Upset Alert 2014.

[MPClinton22]

Also, with the joke that is the current ranking system I think people are putting way too much faith into them being fair to Zona. After all, there is already a precedent set for keeping a winning team lower than the losing team (that also played at home). Exact same thing happened with OSU and VaTech. Now that was week 2 or whatever, so a bit different. But still.

 

[Irish#1]

See this is why it is way too early to fret about our ranking. So long as we take care of business on Saturday come Sunday we'll be up at least 1 spot in the rankings.

I'm very happy where we are ranked at the moment. Everything will take care of itself. It almost always will. Beat Stanford and I think we move to 5 or 6.

 

[T Town Tommy]

I'm very happy where we are ranked at the moment. Everything will take care of itself. It almost always will. Beat Stanford and I think we move to 5 or 6.

There will be a lot of overanalysis once the games are completed this weekend. We can bet on that.

 

[ACamp1900]

If this was two SEC teams Arizona would jump to 7 and Oregon would drop to 11.

This was my first thought, compare what happens here to A&M/SC or MSU/LSU....

 

[gkIrish]

It's absolutely not crazy to think we can jump to #2 if we beat Stanford by 10+ and all the other games go our way. Texas beating Baylor is the most unlikely but I could see it.

 

[tussin]

It's absolutely not crazy to think we can jump to #2 if we beat Stanford by 10+ and all the other games go our way. Texas beating Baylor is the most unlikely but I could see it.

In that scenario, I guarantee that Ole Miss would be ranked ahead of us (assuming a win over Bama).

 

[T Town Tommy]

In that scenario, I guarantee that Ole Miss would be ranked ahead of us (assuming a win over Bama).

Miss State could as well depending on the outcome of their game against the Aggies.

 

[gkIrish]

In that scenario, I guarantee that Ole Miss would be ranked ahead of us (assuming a win over Bama).

Maybe. If they win a close, sloppy game, I don't think they would jump us though assuming we blew out Stanford.

 

[gkIrish]

Miss State could as well depending on the outcome of their game against the Aggies.

There's no way Miss. State jumps us if we beat Stanford.

Assuming FSU beats Wake Forest, all we would need are wins by:

Ole Miss
Miss. State
Texas
TCU
LSU

All of the lines for those games are less than 5, except Auburn (-7.5) and Baylor (-14.5). Not crazy to think things will fall our way. We would jump back ahead of UCLA regardless of whether they win.

 

[T Town Tommy]

There's no way Miss. State jumps us if we beat Stanford.

I dunno. If LSU beats Auburn and State beats the Aggies then State's two wins against LSU and A&M is gonna look better than the Irish wins over Stanford and ??? IMO.

 

[tussin]

I agree with Tommy. That doesn't mean I think Miss St. is better than ND, but perception is everything.

 

[Cali_domer]

I dunno. If LSU beats Auburn and State beats the Aggies then State's two wins against LSU and A&M is gonna look better than the Irish wins over Stanford and ??? IMO.

Michigan?








All right you win...

 

[gkIrish]

I dunno. If LSU beats Auburn and State beats the Aggies then State's two wins against LSU and A&M is gonna look better than the Irish wins over Stanford and ??? IMO.

Not enough to jump 4 spots while we beat the #14 team in the country...

 

[IrishLax]

Can we please not worry about our ranking when we're overrated at #8 and hav two huge games on tap? I'll start caring about where we're slotted if we get through FSU with one loss or less.

 

[gkIrish]

Also I like how this year all we hear on ESPN is how Notre Dame hasn't played anybody (yet) but you never hear that about anyone else 4 games into the season any other years.

 

[dublinirish]

Also I like how this year all we hear on ESPN is how Notre Dame hasn't played anybody (yet) but you never hear that about anyone else 4 games into the season any other years.

what about those conference "quality losses" SEC teams can rack up and still be in contention

 

[T Town Tommy]

Not enough to jump 4 spots while we beat the #14 team in the country...

Depends on how the games play out. If Miss State beats the Aggies in the same fashion they did LSU - minus the misleading final score - and if ND struggles against Stanford then I think it would be close. This is assuming LSU beats Auburn as well. And don't discount Les and crew in that game. For all their weaknesses, their strength matches up well with Auburn. Never know.

 

[gkIrish]

Can we please not worry about our ranking when we're overrated at #8 and hav two huge games on tap? I'll start caring about where we're slotted if we get through FSU with one loss or less.

I could care less about the ranking. I just realized that it's completely possible for us to be #2 or #3.

And like last week, I think you're wrong about our chances. I think we beat Stanford by at least a touchdown assuming all our guys play close to 100% and the flu doesn't kill us. Not worried about the rain and I think Stanford is way overrated.

 

[T Town Tommy]

Also I like how this year all we hear on ESPN is how Notre Dame hasn't played anybody (yet) but you never hear that about anyone else 4 games into the season any other years.

They have been pretty critical of other teams and their opponents as well. While it's not ND's fault that UM **** the bed, it is worthy of debate just as the other teams are. Beat Stanford and that goes a long way in shutting up the critics.

 

[woolybug25]

I dunno. If LSU beats Auburn and State beats the Aggies then State's two wins against LSU and A&M is gonna look better than the Irish wins over Stanford and ??? IMO.

C'mon Tommy. Take off the SEC glasses for a moment. State lost to a 1 loss Oregon team and LSU isn't going to jump from 15 to top 5 for beating a 1 loss A&M team. I have no idea why you think that LSU over A&M would look better than a Stanford win. Especially SO much better that LSU would jump a minumum of 6 spots to pass Notre Dame, meanwhile... Notre Dame would get no jump for beating Stanford. State certainly isn't going to jump an undefeated Irish... that's for damn sure.

 

[T Town Tommy]

what about those conference "quality losses" SEC teams can rack up and still be in contention

I think for the SEC West that holds true this year. The SEC East... who cares.

 

[T Town Tommy]

C'mon Tommy. Take off the SEC glasses for a moment. State lost to a 1 loss Oregon team and LSU isn't going to jump from 15 to top 5 for beating a 1 loss A&M team. I have no idea why you think that LSU over A&M would look better than a Stanford win. Especially SO much better that LSU would jump a minumum of 6 spots to pass Notre Dame, meanwhile... Notre Dame would get no jump for beating Stanford. State certainly isn't going to jump an undefeated Irish... that's for damn sure.

State... as in Miss State and not Mich State wooly. Sorry if my post was confusing.

 

[tussin]

C'mon Tommy. Take off the SEC glasses for a moment. State lost to a 1 loss Oregon team and LSU isn't going to jump from 15 to top 5 for beating a 1 loss A&M team. I have no idea why you think that LSU over A&M would look better than a Stanford win. Especially SO much better that LSU would jump a minumum of 6 spots to pass Notre Dame, meanwhile... Notre Dame would get no jump for beating Stanford. State certainly isn't going to jump an undefeated Irish... that's for damn sure.

This entire post is confusing.

LSU is playing Auburn. Miss. State is playing A&M, who is currently undefeated.

 

[woolybug25]

This entire post is confusing.

LSU is playing Auburn. Miss. State is playing A&M, who is currently undefeated.

Your face is confusing.

 

[tussin]

Your face is confusing.

Starting early Wooly? Game's not until tomorrow.

 

[RammerJammer91]

C'mon Tommy. Take off the SEC glasses for a moment. State lost to a 1 loss Oregon team and LSU isn't going to jump from 15 to top 5 for beating a 1 loss A&M team. I have no idea why you think that LSU over A&M would look better than a Stanford win. Especially SO much better that LSU would jump a minumum of 6 spots to pass Notre Dame, meanwhile... Notre Dame would get no jump for beating Stanford. State certainly isn't going to jump an undefeated Irish... that's for damn sure.

Totally agree that Stanford would look like a better win than LSU. Even though Bama is playing LSU on the road and ND is playing Stanford at home, I believe that Stanford is a better team this year. I really don't know what to think about A&M, to be honest. I think it's close between A&M and Stanford.

Slightly off topic, but fans throughout the country are going soft on Oregon, IMO. Can you imagine the outcry from fans if ND or Bama lost to an unranked team?

 

[RDU Irish]

A&M is a poor man's Oregon. Great offense and horrible defense. They will be exposed, sooner rather than later IMO.

 

[MNIrishman]

Totally agree that Stanford would look like a better win than LSU. Even though Bama is playing LSU on the road and ND is playing Stanford at home, I believe that Stanford is a better team this year. I really don't know what to think about A&M, to be honest. I think it's close between A&M and Stanford.

Slightly off topic, but fans throughout the country are going soft on Oregon, IMO. Can you imagine the outcry from fans if ND or Bama lost to an unranked team?

An undefeated team. This game makes the rankings look bad, not Oregon so much.

 

[RammerJammer91]

A&M is a poor man's Oregon. Great offense and horrible defense. They will be exposed, sooner rather than later IMO.

That's definitely possible. It happened last year. I do think that they beat Bama, though.

 

[MNIrishman]

That's definitely possible. It happened last year. I do think that they beat Bama, though.

Debatable. Alabama still has a good team, and ATM was taken to the wire by a middling Arkansas program.