AP Poll

1 - Georgia
2 - Alabama
3 - Michigan
4 - Cincinnati
5 - Baylor
6 - Ohio State
7 - Oklahoma State
8 - Notre Dame
9 - Michigan State
10 - Oklahoma
11 - Ole Miss
12 - Utah
13 - Pittsburgh
14 - Clemson
15 - Wake Forest
16 - Louisiana
17 - Houston
18 - Kentucky
19 - BYU
20 - North Carolina State
21 - Arkansas
22 - Oregon
23 - Iowa
24 - Utah State
25 - San Diego State

Coaches Poll
1 - Georgia
2 - Alabama
3 - Michigan
4 - Cincinnati
5 - Ohio State
6 - Baylor
7 - Oklahoma State
8 - Michigan State
9 - Notre Dame
10 - Oklahoma
11 - Ole Miss
12 - Utah
13 - Pittsburgh
14 - Wake Forest
15 - Kentucky
16 - Clemson
17 - Houston
18 - Louisiana
19 - North Carolina State
20 - Arkansas
21 - Oregon
22 - BYU
23 - Iowa
24 - Utah State
25 - Texas A&M

Finishing #8 in what should be considered a rebuilding year is pretty f’ing good.  I’ll take it.

My friend just sent this to me and I have to agree. 
Not that rankings really matter, but there’s a perception that ND is favored by voters, while the opposite is actually true. They regularly get shit on. Case in point, when they’ve lost in the CFP, they’ve always dropped out of the Top 4. Cincy and Michigan get blown out and just sit there. ND loses by 2 in a thriller to a Top 10 team and has the biggest drop in the Top 20, four spots in the coach’s poll, behind MSU. ND beats MSU by double digits any day of the week. It’s bullshit. 

1 hour ago, coltssb said:

My friend just sent this to me and I have to agree. 
Not that rankings really matter, but there’s a perception that ND is favored by voters, while the opposite is actually true. They regularly get shit on. Case in point, when they’ve lost in the CFP, they’ve always dropped out of the Top 4. Cincy and Michigan get blown out and just sit there. ND loses by 2 in a thriller to a Top 10 team and has the biggest drop in the Top 20, four spots in the coach’s poll, behind MSU. ND beats MSU by double digits any day of the week. It’s bullshit. 

On the "overrated" bit, one of the ND writers tweeted that ND has finished ahead of its preseason ranking in 5 or 6 of the last 7 seasons. So we're actually overperforming our preseason ranking, which is a positive trend. 

We lost to the only two teams we played in the Top 25….  I’m surprised we’re even in the top ten…

Edited January 12, 20223 yr by irishwavend
Oops

I believe it's the first time since '92-'93 that ND has finished back-to-back years in the Top 10. Disappointing end of the season, but that's impressive.

Considering my expectation was 9-4 or 10-3 as a "good" season this year, I'll take a top 10 finish.

And after the top 1 or 2, does the rankings of teams 3-10 really matter in the grand scheme of things?

Other than the teams playing in the CFP, I'm not even sure what to make of final rankings any more.   In the non-CFP games, so many players sit out the games now, it's hard to know how to judge the winning team.  When Texas A&M played North Carolina in the Orange Bowl a year ago, they won 41-27.  However, North Carolina's top two running backs, wide receiver, and linebacker didn't play, opting to "prepare for the NFL".  Would the outcome have been different had all the best players on each team played?  Quite possibly.  Yet, that lopsided score propelled A&M's final ranking to be above ND, even though ND beat UNC by the same margin at full strength.  

I love that ND has finished #8 and #5 in back-to-back years.  That's pretty stout.  But, I've decided that it's really only the teams making the CFP that matter.  All their players play (as long as they're physically able).  It's a crap shoot for the other games and teams.  

Don't understand why people get so worked up over final rankings.  

21 minutes ago, drakan said:

Don't understand why people get so worked up over final rankings.  

Who is getting worked up?

1 hour ago, NYGoldenDomer said:

Who is getting worked up?

I don't think anyone here. But I did see ppl on Twitter (shocker) all butt hurt about it. 

I do, however think there is a lot credence to how you finish this year, in combination who returns, is how the rankings start out next year. The higher you are there, the easier path you have to the CFP.

But whether we finished #8 or #6 won't matter for next year. If we had finished unranked, then sure. 

4 hours ago, NYGoldenDomer said:

Who is getting worked up?

🤣

7 minutes ago, irishwavend said:

🤣

If ND can ever figure out how to beat top ranked teams......Now it's Freeman's turn, hopefully he can figure it out.