Irish ranked #16 in AP

[GreatGolson]

ranked No. 16 in AP poll. This is the highest the Irish have been ranked since 15th poll of 2006 season (week of Dec. 3 poll). SI ranked us 14, lot of expectations, even more than usual for ND. Thoughts?

 

[ToledoGoIrish]

I think they see what most of us see, BK has us on a nice path

 

[irishtrinity]

they way it should be... now the team has to take over and win for Our Lady...

 

[military_irish]

I think they should be top 5 easily

 

[irishtrinity]

we will work there shouldn't start there tho...

 

[IrishInFl]

I think they should put the Irish on the top of their list.

 

[notredomer23]

right where we should be. Anywhere from 15-20 is completely reasonable for the start of the season. That said, I fully expect us finishing higher then that. I don't care if its one or 15 spots higher then where it is now, but as long as we exceed outsiders expectations I will be very happy.

 

[WaveDomer]

I think that's a pretty good spot and accurate read. There is a great feeling behind this team. I think this feeling is pretty common in pre-season with a lot of teams, but this time it seems justified. BK has been working hard putting in the foundation of a great program. Even if the results on the field aren't perfect this year, it seems to me that ND is doing the right thing to build a long term winning program again, from recruiting the right kids to teaching them how to train correctly. It just feels solid. I think BK is putting this program in position to win and that's huge.

 

[IrishLax]

Associated Press Top 25 Poll - NCAA Rankings - College Football - SI.com

Only team I really have a problem with is Auburn. They shouldn't be anywhere near the Top 25.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

...or PosU for that matter.

 

[IrishLax]

Rankings by voter: College Sports Polls, College Football Rankings, BCS Rankings

A couple laughable ballots... such as Bill Cole ranking Northwestern 25 and leaving ND out completely.

 

[Buster Bluth]

...or PosU for that matter.

Umm, are you kidding me? Even without Pryor they are easily a top 15 team. They are undervalued here.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

Umm, are you kidding me? Even without Pryor they are easily a top 15 team. They are undervalued here.

Nope. Serious as a heart attack.

No Pryor, no D. Posey, no Boom Herron.... Dane Sanzenbacher and Brandon Saine are gone as are Boren and Browning. That's quite a chunk of your O talent.

Oh, and they want to put the weight of the program on the shoulders of Joe Bauserman... Ummm...ok. Knock yourself out Tat-eyes

 

[IrishLax]

Nope. Serious as a heart attack.

No Pryor, no D. Posey, no Boom Herron.... Dane Sanzenbacher and Brandon Saine are gone as are Boren and Browning. That's quite a chunk of your O talent.

Oh, and they want to put the weight of the program on the shoulders of Joe Bauserman... Ummm...ok. Knock yourself out Tat-eyes

Add to that no Tressel. Sam logic applies to Stanford who would be something like the #1-#5 team in the country with Harbaugh at the helm, and drops to something like #5-#15 without him. Replacing the sweater vest with Luke Fickell is worth at least a couple points a game.

 

[notredomer23]

Ohio State will lose at least 4 games this year unless someone steps up big time and has a heisman like season at QB or RB, which I do not see happening. If Miami wasn't having such trouble right now it could be 5. I don't see them having a chance against Wisconsin and Nebraska, and likely Michigan State as well. Hoke might have Michigan playing well towards the end of the season similar to Kelly last year. PSU won't be easy, and historically Illinois gives OSU trouble. So we will see but I see 3-4 losses for them.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Nope. Serious as a heart attack.

No Pryor, no D. Posey, no Boom Herron.... Dane Sanzenbacher and Brandon Saine are gone as are Boren and Browning. That's quite a chunk of your O talent.

Oh, and they want to put the weight of the program on the shoulders of Joe Bauserman... Ummm...ok. Knock yourself out Tat-eyes

You do understand that I despise that team right?

They don't have Posey or Herron for the first five games. So they will be tasked with beating Akron, Toledo, Miami, Colorado, and Michigan State without them. I'm sure they're shaking in their cleats; Michigan State is the only team there worth its salt.

The Herron loss isn't that big, the Buckeyes are pretty loaded with running back talent and they have two legitimate all-America offensive lineman (Brewster and Adams) and Shugarts is a stud too.

They will simply dominate the LOS with their first five opponents and their defense will still be top notch. If they can get through without losing to Michigan State, Posey's return will help the WR corp's lack of experience (as he's only of the better WR's in the country) and give them some firepower as they go to Nebraska, which I am betting they lose.

I'm rooting for a 6-6 season, but this team has enough talent to reload and win a lot of games. I'd have put them at #14 on the poll. I think they go 10-2/9-3 on the year.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

You do understand that I despise that team right?

They don't have Posey or Herron for the first five games. So they will be tasked with beating Akron, Toledo, Miami, Colorado, and Michigan State without them. I'm sure they're shaking in their cleats; Michigan State is the only team there worth its salt.

The Herron loss isn't that big, the Buckeyes are pretty loaded with running back talent and they have two legitimate all-America offensive lineman (Brewster and Adams) and Shugarts is a stud too.

They will simply dominate the LOS with their first five opponents and their defense will still be top notch. If they can get through without losing to Michigan State, Posey's return will help the WR corp's lack of experience as he's only of the better WR's in the country.

I'm rooting for a 6-6 season, but this team has enough talent to reload and win a lot of games. I'd have put them at #14 on the poll.

I never questioned that. Was just giving my opinion which was challenged by you which is fine. We're all entitled to our opinions. Isn't that what is supposed to happen here? Spirited, civil discussions based on facts and feelings? It's all good brah. I wasn't linking you to the tat-eyes... I was speaking to tat-eye nation in general.

*edit* for spelling

 

[notredomer23]

You do understand that I despise that team right?

They don't have Posey or Herron for the first five games. So they will be tasked with beating Akron, Toledo, Miami, Colorado, and Michigan State without them. I'm sure they're shaking in their cleats; Michigan State is the only team there worth its salt.

The Herron loss isn't that big, the Buckeyes are pretty loaded with running back talent and they have two legitimate all-America offensive lineman (Brewster and Adams) and Shugarts is a stud too.

They will simply dominate the LOS with their first five opponents and their defense will still be top notch. If they can get through without losing to Michigan State, Posey's return will help the WR corp's lack of experience (as he's only of the better WR's in the country) and give them some firepower as they go to Nebraska, which I am betting they lose.

I'm rooting for a 6-6 season, but this team has enough talent to reload and win a lot of games. I'd have put them at #14 on the poll. I think they go 10-2/9-3 on the year.

I don't think your taking in to account the loss of Tressel. As much as I hate the guy and his sweatervest, he can flat out coach man. Right there alone not having him will lose them 1 or two more games then they would have if he stayed IMO

 

[Buster Bluth]

I don't think your taking in to account the loss of Tressel. As much as I hate the guy and his sweatervest, he can flat out coach man. Right there alone not having him will lose them 1 or two more games then they would have if he stayed IMO

I don't think you're taking into account the strengths of the coaching staff and how much a new feel to a program can energize a team.

Fickell wouldn't be the first guy to win with someone else's players.

 

[IrishLax]

I don't think you're taking into account the strengths of the coaching staff and how much a new feel to a program can energize a team.

Fickell wouldn't be the first guy to win with someone else's players.

That's a really fair point. Although I also think it's fair to expect some drop off when a top 10 coach leaves a program. The question becomes how does Fickell handle pressure and late game situations not having been there before? Does he make the right calls? Does he make mistakes? Does he burn timeouts? We just don't know yet.

Question mark at QB + replacing a head coach with an interim guy = probably a couple losses they wouldn't have had otherwise.

 

[ACamp1900]

Nothing agaisnt Fickell but I hope he bombs and gets another shot elsewhere before figuring it all out... I just dislike tOSU that much... lol

 

[TDHeysus]

.....lot of expectations, even more than usual for ND. Thoughts?

I think the big expectations come when ND gets into the Top10. Starting out of the Top10 gives the team a chance to get in a few wins before the big expectations come. i think 16 is a good spot to be in. Just enough expectations to keep everyone on point, but not enough that expectations get in the way.

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

It's odd to see Texas out of the top25.

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

About what I figured anything in the top 10 I think is unrealistic at this point in time.

 

[Meacon Irish]

I'm glad that others outside of the Notre Dame fanbase are acknowledging the Irish are a team to be taken seriously this year.

Other than that, we all know that pre-season rankings really don't mean much. Odds are only half of the top ten will be there in the end, if that.

 

[Cali_domer]

I'm glad that others outside of the Notre Dame fanbase are acknowledging the Irish are a team to be taken seriously this year.

Other than that, we all know that pre-season rankings really don't mean much. Odds are only half of the top ten will be there in the end, if that.

Yeah not everyone is, I go to a lot of boards and people are saying well there is the annual over ranking of ND again. ****ing idiots. Matter of fact every board I have gone to has us a being way overrated. Go to the Bullspen(USF) message board, tigerdroppings, pretty much all the rivals network and the theme is the same. USF seems pretty damn confident they will come in here and smack us around.

 

[Buster Bluth]

Yeah not everyone is, I go to a lot of boards and people are saying well there is the annual over ranking of ND again. ****ing idiots. Matter of fact every board I have gone to has us a being way overrated. Go to the Bullspen(USF) message board, tigerdroppings, pretty much all the rivals network and the theme is the same. USF seems pretty damn confident they will come in here and smack us around.

Let's hope the team takes it personally and punishes accordingly.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I voted the Pittsburgh writer Fittipaldo the worst assessor. He not only left Notre Dame off, but also West Virginia, and barely kept Virginia Tech in 24th. Such a pattern speaks loudly of prejudicial voting to me, which earns him my "distinction": The Medal of Dishonor.

 

[ACamp1900]

Yeah not everyone is, I go to a lot of boards and people are saying well there is the annual over ranking of ND again. ****ing idiots. Matter of fact every board I have gone to has us a being way overrated. Go to the Bullspen(USF) message board, tigerdroppings, pretty much all the rivals network and the theme is the same. USF seems pretty damn confident they will come in here and smack us around.

can not blame them one bit... the story will never change until it changes...

 

[DomerInHappyValley]

They seem confident they will come in here smack us around and the the AP will automatically jump them to #16.