Notre Dame jumps in the rankings...

[BGIF]

Let's not split hairs here. ND has been beaten by the only team they've played with a winning record.

Split hairs? Let's stay with the premise and not interject red herrings. Neither your post regarding Auburn nor mine responding included anything about ND.

Auburn lost Two running backs, a quarterback and a corner all go in the first round. They're still putting together a decent team on the field based on that kind of transition.

Yes, Auburn lost top players but none of those 5 opponents have matched Auburn in recruiting for the past 4 years, have they? Who needs Williams and Brown to beat those teams when Borges has a prostyle passer QB in Brandon Cox to drop back and hit probably the best receiving corps in the SEC spread across the field. Auburn returned 7 starters on offense, 6 on defense including the best LB corps in the SEC, and both kickers and return men.

Auburn is putting a "decent" team on the field but they were supposed to put a very good team on the field. They weren't expected to compete for a national championship but they were ranked #15 in the preseason polls and supposed to challenge LSU for the SEC West and a shot at the SEC Championship. Auburn expected to be 6-0 going into the LSU showdown based on a very weak first schedule (Arkansas is next).

But your point is well taken. Ball State and a D I-AA are must wins.

And Miss St and South Carolina aren't must wins? Georgia Tech playing at Jordan Hare wasn't considered to be a "bubble" game.

Again, you play who you play,

No, you play who YOU schedule, and Auburn traditionally schedules weak.

 

[BGIF]

Yeah, but they get Auburn at home.

Alabama has never beaten Auburn at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Never.

 

[jiggafini19]

Every week you show up on Saturday, home or away, and play who you play. Now the money grubbing, old, fat, bald men (and women) in your athletic department determine that. By the way, it is usually 3-4 years in advance that these schedules are drawn up.

Who in the flying F*ck cares? Show up each week and win.

Notre Dame's schedule looked like murderer's row in August. Now it looks like Sesame Street.

All I'm saying is Auburn is a competitive team and could beat Georgia. They've played who they've played, won some, lost one. Ball State and WKU are MUST wins because they are put on the schedule to do just that....get you to that magical bowl number (6) so that you can play in some sh*t .com December bowl game in a nice warm climate. South Carolina and Miss. State have been competitive in the past.

So yes, you play who you play or whoever your atheltic director deems worthy of being scheduled.

(Why am I talking about the SEC?)

 

[jiggafini19]

Yeah, but they get Auburn at home.

Alabama has never beaten Auburn at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Never.

In reference to this reply, "they" is Georgia.

 

[weisfaninmass]

JIGG and BGIF, you guys need to create a website called SEC-ENVY.com. Stay focused.

 

[jiggafini19]

JIGG and BGIF, you guys need to create a website called SEC-ENVY.com. Stay focused.

I'm already there.

 

[TexasDomer]

I think it's dangerous to say that our schedule is "weak" now because of the fact that Pitt, Michigan and Purdue are now struggling. We had something to do with that.

In all three cases, the loss to ND could have, and probably did have, a demoralizing effect. All three came at home, when the home team was ranked, when most experts expected the home team to win. In two of the three, ND won decisively, and in the third, ND physically punished UM and forced key turnovers at key times in the Big House.

How they play the rest of the season is affected by what ND did to them. That doesn't take away from the fact that ND's schedule was, and is, difficult.

 

[jiggafini19]

The results of ND opponents played thus far:

MICHIGAN
Northern Illinois W 33-17
Notre Dame L 17-10
Eastern Michigan W 55-0
at Wisconsin L 23-20
at Michigan State W 34-31
Minnesota L 23-20

MICHIGAN STATE
Kent W 49-14
Hawaii W 42-14
at Notre Dame W 44-41
at Illinois W 61-14 4-0
Michigan L 34-31

PURDUE
Akron W 49-24
at Arizona W 31-24
at Minnesota L 42-35
Notre Dame L 49-28
Iowa L 34-17

I'm not going to list Pitt or Washington because neither one has a quality win on their schedule and both will most likely not be in a bowl game. To this point, ND's opponents total TWO quality wins. And MSU's was against ND.

Looking down the road, they have a home game with a week to prepare against Tennessee. Syracuse is 1-4, Stanford lost to UC Davis and BYU lost to San Diego State, who is 2-4.

If strength of schedule comes into play, and it could if ND runs the table to one loss, these hoser teams they've been pasting had better pick it up. Tennessee's offense is nothing to be afraid of, so there is a chance that whatever happens after SC, ND sweeps the end of the year if they stay healthy and execute.

If these teams are that demoralized after losing to ND, I feel sorry for them. They all play in conferences and should be focusing on winning them.

 

[BigIrish]

I think it's dangerous to say that our schedule is "weak" now because of the fact that Pitt, Michigan and Purdue are now struggling. We had something to do with that.

In all three cases, the loss to ND could have, and probably did have, a demoralizing effect. All three came at home, when the home team was ranked, when most experts expected the home team to win. In two of the three, ND won decisively, and in the third, ND physically punished UM and forced key turnovers at key times in the Big House.

How they play the rest of the season is affected by what ND did to them. That doesn't take away from the fact that ND's schedule was, and is, difficult.

i tend to agree here. while our strength of schedule rating will ultimately be reflected by the win loss totals of these teams, i think we can speak from experience that key games will set the tone of the season, for better or for worse. and regardless of what teams and coaches say, ND is often used as the measuring stick for success by our opponents.

to see these teams taking a downward turn for the season is disappointing, but TexasDomer is right - when we walked into their stadiums, they believed they were worthy of their rankings and entered the game with swagger. fortunately for us, the left the game with their tail between their legs.

 

[jiggafini19]

Hopefully it shapes out by the end of the season. UM, MSU, SC and Tennessee should all be bowl teams.

If Notre Dame stays healthy, I like the rest of the schedule a great deal. However it ends up will play itself out of the field.

I don't expect much from most of these teams, but anyone could get hot. Except for Pitt and UW.