College Football Playoff Rankings 2015 (ND #8...)

[NDohio]

...I don't know. I think Urban has shown he can get ready to play bowl games as well as anyone...ever. Pains me to say so...don't like him, but his teams play big. If I look at their D...and how they are playing...I think they have the advantage. I think offensively its a near draw.

I'd love ND to smack them...Right now if ND draws Ohio Sate I'm guessing Urbie is favored by 5 or more...and going off of recent and more distant history, I think Urbie delivers more than not against team 127.

I do agree that in a bowl game situation that they have the upper hand because of Urban. I just don't think they are 8/10 better than ND.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

I do agree that in a bowl game situation that they have the upper hand because of Urban. I just don't think they are 8/10 better than ND.

I think we could score on them but I don't think we could prevent them from scoring. They eat on big runs and passes and we are prone to both. Would love to get a more methodical team. I haven't really watched Iowa but I assume they are something like that.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

I think we could score on them but I don't think we could prevent them from scoring. They eat on big runs and passes and we are prone to both. Would love to get a more methodical team. I haven't really watched Iowa but I assume they are something like that.

Iowa is methodical. Really strong run game and a disciplined ball hawking defense. Three different RBs with 200 yard rushing games. If Ferentz can do anything, he can coach OL. There are several Iowa OLs in the NFL, including Marshall Yanda, often considered the best OL in the league.

That said, I think ND would win by 14-20 in that game because of the superior athleticism.

 

[Cogs]

Not impressed with Iowa or MSU at all. I think MSU beats overrated Iowa tomorrow and we give them a good beat down in the Fiesta Bowl.

-Son of an Iowa Grad

 

[pumpdog20]

Iowa is methodical. Really strong run game and a disciplined ball hawking defense. Three different RBs with 200 yard rushing games. If Ferentz can do anything, he can coach OL. There are several Iowa OLs in the NFL, including Marshall Yanda, often considered the best OL in the league.

That said, I think ND would win by 14-20 in that game because of the superior athleticism.

My thoughts exactly. Though I'm pulling for the hawks tomorrow.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Not impressed with Iowa or MSU at all. I think MSU beats overrated Iowa tomorrow and we give them a good beat down in the Fiesta Bowl.

-Son of an Iowa Grad

I really don't know what to think. My best guess is that it's relatively low scoring and that MSU wins by 10. But who knows. I hope Iowa plays in a good bowl against not ND and wins.

- Native Iowan, son of a Notre Dame fan

 

[IrishLax]

MSU seems to be playing their best football the past two weeks, but before that there is no evidence that they're significantly better than Iowa. I think this game and the Clemson/UNC will both be very fun watches.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

MSU seems to be playing their best football the past two weeks, but before that there is no evidence that they're significantly better than Iowa. I think this game and the Clemson/UNC will both be very fun watches.

Yeah. Could be fun. Then maybe my half-drunken rantings will look prophetic.

Either way, Dantonio is a wizard.

 

[johnnycando]

Yeah. Could be fun. Then maybe my half-drunken rantings will look pathetic.

Either way, Dantonio is a wizard.

FIFY.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

FIFY.

Could go either way. We'll see...

I maintain that Iowa and ND have similar "best wins."

But you caught me on a bad night.

 

[johnnycando]

Could go either way. We'll see...

I maintain that Iowa and ND have similar "best wins."

But you caught me on a bad night.

Prove to me, résumé-wise, how Iowa's wins are similar to Notre Dames.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Prove to me, résumé-wise, how Iowa's wins are similar to Notre Dames.

By the playoff committee rankings? Easy.

Iowa beat current #14 Northwestern by 30 on the road. That's better than any win that ND has.

Obviously, ND has a much deeper schedule. It's not close. Notre Dame has beaten a couple more top 25 teams (USC has creeped in since last week and Wisconsin and Pitt have dropped out). I don't think that Iowa's schedule is better than ND's. I just don't agree with the "played nobody" narrative.

Either way, this week settles it. Either I'm a drunk or you're a jerk.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

By the playoff committee rankings? Easy.

Iowa beat current #14 Northwestern by 30 on the road. That's better than any win that ND has.

Obviously, ND has a much deeper schedule. It's not close. Notre Dame has beaten a couple more top 25 teams (USC has creeped in since last week and Wisconsin and Pitt have dropped out). I don't think that Iowa's schedule is better than ND's. I just don't agree with the "played nobody" narrative.

Either way, this week settles it. Either I'm a drunk or you're a jerk.

Note: It could be both

 

[johnnycando]

Note: It could be both

Touché and ditto.

To both here as well.

 

[johnnycando]

Let it be known, I think MSU wins by two TDs minimal.

I hope we play Iowa in a bowl game.

 

[ickythump1225]

I want to play Iowa in a bowl game. I don't want to play a team with an overly explosive offense if possible. Florida would also be an ideal match up.

 

[IrishLax]

I'm going to be beyond pissed if Florida pulls this off... we would've been a playoff lock with a win at Stanford, and had to face Clemson (who we know we can beat), Oklahoma (who we have no idea if they're actually any good because #Big12BackupQBs), and/or a mediocre Big Ten team.

Bama wins and I feel fine knowing we were going to be left out anyways. So... Roll Tide?

 

[IrishLax]

ALSO:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SOURCE: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Stanford?src=hash">#Stanford</a>'s best player on D, LB Blake Martinez injured ankle in practice this wk. Doubtful for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USC?src=hash">#USC</a> game: <a href="https://t.co/pBHyLK5HRY">https://t.co/pBHyLK5HRY</a></p>— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) <a href="https://twitter.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/status/673267658909859840">December 5, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[KPENN]

I'm going to be beyond pissed if Florida pulls this off... we would've been a playoff lock with a win at Stanford, and had to face Clemson (who we know we can beat), Oklahoma (who we have no idea if they're actually any good because #Big12BackupQBs), and/or a mediocre Big Ten team.

Bama wins and I feel fine knowing we were going to be left out anyways. So... Roll Tide?

Had this exact same thought

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Had this exact same thought

Yeah

 

[wizards8507]

We couldn't get in, right? Let's say Clemson DESTROYS North Carolina, Iowa DESTROYS Michigan State, USC DESTROYS Stanford, and Florida beats Alabama. That would leave us at #6. Any chance we jump Ohio State and Alabama on the premise that the conference teams already had their shot and they blew it?

 

[IrishLax]

We couldn't get in, right? Let's say Clemson DESTROYS North Carolina, Iowa DESTROYS Michigan State, USC DESTROYS Stanford, and Florida beats Alabama. That would leave us at #6. Any chance we jump Ohio State and Alabama on the premise that the conference teams already had their shot and they blew it?

Doubtful, I think Ohio State would backdoor their way in.

The way I see it... last week was our playoff. That was a playoff game, and we played our way out with prevent defense the Lions would be proud of.

 

[IrishLax]

It's weird to think about, but we almost effectively have an 8-team playoff this year:

Clemson-UNC
Iowa-Michigan State
Oklahoma-Oklahoma State
Bama-[Florida->(Notre Dame-Stanford()]

So it was a sorta 9-team playoff, where if you assume Florida can't get in. Notre Dame-Stanford was a "play-in" for a Bama replacement should they lose.

*Assuming Stanford beats USC.

 

[wizards8507]

Doubtful, I think Ohio State would backdoor their way in.

The way I see it... last week was our playoff. That was a playoff game, and we played our way out with prevent defense the Lions would be proud of.

Good. As I mentioned in the "Drinking" thread, I'm working on an IPA growler this evening and I'd like to do so without trying to keep track of convoluted scenarios while I flip through different games.

It's weird to think about, but we almost effectively have an 8-team playoff this year:

Clemson-UNC
Iowa-Michigan State
Oklahoma-Oklahoma State
Bama-[Florida->(Notre Dame-Stanford()]

So it was a sorta 9-team playoff, where if you assume Florida can't get in. Notre Dame-Stanford was a "play-in" for a Bama replacement should they lose.

*Assuming Stanford beats USC.

Which is why there's zero need to expand the playoff as some have argued. College football is magical like that. You could even throw Clemson-Notre Dame on that list because we would have been in even with a loss to Stanford if we had beaten Clemson.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Good. As I mentioned in the "Drinking" thread, I'm working on an IPA growler this evening and I'd like to do so without trying to keep track of convoluted scenarios while I flip through different games.

Dang. A full growler. At least you won't remember posting this...

 

[IrishJayhawk]

It's weird to think about, but we almost effectively have an 8-team playoff this year:

Clemson-UNC
Iowa-Michigan State
Oklahoma-Oklahoma State
Bama-[Florida->(Notre Dame-Stanford()]

So it was a sorta 9-team playoff, where if you assume Florida can't get in. Notre Dame-Stanford was a "play-in" for a Bama replacement should they lose.

*Assuming Stanford beats USC.

Yeah. These are basically quarterfinal games.

 

[wizards8507]

Dang. A full growler. At least you won't remember posting this...

I've already broken down to my wife about how our one-year-old daughter is so innocent and has no idea about things like mass murder or terrorism. So the evening is progressing about how you'd expect. Cheers.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

I've already broken down to my wife about how our one-year-old daughter is so innocent and has no idea about things like mass murder or terrorism. So the evening is progressing about how you'd expect. Cheers.

I've had that same break down about my 4-month-old daughter after most of a growler.

We're not so different, you and I.

 

[BGIF]

I've had that same break down about my 4-month-old daughter after most of a growler.

We're not so different, you and I.

Yes, similar political philosophies separated only by light years of perspective.

 

[IrishJayhawk]

Yes, similar political philosophies separated only by light years of perspective.

I feel like you just ripped me, but I can't be sure.