So, I'm watching the BCS countdown show and I'm listening to this clown Matt Stinchcomb commenting on the quality of our wins. He goes on about Michigan ST. and then brings up Michigan and says they are not very good because they have lost some games. Last time I checked they lost to #1 Alabama and #5 Notre Dame. Don't get me wrong, I hate UM as much as the next guy but to say they are not a good team why??? Because thy lost to us (it was almost like he was insinuating this)? It is not just ESPN that does this, I have seen it done on CBSSN as well. It just infuriates me!

UM has a very good team. I'm quite surprised by how good they are.

 

If I'm looking at quality wins, I think nd is currently at the front of the pack. I can't think of another team with their two best wins being better than our's today.

 

Of course, I'm not saying we are in the top tier class of teams or other teams have been more impressive. We just have the "benefit" of not waiting for conference play to hit the meat of our schedule.

From what I've seen from these shows, and people talking about ND's schedule, I think the point that they are making is that at the beginning of the year, UM was supposed to be really good, MSU was supposed to be dominant, and Stanford was supposed to be pretty good as well. UM and Stanford have 2 losses now, and barely hanging on to the bottom of the top 25, MSU has 3 losses and isn't even ranked. So some of the "quality wins" we have don't look as good a quality anymore. The thing that really annoys me, is that people knock the teams that ND has beaten, but don't say anything about any of the teams that some of the other top 10 have beaten, like FCS schools, and any other school with a direction in their name. ND has has no cupcakes on their schedule. Just about everyone else in the country has had at least 1, with many having 2-3.

From what I've seen from these shows, and people talking about ND's schedule, I think the point that they are making is that at the beginning of the year, UM was supposed to be really good, MSU was supposed to be dominant, and Stanford was supposed to be pretty good as well. UM and Stanford have 2 losses now, and barely hanging on to the bottom of the top 25, MSU has 3 losses and isn't even ranked. So some of the "quality wins" we have don't look as good a quality anymore. The thing that really annoys me, is that people knock the teams that ND has beaten, but don't say anything about any of the teams that some of the other top 10 have beaten, like FCS schools, and any other school with a direction in their name. ND has has no cupcakes on their schedule. Just about everyone else in the country has had at least 1, with many having 2-3.

 

Exactly, these so called experts are not looking at the records of the Towson State's of the world. You never hear about that. It is so annoying. I just hope the Irish keep winning . I even argue with my younger brother when it comes to the Irish. My wife says we sound like we are on Final Verdict. I even call him Mark May. I don't know why he doesn't like the Irish, we were raised Catholic and went to Catholic school from grade school through High school. He has always been a USC fan since he was a kid (he is 34). I guess haters are going to hate.

UM has a very good team. I'm quite surprised by how good they are.

 

If I'm looking at quality wins, I think nd is currently at the front of the pack. I can't think of another team with their two best wins being better than our's today.

 

Of course, I'm not saying we are in the top tier class of teams or other teams have been more impressive. We just have the "benefit" of not waiting for conference play to hit the meat of our schedule.

 

Where would Mich be ranked had they beaten us? W/L are all relative to who plays who, hence the importance of SoS, but of course SoS is sooooo subjective, right?

I saw a poll in the last few days that took this into account. They ranked the teams based on a formula of wins/losses and opponents wins/losses. It was something on the order of (A+B-C)/n, where A=1 pt. per win over a FBS school, .5 points per win over a FCS school, B=1/10 of a point for each FBS team their opponents defeated, and half of that for each FCS team, C=1/10 of a point for each FBS team their opponents lost to, and half of that for each FCS team. n=number of games played.

 

Notre Dame was first and Oregon St. was second. I forget who was 3rd, but they were far behind the top 2. So, take it for what it's worth, but with only wins and losses considered, Notre Dame has faced the best schedule in the country so far. I'll try to find the link again and post it, but I'm having trouble locating it right now.

I saw a poll in the last few days that took this into account. They ranked the teams based on a formula of wins/losses and opponents wins/losses. It was something on the order of (A+B-C)/n, where A=1 pt. per win over a FBS school, .5 points per win over a FCS school, B=1/10 of a point for each FBS team their opponents defeated, and half of that for each FCS team, C=1/10 of a point for each FBS team their opponents lost to, and half of that for each FCS team. n=number of games played.

 

Notre Dame was first and Oregon St. was second. I forget who was 3rd, but they were far behind the top 2. So, take it for what it's worth, but with only wins and losses considered, Notre Dame has faced the best schedule in the country so far. I'll try to find the link again and post it, but I'm having trouble locating it right now.

 

I looked at this the other day. ND's opponents are 22-16. Taking into account that 6 of those losses are to ND and their opponents are 22-10 in games not including ND.

 

Given they are all BCS teams, other than Navy, that isn't too shabby.

Let's face it, MSU laying an egg and losing to Iowa (same team that lost at home to CMU) is killing us in the court of public opinion.

 

UM might be better than people give them credit for, but their big win was against an IL team that is in a complete free fall right now. The Purdue impact is basically a wash since we played them both.

 

I'm less worried about perceptions about Stanford, because they are a very solid team who is going to win a lot more games this year, although it would have been nice if they were undefeated coming in here.

Our schedule was slightly overhyped because of last years "Tigers" who were rated artificially high based on say the success of Andrew Luck, Curt Cousins and the like but we don't play any bowl subdivision scrimmages. We still have to beat quality teams every week.

 

I am excited because beating Stanford reclaims ND as the best academic/athletic combination school in the nation, that's very important to me as a fan. It was a big step, Now I hope ND can fly that ideal to new levels eventually with a BCS win and more in this modern age

The thing with our schedule that all these analysts keep forgetting is that we dont play cupcakes every other week. With the exception of Navy, EVERY TEAM on our schedule is respectable and can compete at the D1 level. We are not playing FCS schools and bottom of the MAC conference teams for 4-5 weeks. Alabama has great defensive stats, but Holy Cow Batman, look at who they have played.

 

Our schedule is head and shoulders above the other BCS contenders because we have faced quality opponents every week... They have not. People seem to underestimate that.

The thing with our schedule that all these analysts keep forgetting is that we dont play cupcakes every other week. With the exception of Navy, EVERY TEAM on our schedule is respectable and can compete at the D1 level. We are not playing FCS schools and bottom of the MAC conference teams for 4-5 weeks. Alabama has great defensive stats, but Holy Cow Batman, look at who they have played.

 

Our schedule is head and shoulders above the other BCS contenders because we have faced quality opponents every week... They have not. People seem to underestimate that.

 

Hell, even Navy (our cupcake) is a decent program. Going back to 2002 they are 77-50 and been to 8 bowl games and beat us three times.

Edited October 17, 201212 yr by MantyIrish

wouldn't be surprised to see Michigan finish around #10 by end of the year

wouldn't be surprised to see Michigan finish around #10 by end of the year

 

To be fair, they've only lost to the #1 and #5 teams in the nation. There's not really anything shameful about that.

I find it incredible that they knock ND's schedule, but fail to mention Alabama's (Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, and Western Carolina), Oregon's (Arkansas State, Fresno State, Tennessee Tech), Florida's (Bowling Green, Lousiana-Lafayette, and Jacksonville State), or LSU's (North Texas and Towson).

 

If you're going to pick on ND's schedule, then those other games HAVE to be brought up. Yet the talking heads completely fail to bring it up.

Hell, even Navy (our cupcake) is a decent program. Going back to 2002 they are 77-50 and been to 8 bowl games and beat us three times.

 

i agree, but I know a few people who would bring it up if I didnt... Navy would be 5-0 or 4-1 with some of the schedules these top tier teams have played...

I find it incredible that they knock ND's schedule, but fail to mention Alabama's (Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, and Western Carolina), Oregon's (Arkansas State, Fresno State, Tennessee Tech), Florida's (Bowling Green, Lousiana-Lafayette, and Jacksonville State), or LSU's (North Texas and Towson).

 

If you're going to pick on ND's schedule, then those other games HAVE to be brought up. Yet the talking heads completely fail to bring it up.

 

Again, what I find frustratingly annoying is that they say that the teams ND has beaten, aren't doing as well as expected, and put ND down for that reason, and that Stanford is the only currently ranked team ND has beaten. But when you think they should talk about the same comparison for the other teams, all they talk about is the future teams they play, and that it is foregone conclusion that they will win out, and all of those teams that they beat will still be ranked where they are right now.

If I'm looking at quality wins, I think nd is currently at the front of the pack. I can't think of another team with their two best wins being better than our's today.

i'd give the edge to florida with their wins over texas a&m and LSU then playing south carolina this weekend.

 

purdue - not a great win

msu - good not great

meatchicken - good not great

miami - good not great

stanford - great win

I think 'they' also fail to recognize what our victory over that team might have done to its collective psyche. Think about us in prior years and what the gut punch of someo of our losses did (especially the last second ones). Moreover, we not only beat these teams, we did not even let most of them get into the end zone. How does that feel when you have practiced and prepared and had prior success to lay a big goose egg on the TD front. OR, how demoralizing it is to be so thoroughly shut out in the red zone . . . again, I think our schedule, thus far, is superior to the teams along side us in the Top Ten (God, does that not just sound wonderful . . . let me say it again along side US in the Top Ten . . .) and our schedule is still one of the toughest of the current top 25

OK, I think I have this figured out - so the only way ND can get any credit for SOS is if the teams they play win against the Irish; then the Irish stink and can't compete. On the other hand, if ND beats the teams they play, then the teams they play stink because the Irish beat them, and ND stinks by association because their SOS sucks. It's all coming clear now.:suspicious:

OK, I think I have this figured out - so the only way ND can get any credit for SOS is if the teams they play win against the Irish; then the Irish stink and can't compete. On the other hand, if ND beats the teams they play, then the teams they play stink because the Irish beat them, and ND stinks by association because their SOS sucks. It's all coming clear now.:suspicious:

 

Exactly right. Everyone keeps saying the same thing, every team is good until they lose to ND.

To be fair, they've only lost to the #1 and #5 teams in the nation. There's not really anything shameful about that.

 

Big game this weekend for both of the Meeeechigan teams