Bowl Game - who do you want

[Irish YJ]

So who do y'all want to play post season?

1. Still want to make the CFP and play Bama?
or
2. Play a non-CFP team in a decent bowl? And who?

Note, not sure what tie ins are out there, and if they matter this year with Covid, and teams cancelling. So keeping it open to good teams.

SEC
TAMU (if they don't slide into the CFP - 1 loss, to Bama
FL - 3 losses, SEC East Champion
UGA - struggled, but might be good with a QB now

BIG10
IU - 1 loss, and will get a good bowl
NW - West champ
Iowa - solid ranked team

BIG12
OK - top 10, 2 loss
ISU - CC loser, might stay in the top 10
Texas - just for the name...

ACC
Miami - Best ACC team that we didn't play

PAC
Oregon - are they really CCs after not even winning the North? lol
USC - CC loser
Washington - Won the North, covid kept them home

The rest
Cinci - AAC Champ
Ball St - MAC Champ
Costal Carolina - 12th ranked
Louisiana - 1 loss, was supposed to play for SB Champ
San Jose State - undefeated, and MW Champs

 

[Rudy89]

Anything we can win...embrace our mediocrity. At least our empty trophy bid a trophy. Avoid playoffs at all costs.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Anything we can win...embrace our mediocrity. At least our empty trophy bid a trophy. Avoid playoffs at all costs.

I hope this is a joke.
If you want to play with the big boys you have to face them regularly and learn from them.

Picking on Iowa St isn't going to do much at all.

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[NDdomer2]

While I believe we wouldn't win against bama bring on the four seed.

If not I want indiana so I can stop hearing all my idiot friends say they are best team in the state.

 

[Irish YJ]

I'm struggling with this.

I want to go to the playoffs, but not bent over.

So if no CFP

Revenge games, or just happy to beat...
USC
Miami
UGA

Fun
IU
Ball State

I don't want to play a non-P5 (except for BS) because the thought of losing to one would be awful.

 

[Irishize]

I'm struggling with this.

I want to go to the playoffs, but not bent over.

So if no CFP

Revenge games, or just happy to beat...
USC
Miami
UGA

Fun
IU
Ball State

I don't want to play a non-P5 (except for BS) because the thought of losing to one would be awful.

SC has already opted out of a bowl

 

[Rudy89]

I hope this is a joke.
If you want to play with the big boys you have to face them regularly and learn from them.

Picking on Iowa St isn't going to do much at all.

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What have we learned losing to them the last 20 years other than how to live with failure?

 

[hungryhippo]

I hope this is a joke.
If you want to play with the big boys you have to face them regularly and learn from them.

Picking on Iowa St isn't going to do much at all.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

This. I really hate this 'what's the point' nonsense. We're a cut beneath the elites, but a steady bottom of the top 10 program the past 4 years. Great. We should be a double digit underdog. So what?

Take the 4 seed, take our swing, (almost certainly) get worked, go figure out how to retool for next year and deliver on that top 5 recruiting class talk in '22.

 

[Irish YJ]

While I believe we wouldn't win against bama bring on the four seed.

If not I want indiana so I can stop hearing all my idiot friends say they are best team in the state.

I'm on the fence about #4. Bad enough we just got smoked. I just don't want to hear my SEC buddies for another year...

I'd love IU, but not for the same reason. I'm ND first, but IU 2nd. Love both. Would be fun. Play it at LOS.

I hope this is a joke.
If you want to play with the big boys you have to face them regularly and learn from them.

Picking on Iowa St isn't going to do much at all.

Just not sure we'd pick on ISU.

 

[Sea Turtle]

Not the playoffs. Bama skull fucks us.

Not Florida. The drop 50 on us.

Not Georgia. They seal club us.

Maybe Indiana.

The Duke Mayonnaise bowl sounds winnable.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

What have we learned losing to them the last 20 years other than how to live with failure?

Um, we learned how to beat Clemson.. We've learned how to play UGA (way better "athletes") than ND... We have learned a lot. We're getting "closer".

But Saban(and Dabo) aren't stalling. They're getting better and better too...

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[hungryhippo]

What have we learned losing to them the last 20 years other than how to live with failure?

You're not talking about a football team, any football team. You're talking about a condition of being a fan. And I understand your frustration with losing every big game. It fuckin sucks. But you're describing a personal emotional issue, not something that impacts the psyche of this or any other recent Notre Dame football team.

The closest it comes to the players is national perception & media noise, which tangentially matters, but if you've ever been a locker room (any locker room), it's either used as fuel or treated as noise and ignored.

 

[IrishLax]

So who do y'all want to play post season?

1. Still want to make the CFP and play Bama?
or
2. Play a non-CFP team in a decent bowl? And who?

Note, not sure what tie ins are out there, and if they matter this year with Covid, and teams cancelling. So keeping it open to good teams.

SEC
TAMU (if they don't slide into the CFP - 1 loss, to Bama
FL - 3 losses, SEC East Champion
UGA - struggled, but might be good with a QB now

BIG10
IU - 1 loss, and will get a good bowl
NW - West champ
Iowa - solid ranked team

BIG12
OK - top 10, 2 loss
ISU - CC loser, might stay in the top 10
Texas - just for the name...

ACC
Miami - Best ACC team that we didn't play

PAC
Oregon - are they really CCs after not even winning the North? lol
USC - CC loser
Washington - Won the North, covid kept them home

The rest
Cinci - AAC Champ
Ball St - MAC Champ
Costal Carolina - 12th ranked
Louisiana - 1 loss, was supposed to play for SB Champ
San Jose State - undefeated, and MW Champs

I'd for sure want in the playoffs if ND had a chance to play Ohio State or Texas A&M but neither is a possibility. Regardless, I think ND is in, and I guess I'd rather be "in" then out.

If ND is left out in favor of Texas A&M... which is almost unthinkable at this point... then that means ND is headed to the Orange Bowl as the highest ranked ACC team. That means they get the next best team out of the Big Ten or SEC... which means they're playing Florida or Georgia. Georgia's defense + new offense with JT Daniels = probably the single worst possible matchup on paper for ND. There is almost no scenario where ND gets to play some soft Big 12 school or Cinci or Indiana or Oregon. So if my choices are playing Georgia in the Orange Bowl or Bama in the CFP give me a latter.

It's sort of crazy that no matter how the cookie crumbles it's going to be Notre Dame playing an SEC team.

 

[Irish YJ]

Um, we learned how to beat Clemson.. We've learned how to play UGA (way better "athletes") than ND... We have learned a lot. We're getting "closer".

But Saban(and Dabo) aren't stalling. They're getting better and better too...

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I agree with a lot of your sentiment, but getting smacked around by Bama doesn't really teach us anything we don't already know. Not sure if the whack is worth "wanting to learn". I think a win over another good team can help us more going into next year. Let's go beat UGA, or Miami, or USC, which would all help us in recruiting.

 

[irish4ever]

I'm all in on the Irish going in as #4 and being Bama's little bitch for a day. CFP or bust!

 

[Irish YJ]

I'd for sure want in the playoffs if ND had a chance to play Ohio State or Texas A&M but neither is a possibility. Regardless, I think ND is in, and I guess I'd rather be "in" then out.

If ND is left out in favor of Texas A&M... which is almost unthinkable at this point... then that means ND is headed to the Orange Bowl as the highest ranked ACC team. That means they get the next best team out of the Big Ten or SEC... which means they're playing Florida or Georgia. Georgia's defense + new offense with JT Daniels = probably the single worst possible matchup on paper for ND. There is almost no scenario where ND gets to play some soft Big 12 school or Cinci or Indiana or Oregon. So if my choices are playing Georgia in the Orange Bowl or Bama in the CFP give me a latter.

It's sort of crazy that no matter how the cookie crumbles it's going to be Notre Dame playing an SEC team.

I like the UGA matchup a lot more than you. I've watched them a lot this year. JT is still kinda "new" given his recent add to the starting line up. They've looked pretty bad at times on D too. They've kept scores down, but just haven't looked like a normal UGA D.

Was listening to some sports talk show (think it might have been Nashville) on the way into Indy, and they were talking about teams getting some latitude in bowl tie ins. Possibly to stay closer to home if they wish. So if true, would ND be interested in a game vs IU or Cinci. I'm not sure if it was a what if, or something that was kicked around from the CFP or conference.

 

[Rudy89]

Um, we learned how to beat Clemson.. We've learned how to play UGA (way better "athletes") than ND... We have learned a lot. We're getting "closer".

But Saban(and Dabo) aren't stalling. They're getting better and better too...

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Closer but still losses when the team is at full strength. We lost to UGA (sure it was close but that only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades and football isn’t either so a loss is still a failure) or when the team has full strength we are destroyed sooooooooooooooooo...... yah we can either be humiliated or win. If we are can be elite we might as well get something. We might nail a few more recruits saying “hey we won a bowl” more than saying to a recruit “hey ya know that team that’s also recruiting you, they ass fucked us in the playoffs but come play for us!”

 

[IrishLax]

I like the UGA matchup a lot more than you. I've watched them a lot this year. JT is still kinda "new" given his recent add to the starting line up. They've looked pretty bad at times on D too. They've kept scores down, but just haven't looked like a normal UGA D.

Was listening to some sports talk show (think it might have been Nashville) on the way into Indy, and they were talking about teams getting some latitude in bowl tie ins. Possibly to stay closer to home if they wish. So if true, would ND be interested in a game vs IU or Cinci. I'm not sure if it was a what if, or something that was kicked around from the CFP or conference.

On paper looking at the whole season they are absolutely worse than ND. But if you look at just the past couple games, their offense goes from pedestrian to a top 10 group. JT can sling it and has a QBR this season of 93.1 (!!!!!) in this small sample size... extrapolating this to a full season he'd be second in the country only to Mac Jones.

If I'm ND and I get left out of the CFP but get told I have "flexibility" on bowl games (doubt this happens because of Orange Bowl contract unless they are allowed to give up the spot to UNC somehow) then I'm playing whichever Big 12, Big Ten, or PAC12 team I can get my hands on. They all suck to varying degrees and are totally overrated. Of the five most talented teams in the country, three are in the SEC and all are ND's most likely next opponent. The other two are Clemson and Ohio State.

The most fraudulent team in the SEC is Texas A&M, who is simply not good. They just aren't. They have a worse defense than ND and a similar inconsistent offense. Ironically, they're somehow ranked the highest of the non-Bama bunch.

 

[TorontoGold]

It has to be the CFP. There is quite literally nothing to lose by playing in the playoff. Its already expected that ND is going to get stomped. Even just keeping it close earns a bit more respect.

You gotta keep going up against the best. It's weak shit to back down. I'd much rather be considered a blue blood that has played in the playoffs 2 of the past 3 years then the esteemed Champs Sports bowl winners.

 

[Irish YJ]

On paper looking at the whole season they are absolutely worse than ND. But if you look at just the past couple games, their offense goes from pedestrian to a top 10 group. JT can sling it and has a QBR this season of 93.1 (!!!!!) in this small sample size... extrapolating this to a full season he'd be second in the country only to Mac Jones.

I totally agree JT can sling, and totally agree their O has looked better. But, they've beat two pretty bad teams. Missouri is not near as good as some folks think/thought (look at their full schedule). SC plain sucks.

If I'm ND and I get left out of the CFP but get told I have "flexibility" on bowl games (doubt this happens because of Orange Bowl contract unless they are allowed to give up the spot to UNC somehow) then I'm playing whichever Big 12, Big Ten, or PAC12 team I can get my hands on. They all suck to varying degrees and are totally overrated. Of the five most talented teams in the country, three are in the SEC and all are ND's most likely next opponent. The other two are Clemson and Ohio State.

The most fraudulent team in the SEC is Texas A&M, who is simply not good. They just aren't. They have a worse defense than ND and a similar inconsistent offense. Ironically, they're somehow ranked the highest of the non-Bama bunch.

I agree TAMU is probably a fraud, but I have zero desire to play them.

If we are left out of the CFP, and I had my pick, I'd rank my favs like
UGA
USC
Miami
IU

 

[Irish YJ]

It has to be the CFP. There is quite literally nothing to lose by playing in the playoff. Its already expected that ND is going to get stomped. Even just keeping it close earns a bit more respect.

You gotta keep going up against the best. It's weak shit to back down. I'd much rather be considered a blue blood that has played in the playoffs 2 of the past 3 years then the esteemed Champs Sports bowl winners.

Disagree. Getting stomped hurts recruiting, rep, etc.

I agree that history will say "they made it to the CFP", but that's 20+ years down the road win folks forget we got beat downs. The next 10 years, getting smoke twice after being "#2", will just add more energy to the overrated attitude that has existed since our last Bama game.

 

[Irishbounty28]

So...I’m on board with playing in the CFP because I guess I’m a glutton for punishment. Also, I think the rewards far outweigh the negatives.

If ND gets blown out it won’t change much in regards to how they are already perceived. It will fall in step with what everyone believes already, therefore changing little.

If ND was able to pull off a couple upsets it could change everything for the better though. Hard not to want that opportunity.

 

[Blazers46]

Amazing how a few player totally change a game.

 

[irishtrooper]

It has to be the CFP. There is quite literally nothing to lose by playing in the playoff. Its already expected that ND is going to get stomped. Even just keeping it close earns a bit more respect.

You gotta keep going up against the best. It's weak shit to back down. I'd much rather be considered a blue blood that has played in the playoffs 2 of the past 3 years then the esteemed Champs Sports bowl winners.

This is correct. I’m having a hard time understanding why our fans are so soft. It’s better to EARN a shot and take it, than back down like a punk. I’m all in on playing the best. I really don’t care if some dork from PSU or Michigan taunts us for losing in the playoff. Their programs would absolutely trade with our recent success. We are in the conversation. ND matters right now and we’re in the mix an awful lot lately. That matters to recruits as well.

 

[GATTACA!]

This is correct. I’m having a hard time understanding why our fans are so soft. It’s better to EARN a shot and take it, than back down like a punk. I’m all in on playing the best. I really don’t care if some dork from PSU or Michigan taunts us for losing in the playoff. Their programs would absolutely trade with our recent success. We are in the conversation. ND matters right now and we’re in the mix an awful lot lately. That matters to recruits as well.

I agree. Clemson was knocking at the door for the better part of a half decade before they finally broke through and became the juggernaut they are now.

 

[Crazy Balki]

On paper looking at the whole season they are absolutely worse than ND. But if you look at just the past couple games, their offense goes from pedestrian to a top 10 group. JT can sling it and has a QBR this season of 93.1 (!!!!!) in this small sample size... extrapolating this to a full season he'd be second in the country only to Mac Jones.

Not that I don't think Georgia's offense has improved with JT in at QB, but it's important to consider their competition over the past 3 games.

vs. Mississippi State (W 31-24) - Mississippi State is 3-7 and have given up 30 or more points in half of their games, against a lot of not-so-good offenses.

vs. South Carolina (W 45-16) - They're fortunate Vanderbilt exists, or South Carolina would be the worst team in the SEC. They gave up 30+ in 7 of their 10 games, including 41 to a horrible Kentucky offense, 31 to Tennessee and 52 to LSU.

vs. Missouri (W 49-14) - Missouri finished 5-5 but also finished by giving up 48+ in three consecutive games. 48 to Arkansas, 49 to Georgia and 51 to Mississippi State.

Overall, they've padded stats against some really bad teams, many of which have surrendered a ton of points to other bad teams.

 

[tko]

ND vs Cincy in the Brian Kelly bowl, no playoffs.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Fuck it
Clemsoning was a thing for a long time for a reason.
No one says Dabo can't win the big ones anymore.
Take our shot

Taj to Deshaun to Lawrence to DJ is just a ridiculous run of QBs

 

[317Irish]

ND vs Cincy in the Brian Kelly bowl, no playoffs.

I don’t know, Cincinnati looks scary!! Maybe the Brian Kelly bowl still, but against Grand Valley St? I think we might match up well against them

 

[BabyIrish]

Playoffs. It’s one bad game. The team will learn from this. That’s what the great ones do. They don’t sulk and pout. They learn. Our team is great, and they will learn. The game against Bama would be much different then yesterday