So if ND beats SC......

[weisbank4]

Will the national haters give ND respect or will we hear "well SC also lost to Washington so"

Sad fact but there will be a faction out there that does this. would also make SC a 2 loss team and people will say "theyre down" or whatever else they cook up.

Im just worried about down the road if ND were to go 11-1 and the inevitable tsunami of debate rages around Thanksgiving.

 

[tankjeep]

we are nd, nothing surprises me anymore.

 

[mick2]

we win and sc will still be ranked ahead of us, watch and see.

lets just win every game and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[The Polish Irishman]

Just win first and the rest will take care of itself.

 

[WhoDeyIrish]

This would be the biggest win in the last 10 years. For recruiting purposes, Heisman purposes, BCS purposes. Period point blank they win this game will be the biggest win in a long long time. Need it almost. Team has a ton of heart I think they get it done.

 

[NDinL.A.]

Just win first and the rest will take care of itself.

Beat me to it Polish. I don'twant to think about anything else besides trying to beat that damn machine over at USC. They lose one game a year, a game they overlook. Well guess what, they NEVER overlook ND, especially coming off a bye week. I'm glad so many fans here have faith that we can win, and I wish I shared your optimism. I hope to God that I'm wrong, but if we can't tackle Chris f***ing Polk, no way are we tackling Joe Slippery McKnight and Bradford. And going with the rest of the schedule, you think we'll go 11-1 after we beat SC? How about Pitt on the road, and even worse, Stanford and Gerhart on the road. This season is far from over after the SC game. Shoot, our schedule gets tougher the more the weeks go by.

I for one won't look ahead at anything, not the polls, the upcoming opponents, nothing, until AFTER the USC game. That game will tell us about the skill, talent, coaching, etc of this team...

 

[TDHeysus]

beating USC will help Clausen more than anyone...

beating USC helps, but the ND hate will continue until ND beats a BCS team, in a BCS game.

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

beating USC will help Clausen more than anyone...

beating USC helps, but the ND hate will continue until ND beats a BCS team, in a BCS game.

Beating SC will help Clausen considerably, but not nearly as much as it will help the Irish faithful here in Trojan land! All those pompous a-holes with their "FIGHT ON" vanity plates and their Tommy Trojan hats. I just hate them so much!!! Saw Anthony Davis around town again. I shouted "Wait till the 17th! Go Irish!" I run into that guy everywhere. He used to come in to a restaurant I worked at all the time. Never succumbed to the urge to t-bag his food, but I did violate the 5 second rule once.

 

[ShamrockOnHelmet]

I guess I don't get the point of your question.

Yeah, they will be a 2 loss team. And yeah, they were beaten by Washington. And yeah, regardless of if we beat them or not, they are down this year.

So what? They're still a quality team. And we need to be beating quality teams if we want anyone to take US seriously as a quality team.

I mean, really, we aren't going to be ranked number 1 if we beat SC. We just want some respect, right? Well, the place to start is to beat SC, and not act like it was the National Title game afterward. Then if we still want respect, we really need to win out against what is starting to look like a pretty rugged schedule after all. We end with 2 losses (or less) and win against SC, and we'll get the respect we're looking for. But it won't magically happen after one game, no matter who its against.

 

[weisbank4]

I guess I don't get the point of your question.

Yeah, they will be a 2 loss team. And yeah, they were beaten by Washington. And yeah, regardless of if we beat them or not, they are down this year.

So what? They're still a quality team. And we need to be beating quality teams if we want anyone to take US seriously as a quality team.

I mean, really, we aren't going to be ranked number 1 if we beat SC. We just want some respect, right? Well, the place to start is to beat SC, and not act like it was the National Title game afterward. Then if we still want respect, we really need to win out against what is starting to look like a pretty rugged schedule after all. We end with 2 losses (or less) and win against SC, and we'll get the respect we're looking for. But it won't magically happen after one game, no matter who its against.

I guess the point Im trying to make is that since SC has a loss going in, will that be used against ND by those anti-ND media types begin with? If we were to win this game.

It just seems like its always something.

I think all the big experts talking down the schedule in the preseason hasnt helped ND get any respect in polls.

 

[PADOMERNUT]

I guess the point Im trying to make is that since SC has a loss going in, will that be used against ND by those anti-ND media types begin with? If we were to win this game.

It just seems like its always something.
I think all the big experts talking down the schedule in the preseason hasnt helped ND get any respect in polls.

Who really cares? I want us to beat SC because I love Notre Dame. I could care less what kind of reaction there is in the media after the game.

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

Who cares what media "experts" say or think? It doesn't really matter. You have to win games period! And, with one exception, that is what we are doing. No matter what ND does on or off the field, there will always be criticism and anti-ND bias. Just the way it is. We could win every game by 50 points and people would still find stuff to bitch about. So what?!?

You can't worry about stuff like that.

That is why college football desperately needs a playoff system. Without it, you have arguments about strength of schedule, margin of victory, and blah blah blah. Win your games and let the rest play out on its own.

I hate what Mark May says about ND. You know how I combat that? I don't watch him. Don't listen to the detractors. Just love ND, root for a win each and every week, and the season will play out on it's own.

 

[jfjkd01]

We would have to CRUSH SC before we get any respect. Winning by a point or two ain't gonna work. The media especially (PRICK DICK Mark May)
will continue to bash us until we have a convincing win over a BCS team PEROID!!!!!

 

[PADOMERNUT]

Who cares what media "experts" say or think? It doesn't really matter. You have to win games period! And, with one exception, that is what we are doing. No matter what ND does on or off the field, there will always be criticism and anti-ND bias. Just the way it is. We could win every game by 50 points and people would still find stuff to bitch about. So what?!?

You can't worry about stuff like that.

That is why college football desperately needs a playoff system. Without it, you have arguments about strength of schedule, margin of victory, and blah blah blah. Win your games and let the rest play out on its own.

I hate what Mark May says about ND. You know how I combat that? I don't watch him. Don't listen to the detractors. Just love ND, root for a win each and every week, and the season will play out on it's own.

Brilliant!!

 

[jason_h537]

When ND beats USC this year. I will be very happy and will be watching Jimmy win the Heisman as we make our BCS run to knock off another team that many people think we shouldnt be on the same field with.

 

[weisbank4]

Who cares what media "experts" say or think? It doesn't really matter. You have to win games period! And, with one exception, that is what we are doing. No matter what ND does on or off the field, there will always be criticism and anti-ND bias. Just the way it is. We could win every game by 50 points and people would still find stuff to bitch about. So what?!?

You can't worry about stuff like that.

That is why college football desperately needs a playoff system. Without it, you have arguments about strength of schedule, margin of victory, and blah blah blah. Win your games and let the rest play out on its own.

I hate what Mark May says about ND. You know how I combat that? I don't watch him. Don't listen to the detractors. Just love ND, root for a win each and every week, and the season will play out on it's own.

It does matter because this stuff happens by vote. If and this is a massive "if" ND is 11-1 at years end and the BSPN turds like Pat Forde and Mark May and the rest have talked ND down enough they might not get the vote they need to get into a BCS game or NC game even.

Right now ND is feeling the pinch of everybody busting on the schedule. Translation = we predetermined the schedule was easy before anybody took the field, therefore winning close games isnt good enough.

 

[notredomer23]

If we beat USC they are gonna go 10-2 and to a BCS bowl soooo if haters keep saying we are irrevelent and do not give us props, it is a blind hate and just fuggetboutit

 

[Senoj13]

The polls are irrelevant. Beating USC is all that should matter for the next two weeks. Then winning out. I think a NC game is too far of a stretch, even at 11-1. BCS should be the ultimate goal right now, and that starts (and may end) with beating USC.

 

[Bubba]

The point about SC losing to Washington is irrelevant because we beat Washington. So not only will we have beaten SC, we will have beaten a team who also beat SC. Make sense?

We will get some respect if we beat USC. But we have to keep winning. This team has guts. I say if we had Floyd, we'd have a great shot at finishing with only 1 loss. Without him, it's possible but it is going to be tough.

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

It does matter because this stuff happens by vote. If and this is a massive "if" ND is 11-1 at years end and the BSPN turds like Pat Forde and Mark May and the rest have talked ND down enough they might not get the vote they need to get into a BCS game or NC game even.

Right now ND is feeling the pinch of everybody busting on the schedule. Translation = we predetermined the schedule was easy before anybody took the field, therefore winning close games isnt good enough.

Well, gee thanks for explaining that these things are decided by a vote. I have been living in a cave for the last umpteen years.

I don't have a vote. Do you? NO. So, therefore, we can't really do a damn thing about the system and worrying about what the people that DO vote think is pointless.

My point was that you can't worry about what people think or what they say. All the team can do is go out and WIN period. Even if we win (which we are at this point in time) it might not be enough to gain favor with pollsters, but so what? I want my Irish to win first and foremost. If things in the polls don't go our way, I am not going to cry about it because it is out of my control. Enjoy the games dude. Our ranking has nothing to do with my feelings for this team.

Also, by the way, don't say "WE predetermined...". You (and others) may have griped about how "easy" the schedule was back in July, but a lot of us on here were plenty worried about the dangers on this schedule. Talking about a schedule in the summer is shortsighted anyway. Who thought Stanford would be leading the pack in the Pac-10? Did anyone pick Auburn to be having this kind year so far? You play the games and you win as many as you can. Favoritism and bias will always be a factor with human voting. Get used to it.

You can't bitch about how ND doesn't get any respect or voters don't think our schedule is worth a damn or Mark May always disses us. It happens. Life sucks sometimes. If we go 11-1 and don't make it to a BCS bowl and we go to some other "lesser" bowl game and put the smack down on a mid-major school, I will be just as fat, drunk, and happy on my couch as I would be if we were playing for that crystal trophy.

Win 'em all boys!!!

 

[smerky]

Never succumbed to the urge to t-bag his food, but I did violate the 5 second rule once.

I thought it was 10 seconds?

 

[irishandy]

I cannot stand Pete Carroll at all, but I have to give him credit where credit is due. He has a young team, but he is still winning his games. I think that we can beat USC, but NDinLA is right, we cannot overlook the future games if we beat USC. I see the Stanford came very comparable to the North Carolina game last year and Pitt on the road will be tough. Beating USC guarantees us a week to shine and enjoy something we haven't enjoyed in years, but we still have 6 games left.

 

[tankjeep]

go irish, screw usc and their cheerleaders......

 

[GO IRISH!!!]

I thought it was 10 seconds?

Note to self: Don't eat at smerky's house...