2025 College Football Playoffs

[MPClinton22]

I think Indiana’s in kind of a similar spot right now, yeah? Have already beat Oregon, beat Ohio State, and just absolutely demolished Alabama, and don’t have the flukey losses as resume blemishes? (Though arguably the close Penn state win should count as one).

It’s just that nobody believes they’re as good as their onfield results suggest they are.

Certainly possible I’m guilty of that. But I just don’t think Indiana has the talent that OSU did last year (or Texas, PSU or we did for that matter). So IU’s best is still obviously elite, but just not at that same level.

 

[BeatSC]

That's a fair opinion.

Until Proven otherwise I’m holding onto it.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

 

[IRISHDODGER]

 

[RipWheeler]

Anyone but Oregon. Fuck that program and its stupid fans.

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Pretty convinced we keep peeping and interacting in this thread because we hate ourselves. Every single outcome has made the pain worse.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Anyone but Oregon. Fuck that program and its stupid fans.

Are you in the northwest? I've never seen an Oregon fan.

 

[NDWarrior]

Cig has included in his latest Oct 2025 renegotiated contract a Good Faith Market Review clause. It states if IU makes the CFP semifinal, the school must discuss a renegotiated contract with Cignetti that would bring his annual compensation to nothing less than the third-highest paid coach in college football.

Curt Cignetti contract clause takes effect after Indiana’s College Football Playoff semifinal berth

That clause was just triggered and since Kiffen's LSU contract, Cig has dropped to #4 highest paid coach so he gets to negotiate his contract again; if IU admin walks away from negotiations, Cig gets to go to a new school without paying any of his #15 mill. buyout clause.

There is risk and accountability in the contract as well; e.g., if IU falls out of Top 10, the review of his contract kicks in and is likely to be downgraded (both sides have skin in the game).

Kiffen can also benefit from more Ole Miss upsets where he'll get $500K for a semi-final win and $1 mill. for a CFP Championship win.

 

[RipWheeler]

Are you in the northwest? I've never seen an Oregon fan.

Yes, they are the PNW equivalent of Michigan. Trash fan base and program.

 

[ReesusCrist]

Cig has included in his latest Oct 2025 renegotiated contract a Good Faith Market Review clause. It states if IU makes the CFP semifinal, the school must discuss a renegotiated contract with Cignetti that would bring his annual compensation to nothing less than the third-highest paid coach in college football.

Curt Cignetti contract clause takes effect after Indiana’s College Football Playoff semifinal berth

That clause was just triggered and since Kiffen's LSU contract, Cig has dropped to #4 highest paid coach so he gets to negotiate his contract again; if IU admin walks away from negotiations, Cig gets to go to a new school without paying any of his #15 mill. buyout clause.

There is risk and accountability in the contract as well; e.g., if IU falls out of Top 10, the review of his contract kicks in and is likely to be downgraded (both sides have skin in the game).

Kiffen can also benefit from more Ole Miss upsets where he'll get $500K for a semi-final win and $1 mill. for a CFP Championship win.

All we need is three more coaches to add the same "top-3 pay" clause to their contract, and then the fun can really start.

 

[NDShark]

Remember beating now 11-2 Navy by 40 and getting zero credit for it? Feels like yesterday…

 

[IrishLax]

Remember beating now 11-2 Navy by 40 and getting zero credit for it? Feels like yesterday…

It was so funny seeing Navy ranked solidly in the top 25 of the AP and Coaches Polls and then the committee was like "nah we're going to pretend that game doesn't exist because giving ND another Top 25 win would make it impossible to keep them out."

 

[Dale]

Navy also beat Oklahoma last year. Even if you don’t believe they are a Top 25 team, they are obviously competent enough to be considered above any P4 6 - 8 win type team.

 

[FDNYIrish1]

Kirby may be the most overrated coach in the country. The HS guy from TT running a close second. TF gives you the balls to spew BS about being in a conference when that is your conference. Stay in your lane homie.

 

[greyhammer90]

It was so funny seeing Navy ranked solidly in the top 25 of the AP and Coaches Polls and then the committee was like "nah we're going to pretend that game doesn't exist because giving ND another Top 25 win would make it impossible to keep them out."

Even worse, they may have been forced to give Navy a spot in the playoffs. Can't have a triple option military academy embarassing the B1G/SEC schools and ruining a narrative.

 

[drayer54]

Wake Forest reminding us that the SEC blows.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Navy also beat Oklahoma last year. Even if you don’t believe they are a Top 25 team, they are obviously competent enough to be considered above any P4 6 - 8 win type team.

And the proof is that P4 teams rarely, if ever; schedule them. They know. But they also know the perception of Navy as a cupcake. That’s why ND gains zero by scheduling them. I respect the hell out of them but it’s a lose/lose to play them.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Pretty convinced we keep peeping and interacting in this thread because we hate ourselves. Every single outcome has made the pain worse.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It’s a good kind of “echo chamber”. We Irish fans understand ND. The haters never will. If I had to bet, non-ND fans who don’t have an emotional bent against ND acknowledge that the Irish got screwed this post season. Others are ignorant or haters from my generation who remember ND getting perceived preferential treatment. Some of that is fair. For example, I remember ND getting a Fiesta Bowl invite after going 6-4-1 in the regular season. They were coming off an NC worthy season. The Bowl Coalition had rules in place that gave ND a lot of leeway to get a major bowl invite. They got absolutely pantsed by Kordell Stewart & CU in that bowl. I had just graduated college & knew they’d get smoked b/c they didn’t deserve the bowl invite. That said, folks have to move on. Just like they’ll have to move on one day and be open minded about Bama if/when they get back to Saban level.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Kirby may be the most overrated coach in the country. The HS guy from TT running a close second. TF gives you the balls to spew BS about being in a conference when that is your conference. Stay in your lane homie.

Is this a new rant or the one after the SEC championship game?

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

My heart pumps piss for the SEC and their donors.

 

[Notre Dame Joe]

My heart pumps piss for the SEC and their donors.

The good news is the SEC is increasing their number of conference games, 8 to 9. It's appropriate because all of the SEC CFP wins have been against other SEC teams.

 

[MrNimbus]

The good news is the SEC is increasing their number of conference games, 8 to 9. It's appropriate because all of the SEC CFP wins have been against other SEC teams.

Come on now, ole miss has a "quality cfp win" against tulane.

 

[jprue24]

Here's some porn

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Bama is a PAC 10 team now.

 

[Huntr]

Entitled hillbillies.

The worst.

 

[NDWarrior]

This guy is getting his feathers ruffled, BUT, he does make a good point and is why - as much as we would hate it - I would rather see Miami beat IU in the CFP Championship Game.

It just looks better for ND being right there in 2025 and that we got screwed, and we would now be set up for an epic 11/7 rematch at home!

And altho' Cig deserves all the kudos, I cannot fathom him beating MMFF to winning a Natty.

 

[NorthDakota]

This guy is getting his feathers ruffled, BUT, he does make a good point and is why - as much as we would hate it - I would rather see Miami beat IU in the CFP Championship Game.

It just looks better for ND being right there in 2025 and that we got screwed, and we would now be set up for an epic 11/7 rematch at home!

And altho' Cig deserves all the kudos, I cannot fathom him beating MMFF to winning a Natty.

Idk how Miami winning "looks better" for ND or Miami winning adds anything to the game next year. By the time ND and Miami kick off next year, most people will have little recollection of the two playing.

I'd probably rather IU win than Miami. IU's system is weird and I don't it is sustainable long term. Miami is a potential superpower.

 

[JerseyIrishMan]

Idk how Miami winning "looks better" for ND or Miami winning adds anything to the game next year. By the time ND and Miami kick off next year, most people will have little recollection of the two playing.

I'd probably rather IU win than Miami. IU's system is weird and I don't it is sustainable long term. Miami is a potential superpower.

You don't think Cignetti knows how to sustain winning? Must not have googled him...

IU winning is miles worse for ND than Miami. Miles. Not sure how anyone doesn't agree. If they win, watch how quickly we find ourselves losing recruiting battles and hearing endless noise from their online fanbase. Maybe Miami has potential to be a superpower. IU is the already emerging superpower.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

He's not wrong and I generally agree. It's a tough pill to swallow for sure. For the last 20 years, IU football has been quite literally one of the worst P5 teams. But ND, while wallowing in mediocrity during said time, also wasn't really "trying." The arms race took teams like Bama, Georgia, OSU, and Clemson to the top for what felt like an eternity. ND never pretended to be part of the football factories and in fact, actively worked against it. Now that Collectives, NIL, and the TP have basically leveled the playing field, it's not shocking to see "random" teams catch lightning in a bottle. ND is right there with them.

The other important thing to consider is that every single time ND got into the playoffs or the NCG, they were matched up against All-time great teams. IU is not coming within 35 points of that 2012 Bama team or 2018 Clemson. Even OSU that beat ND last year also beat IU handily. Notre Dame hasn't caught the same breaks as Cheaters and Adulterers Michigan* (Washington) and potentially IU (if they make it, Ole Miss and Miami are not in the same stratosphere as Saban's Bama teams, etc).

This guy would have a bigger gripe if ND wasn't trying but still claiming to be among the elites. That's simply not the case though.

 

[Punky]

He's not wrong and I generally agree. It's a tough pill to swallow for sure. For the last 20 years, IU football has been quite literally one of the worst P5 teams. But ND, while wallowing in mediocrity during said time, also wasn't really "trying." The arms race took teams like Bama, Georgia, OSU, and Clemson to the top for what felt like an eternity. ND never pretended to be part of the football factories and in fact, actively worked against it. Now that Collectives, NIL, and the TP have basically leveled the playing field, it's not shocking to see "random" teams catch lightning in a bottle. ND is right there with them.

Not to nit-pick, but IU has the second worst win percentage of major college football programs all-time.......note that the graphic does not take into account this year's team