College Football Playoff Rankings 2015 (ND #8...)

[IrishSteelhead]

I think the opposite is true.

Due to the BCS everyone was afraid to lose and weakened their schedule to try to make the top 2. There wasn't much of an incentive to put together a great OOC schedule. With the top four in the playoff it's even worse, schedule cupcakes and win your conference and you're almost guaranteed to win.

With eight, and a greater emphasis on a resume, teams aren't afraid to lose. They know they can get in with one loss, so there's more incentive to risk losing with better OOC matchups. I think the sport benefits with a 5 champs + 3 at-large model. Sure you didn't win your conference but you beat two top 25 teams in OOC play, you're in.

That's a good point.

 

[johnnycando]

Ok? Then Oklahoma has a win against the #6 team under your methodology....

And Alabama has wins over the #20, #8, #9, #2, and #17 teams with their sole loss to the #15 team.

Can't have it both ways.

Yes they do.

The relevant ranking at time of contest is what I'm talking about.

But you know what dude: you are doom and gloom it's cool. I'm sorry.

I'm not kool-aid drinking, but you in particular are one of the guys here that's certain Kelly needs to be fired, and our team is gonna be bypassed by someone more deserving.

Your brain is wired negative.

Right on. We will always disagree.

 

[ulukinatme]

I think our only threats are from OK State and Oklahoma for the reasons you mentioned. Oklahoma's OOC isn't as pitiful as Baylor and TCU's, so they might be a threat at 11-1.

Didn't I say this a few weeks ago and you were like "No way?"

I've already said it, just like I said Okie would beat Baylor:

Okie will beat Okie St.

Iowa will lose in the Big X championship.

Rest well brothers.

And just pray we get the Stanford team that lost to Oregon.

Exactly. It's unlikely that two B1G teams are getting in, and Iowa isn't likely to beat tOSU if the Buckeyes win out, so I imagine tOSU will be back in the playoff unless they stumble against Michigan or Michigan State. SEC champ will be in. Clemson will likely be in. We just gotta hope for an OK St loss against two good opponents in the next two weeks, and we either stay ahead of Oklahoma or they drop another. Ideally OK St loses to Baylor, and Oklahoma loses to TCU (Probably doubtful if Boykin is injured) or OK St. That would ensure the Big 12 is out.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Coach would like an 8 team playoff. He said exactly that. He knows the math and knows that with only four it's really tough for Independent Notre Dame to displace at least two whole conferences each year.

I'm with him. What I want is ND in the playoffs regularly. I don't give a damm what the other teams do, I just want OUR team in. That insures that we begin every season, for as long as Kelly coaches, being thought of as one of the country's elite. THAT means easier recruiting. ... a positive feedback situation. With eight "in", that might even lower the level of prejudicial manufactured negativity that we're met with. AND hopefully get ESPN to create different "story lines" to boost viewership.

As to this last weekend: I heard commentators [outside our own game] say that "All the Top Four won convincingly." They were talking about Clemson, Alabama, OSU, and Notre Dame. Convincingly does not mean "slaughter" it means winning in control. We did that. Winning convincingly doesn't hurt you, especially when no one chasing you does anything eye-popping.

Jeff Long of the Selection Committee said last week that the Top Four were substantially ahead of the next four, and it was the next four where the rating difficulty was. Iowa won, but hardly shiningly [and that doesn't make any difference to us anyway as there is already a B1G ahead of them, and two B1Gs aren't going to get in]. Baylor lost ... good riddance. Florida was also mediocre, and two SECs aren't getting in either. The PAC went down the drain almost irretrievably [assuming we beat Stanford]. UNC looks good, but two ACCs aren't getting in either. OKState was really unimpressive. That leaves ONE team, who lost to a team which we slaughtered.

How in the he!l was that a week which hurt us? I'll bet that the Committee saw the gap between the top four and the others WIDEN not shrink --- but even if they begin giving Iowa more love, it's still irrelevant because B1G is just one spot.

Solid post, brother! I agree with everything you said.

Regardless of how the Irish actually played, they beat the Demon Deacons by 21, more than by which Clemson, Iowa and Oklahoma State combined to beat their unranked, under-.500 opponents (Syracuse, Minnesota, Iowa State).

The whole thing comes down to how the committee views the scheduling issues, particularly with the Big 12. I heard some Big 12 apologist venomously criticizing ND last Wednesday, with my son. His point was ND hasn't played anybody! My son may be nine, and wet enough behind the ears to give us a chuckle or two, but he turned and looked at me immediately when this uninformed individual spouted his attack and asked, "What is he, nuts?"

Because my nine year old son understands :

The prevailing thought after the College Football Playoff selection committee harshly ranked Big 12 teams over the last two weeks was that an 11-1 champion from that conference — which does not play a championship game — could very well be ranked behind Notre Dame on Dec. 6.

So some will say :

But Oklahoma’s thoroughly impressive 10-point win in Waco could set up the Sooners to eventually surpass Notre Dame in the playoff rankings.

But above and beyond, Oklahoma is not assured a championship, yet. Even if they do win out, the Big 12 is still tarnished with a bunch of one loss pretenders. I certainly wouldn't want the season riding on that with the selection playoff committee's previous body of work. They have demonstrated that it is about what makes the best playoff, not about what have or haven't you done for me yesterday!

Besides, there is another torpedo in this, and in the 'Oklahoma surpasses ND in the playoff hunt' conversation : If Michigan wins out, Oklahoma and ND could easily be in!

A two loss Michigan team ain't going. And if they beat everyone else in the B1GOT conference, the B1GOT is shut out!

As much as I hate to say it : "GO BLUE!" And of course, "FUCK MICHIGAN!" (Twice!)

* The above scenario is the kind of strange irony I live for; I find it much more appealing than eating sweet and sour!

** Johnny and GK, stop bickering, this is exactly the friction ND will profit from this year, all other things being equal.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

I got a kick out of ESPN's Sunday college football broadcast when they had an entire segment about ND's rough weekend. I seriously LOL'd. Literally minutes prior, they talked about Kennan Reynolds and how good Navy was this year. Then immediately went to 'Temple lost and they're ND's only good win, so that's bad for ND.' Umm ND beat that really good (ranked) Navy team you just talked about 41-24....sooo there's that....

Navy is 8-1, Pitt is 7-3, USC is 7-3, Temple is 8-2, Stanford is 8-2.
Texas isn't great but they at least have a really great win over OU.
GT, Wake, UVA, Umass, and BC are all horrible this year.

ND's SOS dropped to #25 in Sagarin's rankings, but that's still the second best SOS in the Top 10, behind #3 SOS Alabama.

Just because Stanford and Temple lost this weekend, it doesn't warrant any doom and gloom. It certainly doesn't make it easier. But all is not lost. Use your brain ESPN, however painful it may be.

 

[gkIrish]

** Johnny and GK, stop bickering, this is exactly the friction ND will profit from this year, all other things being equal.

Not bickering Bogs. Just calling it like I see it. My hope is that ND gets into the playoffs but my thought is that we still need help. How does being optimistic and ignoring facts/reality benefit me? It just sets me up to get heartbroken. If we do get in then great, I will be just as happy as everyone else. But if we don't I won't be that fan screaming bloody murder and wondering how this happened to us because I ignored all the facts.

 

[STLcardz-NDirish]

Cbreezy no like Oklahoma

 

[Blaise]

Not bickering Bogs. Just calling it like I see it. My hope is that ND gets into the playoffs but my thought is that we still need help. How does being optimistic and ignoring facts/reality benefit me? It just sets me up to get heartbroken. If we do get in then great, I will be just as happy as everyone else. But if we don't I won't be that fan screaming bloody murder and wondering how this happened to us because I ignored all the facts.

Agree... We need help.. People saying They aren't worried about Ok St... well until they lose, I am worried, because we aren't keeping out an undefeated power 5 conference team.. People view me saying that as negative, but I am being realistic... We can argue all day about 11-1 Oklahoma, but 12-0 ok st there is no argument... they are in

 

[Bugzly21]

I got a kick out of ESPN's Sunday college football broadcast when they had an entire segment about ND's rough weekend. I seriously LOL'd. Literally minutes prior, they talked about Kennan Reynolds and how good Navy was this year. Then immediately went to 'Temple lost and they're ND's only good win, so that's bad for ND.' Umm ND beat that really good (ranked) Navy team you just talked about 41-24....sooo there's that....

Navy is 8-1, Pitt is 7-3, USC is 7-3, Temple is 8-2, Stanford is 8-2.
Texas isn't great but they at least have a really great win over OU.
GT, Wake, UVA, Umass, and BC are all horrible this year.

ND's SOS dropped to #25 in Sagarin's rankings, but that's still the second best SOS in the Top 10, behind #3 SOS Alabama.

Just because Stanford and Temple lost this weekend, it doesn't warrant any doom and gloom. It certainly doesn't make it easier. But all is not lost. Use your brain ESPN, however painful it may be.

When I saw that I laughed my a$$ off. I was wondering if the guy had Alzheimer's

 

[koonja]

What's the status of Boykin and Josh Dotson? Dotson sat out vs. Kansas and Boykin left without returning.

Sounds like Boykin is day to day, what about Dotson? Didn't see much on google about these two beyond that. Hope at least the QB can go Saturday night.

 

[irishfan]

SIAP, but the rankings are released at 9:30 Tuesday night as opposed to 7:00. They come on when the Duke/Kentucky game ends.

 

[Bugzly21]

Heading into Saturday night’s Fenway Park matchup against admittedly a non-quality opponent — Boston College (3-7) — Notre Dame has amassed four victories against seven-win FBS teams (and a two-point road loss against a fifth, No. 1 Clemson), with a sixth, in Stanford (8-2), still to play.

ND’s four — Navy, Temple, USC, Pitt — constitute two more than the Big 12’s four top 15 teams — Oklahoma (1), Oklahoma State (1), Baylor (0), TCU (0) — have combined.
Now, Big 12 also-rans Texas Tech (6-5) and West Virginia (5-4) could eventually get to seven wins, as could a couple of Big 12 non-conference opponents, but currently those top Big 12 teams are all on a trajectory to each play a total three seven-win teams. Only Oklahoma and Okie State have a shot at three victories against such teams.

And only Alabama, among teams in the new AP top 15, has more victories over teams with at least seven wins (5) than Notre Dame.

Clemson, Iowa, Michigan State and Stanford each have three.

Very interesting here

 

[Cackalacky]

Very interesting here

Where is OSU in that? IDK.... but how many do they have?

I say we stay put @ #4. Can't see any rationale for changing the previous weeks standings in the Top 4.

 

[gkIrish]

Where is OSU in that? IDK.... but how many do they have?

I say we stay put @ #4. Can't see any rationale for changing the previous weeks standings in the Top 4.

I agree the top 4 will not change this week. If it does that sort of confirms to me that the committee is purposely trying to build up conversation/interest in this process artificially.

 

[Irish YJ]

I agree the top 4 will not change this week. If it does that sort of confirms to me that the committee is purposely trying to build up conversation/interest in this process artificially.

You think they are that smart lol

 

[Booslum31]

Agree... We need help.. People saying They aren't worried about Ok St... well until they lose, I am worried, because we aren't keeping out an undefeated power 5 conference team.. People view me saying that as negative, but I am being realistic... We can argue all day about 11-1 Oklahoma, but 12-0 ok st there is no argument... they are in

This is true Blaise

 

[MNIrishman]

This is true Blaise

OK St got the shaft in 2011. Could very well happen again.

 

[BabyIrish]

OK St got the shaft in 2011. Could very well happen again.

They also lost that year to Iowa St who was only a decent team. Ban as only loss was to #1 LSU, it sucked seeing a rematch because it was such a boring game the first time. If they go undefeated this year, they aren't getting the shaft and will be the first team out.

 

[ickythump1225]

Where is OSU in that? IDK.... but how many do they have?

I say we stay put @ #4. Can't see any rationale for changing the previous weeks standings in the Top 4.

After glancing at their schedule OSU has wins over1 teamwith 7 wins. That would be the NIU Huskies at 7-3. Really impressive stuff.

 

[Whiskeyjack]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alabama has posted six 90th percentile victories in a row. No other team has more than five such wins on the year. <a href="https://t.co/cRuiEiQ2U4">https://t.co/cRuiEiQ2U4</a></p>— Brian Fremeau (@bcfremeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/bcfremeau/status/666608847696605186">November 17, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Assuming we make the playoff, would be really nice to dodge 'Bama in the semis.

 

[Legacy]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Alabama has posted six 90th percentile victories in a row. No other team has more than five such wins on the year. <a href="https://t.co/cRuiEiQ2U4">https://t.co/cRuiEiQ2U4</a></p>— Brian Fremeau (@bcfremeau) <a href="https://twitter.com/bcfremeau/status/666608847696605186">November 17, 2015</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Assuming we make the playoff, would be really nice to dodge 'Bama in the semis.

I don't care personally. Alabama was almost eliminated from this discussion by Tennessee (6-4 counting their FCS win). Bama needed some heroic acrobatic passes by their receivers and some stout last minute defense.

Anyway, it would be a great matchup between not only historic powers but teams that draw national attention (read ratings). I saw an article recently from a college football site that ranked ND #6 and proceeding to say that fan bases across the nation will be rooting for Stanford to end the discussion of the Big 12 champ vs Notre Dame. The article had Iowa and Oklahoma ahead of us as well as six SEC teams in the Top 25.

Two games later (LSU and Mississippi State) Alabama is #2 or #1. The stats justify the rankings, but just saying.

 

[Cackalacky]

.

 

[koonja]

So far this is PERFECT for ND.

 

[koonja]

USC at 23, Navy at 16, Stanford only falls to 11, Oklahoma at 7.

Literally beautiful.

 

[STLcardz-NDirish]

YES. Oklahoma #7

 

[calvegas04]

stanford 11 navy 16

 

[johnnycando]

Boom!!!

4.

Holla.

 

[johnnycando]

Suck my nuts.

Bitches.

 

[IrishYYC]

Still #4!!!

 

[Irish YJ]

I don't care personally. Alabama was almost eliminated from this discussion by Tennessee (6-4 counting their FCS win). Bama needed some heroic acrobatic passes by their receivers and some stout last minute defense.

Anyway, it would be a great matchup between not only historic powers but teams that draw national attention (read ratings). I saw an article recently from a college football site that ranked ND #6 and proceeding to say that fan bases across the nation will be rooting for Stanford to end the discussion of the Big 12 champ vs Notre Dame. The article had Iowa and Oklahoma ahead of us as well as six SEC teams in the Top 25.

Two games later (LSU and Mississippi State) Alabama is #2 or #1. The stats justify the rankings, but just saying.

Just like VA