2025 CFB Polls and Rankings

[MacIrish75]

Just win.

 

[BilboBaggins]

Penn State this year might be the most egregious example of a team being overhyped that I've ever seen. The number of supposedly serious analysts I saw picking them as their preseason champions was absurd. Who couldn't see this coming? They always are and will continue to be complete frauds.

You're analysis is just "they are always frauds?"

They returned a lot from a team that narrowly missed the national championship, and brought on the DC that was praised for putting Ohio State over the hump. They had legitimate reasons to be ranked highly.

 

[SportsingHard]

Who'd you rather be your starting QB? Arch or Allar? Which QB was more of a mistake to run off? Ewers or Bo?

Allar, easy. He actually played well vs. UCLA. Perhaps they should've put him in on defense.

 

[stlnd01]

You're analysis is just "they are always frauds?"

They returned a lot from a team that narrowly missed the national championship, and brought on the DC that was praised for putting Ohio State over the hump. They had legitimate reasons to be ranked highly.

They also lost the two best players off a team that lost to all three teams it played last year that had anywhere near comparable talent. And they have a coach who has always lost those games.

I thought Penn State should be top 10 preseason, sure, but the people picking them to make or win the title game were way high.

 

[GATTACA!]

You're analysis is just "they are always frauds?"

They returned a lot from a team that narrowly missed the national championship, and brought on the DC that was praised for putting Ohio State over the hump. They had legitimate reasons to be ranked highly.

They lost their best player on both sides of the ball. Their coach is worse in big games than Brian Kelly. Touting them almost making the championship last year is a joke when you factor in who they beat. They had zero wins of any significance the entire season. Their QB turns into a pumpkin any time they play anyone with a pulse. He didn’t complete a single pass to a WR against us.

 

[Bane]

You're analysis is just "they are always frauds?"

They returned a lot from a team that narrowly missed the national championship, and brought on the DC that was praised for putting Ohio State over the hump. They had legitimate reasons to be ranked highly.

They were frauds last year too. They started the season overranked and coasted on one of the softest schedules known to man losing to all three of the good teams they faced. I'm including their "playoff run" last year in this too. SMU at home and Boise St. are not impressive wins and if we had their playoff path from last year everyone in the country would still be questioning how good we were/are.

 

[Irish du Nord]

OSU owns ND. Zero confidence we would beat them in a big game. Anyone else, sure.

Then let’s play OSU, beat them, and not be owned by anyone

 

[Punky]

Then let’s play OSU, beat them, and not be owned by anyone

Agree 100%. The only way to get the monkey off your back is to grab said monkey by the balls and beat the shit out of him.

 

[BrianWalsh]

Agree 100%. The only way to get the monkey off your back is to grab said monkey by the balls and beat the shit out of him.

This is the correct take. And we should be clear that there are no “good losses”‘with the talent Freeman has recruited and the coaching of which Freeman has often (not always) proven he is capable. Yet, ND has not been run off the field by OSU in Freeman’s tenure: even the NC was one score late in the game. They need to get over the hump and it’s a big one (As a Bills fan, I see the same thing vis-a-vis the Chiefs). ND will do it sooner rather than later…hopefully there are no more stumbles this season because, clearly, every ND game from here on is one and done. To quote the Don King character from Rocky V, “ya lose and you’re finished”. So hopefully ND doesn’t lose again—they are capable of running the gamut and I think the offense had it’s stinker on Saturday—hopefully their only one—and we can hope for a rematch with OSU.

 

[BilboBaggins]

They were frauds last year too. They started the season overranked and coasted on one of the softest schedules known to man losing to all three of the good teams they faced. I'm including their "playoff run" last year in this too. SMU at home and Boise St. are not impressive wins and if we had their playoff path from last year everyone in the country would still be questioning how good we were/are.

Frauds last year, then what was ND?

 

[stlnd01]

Frauds last year, then what was ND?

??
We beat at least three teams who were better than anyone Penn State beat. Four if you think A&M > Illinois.

(FWIW I wouldn’t say Penn State was “frauds” exactly but they did have a light schedule and a notably easy road to the national semifinals).

 

[Dale]

Frauds last year, then what was ND?

ND beat #4, #7, #8, #16, #18 and #21 in FEI.

PSU beat #16, #19 and #20 as their three best wins.

It’s not even comparable. Unless double the amount of exponentially good wins is fraud worthy.

 

[Bane]

Frauds last year, then what was ND?

Uhhh, the second best team in the nation? What do you mean???

 

[BilboBaggins]

Penn State and Notre Dame played a game last year. It went down to the last seconds. The game was about as even as could be.

But one team is a fraud and was overhyped in the preseason, and one was "uhhhh the second best team in the nation." Got it.

 

[Dale]

Penn State and Notre Dame played a game last year. It went down to the last seconds. The game was about as even as could be.

But one team is a fraud and was overhyped in the preseason, and one was "uhhhh the second best team in the nation." Got it.

The fact that you typed this post intentionally avoiding that ND won said game is weird.

Winning matters. and PSU doesn’t win high level games. Period.

 

[BilboBaggins]

Notre Dame won. There, now it's not weird for you.

So Notre Dame is terrific and the team that lost to them by a field goal is a fraud. Makes no sense. Nevermind the 30ish years before last year during which ND did not win big bowl games. Using your logic, ND was bound to always lose those games... until they didn't.

Now let's go over to the myriad of other threads on IE talking about how ND lost by a field goal or less to other good teams so ND should be in the playoff and definitely aren't frauds because.... plot armor?

 

[Dale]

Notre Dame won. There, now it's not weird for you.

So Notre Dame is terrific and the team that lost to them by a field goal is a fraud. Makes no sense. Nevermind the 30ish years before last year during which ND did not win big bowl games. Using your logic, ND was bound to always lose those games... until they didn't.

Now let's go over to the myriad of other threads on IE talking about how ND lost by a field goal or less to other good teams so ND should be in the playoff and definitely aren't frauds because.... plot armor?

Because you’re conflating PSU is not talented with PSU had a fraudulent season.

and there are significantly more, probably 100x posts here complaining about the BK era’s similar shortcomings than their are people saying we deserved hype or treatment we didn’t get

The argument is not complex. ND won multiple tough games last year. PSU did not. What mental gymnastics you do is up to you.

 

[MacIrish75]

Notre Dame won. There, now it's not weird for you.

So Notre Dame is terrific and the team that lost to them by a field goal is a fraud. Makes no sense. Nevermind the 30ish years before last year during which ND did not win big bowl games. Using your logic, ND was bound to always lose those games... until they didn't.

Now let's go over to the myriad of other threads on IE talking about how ND lost by a field goal or less to other good teams so ND should be in the playoff and definitely aren't frauds because.... plot armor?

This is a weird stance to take for an ND fan on an ND forum.

 

[stlnd01]

Notre Dame won. There, now it's not weird for you.

So Notre Dame is terrific and the team that lost to them by a field goal is a fraud. Makes no sense. Nevermind the 30ish years before last year during which ND did not win big bowl games. Using your logic, ND was bound to always lose those games... until they didn't.

Now let's go over to the myriad of other threads on IE talking about how ND lost by a field goal or less to other good teams so ND should be in the playoff and definitely aren't frauds because.... plot armor?

LAST year, I would have argued that Notre Dame should have been ranked ahead of Penn State in the playoff seedings, like flip 6 and 7. But that's a minor quibble and yes they were pretty close when they met on the field - in a game that we won.

Coming into THIS year, despite having lost their clearly two best players, Penn State was being hyped as even better than last year, a top three team and serious national title contender, while we were generally put in the next tier behind them by national experts. THAT is what never made sense to me. They're basically the same team they've always been - and what we were for a long time - good but not quite good enough to win the big ones.

 

[Bane]

Penn State and Notre Dame played a game last year. It went down to the last seconds. The game was about as even as could be.

But one team is a fraud and was overhyped in the preseason, and one was "uhhhh the second best team in the nation." Got it.

Correct, because our resume was much better than PSU's. I don't know why this is so difficult for a ND fan on a ND forum to comprehend. We played and beat better teams than PSU did over the course of 16 games. We beat an 11 win Indiana, dominated them in fact. We beat the #2 seed SEC champion UGA Bulldogs deep in the heart of SEC country, and we beat PSU in the Orange Bowl. Ball don't lie. It was close, sure, but we won. We validated our superiority on the field.

Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. PSU played us close but when we really needed it, we made the plays that they did not.

And you know, you bringing up the prior 30 years of ND is some bad faith bullshit, or you're dense. 30 years ago, Marcus Freeman was in elementary school, 30 years later he's our HC. That is the difference. PSU is in the same boat ND was for 12 years with BK. You want to know why we went from never winning those big games to winning them?

MAYBE LOOK AT THE CHANGE IN COACHING WE HAD!!!!!

 

[Bane]

LAST year, I would have argued that Notre Dame should have been ranked ahead of Penn State in the playoff seedings, like flip 6 and 7. But that's a minor quibble and yes they were pretty close when they met on the field - in a game that we won.

Coming into THIS year, despite having lost their clearly two best players, Penn State was being hyped as even better than last year, a top three team and serious national title contender, while we were generally put in the next tier behind them by national experts. THAT is what never made sense to me. They're basically the same team they've always been - and what we were for a long time - good but not quite good enough to win the big ones.

We absolutely should have been ranked higher than them. Them getting rewarded for beating a bunch of 5 win B1G teams was total bullshit. But in retrospect, I'm so glad they were unjustly rewarded. They get to forever have their playoff run contextualized with beating a G5 and a G5 adjacent team, whereas we beat real teams. Then we beat PSU. So they can scream into the void for all I care.

 

[SportsingHard]

More than 99% of claims that, "that team/coach/player is a fraud," are retarded. Being bad or overrated is very different than being a fraud.

 

[SeekNDestroy]

More than 99% of claims that, "that team/coach/player is a fraud," are retarded. Being bad or overrated is very different than being a fraud.

You’re a fraud, Koon.

 

[ab2cmiller]

You’re a fraud, Koon.

SportsingHard doesn't give me any Koon vibes in any way.

 

[Bane]

More than 99% of claims that, "that team/coach/player is a fraud," are retarded. Being bad or overrated is very different than being a fraud.

But in this case it’s correct.

 

[SportsingHard]

But in this case it’s correct.

I can't think of any sensible definition of fraud that fits there.

 

[SeekNDestroy]

SportsingHard doesn't give me any Koon vibes in any way.

I meant Circa. No idea why I said Koon; I must’ve been thinking about abs.

 

[BilboBaggins]

This is a weird stance to take for an ND fan on an ND forum.

Because it's bullshit logic and groupthink. Beating Penn State last year was incredible. Then less than a year later, theyre a fraud program? Why belittle them when that takes away from what Notre Dame accomplished?

LAST year, I would have argued that Notre Dame should have been ranked ahead of Penn State in the playoff seedings, like flip 6 and 7. But that's a minor quibble and yes they were pretty close when they met on the field - in a game that we won.

Coming into THIS year, despite having lost their clearly two best players, Penn State was being hyped as even better than last year, a top three team and serious national title contender, while we were generally put in the next tier behind them by national experts. THAT is what never made sense to me. They're basically the same team they've always been - and what we were for a long time - good but not quite good enough to win the big ones.

Because Penn Stats also returned a lot. I thought Notre Dame should have been preseason ranked top 5, but I thought Penn State should have been too.

IMO people are wildly overreacting to the UCLA loss. Penn State is a quality team and upsets happen. Is Penn State incapable of beating Ohio State and/or Indiana and making the Big Ten championship? I think they are very capable of that.

I totally agree with your last sentence. What Penn State has accomplished and what Notre Dame has accomplished in the last 2 years, 5 years, 10 years,or 30 years, is pretty similar.

 

[Bane]

Because it's bullshit logic and groupthink. Beating Penn State last year was incredible. Then less than a year later, theyre a fraud program? Why belittle them when that takes away from what Notre Dame accomplished?


Because Penn Stats also returned a lot. I thought Notre Dame should have been preseason ranked top 5, but I thought Penn State should have been too.

IMO people are wildly overreacting to the UCLA loss. Penn State is a quality team and upsets happen. Is Penn State incapable of beating Ohio State and/or Indiana and making the Big Ten championship? I think they are very capable of that.

I totally agree with your last sentence. What Penn State has accomplished and what Notre Dame has accomplished in the last 2 years, 5 years, 10 years,or 30 years, is pretty similar.

“People are overreacting to the preseason #2 popular NC pick losing to an 0-4 team that got stomped by multiple G5 teams and hadn’t led for a single second in any game prior to this one who had an OC who installed the game plan 2 days ago and had never called plays before.”

Reminder:
PSU has not beaten a P4 opponent since December of 2024.

 

[Bane]

I can't think of any sensible definition of fraud that fits there.

I've not once considered blocking anyone on here and feel like I'm pretty reasonable. But man, you are extremely thin skinned and you don't argue in good faith whatsoever.

If you can't see how a coach who regularly gets touted by the media and CFB folks as a top 5-10 type HC in the game but has such an abysmal record against equal or better opponents could meet the definition of "fraud," then you're just contrarian for the sake of it. Take your downvotes and argue with a wall.