Top 25

[EifertPower]

If we beat Purdue next week, do you think we return to the Top 25? I have no idea but I'd like to think that if South Florida, Michigan, and Mich State all win next week and all are ranked in the Top 25, then ND at 3-2 should be #25 in the nation.

If not, then what will it take to get back to the Top 25? 2 straight wins? 3 straight wins?

 

[ThePiombino]

I think with a convincing win over Purdue we find ourselves in the lower 5 of the top-25. However, I think it more likely that we will need to go 4-2 heading into the USC game before we find ourselves there- probably deservedly so.

 

[arrowryan]

I want to be ranked if we win out until we play and beat USC. IF we dont do that, we dont deserve to be ranked

 

[MNIrish14]

If we beat purdue and air force handily, then I think it's fair to consider us for ranking

 

[irish4ever]

If we beat purdue and air force handily, then I think it's fair to consider us for ranking

Agreed! they're not deserving after yesterday's slim win and beating Purdue (who lost to Rice) to be considered a top 25 team.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

If we run the table up through the SC game, then maybe we get ranked

 

[georgia irish]

Just think what we would have, and should have been ranked if we had won the first 2 games.Probably number 10?

 

[arrowryan]

Just think what we would have, and should have been ranked if we had won the first 2 games.Probably number 10?

We would be in the top 10 for sure

 

[tko]

i could care less about rankings til the end of the season. I want to see clean football, period.

 

[NDOM]

If we beat Purdue next week, do you think we return to the Top 25? I have no idea but I'd like to think that if South Florida, Michigan, and Mich State all win next week and all are ranked in the Top 25, then ND at 3-2 should be #25 in the nation.

If not, then what will it take to get back to the Top 25? 2 straight wins? 3 straight wins?

It is my honest opinion that we don't deserve to be in the top 25 if we beat Purdue. I think if we win 2 or 3 more convincingly then I think we should be ranked 20-24th. We are FAR from where we need to be. Just my 2 cents but what do I know.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

#25 in the Sagarin ratings with 5th toughest schedule

 

[DuffHouse12]

Notre Dame will be ranked if they hang 40+ on Purdue. if they just have an ordinary win it will take a convincing win over USAFA AND a win over Southern Cal.

Southern Cal is surrounded by the "easy part" of the schedule with Purdue, USAFA, Navy, Wake, Maryland, BC. All of those HAVE to be wins. right now i think they will be and I think the Irish will be USC - but unless they hang half-a-hundred up @ Purdue, they won't be ranked.

 

[Dizzyphil]

I don't know if wins versus Purdue and USC will do it either. USC got bitch-slapped last night by an unranked ASU so, we may have to win deeper into the schedule; which we should be trying for anyway.

Diz

 

[IrishLax]

If we have are sitting 4-2 with convincing wins, no turnovers, etc. I think it warrants us Top 25 because we played the hardest schedule in the nation (by Sagarin) through our first 3 games and #5 hardest schedule (by Sagarin) through our first 4.

But I don't think 3-2 warrants ranking unless some other teams implode.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

I think it also depends on who loses in front of us. Demolishing Purdue may get us in the top 30, AF I think we'd be on the brink, and a solid win over SC in a big night game we'd probably be ranked because of all the media hype around the game.

If a couple of top 20-25 teams lose the week we take care of air force, and we put a complete game together, and control the game...I think we'd fall into the rankings.

On a side note, Barkley didn't look too hot last night. I never liked him, and never thought he was really that great. Seems a little overrated

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

Seriously?

This team doesn't deserve to be ranked unless they win thru USC, and even then just barely cracking the list between 20-25.

The only two loss team in the top 25 right now is FSU, and who knows if they stay until the polls come out. Their two losses came from the #1 team and a very good Clemson team, so I wouldn't be shocked to see them at 24/25.

Just WIN. Polls don't mean JACK S*** to me at this point.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Insisting that ND doesn't deserve to be ranked is silly. The polls are a beauty contest. ND is definitely better than some of the currently ranked teams.

If we pull out a convincing win over Purdue, we should be ranked without apology.

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

Insisting that ND doesn't deserve to be ranked is silly. The polls are a beauty contest. ND is definitely better than some of the currently ranked teams.

If we pull out a convincing win over Purdue, we should be ranked without apology.

Why are they better? Because they are better on paper? Cause they look outstanding SOMETIMES?

Just cause a team SHOULD be in the top 25 doesn't mean they ARE. This team has 2 losses. PERIOD.

I just looked at the entire top 25 and there is not ONE team that I can say that we are clearly better than. Could we beat several of them, yes, but the top 25 is the season in a WHOLE, not one day.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

Why are they better? Because they are better on paper? Cause they look outstanding SOMETIMES?

Just cause a team SHOULD be in the top 25 doesn't mean they ARE. This team has 2 losses. PERIOD.

I just looked at the entire top 25 and there is not ONE team that I can say that we are clearly better than. Could we beat several of them, yes, but the top 25 is the season in a WHOLE, not one day.

We would probably be favored against most teams in the 25-17 range.

My point is that discussing who "deserves" to be ranked is stupid, because the rankings aren't about who has the best team. They're strongly influenced by (1) an arbitrary preseason ranking; (2) popular perception of SoS (which tends to be wildly inaccurate); etc.

We got votes last week as a 1-2 team. So no, you're not simply what your record is.

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

We would probably be favored against most teams in the 25-17 range.

This means what exactly? Have we not been favored in all 4 games so far this year?

If I was ranking a team based on winning on any given Saturday, I would put this team up against most teams (IF THEY LIMIT MISTAKES). But being in the upper echelon of CFB is about the entire record, and a 2-2 team does NOT DESERVE a spot, nor does a 3-2 one.

I wouldn't doubt for a second that if ND wins the next two games they get ranked just to up the ante for the USC game. But I probably still wouln't agree with it.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

This means exactly what? Have we not been favored in all 4 games so far this year?

If I was ranking a team based on winning on any given Saturday, I would put this team up against most teams (IF THEY LIMIT MISTAKES).

Yes, that's roughly how Vegas chooses to set its line on a week by week basis. Since they're not in the business of losing money, I'd say that means something.

But being in the upper echelon of CFB is about the entire record, and a 2-2 team does NOT DESERVE a spot, nor does a 3-2 one.

WTF does "upper echelons of CFB" mean? The poll is stupid and full of arbitrary bullsh!t. You're putting it on a pedestal as if it's an effective measure of a team's true worth.

As I mentioned earlier, ND got several votes last week. Should those writers have their voting rights removed, since they're clearly insane for voting a 1-2 team into the top 25? Seven voters ranked OSU head of Miami after Miami absolutely exposed OSU on national television. Was that fair?

SoS has a tremendous impact on a team's record. According to Sagarin, ND has played the 5th toughest schedule in the nation, and we're 2-2. Lots of ranked teams have played one decent team and 2-3 absolute cupcakes. So claiming that a record of 2-2 should categorically bar a team from being ranked is completely indefensible. Who you played means everything.

And to be clear, I don't think we should be ranked right now. But if we curb stomp Purdue, voters would be completely justified in putting us at 25-24. And anyone who complains about us not "deserving" to be ranked at 3-2 should punch themselves in the nuts right now and save us the pain of having to read such ignorance.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

If this team is a top 25 team in the country then college football has just plummeted.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

If this team is a top 25 team in the country then college football has just plummeted.

Ugh. Get over yourself. This relentless negativity is tiresome.

Our defense, OL, RBs, and WRs are easily all top-20 units. We're struggling on STs and QB play. This is not a bad team.

 

[koonja]

We have top 15 talent, it's just that our QB is a major weakness right now and unfortunately, that is the position with the most control over the game.

We need Tommy to do a 180 and stop turning the ball over. Unfortunately, there's a pretty solid body of work that proves he can do that. Hopefully it comes together, though.

OR,

I'm not shy about making it known I would have no problem with BK trying someone else at QB.

 

[ND_HAS_RISEN]

Yes, that's roughly how Vegas chooses to set its line on a week by week basis. Since they're not in the business of losing money, I'd say that means something.

You obviously aren't comprehending what I'm saying. They can win and play with most Top 25 teams. That is why Vegas sets the line where they do. The top 25 is a collection of everything, not one game.

WTF does "upper echelons of CFB" mean? The poll is stupid and full of arbitrary bullsh!t.

Says who, you? When ND is ranked however its justified right?

SoS has a tremendous impact on a team's record. According to Sagarin, ND has played the 5th toughest schedule in the nation, and we're 2-2. Lots of ranked teams have played one decent team and 2-3 absolute cupcakes. So claiming that a record of 2-2 should categorically bar a team from being ranked is completely indefensible. Who you played means everything.

I never said the SoS doesn't mean anything. 2 losses doesn't categorically remove you from the top 25. Losing the way they lost does.

And to be clear, I don't think we should be ranked right now. But if we curb stomp Purdue, voters would be completely justified in putting us at 25-24. And anyone who complains about us not "deserving" to be ranked at 3-2 should punch themselves in the nuts right now and save us the pain of having to read such ignorance.

You don't think they should be ranked right now, but if they win convincingly against a terrible team its justified? Ignorance is bliss I suppose..

 

[micks60]

Ok...let me preface this that we I do not think we should be ranked. There is good and rational reasoning that we should be going by the ap poll.

Here is a teams results. Where do they fit just by common sense.
#17 lost by three
#21 lost by four
#23won by 18
Beat unranked team by three

Seems like that team is a perfect fit for #22.

Like I said I do not agree that we should be ranked. But looking at the numbers we really should. There is a mistake being made somewhere.

 

[bullwark]

According to Sagarin:

25 Notre Dame A = 81.28 2 2 80.16( 5) 0 0 | 0 2 | 79.08 34 | 83.13 20

 

[Anchorman]

Ugh. Get over yourself. This relentless negativity is tiresome.

Our defense, OL, RBs, and WRs are easily all top-20 units. We're struggling on STs and QB play. This is not a bad team.

None of the above are easily Top-20 units. Floyd is obviously a top 3, maybe top 5 guy. Eifert is probably a top 5 TE. The other WRs have showed very little.

Cierre and Jonas have been solid but not out of this world given what other RBs are doing. Moreover, they each have a very costly fumble.

Defense gave up 28 points to Michigan in the 4th quarter. Top 20 defenses don't do that.


WRT rankings, we apparently have three votes in the AP, which means not a chance in getting ranked after Purdue and very hard to get ranked after AF.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

I never said the SoS doesn't mean anything. 2 losses doesn't categorically remove you from the top 25.

Actually, you did categorically state that a 3-2 ND wouldn't deserve to be ranked. That's indefensible.

Losing the way they lost does.

So it would have been better to get thoroughly dominated by USF and Michigan than to dominant them in every statistical category, only to lose narrowly due to unforced errors? That might be less painful for Irish fans, but that's if one is going to lose, losing like we did against quality opponents is the best way to do it.

You don't think they should be ranked right now, but if they win convincingly against a terrible team its justified? Ignorance is bliss I suppose..

I didn't say any win over Purdue should produce a ranked ND. If we dominate Purdue and play TO free football, that might assuage the voters few concerns about the team, and lead to a ranked ND in Week 5.

 

[irishfan]

We're #37 in the AP going by the also receiving votes category. If we're 4-2 going into the SC game, we should be #20-#25.