College Football Playoff Invitational by ESPN

[PutuporShutup]

Even after last year, some of you are still holding out hope that we get in at 10-2 (with losses to BYU and Miami). Bless your hearts. lol

Last year there wasn't a single team that got into the CFP with 3 regular season losses (bama did after championship loss). This year I bet 2 teams get in with 3 regular season losses.

Last year there was 4 SEC teams with 2 or fewer regular season losses, this year I think that number will be 2, possibly even only 1.

 

[thekid33]

Remember when all the rankings chaos upsets happened in the last 2 weeks of the regular season? Now they happening starting in week 7. The committee shouldn't even have rankings. They should just do brackets at the end of the season like March Madness, unaffected by week to week happenings where they have to keep moving teams up and back and inexplicably jump teams.

They took that E$PN money and have to do it so their broadcast partner can have more live programing and then #content to talk about during the week.

 

[PutuporShutup]

There is one other major talking point if ND goes 10-2, favoring ND.

Nd would have lost a game that was not over, ND should have still had a shot to win it and the big 12 had to state they incorrectly ended the game, and there was still time left on the clock with ND having the ball and a very realistic chance to win it. Then you'll get people saying, yep, ND had one more play, and in reality, it should have been PI and ND had one more play at what should have been the 2 yard line. Getting a TD from the 2 is over a 50% likelihood.

The talk about the BYU loss won't be how ND played poor and had a terrible game plan, it will be the massive mistake by the big 12 officiating and review crew.

 

[BeatSC]

Last year there wasn't a single team that got into the CFP with 3 regular season losses (bama did after championship loss). This year I bet 2 teams get in with 3 regular season losses.

Last year there was 4 SEC teams with 2 or fewer regular season losses, this year I think that number will be 2, possibly even only 1.

Possibly. It they won’t be ahead of a 10-2 ND. I’m picking usc to win this weekend over a terrible Ohio State backup QB.

 

[FWIrish4]

There is one other major talking point if ND goes 10-2, favoring ND.

Nd would have lost a game that was not over, ND should have still had a shot to win it and the big 12 had to state they incorrectly ended the game, and there was still time left on the clock with ND having the ball and a very realistic chance to win it. Then you'll get people saying, yep, ND had one more play, and in reality, it should have been PI and ND had one more play at what should have been the 2 yard line. Getting a TD from the 2 is over a 50% likelihood.

The talk about the BYU loss won't be how ND played poor and had a terrible game plan, it will be the massive mistake by the big 12 officiating and review crew.

I absolutely hear what you’re saying, but the committee didn’t give a shit how anyone lost last year.

ND played 2 playoff teams back to back to open the season and lost by 4 points. One of which, was because of a missed PAT and an obvious reffing non call that would have essentially ended the game.

Then ND beats everyone to a pulp by double digits with the only teams playing at, or near, that level for the last ten games of the year were IU and OSU, the committee’s 1 and 2 seeds.

Did anyone play 2 playoff teams back to back last year? Let alone start the year with that challenge? No.

Did anyone play at the level of the top 2 seeds the rest of the year? No.

None of it mattered in the eyes of the committee even by being Top 3 in virtually every metric that they claimed they used.

 

[stlnd01]

I absolutely hear what you’re saying, but the committee didn’t give a shit how anyone lost last year.

ND played 2 playoff teams back to back to open the season and lost by 4 points. One of which, was because of a missed PAT and an obvious reffing non call that would have essentially ended the game.

Then ND beats everyone to a pulp by double digits with the only teams playing at, or near, that level for the last ten games of the year were IU and OSU, the committee’s 1 and 2 seeds.

Did anyone play 2 playoff teams back to back last year? Let alone start the year with that challenge? No.

Did anyone play at the level of the top 2 seeds the rest of the year? No.

None of it mattered in the eyes of the committee even by being Top 3 in virtually every metric that they claimed they used.

We'll see. Last year, three-loss teams weren't in the mix. This year there probably will be.

Let's say we lose to Miami very close, and they go on to be undefeated ACC champs, and BYU goes on to win the Big 12, then we'll have last-play losses to two Top-Five ranked conference champions. We'll have proven we can go toe-to-toe with anyone, even if we don't have any especially impressive wins.
One could certainly argue that is more impressive than a 9-3 Big Ten/SEC team with like one middling win and a couple of multi-score losses to playoff teams.

A lot of football left to be played, and this year pretty much everyone has stumbled.

 

[NDWarrior]

To me, I want our resume to look so good as to not be a complete embarrassment that gets torn to shred but I have no illusion the committee is somehow reviewing A vs B and combing over criteria to make their decision. Like we need to get in the same ballpark sure but after that it’s justification not causation.

I mean they called the SEC Championship an extra game. The holy grail was reduced to zero meaning. Anything is possible

Leave… No… No Doubt

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I hate Herbstreit so much I had to turn off Gameday.

Pat brought up how many teams in the SEC with 2 losses are competing for a spot in the tournament and Kirk immediately pivots to a talking point: “We’re going to have to look at the best teams regardless of losses.” (Paraphrasing). Then begins talking about Miami last year.

Bro, no team looked worse going into the CFP final week last year than Bama. And not many teams looked better than ND. That’s not bias cope. The data proved it.

Seriously hate that guy.

 

[irishff1014]

Leave… No… No Doubt

Expect this team has left doubt.

 

[Dale]

McDonough and McElroy spending a 2 min drive by UNC lamenting how NDs SOS took a hit today with SMU/Wisconsin losses, 10 - 2 ND may be sweating and to check out the Allstate Playoff Predictor is some eyes wide open BS already. It is absurd how clear the narrative push is

 

[Bane]

All of this is why I have really lost a lot of passion about the whole thing. It's pretty absurd that a network basically controls the entire playoff selection process (in collusion with the profit extraction consortiums known as "conferences"), via total ownership of the entire media rights. In a completely subjective process like CFB, that is extremely powerful as they have basically singular power to narrative shape and craft.

I watch CFB and root for ND because I like college ball and I like ND. I just want to see ND win every game they play, all of the playoff bullshit, man if we make it great. I want to win it, because those are games we would be playing, but if not, I mean what can I do about it? The system is absolute bullshit, so I'm not gonna twist myself into knots trying to figure out how a 10-2 ND resume gets into the playoffs because it's not an objective process, there is nothing we "have" to do or any amount we need to win by to get in if we have anything less than 11 losses we're going to be left out, whatever our merits may be, because the point of the entire CFP process is to make a pile of money for ESPN first and foremost, and their conference affiliates secondly. Nowhere in all of that, do we fit in.

 

[Huntr]

It literally won't matter beginning next year. ND will never be left out at 10-2 and prob 9-3.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

It literally won't matter beginning next year. ND will never be left out at 10-2 and prob 9-3.

I used to believe this. Not anymore with ESPN controlling the conferences, the committee, and the money.

 

[calvegas04]

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Is this a prediction or where we currently stand?

 

[MPClinton22]

Rage bait needs to at least be somewhat believable

 

[NorthDakota]

Is this a prediction or where we currently stand?

This can only really work on the assumption that Miami beats Notre Dame....after ND has back to back to back pick six's overturned in the final minute of the game.

 

[NorthDakota]

We'll see. Last year, three-loss teams weren't in the mix. This year there probably will be.

Let's say we lose to Miami very close, and they go on to be undefeated ACC champs, and BYU goes on to win the Big 12, then we'll have last-play losses to two Top-Five ranked conference champions. We'll have proven we can go toe-to-toe with anyone, even if we don't have any especially impressive wins.
One could certainly argue that is more impressive than a 9-3 Big Ten/SEC team with like one middling win and a couple of multi-score losses to playoff teams.

A lot of football left to be played, and this year pretty much everyone has stumbled.

We learned last year that close losses dont mean anything without good wins.

Notre Dame haters had all the ammo they needed last year because Notre Dame indeed won zero games against good teams.

If ND loses to Miami this week, the same will be true.

 

[GTB]

If we lose to Miami then we do not belong
I do not care about other teams
this team would not have earned the right to fight for the NC

 

[Jeffwantpoppers]

UCLA at 4 and Indiana at 5 implies they win out, giving USC 4 L’s. Yet they have them at 9. lol ok

Editing to add: just an unserious prediction and meant to push a narrative

 

[Dale]

I shouldn’t get rage baited but at least put in the effort to have logically sound CFP mock brackets. The article doesn’t even explain the projected records

UCLA 4, IU 5, USC 9, OSU 10

There’s a path. I would love if Andy could articulate it because it’s impossibly narrow. It would be USC and OSU win out, UCLA/IU win out besides USC. UCLA wins Big Ten over OSU, OSU gets in at 10 - 3. According to ChatGPT this has a 0.07% likelihood. Great projection Andy, I’m sure I just got baited into more effort than you even tried lol.

 

[NorthDakota]

If we lose to Miami then we do not belong
I do not care about other teams
this team would not have earned the right to fight for the NC

Could get a shot anyway. Lots of teams with bad resumes

 

[thekid33]

Could get a shot anyway. Lots of teams with bad resumes

The problem is the Big10 and SEC circle jerks.

I don't think many of those teams are better than us, but most of the 2-4 loss teams in them will have at least one ranked win. And, while it probably isn't an impressive ranked win, it will still be one. Whereas, when the committee looks at our results there will be none.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

10-2 isn’t a death sentence with how injured and bad the top teams have been. We wouldn’t deserve the playoffs, but could still sneak in.

 

[bkess8]

10-2 isn’t a death sentence with how injured and bad the top teams have been. We wouldn’t deserve the playoffs, but could still sneak in.

Let's not try that dance again since it didn't work out well for us last season.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Let's not try that dance again since it didn't work out well for us last season.

Agreed, just saying there’s still a chance!

 

[pumpdog20]

We're not getting in with 10-2. Especially with the BYU loss. They would need 3 losses for them to be eliminated over us. Until then 1 or 2 loss BYU would get in before a two loss ND with no ranked wins does.

 

[Dale]

Welcome to the 3 loss SEC ranked week, just coincidentally the week the CFP rankings come out!

 

[Dale]

Towson, Kent State, FAU, and Campbell doing a TON of leg work to make 5 - 3 look pretty

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Head-to-Head has to matter or else why play the games! NORTER DAYME is OVERRATED ahead of BYU. ARGGHH.