2024 College Football Playoffs

[Jiggafini19Deux]

And I get more pissed every week. WTF the committee didn't just say top 4 have byes is ridiculous. Boise St as a 4 seed is stupid. They honestly didn't think about this before approving the layout? Just goes to show you that the NCAA is run by morons. They might as well be in Congress

Bama coming to NW Indiana in December. Yes. Yes, please.

 

[KMac151993]

Does Notre Dame/South Bend really consider itself NW Indiana?

 

[irish4ever]

Does Notre Dame/South Bend really consider itself NW Indiana?

How about North Central?!? I think that all would agree that it's definitely Northern Indiana!

 

[irish4ever]

It's fairly obvious that the preferred slot for the Irish would be either the 5th or 6th seed (vs. 7th or 8th). Guaranteed home game in 'northern' Indiana and would be in a bracket that wouldn't include either the top BIG or SEC teams as it appears that those conferences will be seeded 1 and 2 (just a matter of which 2 teams).

First, take care of business against Army and then U$C, then we can fill in the blanks!

 

[irishff1014]

All is see on Facebook, X-and sports talk shows saying the playoffs aren’t the right teams.

Nothing has changed. They bitched the old way and now more teams are involved and they are still bitching about seeding and teams being left out.

No matter what they do the people still won’t be happy. And I am sure if you had even a little bit of a brain you probably saw this coming too.

 

[notredomer23]

Well, when ND inevitably loses to Army and USC you can blame me because a few buddies and I just purchased (fully refundable) home playoff tickets.

 

[DillonHall]

All is see on Facebook, X-and sports talk shows saying the playoffs aren’t the right teams.

Nothing has changed. They bitched the old way and now more teams are involved and they are still bitching about seeding and teams being left out.

No matter what they do the people still won’t be happy. And I am sure if you had even a little bit of a brain you probably saw this coming too.

There’s debate on the 68? teams that make it to March Madness. Of course there’s disagreement

 

[Wild Bill]

All is see on Facebook, X-and sports talk shows saying the playoffs aren’t the right teams.

Nothing has changed. They bitched the old way and now more teams are involved and they are still bitching about seeding and teams being left out.

No matter what they do the people still won’t be happy. And I am sure if you had even a little bit of a brain you probably saw this coming too.

And that's what makes me happy.

 

[dublinirish]

 

[NDWarrior]

Wow! Bama media already counting on a W (actually a "beatdown!") if we meet in round 1. Alabama football slated for road beatdown of Notre Dame in updated CFP rankings

 

[Rockin’Irish]

Wow! Bama media already counting on a W (actually a "beatdown!") if we meet in round 1. Alabama football slated for road beatdown of Notre Dame in updated CFP rankings

I think Sabanomics is still impacting the thought process.

 

[IrishLax]

Vegas has Bama @ ND as a "pick em" or 1 point spread. These SEC teams are in for a rude awakening, it isn't 2009 anymore. They have lost almost all of their institutional advantages (pay for play cheating, gray shirts, JUCOs, etc.) that got them a massive edge on the competition. There is no difference between an Oregon/Ohio State and an Ole Miss/Tennessee/Bama/etc. It's also why a glorified Big 12 team is currently on pace to win their conference.

If I'm ND, the team I least want to see is Georgia and maybe Alabama because of the QB run game. Ole Miss and Tennessee... yes please. Texas would be fine too, but less of an advantage because of how they play defense.

The three "pretenders" are BYU, Miami, and Indiana. Indiana is 3-7 points worse than the rest of the field. Miami has a really bad defense, and BYU just flat out sucks. Those are the three you'd really pray to see in some format.

 

[BoredIrish]

• Game 1: Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. on ABC and ESPN.
• Game 2: Saturday, Dec. 21 at noon on TNT Sports.
• Game 3: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4 p.m. on TNT Sports.
• Game 4: Saturday, Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. on ABC and ESPN.

You would think that ND would draw enough eyeballs to lock down either of the prime time slots... right?

Anyone have any insight on playoff ticket sales for the public?

 

[dublinirish]

A ND home game on ABC will be funny AF

 

[KMac151993]

How about North Central?!? I think that all would agree that it's definitely Northern Indiana!

I wasn't asking as a dick...more just curious as there are people that even refer to it as "The Region."

 

[KMac151993]

If ND hosts a playoff game, with two big games still to win this is no gimme, then they better draw an SEC team and better conjure up a foot of snow and temps in the 20's at kick.

 

[JadedDomer]

The thing about playing in the December cold when you've lived your whole life in the SEC is... The whole team doesn't have to be soft in cold weather. It's one guy here, one guy there. One corner who doesn't want to hit on a particular play. One WR who doesn't want to dive on the cold turf. That's the difference in these big games.

 

[dublinirish]

The thing about playing in the December cold when you've lived your whole life in the SEC is... The whole team doesn't have to be soft in cold weather. It's one guy here, one guy there. One corner who doesn't want to hit on a particular play. One WR who doesn't want to dive on the cold turf. That's the difference in these big games.

dont forget Tennessee receivers needed a heater on the sidelines this past weekend because they were cold when it was 55 degrees

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

I wasn't asking as a dick...more just curious as there are people that even refer to it as "The Region."

I think the consensus is that it only stretches as far East as Valparaiso.

 

[greyhammer90]

A ND home game on ABC will be funny AF

Honestly this is one of the most interesting things for me. It will be weird as hell to presumably see Fowler and Herbstriet calling a game at ND Stadium.

 

[Wild Bill]

The thing about playing in the December cold when you've lived your whole life in the SEC is... The whole team doesn't have to be soft in cold weather. It's one guy here, one guy there. One corner who doesn't want to hit on a particular play. One WR who doesn't want to dive on the cold turf. That's the difference in these big games.

That's true all it takes is one guy being a pussy to make a difference in the game, but there are effects on all players, whether they realize it or not. The cold slows you down, reduces flexibility and can have a big impact on mental focus. The mental aspect is the biggest component. The cold breaks people.

Southerners love to claim it gets cold where they live. Sure, it might hit 40 a few times a year - at 2 a.m. - while they’re tucked under six blankets with the heat blasting. That's a little different than spending four hours in 20 degree weather wearing nothing but spandex, wind whippin through your wet shoulder pads, while you're basically in a fist fight with a offensive lineman who's having the time of his life - warming up shirtless, snot dripping from his nose, grinning from ear to ear as he comes out of the huddle.

I think the consensus is that it only stretches as far East as Valparaiso.

No it's only lake county as far as I'm concerned but anyone from portage is an honorary region rat b/c it really just makes sense if you think about it.

 

[NDWarrior]

Vegas has Bama @ ND as a "pick em" or 1 point spread. These SEC teams are in for a rude awakening, it isn't 2009 anymore. They have lost almost all of their institutional advantages (pay for play cheating, gray shirts, JUCOs, etc.) that got them a massive edge on the competition. There is no difference between an Oregon/Ohio State and an Ole Miss/Tennessee/Bama/etc. It's also why a glorified Big 12 team is currently on pace to win their conference.

If I'm ND, the team I least want to see is Georgia and maybe Alabama because of the QB run game. Ole Miss and Tennessee... yes please. Texas would be fine too, but less of an advantage because of how they play defense.

The three "pretenders" are BYU, Miami, and Indiana. Indiana is 3-7 points worse than the rest of the field. Miami has a really bad defense, and BYU just flat out sucks. Those are the three you'd really pray to see in some format.

I still want to see how the IU and Cignetti 2024 story ends... They may yet just surprise us, but we'll see. Beating down OSU this Saturday would go a long way towards catapulting them out of pretender status.

 

[NDPhilly]

Vegas has Bama @ ND as a "pick em" or 1 point spread. These SEC teams are in for a rude awakening, it isn't 2009 anymore. They have lost almost all of their institutional advantages (pay for play cheating, gray shirts, JUCOs, etc.) that got them a massive edge on the competition. There is no difference between an Oregon/Ohio State and an Ole Miss/Tennessee/Bama/etc. It's also why a glorified Big 12 team is currently on pace to win their conference.

If I'm ND, the team I least want to see is Georgia and maybe Alabama because of the QB run game. Ole Miss and Tennessee... yes please. Texas would be fine too, but less of an advantage because of how they play defense.

The three "pretenders" are BYU, Miami, and Indiana. Indiana is 3-7 points worse than the rest of the field. Miami has a really bad defense, and BYU just flat out sucks. Those are the three you'd really pray to see in some format.

All the advanced metrics indicate that the top 8 this year are the closest they've been in probably 15+ years. The portal + Saban retiring has really brough back parity in a remarkable way.

FPI Today


FPI at Year End 2020:


FPI at year end 2018

 

[Bishop2b5]

Southerners love to claim it gets cold where they live. Sure, it might hit 40 a few times a year - at 2 a.m. - while they’re tucked under six blankets with the heat blasting. That's a little different than spending four hours in 20 degree weather wearing nothing but spandex, wind whippin through your wet shoulder pads, while you're basically in a fist fight with a offensive lineman who's having the time of his life - warming up shirtless, snot dripping from his nose, grinning from ear to ear as he comes out of the huddle.

Yeah, that's not how that works in most parts of the South. I grew up in north Alabama. We saw sub-zero temps occasionally. Below freezing and even single digit temps were fairly common. It gets about as cold there as up north. The difference is that it typically doesn't stay bitterly cold for weeks at a time. Every Southerner has spent plenty of time hunting in the woods, working construction, sitting in a HS football stadium, etc., etc. in freezing temps for hours. We can play football in the snow and ice. Look at how many of us do just fine in the NFL in GB, Chicago, Denver, and elsewhere up north.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

I lived in Texas after spending most of my life in the Chicago area. The warm summers thin the blood. I still cant handle Chicago winters after being away for about 5 years and I’ve been back since 2006.

It’s completely different living in it over spending a few random days in the cold.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

That being said, most of our roster isn’t from the area anyway.

 

[greyhammer90]

spending four hours in 20 degree weather wearing nothing but spandex, wind whippin through your wet shoulder pads, while you're basically in a fist fight with a offensive lineman who's having the time of his life - warming up shirtless, snot dripping from his nose, grinning from ear to ear as he comes out of the huddle.

 

[irishff1014]

You would think that ND would draw enough eyeballs to lock down either of the prime time slots... right?

Anyone have any insight on playoff ticket sales for the public?

First year of this, there’ll be plenty of eyes on these games.

 

[greyhammer90]

Yeah, that's not how that works in most parts of the South. I grew up in north Alabama. We saw sub-zero temps occasionally. Below freezing and even single digit temps were fairly common. It gets about as cold there as up north. The difference is that it typically doesn't stay bitterly cold for weeks at a time. Every Southerner has spent plenty of time hunting in the woods, working construction, sitting in a HS football stadium, etc., etc. in freezing temps for hours. We can play football in the snow and ice. Look at how many of us do just fine in the NFL in GB, Chicago, Denver, and elsewhere up north.

I will agree that I think the temp discussion is a bit overblown, just like it is with heat for northern teams playing South in September. Kids play high school playoff football in the mid 20s in Tennessee pretty much every year. I do think the likelihood of cold does help us more than most teams though. Not because of some intangible quality that ND players have, just because we are built to run, run, run the ball.

 

[Wild Bill]

Yeah, that's not how that works in most parts of the South. I grew up in north Alabama. We saw sub-zero temps occasionally. Below freezing and even single digit temps were fairly common. It gets about as cold there as up north. The difference is that it typically doesn't stay bitterly cold for weeks at a time. Every Southerner has spent plenty of time hunting in the woods, working construction, sitting in a HS football stadium, etc., etc. in freezing temps for hours. We can play football in the snow and ice. Look at how many of us do just fine in the NFL in GB, Chicago, Denver, and elsewhere up north.

And here they come to inform us southerners are well known for braving the great outdoors when temperatures dip below freezing.

There are plenty of southerners that move north and adapt, including guys in the NFL. That's a bit different than living in the south and coming up north for 48 hours to play a football game. My brother moved to Arizona a couple of years ago and runs inside to throw on a warmer blouse if the temps are below 80. You get used to a certain type of weather and having to deal with a change without any time to adapt isn't easy.

An average temperature night game at Penn State, OSU or ND will not be fun for a visiting southern team (Oregon will be a nightmare too based on travel alone). The weather alone won't dictate the result but it will be a factor. If it's windy and/or far below average temps, it could be a deciding factor. Bama may be the southern team best equipped to win in the north b/c your QBs legs can win the game and if he has to throw he has a cannon that can cut through the wind.