Case for being ranked

[koonja]

I think we have a chance to be ranked after the last two weeks.

Top 25 teams who lost or are currently losing:

FSU #23, lost 35-30 to Wake
Nebraska # 14, losing 27-13 to OSU
Auburn # 15, lost 31-14 to Arkansas
Florida # 17, lost 41-11 to LSU
Texas # 11, lost 55-17 to Oklahoma



The teams who received more AP votes than ND last week are as follows:

MSU: DNP
Houston: Won 49-3 vs. E Carolina
Washington: DNP
Texas Tech: Losing to A&M

We all know how ND fared today.

Go Irish!

 

[phork]

VT did not lose.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

I highly doubt we'll be ranked until after USC.
Auburn Florida are SEC and we know how the voters love them.
Nebraska has lost to 1 highly ranked team and we saw how long it took for FSU to drop as far as they have in the rankings.

 

[meowmix]

I don't think we should be ranked unless we beat USC. We gave up 33 points to Air Force, that's not something to be proud of.

 

[GoldenChild]

I highly doubt we'll be ranked until after USC.
Auburn Florida are SEC and we know how the voters love them.
Nebraska has lost to 2 highly ranked teams and we saw how long it took for FSU to drop as far as they have in the rankings.

Same, nor do I want to be ranked until after USC.

 

[meowmix]

By the way, I absolutely hate that Michigan got to beat up on EMU, WMU, SDSU, Minn, and NW and will move into the top 10. Disgusting.

 

[koonja]

I don't think we should be ranked unless we beat USC. We gave up 33 points to Air Force, that's not something to be proud of.

Air Force averages 38.5 points per game and if we kept out starters in during 'garbage time', they would have only scored 20.

5 top 25 teams got beat, and I think with our last two wins being fairly impressive, we might move ahead by default.

 

[no.1IrishFan]

By the way, I absolutely hate that Michigan got to beat up on EMU, WMU, SDSU, Minn, and NW and will move into the top 10. Disgusting.

Very disgusting.

 

[koonja]

Very disgusting.

It gets worse than that. I think they COULD win every game up to the big ten championship game. They really don't play anyone too impressive.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

Air Force averages 38.5 points per game and if we kept out starters in during 'garbage time', they would have only scored 20.

5 top 25 teams got beat, and I think with our last two wins being fairly impressive, we might move ahead by default.

And of those 5 2 may drop out of the top 25 more likely FSU will be the only one who drops.
We've received only 24 points in the voting last week. No chance we move up this time around.

 

[kmoose]

Air Force averages 38.5 points per game and if we kept out starters in during 'garbage time', they would have only scored 20.

5 top 25 teams got beat, and I think with our last two wins being fairly impressive, we might move ahead by default.

The problem is that 4 of those 5 teams were in the Top 15. They will all have as good, or better records than us. The polls are not going to rank ND in front of any of them.

 

[meowmix]

Air Force averages 38.5 points per game and if we kept out starters in during 'garbage time', they would have only scored 20.

5 top 25 teams got beat, and I think with our last two wins being fairly impressive, we might move ahead by default.

37 on South Dakota, 19 against TCU, 63 against Tennessee State, and 35 against Navy. Not to mention, they racked up 540+ yards of offense against us. I'm fairly disappointed in the defense. Air Force had no trouble converting on 4th downs and there were major lapses in coverage. If not for the stellar play of the offense, this would have been a sure loss. Hopefully, they learn from their mistakes before we play Navy. I hate the triple option with a fiery passion.

 

[woolybug25]

I think FSU will drop from the top 25, so there is at least one spot open.

 

[meowmix]

It gets worse than that. I think they COULD win every game up to the big ten championship game. They really don't play anyone too impressive.

I can't wait till we face those *&#^$^s next season. I hope Kelly runs up the score on them.

 

[NDbrbkny]

big red tied to to$u!

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Get work done Black Shirts!!! This will complete a perfect day.

 

[koonja]

Florida, Auburn, and maybe Nebraska will also have 2 losses.

I know that Florida and Auburn lost to good teams, but they got blew out today. We never got blown out and in fact could have won both of our losses.

 

[IrishLax]

Nebraska is going to win. Epic collapse with the Buckeyes sans Braxton Miller. This Bauserman guy is straight up terrible.

 

[kmoose]

Florida, Auburn, and maybe Nebraska will also have 2 losses.

I know that Florida and Auburn lost to good teams, but they got blew out today. We never got blown out and in fact could have won both of our losses.

Florida and Auburn play in the SEC. Like it or not, their losses (blowouts or not) will NOT be equal to ours, in the eyes of the voters. And Nebraska is now winning, and looking like they are in complete control of the Buckeyes.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

We absolutely should be ranked. We lost two games by a total of 7 points. We are better than a lot of the ranked teams

 

[Whiskeyjack]

37 on South Dakota, 19 against TCU, 63 against Tennessee State, and 35 against Navy. Not to mention, they racked up 540+ yards of offense against us. I'm fairly disappointed in the defense. Air Force had no trouble converting on 4th downs and there were major lapses in coverage. If not for the stellar play of the offense, this would have been a sure loss. Hopefully, they learn from their mistakes before we play Navy. I hate the triple option with a fiery passion.

Those two touch downs against our 2nd/ 3rd string in trash time are meaningless. The game was effectively over at 49-19; Football Outsiders, for instance, won't be including any stats after that point in their rankings.

Air Force has a good offense, and they're very difficult to defend (just ask Oklahoma). Our starters giving up 19 points through 3 quarters is nothing to be ashamed of. Furthermore, two of their scoring drives were the direct result of special teams miscues. If Lo Wood doesn't get sucked inside on the fake punt, and Lynch doesn't jump offsides on the FG attempt, we probably would have held them to under 10 points before trash time kicked in.

 

[PJWhitfield]

33 points is a bit misleading. Dame had the subs in. I give BK credit for not playing for the polls. At this point in the season, being unranked might be a better motivational tool.

 

[phork]

Nice to see some subs rolling in though and not all the starters in until the end...

 

[tommyIRISH23]

I think we'll end up in the top 25 today, just a gut feeling, aroudn 25/24. How can you say you "dont feel like we should be ranked"? I can understand not being sure if the voters will put ND there, but I have no idea how you don't believe ND deserves be ranked at this point.

Also, Airforce did not score 33 points on our starters. They scored 19 on our starters, and had like 360 yards of offense before our backups came in, and AF scored 14 points while racking up 200 yards. Our defense played well, this offense gives everyone, especially teams that never see it, fits. Plus, it was a good warm up for Navy.

GO IRISH BEAT SC!

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

“@McMurphyCBS: My AP ballot: LSU, Ala, OU, Wis, OkSt, Stan, Clem, BSU, Ore, Mich, Ark, KSU, Ill, GT, ASU, WVU, SCar, Neb, Bay, UW, VT, TX, UH, ND, Ga”

 

[UPMich_NDfan]

Maybe not this week, but what about next...what do the schedules look like for the "bubble" teams? Yes I'm to lazy to look that up! Really tho, I guess it's not that big of a deal...just a # to put in front of our name throughout he weeks leading up to U$C. Like others have, win that and we are ranked for sure.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

Maybe not this week, but what about next...what do the schedules look like for the "bubble" teams? Yes I'm to lazy to look that up! Really tho, I guess it's not that big of a deal...just a # to put in front of our name throughout he weeks leading up to U$C. Like others have, win that and we are ranked for sure.

I am just worried that it is getting late, and they are not ranked yet. There is a lot of good teams who will be 9-3/10-2/11-1 clogging up the 12-18 spots in the polls, I just don't want to see ND hit a road block, and miss out on a BCS game because they got a late start. I think that its imperative for this team to be ranked sooner then later if they want a shot at a BCS game.

 

[IrishinSyria]

Case against being ranked:

ND's record when ranked: 0-2
ND's record when not ranked: 4-0

Call me crazy, but I'd rather keep the chip on our guys' shoulder for as long as possible- they seem to respond to it better than they respond to high expectations.


The key to ND getting a BCS slot is Stanford. If both teams win out and ND beats them, we'll have no problem. If Stanford loses more than one game, or if we lose at all, we will neither deserve nor will we get a BCS game.

 

[koonja]

I am just worried that it is getting late, and they are not ranked yet. There is a lot of good teams who will be 9-3/10-2/11-1 clogging up the 12-18 spots in the polls, I just don't want to see ND hit a road block, and miss out on a BCS game because they got a late start. I think that its imperative for this team to be ranked sooner then later if they want a shot at a BCS game.

A 10-2 ND will never be left out of the BCS.

I know it seems it's getting late, but conference play just started. A lot of the ranked teams will beat up on each other from here on out and losses will pile up.

 

[tommyIRISH23]

Case against being ranked:

ND's record when ranked: 0-2
ND's record when not ranked: 4-0

Call me crazy, but I'd rather keep the chip on our guys' shoulder for as long as possible- they seem to respond to it better than they respond to high expectations.


The key to ND getting a BCS slot is Stanford. If both teams win out and ND beats them, we'll have no problem. If Stanford loses more than one game, or if we lose at all, we will neither deserve nor will we get a BCS game.

FSU hung into the bowl til this week after after an epic collapse to Wake (what happend to FSU this season), 1 of our lossses was to an 6-0 Michigan team, and another to SF. We beat ourselves, we were never outcoached, outschemed, or out-talented. There all more then a few teams ranked that have worse losses then Notre Dame.

ND will be ranked this week, I'd bet on it.