Bowl Scenario you prefer?

[NDWorld247]

It's not "I want to lose" it's "we're going to lose". IMO.

There is no question about it that we will lose another game, I just hope it's stanford and not PITT, NAVY, or BYU.


And I have no respect for kool-aid drinkers. You're outta your mind "We can play with anyone in the country"...No, not this year. Not with Tommy Rees at QB.

OSU, MIZZOU, BAYLOR (who would destroy us), CLEM, TTU...Are you outta your mind?

You previously said "I don't want a BCS game this year". That sounds a lot more like "I want to lose" than "we're going to lose". And then in your next sentence you say "I just hope it's Stanford". I just really question the fanhood of anyone that WANTS to see their team lose, which shouldn't be confused with those that think we will lose to Stanford. I'm fine with that opinion. It's not one I share, but I'm fine with it.

 

[NDohio]

It's not "I want to lose" it's "we're going to lose". IMO.

There is no question about it that we will lose another game, I just hope it's stanford and not PITT, NAVY, or BYU.


And I have no respect for kool-aid drinkers. You're outta your mind "We can play with anyone in the country"...No, not this year. Not with Tommy Rees at QB.

OSU, MIZZOU, BAYLOR (who would destroy us), CLEM, TTU...Are you outta your mind?

SMH - I just don't even know what to say anymore.

 

[IrishLax]

I just don't get it...

If we finish 9-3, all three losses coming to the only standout teams on our schedule....You guys honestly think we can "play with anyone"??

I just don't see it against the likes of those ranked in the top 10.

Do you even watch football? What about Miami or Missouri or Texas Tech or Louisville/UCF (they get an AQ to BCS so might as well include them) makes you think we couldn't play with them?

Also, for reference sake, Missouri (the #2 team in the SEC and in that list) would be an underdog to FOUR PAC-12 teams including Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, and... wait for it... Arizona State per RJ Bell. So explain to me how we "couldn't play with them"?

 

[phork]

Whoever said we can play with anyone is clearly smoking the bad stuff. Sorry, this isn't true. We weren't good enough to be in the same building as Alabama last year and we lost a lot of what made us great last year. Bama, FSU, Clemson, Oregon, Baylor and A&M off the top of my head would clean ND out.

 

[Rudy89]

I'd love to win a BCS game but i would rather win a mid level bowl than get prison raped like we have every other time we have gone to the BCS.

 

[IrishLax]

Be careful what you wish for. I think LSU or A&M would destroy us. Don't know a lot about Mizzou but I suspect we would have a tough time with them, too. At this point we should pray that we get to play Louisville/UCF or even Ohio State.

I wouldn't want LSU or Texas A&M if they fix their flaws. We'd get stomped. But what if they keep their flaws? Texas A&M has literally one of the worst defenses in the country. LSU is one of the streakiest teams I've watched... when they're hot, they're HOT and when they're cold, they're ice cold.

Missouri is not good. They'd be underdogs to ASU on a neutral field per Vegas. And as someone with relatives who are Missouri season ticket holders and on the board down there in Columbia... even they will attest that this Missouri team is not even close to some of the better teams they've had recently with Maclin/Brad Smith and that these mighty SEC teams are just flat out not good.

 

[IrishLax]

Whoever said we can play with anyone is clearly smoking the bad stuff. Sorry, this isn't true. We weren't good enough to be in the same building as Alabama last year and we lost a lot of what made us great last year. Bama, FSU, Clemson, Oregon, Baylor and A&M off the top of my head would clean ND out.

The top 3 teams would all destroy us. #4 and after is a giant clump with very little separation team to team. There is no reason to believe that we couldn't play with Missouri, Miami (who has basically the same team that we smacked 41-3 last year and looks AWFUL on the field), etc.

 

[ACamp1900]

If Oregon and tOSU play in teh Natty would there be a chance ND and Mich meet in the Rose Bowl??

 

[ACamp1900]

I would love to play Miami in a BCS bowl... ain't scared one bit.

 

[Kaneyoufeelit]

It's not "I want to lose" it's "we're going to lose". IMO.

There is no question about it that we will lose another game, I just hope it's stanford and not PITT, NAVY, or BYU.


And I have no respect for kool-aid drinkers. You're outta your mind "We can play with anyone in the country"...No, not this year. Not with Tommy Rees at QB.

OSU, MIZZOU, BAYLOR (who would destroy us), CLEM, TTU...Are you outta your mind?

No question? It's a certainty that they lose another game? Will you put a wager on that? How about I will make a thread saying that you were right if we lose, and if we don't then you have to refrain from making inflammatory posts for a year. Obviously, those aren't equal, but since you think it's a certainty, that shouldn't matter.

And Texas Tech? Get the hell out of here

 

[NDWorld247]

If Oregon and tOSU play in teh Natty would there be a chance ND and Mich meet in the Rose Bowl??

I think only if there were too many automatic qualifiers ahead of the #2 PAC12 team. I wrote about it after we lost to Michigan. The chances are very slim, but there's a chance.

 

[ACamp1900]

I honestly think Pitt has been much better than most thought coming in (still not that great mind you)... but what makes me more comfortable about that game, Navy and GT back to back before they play us... two solid weeks of nothing but triple option preparation... that could be a real problem for them.

BYU and Stanford will most likely both be battles… I think it’s still long odds for making the BCS, in fact it IS still real long odds… but going 5-2 against that first half with the obstacles they faced is a net win and we should all feel good about it.

Enjoy the first real beat-down of the year this Saturday.

 

[Rudy89]

At this point the rose bowl is the only BCS game I wan us to go to. Just because of how awesome it would be to see us with the roses on our jearseys in the oldest bowl of them all. But seriously a ten win season where we get a trophy at the end of the year even if it isn't the most prestigious trophy in college football sounds better than a ten win season where we lose to finish off the year.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

So, the question is, would you rather win out, finish 10-2 and take our chances in a BCS game OR hope the Irish lose one more, specifically to a rival like Stanford, and hopefully get a favorable matchup in the Pinstripe Bowl? I have no respect for people that are rooting for the latter.

My priorities have always been, in order, to: (1) win 10+ games; and (2) carry some momentum into the off-season. The former is probable now; whether we lose to Stanford and handle a middling team in a crappy bowl, or beat Stanford and go to the BCS, Kelly will have produced back-to-back double digit win seasons for the first time since the Holtz era. Great success!

(2) is less important, but I like our chances against our possible opponents much better now than when we last discussed this.

Alabama, Oregon, Florida State - we'd likely lose by multiple TDs.
#4-#14 - None of them scare me.

A&M is the only team outside of the top 14 that I'd be concerned about.

Add Baylor to that list, but otherwise, I agree. That means there's only 5 scary teams out there; 2 of them will be playing each other in the NCG, and of the remaining three, it's unlikely that all of them make a BCS game.

 

[ACamp1900]

Even if ND wins out... do they really move from unranked to BCS bowl in five weeks??

 

[gkIrish]

Even if ND wins out... do they really move from unranked to BCS bowl in five weeks??

100% yes

 

[NDWorld247]

Add Baylor to that list, but otherwise, I agree. That means there's only 5 scary teams out there; 2 of them will be playing each other in the NCG, and of the remaining three, it's unlikely that all of them make a BCS game.

Yea, I thought about Baylor. I do think Baylor is legit, but I have to see them against better teams to know if their defense is average or closer to A&M's. But, I agree. Their offense alone, like A&M, is enough to be concerned with.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Even if ND wins out... do they really move from unranked to BCS bowl in five weeks??

Absolutely. I cannot conceive of a scenario where a 10-2 ND gets passed over for a BCS slot.

 

[irishpat183]

To clear it up:

1. I think we lose another game
2. I hope that is to Stanford as they are the best on our schedule
3. I don't think we can play with any BCS ranked team in the top 10.
3a. Which means I don't want any part of a BCS bowl.


That's what I meant. I understand my shortcomings as getting a point across at time.

If you disagree, that's fine. But until I see something better outta our running game and Tommy, I'm not going to say that we can "play with anyone"

 

[Irish Houstonian]

To clear it up:

1. I think we lose another game
2. I hope that is to Stanford as they are the best on our schedule
3. I don't think we can play with any BCS ranked team in the top 10.3a. Which means I don't want any part of a BCS bowl.


That's what I meant. I understand my shortcomings as getting a point across at time.

If you disagree, that's fine. But until I see something better outta our running game and Tommy, I'm not going to say that we can "play with anyone"

I don't know. I think we could hang with at least Missouri or Texas Tech if everyone's healthy.

 

[Irish Jacky]

Irrational Exhuberence

Irrational Exhuberence

Absolutely. I cannot conceive of a scenario where a 10-2 ND gets passed over for a BCS slot.

You're simply not thinking hard enough.

10-2 alone will not get us in the top 14 final rankings, where we need to be for a BCS invite. We need major help on the strength of schedule front. Our only hope is that UM, MSU and OK, each of whom is now at 6-1, do some major winning from here on out. If they have another 4 losses among them, we'll get nowhere near 14 in the final BCS standings even with a 10-2 record.

So, is it likely we'll wind up 10-2? At this point, the projection of us beating both BYU and Stanford is a triumph of hope over reason. Alan Greenspan once referred to this mindset as "irrational exuberance". Have you seen Stanford play this year???? We're at their place on a holiday weekend. They are at least as good as us on D and they have a MUCH BETTER QB. If Hogan started against us last year, Stanford would probably have won the game in regular time. I hope we beat them but that's a fool's bet at this point in time. BYU is also a very good football team and quite capable of beating us. They're no Stanford though.

I guess it's the price of being a Polly: continually setting yourself up for a huge emotional letdown because of unjustifiable expectations.

PS (off topic): What's with the beatification of Reesus over the last day or so? It's one thing if he played himself into a new perception of his ability. It's another to think he's great just because the #2 played like a high school sophomore. Rees is still Rees. He's the primary reason we have two losses and he's not getting better between now and Nov. 26. He'll cost us at least one more regular season game. I fervently hope that doesn't happen but cannot rationally expect otherwise at this point.

 

[irishpat183]

I don't know. I think we could hang with at least Missouri or Texas Tech if everyone's healthy.

Mizzou? I don't think so. Could we beat UGA or FL??



TTU is a funny one...they still have their tough games up coming. OU will be a good indicator.

 

[irishpat183]

You're simply not thinking hard enough.

10-2 alone will not get us in the top 14 final rankings, where we need to be for a BCS invite. We need major help on the strength of schedule front. Our only hope is that UM, MSU and OK, each of whom is now at 6-1, do some major winning from here on out. If they have another 4 losses among them, we'll get nowhere near 14 in the final BCS standings even with a 10-2 record.

So, is it likely we'll wind up 10-2? At this point, the projection of us beating both BYU and Stanford is a triumph of hope over reason. Alan Greenspan once referred to this mindset as "irrational exuberance". Have you seen Stanford play this year???? We're at their place on a holiday weekend. They are at least as good as us on D and they have a MUCH BETTER QB. If Hogan started against us last year, Stanford would probably have won the game in regular time. I hope we beat them but that's a fool's bet at this point in time. BYU is also a very good football team and quite capable of beating us. They're no Stanford though.

I guess it's the price of being a Polly: continually setting yourself up for a huge emotional letdown because of unjustifiable expectations.

PS (off topic): What's with the beatification of Reesus over the last day or so? It's one thing if he played himself into a new perception of his ability. It's another to think he's great just because the #2 played like a high school sophomore. Rees is still Rees. He's the primary reason we have two losses and he's not getting better between now and Nov. 26. He'll cost us at least one more regular season game. I fervently hope that doesn't happen but cannot rationally expect otherwise at this point.

Someone gets it.

 

[gkIrish]

You're simply not thinking hard enough.

10-2 alone will not get us in the top 14 final rankings, where we need to be for a BCS invite. We need major help on the strength of schedule front. Our only hope is that UM, MSU and OK, each of whom is now at 6-1, do some major winning from here on out. If they have another 4 losses among them, we'll get nowhere near 14 in the final BCS standings even with a 10-2 record.

So, is it likely we'll wind up 10-2? At this point, the projection of us beating both BYU and Stanford is a triumph of hope over reason. Alan Greenspan once referred to this mindset as "irrational exuberance". Have you seen Stanford play this year???? We're at their place on a holiday weekend. They are at least as good as us on D and they have a MUCH BETTER QB. If Hogan started against us last year, Stanford would probably have won the game in regular time. I hope we beat them but that's a fool's bet at this point in time. BYU is also a very good football team and quite capable of beating us. They're no Stanford though.

I guess it's the price of being a Polly: continually setting yourself up for a huge emotional letdown because of unjustifiable expectations.

PS (off topic): What's with the beatification of Reesus over the last day or so? It's one thing if he played himself into a new perception of his ability. It's another to think he's great just because the #2 played like a high school sophomore. Rees is still Rees. He's the primary reason we have two losses and he's not getting better between now and Nov. 26. He'll cost us at least one more regular season game. I fervently hope that doesn't happen but cannot rationally expect otherwise at this point.

We don't need anything but 10 wins. We will climb up the human polls enough to guarantee a top 14 spot. Don't overthink this. Look at last year's rankings after week 15.

2012 NCAA College Football Polls and Rankings for Week 15 - ESPN

All of the teams outside the top 14 with 2 or less losses had joke schedules. We will have beaten Stanford, MSU, and ASU and our only 2 losses would be to top 25 teams.

 

[NDBoiler]

You're simply not thinking hard enough.

10-2 alone will not get us in the top 14 final rankings, where we need to be for a BCS invite. We need major help on the strength of schedule front. Our only hope is that UM, MSU and OK, each of whom is now at 6-1, do some major winning from here on out. If they have another 4 losses among them, we'll get nowhere near 14 in the final BCS standings even with a 10-2 record.

So, is it likely we'll wind up 10-2? At this point, the projection of us beating both BYU and Stanford is a triumph of hope over reason. Alan Greenspan once referred to this mindset as "irrational exuberance". Have you seen Stanford play this year???? We're at their place on a holiday weekend. They are at least as good as us on D and they have a MUCH BETTER QB. If Hogan started against us last year, Stanford would probably have won the game in regular time. I hope we beat them but that's a fool's bet at this point in time. BYU is also a very good football team and quite capable of beating us. They're no Stanford though.

I guess it's the price of being a Polly: continually setting yourself up for a huge emotional letdown because of unjustifiable expectations.

PS (off topic): What's with the beatification of Reesus over the last day or so? It's one thing if he played himself into a new perception of his ability. It's another to think he's great just because the #2 played like a high school sophomore. Rees is still Rees. He's the primary reason we have two losses and he's not getting better between now and Nov. 26. He'll cost us at least one more regular season game. I fervently hope that doesn't happen but cannot rationally expect otherwise at this point.

Don't you blaspheme in here...

 

[irishfan]

You're simply not thinking hard enough.

10-2 alone will not get us in the top 14 final rankings, where we need to be for a BCS invite. We need major help on the strength of schedule front. Our only hope is that UM, MSU and OK, each of whom is now at 6-1, do some major winning from here on out. If they have another 4 losses among them, we'll get nowhere near 14 in the final BCS standings even with a 10-2 record.

I'm thinking fairly hard right now, and I don't see a way in which we're 10-2, riding a 7-game win streak, ending the year beating Stanford (who the pollsters love), and not in the Top 14. Oregon State went 9-3 last year and finished in the Top 14. There are 7 more weeks of football left, and I think its pretty feasible for us to move up an average of 2 spots every week (we're 27/28 right now). The issue is us actually finishing 10-2, not whether or not we will be Top 14 with a 10-2 record.

 

[NDBoiler]

Someone gets it.

You're right...

We don't need anything but 10 wins. We will climb up the human polls enough to guarantee a top 14 spot. Don't overthink this. Look at last year's rankings after week 15.

2012 NCAA College Football Polls and Rankings for Week 15 - ESPN

All of the teams outside the top 14 with 2 or less losses had joke schedules. We will have beaten Stanford, MSU, and ASU and our only 2 losses would be to top 25 teams.

And its this guy^^^

 

[T Town Tommy]

I believe a 10-2 Irish gets in a BCS bowl for a couple of reasons. The first is the draw. It's all about the money and ND will pack them in. Secondly, I think there are teams ahead of ND that will lose some games moving forward and this will allow ND to get back up there in the polls. The Irish need help from the Sooners, MSU, and Michigan moving forward and need Stanford to beat Oregon. Still a lot of football left. And I will not comment on fans wanting a lesser bowl in fear they may lose. That makes no sense to me.

 

[irishfan]

I also think MSU is going to help us big time. I think they're going to go 11-1 even with that offense.

 

[ACamp1900]

You're simply not thinking hard enough.

10-2 alone will not get us in the top 14 final rankings, where we need to be for a BCS invite. .

This was my point... we are unranked, and with a win this week may very well STILL be unranked... that's four weks to move from unranked to the top 15?? It may happen, but the flip is true also...