beat Notre Dame but there is no 'quit' in this team.

 

[GreenSox04]

NC hopes may have taken a serious hit yesterday. but hey, we're STILL talking about it today. We might fall in the BCS rankings in an hour, but not nearly as far as it appeared after 3 quarters yesterday..

hangover games happen, we should all realize that. i get the ducks and bama have looked like machines to this point, BUT..

both still have conference championship games to get through... both the biggest rival on the slate still to go.. not that we should expect auburn/oregon state to handle them..it could happen.
oregon is finishing up on the road, including a date with a very physical defense in standford at home.

just keep fiNDing a way. go irish.