College Football News - ND preseason #18??

[lattedatte]

are these guys all drunk?

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2006/Rankings/Preview2006_11_20.htm

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

are these guys all drunk?

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2006/Rankings/Preview2006_11_20.htm

Actually, they make good points about our ranking. If the D does not improve we will not end up higher than 9 or 10...if we lose 4...18 is justified

I think we will lose no more than 1 (going into the bowls)...but I respect them for not blindly being on a the bandwagon.

LET'S PROVE THEM WRONG!!! Pre-season Rankings mean NOTHING. Winning solves everything.

 

[LuckoftheIrish86]

Some of his points are correct, and I could see us in the 6-10 range in the preseason rankings but #18 is rediculous.

 

[TexasDomer]

Last time we won the NC, I believe our preseason rank was #15 in TSN, coming off a loss to Texas A&M in a Cotton Bowl that "exposed ND's weaknesses."

Honestly, the way most of the media is bipolar on the Irish, I don't mind someone who is wanting a bit more proof that the OL can run block and pass block, that the DL can stop the run and pressure the passer, and the DBs can stay with big and fast receivers. It sure beats going from the grave to the throne in two years, like ESPN is wont to do to the Irish.

 

[ralphwaldoemerson]

That isn't a real site. It's practically some guy's homepage. Not sure why this merits attention.

 

[rontdtarchala]

Hard to argue with them considering they aren't saying anything that I havn't already said...but and thats a great big but (like my ex yeah I crack on her every chance I get...come on that was funny I don't care who you are) I have no doubt whatsoever that we will rectify those problems and take care of business.
GO IRISH

 

[tgolden]

18's pretty low, but I'd really rather not start super high. I'd rather prove people wrong and move up.

And as for the secondary, I'll bet it did get a little faster. With Ndukwe dropping that weight, I'm sure he's faster, and Wooden and Lambert are fast enough to begin with. Depending on where Richardson ends up, and how the freshmen come along the secondary should be much better this year... of course, that also depends on the pass rush and LBs.

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

these guys need to feel their heads for lumps because they bumped their heads. how do you put clemson , Nebraska, and Va tech ahead of us. put the corn syrup down and drink some reality.

 

[lattedatte]

!

!

Actually, they make good points about our ranking. If the D does not improve we will not end up higher than 9 or 10...if we lose 4...18 is justified

I think we will lose no more than 1 (going into the bowls)...but I respect them for not blindly being on a the bandwagon.

LET'S PROVE THEM WRONG!!! Pre-season Rankings mean NOTHING. Winning solves everything.

Yeah they make some good points but you could look at any of the top 15 and say the have bigger question marks. Consensus top 5 that I've heard are:

ND - secondary. I don' t thinkthe o-line is an issue.
Ohio State - They lost pracitically there entire defense to the draft and holmes.
Texas - Vince young is gone, nuff said.
USC - Do I even have to say what they lost.
WVU - lost some on defense but they only really beat one team last year.

Others:

Oklahoma - Bomar is very questionable. The O-line is suspect and the secondary is young.
LSU - Les Miles nuff said.
Auburn - This is about the only team I could think of that doesn't have any glaring weaknesses. Their schedule is actually pretty favorable as well.

No other team deserves preseason consideration.

In summation, 18 is rediculous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[PMac]

I dont buy this crap at all. This guy is obviously bias towards ND.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Yeah they make some good points but you could look at any of the top 15 and say the have bigger question marks. Consensus top 5 that I've heard are:

ND - secondary. I don' t thinkthe o-line is an issue.
Ohio State - They lost pracitically there entire defense to the draft and holmes.
Texas - Vince young is gone, nuff said.
USC - Do I even have to say what they lost.

I agree 100%...people really seem to be looking past all the critical losses of OSU, UT, and USC.

 

[LuckoftheIrish86]

That isn't a real site. It's practically some guy's homepage. Not sure why this merits attention.

brilliant.

Rep points on the first post. thats gotta be a record.

 

[BGIF]

... but I respect them for not blindly being on a the bandwagon.

You must hold Mark May and Lee Corso in high esteem then.

They went with the 0-6 forecast start while these turkeys were so much more accurate, forecasting a 1-5 start and a 5-6 season.

 

[scooper]

I dont buy this crap at all. This guy is obviously bias towards ND.

I tried to argue this point a couple weeks ago regarding a CFN article. They are a legit site-being an arm of Fox Sports, but moreso than any of the established CFB media, they let their bias shine through.

It really doesn't matter, though. Win the games and rankings will take care of themselves.

 

[TexasDomer]

It really doesn't matter, though. Win the games and rankings will take care of themselves.

'Nuff said.

IMO, as others have said, there are question marks for just about every team. This year has no really clear favorite. The qualitative difference between a preseason #1 and #15 ranking is pretty small this year. Parity's the watchword.

Over the last 15 years, ND has struggled to meet high expectations, even under Holtz. I was there 1989-1993, and we were in the hunt just about every year, but we also lost games we should have won to Stanford, PSU and others during that timeframe. The same people canonizing Lou in 1988 were screaming at him to pass to the TE just once, or to do something other than a between-the-tackles dive play on first down, by mid season in 1990. Good teams, even great teams, can get into a rut in playcalling, and can fail to show up on Saturday to defeat a team they are clearly better than.

There is legitimate reason to believe we can run the table this year, and legitimate reason to believe we could drop 3 games or so. All the preseason stuff is just to sell mags, get hits on a website, and agitate fan bases about whether their teams are getting enough respect. None of it matters until kickoff against GT, other than for creating conversations like this one. grin:

 

[Dannyboy Ayers]

my three year old makes better picks than that. But then again he always says go Irish.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

You must hold Mark May and Lee Corso in high esteem then.

They went with the 0-6 forecast start while these turkeys were so much more accurate, forecasting a 1-5 start and a 5-6 season.

May said it because he's a hater. Maybe this guy is...maybe not. But he does have a legitimate point.

To say that the Irish could lose 3 games in the regular season is NOT a stretch. Our team is really good, but we don't have a crappy schedule either. Worse yet, its front end loaded...no good warm up games.

Tough games (that could go either way)
GT - not a great team but they will play with fire, a great QB, and a tremendous WR.
UM - They are hungry and want revenge. They bring back a lot of their offense.
Penn State - they have some questions, but they are still dangerous
USC - can they reload? We shall see...but we play them later in the season...which is worse.
MSU - they are not great, but we are their best game all year...do not over look them.
UCLA - great offense, bad defense. This could be a scoring-fest.

5 tough games...if we start out rocky it could snowball.

So, it's fair to say he has a point. And he is not being a "May/Corso" in that sense.

Let's face it, our D has some questions to answer. Our offense is excellent, but they can't always hang 40+ points on a team.

 

[scooper]

LOVE, nobody's denying our questions or the traps that we may face. The problem is, looking at these rankings, every team has questions that are at least as big as ours. And many of those don't have the firepower on one side of the ball that we do.

I think it would be unwise and quite premature to pencil us in for the second game in Glendale, but I also don't think there are going to be 17 better teams.

 

[BigIrish]

could the irish lose three games this year? hell yes, they could. too many people are buying into the championship hype.

my current expectation is that the irish are good enough to hang in and finish in the top 25 this year. there's simply too many unanwered questions to predict anything more definitive than that.

a two-loss season would modestly exceed my expectations, and would all but secure a phenomenal recruiting haul and a trip to new york for quinn.

a one-loss season or better would far exceed my expectations, and would put the irish in the running for the NC, IMO, since this is the first year in a while that there doesn't seem to be a runaway leader in the pack.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

LOVE, nobody's denying our questions or the traps that we may face. The problem is, looking at these rankings, every team has questions that are at least as big as ours. And many of those don't have the firepower on one side of the ball that we do.

I agree with that...and I do think he's a bit off-base. However, I don't see him as a loony. I just see him taking the cynical aproach.

In the end, he is betting that teams which lose players CAN reload. Whereas with our team we bring back people with questions looming over them

So there is a difference in the logic.

Let's face it our PassD has sucked for the last 3 years. He is betting that continues. I would have bet you a million bucks that the PassD would be tons better last year because of the coaching changes...and I would have been very wrong.

So he's betting it stays about the same or slightly better. And if it does, we lose 2-4 games.

I am betting the coaching sinks in and they play smarter. 1 loss max.

I think it would be unwise and quite premature to pencil us in for the second game in Glendale, but I also don't think there are going to be 17 better teams.

Agreed... But I can't say I am making other plans for the day of that second game. I will be keeping that day free and clear!!!

Cause baby we are gonna do it...

 

[scooper]

So he's betting it stays about the same or slightly better. And if it does, we lose 2-4 games.

Even with our pass defense, we were literally two plays from an undefeated regular season. So this team can weather the storm of a weak defense. It's not far fetched to say that eliminating just two simple mistakes would have put us in the title game.

But yes, an improved defense would make wins quite a bit easier to come by.

Agreed... But I can't say I am making other plans for the day of that second game. I will be keeping that day free and clear!!!

Atta boy!


Man, I hate July.

 

[jiggafini19]

I go by Vegas and their odds. Usually pretty accurate.

 

[scooper]

I go by Vegas and their odds. Usually pretty accurate.

I usually wait to hear what Lee Corso has to say.....then go the opposite direction.

 

[rontdtarchala]

good bet scoop, what planet did that goober come from anyway. More importantly why didn't him and his wife abort the baby when she gave birth to may. I had to by a nurff ball gun so I could shoot my tv without breaking it whenever one of those idiots was on...