Nationwide BCS Poll for ND

[echo88]

Take a look at the ESPN poll results for "Will Notre Dame make a BCS bowl this season?" I gotta agree, but it's still pretty crazy to see thoughts across the U.S.....

 

Usually these polls thru ESPN are heavily influenced be geographic region, conference fans, etc....not this time.....

[MyFightingIrish]

Take a look at the ESPN poll results for "Will Notre Dame make a BCS bowl this season?" I gotta agree, but it's still pretty crazy to see thoughts across the U.S.....

 

Usually these polls thru ESPN are heavily influenced be geographic region, conference fans, etc....not this time.....

 

It's pretty amazing to me that people have forgotten the 12 in the 12-1 record. Considering the talent and depth that ND returns, and the schedule they play, its VERY likely that ND goes to a BCS bowl. If they win 9 games they are likely in.

[echo88]

It's pretty amazing to me that people have forgotten the 12 in the 12-1 record. Considering the talent and depth that ND returns, and the schedule they play, its VERY likely that ND goes to a BCS bowl. If they win 9 games they are likely in.

 

Yeah that's likely going to be the case---only reason I think they might get pushed out is because of a late season loss....

[piratey]

...This is a BCS team for sure. And if we don't get a BCS bowl? We may not even find a bowl waiting for us...

 

Because we start top 10, unless we lay an egg against, what should be, an over matched Michigan team early, we'll hang around the top 15 all year.

 

And to your point Echo, that didn't stop us in 2006, when USC curb stomped us to end the year...

 

I just don't see the three losses on the schedule that would warrant 9-3... I'm not as high on Michigan and Oklahoma as other people though.(High turnover for both teams)

[MyFightingIrish]

I just don't see the three losses on the schedule that would warrant 9-3... I'm not as high on Michigan and Oklahoma as other people though.(High turnover for both teams)

 

Exactly. 10-2 and ND is a BCS team without a doubt. Who is going to lay the wood on ND this year? I simply don't see a team on that schedule that is capable of thumping the Irish. There might be a couple close games that go either way (Stanford, maybe OK or UM) but none of those teams are "scary" and ND will be favored in most, if not all of those contests.

 

All that voting shows is that people don't believe ND is "back" yet, or people just hate ND. That's ok with me... just provides more tacklin' fuel. Quite frankly, ND still has more to prove. 13 w's and sustained success. That's the goal.

[TDUB]

Exactly. 10-2 and ND is a BCS team without a doubt. Who is going to lay the wood on ND this year? I simply don't see a team on that schedule that is capable of thumping the Irish. There might be a couple close games that go either way (Stanford, maybe OK or UM) but none of those teams are "scary" and ND will be favored in most, if not all of those contests.

 

All that voting shows is that people don't believe ND is "back" yet, or people just hate ND. That's ok with me... just provides more tacklin' fuel. Quite frankly, ND still has more to prove. 13 w's and sustained success. That's the goal.

 

Yep, poll should be renamed "do you hate Notre Dame".

[Parseghians theorem]

But here's the deal. And we know this all too well. The difference between a championship team and a middle of the road team sometimes is very minimal.

 

Let's look at the 2009 domers.

*disclaimer: The 2012 team's mentality from a viewers perspective was much different than the 2009 team. And that Weis team not on the same level as last year's team (especially defense). But it was a super frustrating season, and one that could have gone much differently if not for some blunders.

 

Lost to Michigan by 4 on final play (or close to it).

 

Lost to USC by 7 on final play.

 

Lost to Navy by 2 (late TD cut deficit from 9. 3 TOs killed us. letdown here).

 

Lost to Pitt by 5 (had chance on final drive to win game though).

 

Lost to UConn by 2 in 2OT (enough said).

 

Lost to Stanford by 7. (defense gave up late TD. ND moved ball back to STAN24 before fizzling to end the game).

 

So ... had no business losing to Navy or UConn and then take back the Michigan game and they are razor close to 9-3.

 

And much of this mentality can be applied to last year's 12-1 squad. A very good team, and they won playing to their strengths. But more than a few nail biters that could send a season in either direction.

 

here's a scenario for last year:

 

we don't barely get past Purdue.

Michigan scores one touchdown.

Pitt makes a FG.

Stanford scores and wins in OT.

Theo doesn't break that long run against BYU

 

Quickly, could have been 8-4 or 7-5, with people spending the past 10 months on this board using far more angry emoticons.

 

And to MYFIGHTINGIRISH's point "Who is going to lay the wood on ND this year?"

I don't think we thought Michigan and USC and LSU would smack us around in Brady Quinn's senior season either.

[mtl_irish03]

I think the big difference is defense.

I can't see ND being out of many games this season, whereas I was always worried about getting lit up when Quinn was at nd.

[echo88]

...This is a BCS team for sure. And if we don't get a BCS bowl? We may not even find a bowl waiting for us...

 

Because we start top 10, unless we lay an egg against, what should be, an over matched Michigan team early, we'll hang around the top 15 all year.

 

And to your point Echo, that didn't stop us in 2006, when USC curb stomped us to end the year...

 

I just don't see the three losses on the schedule that would warrant 9-3... I'm not as high on Michigan and Oklahoma as other people though.(High turnover for both teams)

 

I see your point about USC, but that was 2006 and they were ranked #2 at the time we played them. The Trojans were the Tide back then.....and we only lost by 20.....Michigan had a larger margin of victory.....

[NDsection23]

But it was a super frustrating season, and one that could have gone much differently if not for some blunders.

 

Lost to Michigan by 4 on final play (or close to it).

 

Lost to USC by 7 on final play.

 

Lost to Navy by 2 (late TD cut deficit from 9. 3 TOs killed us. letdown here).

 

Lost to Pitt by 5 (had chance on final drive to win game though).

 

Lost to UConn by 2 in 2OT (enough said).

 

Lost to Stanford by 7. (defense gave up late TD. ND moved ball back to STAN24 before fizzling to end the game).

 

So ... had no business losing to Navy or UConn and then take back the Michigan game and they are razor close to 9-3.

 

And much of this mentality can be applied to last year's 12-1 squad. A very good team, and they won playing to their strengths. But more than a few nail biters that could send a season in either direction.

 

here's a scenario for last year:

 

we don't barely get past Purdue.

Michigan scores one touchdown.

Pitt makes a FG.

Stanford scores and wins in OT.

Theo doesn't break that long run against BYU

 

Some of it is luck and chance (eg, PITT missing that field goal), but not all of it. The difference in coaching and training under Weis and Kelly is dramatic. This team is just not as likely to lose on the final play of a game, or to fall off a cliff by the end of October because of insufficient conditioning.

[Donjuan]

Really glad this isn't a Nascar thread...

[MyFightingIrish]

But here's the deal. And we know this all too well. The difference between a championship team and a middle of the road team sometimes is very minimal.

 

Let's look at the 2009 domers.

*disclaimer: The 2012 team's mentality from a viewers perspective was much different than the 2009 team. And that Weis team not on the same level as last year's team (especially defense). But it was a super frustrating season, and one that could have gone much differently if not for some blunders.

 

Lost to Michigan by 4 on final play (or close to it).

 

Lost to USC by 7 on final play.

 

Lost to Navy by 2 (late TD cut deficit from 9. 3 TOs killed us. letdown here).

 

Lost to Pitt by 5 (had chance on final drive to win game though).

 

Lost to UConn by 2 in 2OT (enough said).

 

Lost to Stanford by 7. (defense gave up late TD. ND moved ball back to STAN24 before fizzling to end the game).

 

So ... had no business losing to Navy or UConn and then take back the Michigan game and they are razor close to 9-3.

 

And much of this mentality can be applied to last year's 12-1 squad. A very good team, and they won playing to their strengths. But more than a few nail biters that could send a season in either direction.

 

here's a scenario for last year:

 

we don't barely get past Purdue.

Michigan scores one touchdown.

Pitt makes a FG.

Stanford scores and wins in OT.

Theo doesn't break that long run against BYU

 

Quickly, could have been 8-4 or 7-5, with people spending the past 10 months on this board using far more angry emoticons.

 

And to MYFIGHTINGIRISH's point "Who is going to lay the wood on ND this year?"

I don't think we thought Michigan and USC and LSU would smack us around in Brady Quinn's senior season either.

 

The real difference is that we have a completely different coaching staff that has instilled a completely different attitude in this team. the 2012 Irish had more fight in them that the past 15 teams combined. Sure the ball bounced our way a couple of times, but that happens to good football teams. That fact of the matter is, we have a coach with a proven system that has succeeded everywhere he has been and its paying dividends in South Bend.

 

You argument is based on the same logic that ESPN spews every year when they downplay ND's athleticism and speed and point to our bowl record from 20 years ago.

 

The point is, the teams change every year, but the program remains consistent. BK's program has ND on the upswing. The evidence is in the competitiveness of each game. This team is bigger,faster and stronger than previous teams. My bet is they are BCS bound.

[REMND]

But here's the deal. And we know this all too well. The difference between a championship team and a middle of the road team sometimes is very minimal.

 

Let's look at the 2009 domers.

*disclaimer: The 2012 team's mentality from a viewers perspective was much different than the 2009 team. And that Weis team not on the same level as last year's team (especially defense). But it was a super frustrating season, and one that could have gone much differently if not for some blunders.

 

Lost to Michigan by 4 on final play (or close to it).

 

Lost to USC by 7 on final play.

 

Lost to Navy by 2 (late TD cut deficit from 9. 3 TOs killed us. letdown here).

 

Lost to Pitt by 5 (had chance on final drive to win game though).

 

Lost to UConn by 2 in 2OT (enough said).

 

Lost to Stanford by 7. (defense gave up late TD. ND moved ball back to STAN24 before fizzling to end the game).

 

So ... had no business losing to Navy or UConn and then take back the Michigan game and they are razor close to 9-3.

 

And much of this mentality can be applied to last year's 12-1 squad. A very good team, and they won playing to their strengths. But more than a few nail biters that could send a season in either direction.

 

here's a scenario for last year:

 

we don't barely get past Purdue.

Michigan scores one touchdown.

Pitt makes a FG.

Stanford scores and wins in OT.

Theo doesn't break that long run against BYU

 

Quickly, could have been 8-4 or 7-5, with people spending the past 10 months on this board using far more angry emoticons.

 

And to MYFIGHTINGIRISH's point "Who is going to lay the wood on ND this year?"

I don't think we thought Michigan and USC and LSU would smack us around in Brady Quinn's senior season either.

 

I agree with this and NDsection23's comment. BK seems to have instilled the expect to win mentality so we are a little more insulated from the 2009 letdowns. BK had already shown his ND teams were excellent in the second half of the season. Last year he got them believing from the get go. That suggests to me that he had the conditioning in place and last year the team and staff were on the same page in scheme issues.

 

16,000 people responded to the poll! I do not follow these ESPN polls. Is that a lot?

 

The bottom line is football fans out there need to see more than one break out season to think ND is closer to a perennial top ten team instead of an 8-5 team. Sounds fair to me and nice motivation for the players and staff.

[dsnack34]

I never take anything from ESPN serious anymore. Most of their base are SEC nuthuggers and/or ND haters.

IMO, I don't see ND losing to anyone this year but Stanford. scUM doesn't have DR to keep them in the game and their lines are weak. The biggest factor in that game is the fact that we are playing in their stadium. But then again, last year we played far better on the road than we did at home.

Purdue, MSU, and OU have not reloaded like we have this year. We will those games also.

USC lost Barkley and Woods and are very thin all over. We win this game also.

I think BYU/ASU could be tough but we still pull those games out.

The team is a different team under Kelly than previous coaches. The lines are being trenched and EG is in his second year. There is a lot of upside to this team, more than last year. The NT game taught BK last year and I think you see a way better team than last year.

Let the haters hate on ESPN and when we are in the NT next year, we can laugh to the bank. Let's just hope someone knocks off Bama...

[chirodomer]

They must've read that Eddie isn't coming to the Bend.

[Rocketsan]

Wish your presidential map was as cohesive

[piratey]

I see your point about USC, but that was 2006 and they were ranked #2 at the time we played them. The Trojans were the Tide back then.....and we only lost by 20.....Michigan had a larger margin of victory.....

 

I fully expect us to lose to a top 5 Stanford at Palo Alto to lose the season, in what might be the 2nd biggest game in CFB next year.(I don't know how good TAMU is GOING to be, but early season that Bama/TAMU game is going to be top bill for the year)

 

10-2, 13th ranked Michigan played in the Sugar Bowl in 2011 over 7th ranked Boise State, 8th ranked Kansas State and 12th ranked Baylor. Why? Because Michigan is a draw. Did the nation throw up it's arms? No.

 

As long as we don't get our doors blown off at any point, we'll find ourselves in a BCS bowl game.