On another team in an otherwise similar situation to ND. I don't always get that, although I suppose I understand the motivation behind it.
To answer your question in a more general way, I see this season as follows:
1 elite team (Georgia)
2-4 other teams that might be capable of taking down that elite team under the right set of circumstances.
5-10 other teams that are certainly a cut below the above referenced teams, but a cut above everyone else (this is the category where I have ND).
There's daylight between "blows goats" and "is a really fantastic team." Some of those teams are just a little handsy with goats.
The case for a four-team playoff, let alone expansion, is not strong this year.
ND fans, like Michigan or Oregon fans, should understand the teams will get what they get, because they don’t “deserve” anything.
missing really had no beef for not getting a shot. Particularly coming to mind is the Penn State team that lost by 40 Michigan within weeks of losing to Pitt.
good to have contrarian views. You have your point of view, and ACross his. The banter back and forth I find enjoyable and generally entertaining . I think that’s the purpose of this site ? No hurt feelings . Just banter
light up Grace!
I don't get your point. Are you happy that we're 9th loser and that a bunch of teams are worse? WTF? Truly, I'm not happy if we don't have a decent shot at a national championship. Being better than 121 other teams doesn't mean crap to me. I'll start getting happier when we're better than 125 other teams year over year with a legit shot to win a NC.
This "but, progress", "moving in the right direction", "in better shape" crap is tiresome.
unsubtle pokes at Cross? I'm not a board moderator and if Board Ops want to delete this post, I'm okay with it.
You likely could add some legitimate value to the board if you abandoned your little crusade. Otherwise, these posts come across rather sophomoric.
Just my $0.02
To your post specifically, if you were looking for legitimate discussion, you could have framed it as something like:
What a strange year for CFB - only 1 team really stands out as elite and only 2-3 others seem to have a chance to unseat them. After that there's a bunch of mixed-bag results. Is that increased parity due to P5 conferences, save SEC, waning in strength. Are Group of 5 conferences gaining ground? Are injuries and/or transfers catching up to everyone this year? All of the above?
And then included a good chunk of what you did include -- most of it is non-controversial. It's just your not-so-clever way of caching it as some sort of riposte to Cross' and/or others' opinion that ND isn't elite this year and that 11-1 against this schedule, while still a decent accomplishment seems largely unsatisfying due to the actual schedule strength vs planned strength (i.e., down years by USC, UW, FSU).
But, "blow goats"! and "ND Sucks!" teee heee
leave the children alone.
The "but other teams suck too" position.
are a relatively, rather than absolute, endeavor.
Oh wait...
Doofus.
Which I believe to be his point.
We were much better last year than this year, and yet we still got blown out by Clemson and Alabama. We are further from that standard of great programs this year than last.
Sort of a weird/weak year for college football for whatever reason.
right in the middle of the shit pile. We’re elite!!!!
That's chicken shit too.
List all of the blue chip elite difference making corners recruited, developed or on an NFL roster in 12 years. Do you think Kelly/Freeman are worried about the 3,500 yard lefty qb playing or not?
in years where ND doesn't record anything resembling a high quality win. Unlike us at least players, coaches, administrators, and fans of most of those final teams you mention have meaningful games ahead of them to provide some clarity on what type of team they are.
Stan the Welch.
At around the end of the third quarter of the 2006 Notre Dame Michigan State game, there was a spirited debate regarding whether my friends should stay for the end of the game. The week before Michigan beat the pants off us, by the third quarter of this game Notre Dame was losing by 16, and everyone was cold and miserable from the heavy storm that drenched us mid-game and still was coming down at all angles. There were two camps. Stan was in the camp to drive back to South Bend. Stan was so confident that ND was not going to win the game, he put his moneyshot where his mouth is. He proclaimed that if Notre Dame wins, he would have sexual intercourse with a goat.
Yada yada yada, my friends leave. Yada yada yada. Michigan State's radio announcer implores the team to make plays, Michigan State decides instead to just hand us the football to see if we can do any better, ND scores 19 points, and MSU's radio announcer chokes himself to exhaustion live on air.
But I'll tell you one thing that didn't get choked. And that's Stan's mouth. Because he refused to make love with a goat, or even to play around a little just to see how it feels. Every year we remind Stan that he owes us one banged goat. We would all agree to settle for one blown goat. But the man just doesn't blow goats. Not this year. Not any year. Every year when we remind him of his debt he laughs and tries to change the subject. But that's not the kind of thing you let down lightly. The man made a promise. If this were Canaan, you refuse to bang a goat that you swore to bang, and you owe another man your goat. And with no goat, how do you expect to keep milking this sophomoric joke for another 15 years?
That's fantastic.
The MSU "radio announcer" was Detroit sports radio show host Mike Valenti, and it occurred on the Monday following the game. No hyperbole, it was probably the greatest sportstalk radio rant in history.
Georgia.
Then there are 3-5 teams I think could give Georgia a game if they bring their A game. Then about 20 teams(we are one) who could give those 3-5 teams a game if they bring their A game, but have no shot against Georgia. Then the shit teams.
That's how I see it, at least.
that was early season. And they did win, then didn't really blink going forward. Other than that I've got nothing.
Yeah, I know Clemson is down this year, but that's still an impressive defensive effort. Offense wasn't so great (the lone TD came on a Pick Six, IIRC) but has shown improvement over the year.
Probably the same as in any year (?), or close to it.
ND is in the giant clump, along with UTSA, Cincinnati, Toledo, Penn State, Kentucky, et al. of not being capable of winning the national title.
That binary thinking should suffice for ND alums and fans.
Georgia’s defense is better than anyone’s D by a mile and they have a very good offense. Usually I peg the number at 3-4 teams with a relatively close chance. Ohio St, Clemson, Bama usually the 3 every year with maybe Georgia sliding in. When the 4th playoff team is ND or even Oklahoma I still only see 3 capable. This year the difference between 1 vs the 2-4 seems much greater than normal. Bama and Ohio St are a hair behind their normal dominance and have some bigger warts than normal. and well I cannot explain Clemson. Holy lord bad.
... viable national title contender - even with their Heisman quarterbacks and playoff appearances.
That Georgia team lost in the title game to Alabama in OT. So perhaps 2017 OU could be considered title-worthy.
That team as you said may have been an exception
I was surprised that the 2018 team got into the CFP even as a 4 seed. If you watched them play at all that year, that wasn't even a Top 50 defense.
Only this year replace Clemson with Georgia. Yeah, I'll throw Ohio St. in there as a team that has the horses to beat Georgia and Alabama if they get there. Oregon & Cincinnati would be road kill. As would Michigan, MSU and everybody else on down the list.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
College football: The greatest regular season. The worst postseason.
You know, because Iowa State blows goats, yet they took down Oklahoma State.
And Baylor lost to Oklahoma State, which blows goats, so, therefore, Baylor also blows goats.
So I guess we're down to 5? Though Oregon and Oklahoma kind of appear to blow goats.
I agree with the point you're making; after the top 3-4 teams, there's not a lot of separation between (using the latest CFP rankings) #6 Michigan, #12 Wake Forest, #17 Auburn, and #24 Utah. I could see any of those teams losing to (or beating) any other team on the list...and a whole bunch that aren't.
It's like the entire NCAA has turned into a big version of the MAC. Who knows what's going to happen on any given Saturday?
Because they lost to Stanford who lost to Washington who lost to Oregon State who lost to Colorado who lost to California who lost to Arizona who lost to San Diego State who lost to Fresno State who lost to Boise State who lost to UCF who lost to Navy who lost to Marshall who lost to Middle Tennessee who lost to Charlotte who lost to Illinois who lost to Rutgers who lost to Northwestern who lost to Duke who lost to Georgia Tech who lost to Virginia who lost to North Carolina who lost to Florida State who lost to Jacksonville State who lost to UAB who lost to Rice who lost to North Texas who lost to Louisiana Tech who lost to Old Dominion who lost to WKU who lost to Army who lost to Ball State who lost to Toledo who lost to Eastern Michigan who lost to Northern Illinois who lost to Wyoming who lost to New Mexico who lost to UNLV who lost to San José State who lost to Colorado State who lost to Vanderbilt who lost to Missouri who lost to Boston College who lost to Louisville who lost to NC State who lost to Miami who lost to Alabama who lost to Texas A&M who lost to Mississippi State who lost to Memphis who lost to Temple who lost to USF who lost to ECU who lost to South Carolina who lost to Kentucky who lost to Tennessee who lost to Florida who lost to LSU who lost to UCLA who lost to Arizona State who lost to Washington State who lost to USC who lost to Utah who lost to BYU who lost to Baylor who lost to TCU who lost to SMU who lost to Houston who lost to Texas Tech who lost to Kansas State who lost to Oklahoma State who lost to Iowa State who lost to West Virginia who lost to Maryland who lost to Iowa who lost to Wisconsin who lost to Michigan who lost to Michigan State who lost to Purdue who lost to Minnesota who lost to Bowling Green who lost to South Alabama who lost to ULM who lost to Texas State who lost to Troy who lost to Liberty who lost to Syracuse who lost to Clemson who lost to Pittsburgh who lost to Western Michigan who lost to Central Michigan who lost to Miami (OH) who lost to Ohio who lost to Buffalo who lost to Coastal Carolina who lost to Appalachian State who lost to Louisiana who lost to Texas who lost to Arkansas who lost to Ole Miss who lost to Auburn who lost to Penn State who lost to Ohio State who lost to Oregon who blows goats.
property rules!