Cincinnati

[MNIrish14]

Ugh Cincinnati is officially ranked. I firmly believe the ND program is heading in the right direction but I also find it pretty depressing the school who's coach we stole has surpassed us in the rankings. Possible curse haha? Thoughts?

 

[Buster Bluth]

They play in the Big East. That is all that needs to be said.

Notre Dame would win by double digits.

 

[Anchorman]

They play in the Big East. That is all that needs to be said.

Notre Dame would win by double digits.

We've played two Big East teams. We lost to one and beat the other by two points.

 

[phork]

We've played two Big East teams. We lost to one and beat the other by two points.

+1. And lost to the team in last place... Go figure.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

This is simple...Cincy has a veteran QB who has skills!

 

[BeauBenken]

They're also playing with a full team of "Kelly guys".

I don't want to make excuses though really. I think we could beat Cincinnati though.

 

[Buster Bluth]

We've played two Big East teams. We lost to one and beat the other by two points.

I get what you're saying, but Notre Dame would beat USF 95/100 times. Notre Dame would still beat Cincinnati by 14+.

 

[ndcoltsfan2010]

We would crush them if we we avoided turnovers. Our losses are a direct result of turnovers amongst other things.

 

[rocket66]

Honestly the rankings are ridiculous. I could name probably 10 teams in the top 25 that ND would probably be favored over if a matchup occurred.

 

[phork]

They're also playing with a full team of "Kelly guys".

I don't want to make excuses though really. I think we could beat Cincinnati though.

Kelly's guys stunk it up last year.

 

[BeauBenken]

Kelly's guys stunk it up last year.

I could argue, but I'm out of it today.

 

[D-BOE34]

Minus LSU and Bama ... we can beat any team if we play the ball we are capable of playing. Minus Kansas ... we can get beat by any team if we turn it over like we can.

Rankings are ridiculous but Cincy is doing something were not. It hurts. Deep. Like a late night after early Mexican burritos. Slight burn...

 

[PJWhitfield]

IMO, Notre Dame gets punished by not being in a conference. Coaches will vote for a conference rival over an independent because that makes them look better whether they lose or win vs. a conference rival. And the sportswriters-based polls aren't all that reliable.

 

[NDinL.A.]

IMO, Notre Dame gets punished by not being in a conference. Coaches will vote for a conference rival over an independent because that makes them look better whether they lose or win vs. a conference rival. And the sportswriters-based polls aren't all that reliable.

Nah, I don't think so at all. When we win, we get ranked...all the time. Sometimes higher than we should be, sometimes lower than we should be, but we get ranked. When we lose, we don't get ranked.

The problem is...we haven't won. The rankings aren't a joke - what do you expect? You guys expect teams that are winning to be ranked lower than teams that are losing? Try doing a top 25 poll (I do one every week). I have to put teams in the top 25 that I know ND could beat far ahead of ND because ND has shot itself in the foot and lost to teams that shouldn't have. I have Penn State ranked lower than the coaches (I think they're like 23rd in my poll), but I still have them ranked b/c they've won, and really, who else is there? Same thing goes with teams like Houston and West Virginia. Someone has to be ranked, you know?

As for Cinci, I could care less. I don't hate them at all. And I'm not impressed yet. They squeaked by USF (which we couldn't), but other than that they got curb-stomped by the only other decent team they played (Tennessee), and have played nobodies other than that. And they're lucky they get to play Pitt without their top RB. They are not beating teams the way they did when BK was there, and when his players are gone and they are STILL winning, then I'll be impressed.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

I'm telling you guys they have a athletic veteran QB and like NDinLA said a week schedule. End of story!

 

[irish1958]

I'm telling you guys they have a athletic veteran QB and like NDinLA said a week schedule. End of story!

Athletic is the key work. Face it; not having an athletic (capable of running) QB is a serious handicap for our team.

 

[Green Goblin]

The program has a winning mentality already in place. Yes, last year was bad but that I think was mostly because of the coaching change and losing several key players on top of it.

The team is comprised of decently talented players with a chip on their shoulder and expect to win. That's something Kelly put into that team. The mentality to win.

 

[Old North State Irish]

I too agree, I like Tommy Rees but he would not start for any other top 25 team that I am aware of and...

We have given all of our games away 10 turnovers the first two games...

The very critical turnovers against SC-

We can't get them back but we would be a very different team w/o them. MENTAL TOUGHNESS