With a bowl win

[tommyIRISH23]

Does ND finish ranked in the top 25? They aren't getting even receiving votes at this point.

 

[ACamp1900]

No.

 

[IrishLax]

Hell no.

(Although it is funny with the Northern Illinois, etc. creeping in to the top 25)

 

[Irish Man3]

Not a chance because they will be playing an unranked opponent. Had we not blown that Tulsa game, we'd have a chance but very unlikely.

 

[MacIrish75]

Meh. Besides the cosmetics of having that little number next to our name, who really cares? I don't think given the middle of our season we are deserving of a top 25 ranking, anyway.

Give me a bowl win, finish @ 8-5, and the thought of being ranked won't even cross my mind.

 

[johnnykillz]

But in my mind, they finish #1.

When you wake up, if you aren't #1 at the top of your list, I can assure you, you aren't on the top of anyone else's list...

We have hills to climb; maybe we have a cliff or two. But the top of the peak will have been worth the traverse.

 

[General Colon Bowel]

We're ranked #24 in one of the computers used in the BCS formula right now. I guess that's kinda cool
Colley's Bias Free College Football Rankings

 

[Riddickulous]

I'd rather we not finish ranked and then succumb to unrealistic expectations in 2011.

 

[irishbearsfan]

I believe that if the Irish win a bowl game, they will have some building blocks for next season. The Irish have been looking good at the end of the year and i believe that they have a lot of positives to build on for the future! GO IRISH!!!

 

[ndcoltsfan2010]

I don't think we will be ranked at all after a win in a bowl game nor do I think we should be ranked. We lost too many games to teams we should not have this year. Most noteable Tulsa. I think we are playing for pride and for our future at this point. We are a much better football team now and our Defense is playing with the best of them. I would rather sit out of the rankings and earn our way back to the polls with some good football next season. The future is very bright and the sky is the limit for us.

 

[irishff1014]

I agree don't give us anything lets us show the country we deserve it because we worked our a$$es off for it.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

Honestly guys, I wouldn't mind be ranked if we won our bowl game...just how I feel though

 

[tommyIRISH23]

I think it depends on who we play, what teams win/lose in the top 25, and how much we win by. If we demolish a team by 30 points, and a few teams ranked in the top 19-25 lose leading to ND being ranked like 24, I wouldn't mind.

Whether we finished ranked or not, there are going to be some seriously inflated expectations for the 2011 squad. Ending this season ranked 24th or something is not going to effect expectations.

 

[irishff1014]

No matter if we are ranked or not the way we finished this season it going to have big expectations for this program next year. Our schedule does favor us in the most part.

 

[irishfan]

Depends on who we play. In the grand scheme of things, 8-5 should be good enough. Our losses are to two 11-1 teams, two 9-3 teams (assuming Navy beats Army), and a 7-5 Michigan team where our 3rd string QB had to carry us for a half. The only team on our schedule who didn't finish .500 or better is Purdue who obviously lost QB Mavre early in the year. I'd imagine most of the computers would have us top 25 at the very least with a 8-5 record.

 

[Rudy89]

I just wanna win the bowl game. Seriously none of my pro teams look to be winning a championship any time soon and I want a ND the "whatever bowl game we play in" Bowl champions t-shirt since the colts, cardinals, or blues wont be allowing me to have a world series, super bowl, or stanley cup champion shirt again for a while it seems

 

[PatsandBostonfan1975]

We closed out strong truth is we aren't top 25 team but hell Im so proud of this team right now who the hell cares ?

 

[TerryTate]

We end the year top 25... just sayin.

 

[WabashFalcon]

A Bowl Win will put us in position for next year to make a nice little run. We will, more than likely, not be in the Top 25 at the start of next year, but we could be around the 35-40 range. We get on a nice early run, we could be ranked by Week Four or Five.

 

[phgreek]

A Bowl Win will put us in position for next year to make a nice little run. We will, more than likely, not be in the Top 25 at the start of next year, but we could be around the 35-40 range. We get on a nice early run, we could be ranked by Week Four or Five.

I don't know...I think we could start in the top 25 next year...

We need to win our Bowl game...then consider

We could potentially return 19 of 22 starters...our Defense will pretty much be what it is right now less B smith (Ian hasn't been playing during the steel curtain run), and everybody on the planet knows we went like 13 quarters w/o surrendering a TD...to some pretty good offenses I might add.

If we show any life at the QB spot, and Floyd and Rudolph come back, I think top 25 is justified.

As for this year...if we hold a NC State or the like w/o a TD in a Bowl...and we go off for 40+, I'm not counting us out of top 25 to end this year.

...I will say alot hinges on our Bowl performance.

All that said, I just want to keep the momentum, and win the bowl game. Maybe we don't get respect and get ignored next year going into the season...I'm ok with that...sometimes its nice to be underrated.

 

[Rudy89]

read somehwere we could maybe play in the holiday bowl against nebraska or MO. Id have a bad feeling about that game, but a more optimistic view if we played an ACC or Big East team

 

[IrishInColumbus]

read somehwere we could maybe play in the holiday bowl against nebraska or MO. Id have a bad feeling about that game, but a more optimistic view if we played an ACC or Big East team

I want a nice, achievable victory for a team that will still lack a starting quarterback. Granted, I think this defense can play with anyone (yes, I said it), but I don't think the offense is up there. Nebraska would maul Notre Dame.

Give me an ACC team or a Big East team and let us win have a four game winning streak rolling into recruiting, spring ball, and 2011. 2011 could be special.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Lets just skull-**** whoever we get, let the chips fall where they may, go to confession for berating the program and coaches (Diaco) so badly, when all they were doing was making things better. Then let's wrap our fingers around a frosty one or two, and let them (coaches and players) finish the job.

In our hearts, we know the final product will be what we all want!

 

[Old Man Mike]

Things like a national ranking DO count in a certain area though: psychology. The fact of a national ranking, especially achieved by Kelly with a second half of season upturn in play, says to many observers: "ND is coming back, and this coaching staff is already showing it". This "attitude" out there in the air serves our program well in every possible way.

The obvious positive is in recruiting where the selling job becomes much more believable to the recruit and his parents [and coach]. But it also begins momentum for the major media players to start saying good things about the program, or even mentioning us at all. [The prejudiced bast*rds will not change, but I believe that they are in a decided minority --- we need to give the middle-grounders reason to give us reps].

This may be viewed by some as "just psychology" and who needs it??, but it is a real element of the recruiting landscape, and we would like to make that job as easy as possible even for a genius like Kelly. We're on a decade-long trip here not just to a national championship but a consistently top-ten team. A ranking this year isn't a big deal, but it's one more step on the yellowbrick [goldendomed] road to a Kelly-Green OZ.

 

[irishnd31]

Things like a national ranking DO count in a certain area though: psychology. The fact of a national ranking, especially achieved by Kelly with a second half of season upturn in play, says to many observers: "ND is coming back, and this coaching staff is already showing it". This "attitude" out there in the air serves our program well in every possible way.

The obvious positive is in recruiting where the selling job becomes much more believable to the recruit and his parents [and coach]. But it also begins momentum for the major media players to start saying good things about the program, or even mentioning us at all. [The prejudiced bast*rds will not change, but I believe that they are in a decided minority --- we need to give the middle-grounders reason to give us reps].

This may be viewed by some as "just psychology" and who needs it??, but it is a real element of the recruiting landscape, and we would like to make that job as easy as possible even for a genius like Kelly. We're on a decade-long trip here not just to a national championship but a consistently top-ten team. A ranking this year isn't a big deal, but it's one more step on the yellowbrick [goldendomed] road to a Kelly-Green OZ.

Great post.

 

[IrishLax]

We end the year top 25... just sayin.

In the computers, yes. We'll probably be right around #20-#25 considering we're #23-#30 in most computer polls right now. But there is no way voters will put us in the top 25.

I still think it's fascinating we did all of this without Dayne Crist, Armando Allen, Ian Williams and Kyle Rudolph down the stretch. Mind you we also didn't have Floyd or Riddick for a portion of the season... including the Navy loss. I can't imagine how good our team might be next year if we stay healthy and Floyd/Rudy come back. Both staying healthy and having them come back are rather unlikely... but it's fun to dream.

 

[Rocket89]

Things like a national ranking DO count in a certain area though: psychology. The fact of a national ranking, especially achieved by Kelly with a second half of season upturn in play, says to many observers: "ND is coming back, and this coaching staff is already showing it". This "attitude" out there in the air serves our program well in every possible way.

The obvious positive is in recruiting where the selling job becomes much more believable to the recruit and his parents [and coach]. But it also begins momentum for the major media players to start saying good things about the program, or even mentioning us at all. [The prejudiced bast*rds will not change, but I believe that they are in a decided minority --- we need to give the middle-grounders reason to give us reps].

This may be viewed by some as "just psychology" and who needs it??, but it is a real element of the recruiting landscape, and we would like to make that job as easy as possible even for a genius like Kelly. We're on a decade-long trip here not just to a national championship but a consistently top-ten team. A ranking this year isn't a big deal, but it's one more step on the yellowbrick [goldendomed] road to a Kelly-Green OZ.

Exactly.

For all intents and purposes, being ranked benefits the entire program.

I despise the "We don't deserved to be ranked!" and "Being ranked will inflate our expectations next year!" line of thinking.

If we're not ranked, so be it. If we are, that's great.

Not wanting the Irish to be ranked isn't about the team "not deserving it" so much as it is with protecting and soothing our fanbases precious feelings, so that opponents, rivals and haters won't make fun of us more often and call us overrated.

 

[phgreek]

Things like a national ranking DO count in a certain area though: psychology. The fact of a national ranking, especially achieved by Kelly with a second half of season upturn in play, says to many observers: "ND is coming back, and this coaching staff is already showing it". This "attitude" out there in the air serves our program well in every possible way.

The obvious positive is in recruiting where the selling job becomes much more believable to the recruit and his parents [and coach]. But it also begins momentum for the major media players to start saying good things about the program, or even mentioning us at all. [The prejudiced bast*rds will not change, but I believe that they are in a decided minority --- we need to give the middle-grounders reason to give us reps].

This may be viewed by some as "just psychology" and who needs it??, but it is a real element of the recruiting landscape, and we would like to make that job as easy as possible even for a genius like Kelly. We're on a decade-long trip here not just to a national championship but a consistently top-ten team. A ranking this year isn't a big deal, but it's one more step on the yellowbrick [goldendomed] road to a Kelly-Green OZ.

I was thinking It wasn't important to me from the perspective of how I see the team's progress...I think they've turned the corner, and I don't need the other coaches to tell me whats obvious to me....this team is a contender w/ anyone the way they play D.

...But when I read your post, it reminded me of all the strategic benefits of a top 25, and I have to say I agree totally...great Post.

 

[IrishMoore1]

I expect a national championship next year

 

[irishff1014]

I expect a national championship next year

I would love for this to happen but i don't think it will be next year.