Best Case Scenerio for Conf Champ Games

[raulduke_007]

Oregon beats PSU
ISU beats ASU
BSU beats UNLV
Texas beats Georgia
SMU beats Clemson

That would mean we host ISU and would play Boise in 2nd round. Let the SEC & B1G beat each other up and we should walk into the semi's good to go.

 

[chaseball]

Oregon beats PSU
ISU beats ASU
BSU beats UNLV
Texas beats Georgia
SMU beats Clemson

That would mean we host ISU and would play Boise in 2nd round. Let the SEC & B1G beat each other up and we should walk into the semi's good to go.

From a pure "get to the semis" standpoint I agree.

But there's another angle that i believe is equally important to all of this ESPECIALLY as it relates to ND: The branding/marketing of the football program.

Notre Dame has been playing nobodies all season (with few exceptions) going back multiple seasons even.

The only way ND improves their brand power/image (earns respect) is by taking on big brands/respected brands in the sport and beating them in primetime matchups in front of the rest of the country and leaving no doubt about NDs place in the hierarchy of college football.

e.g. bring on the best teams in the big10 and sec (there are only a few of them that would be favored this season anyway)

beat those teams in front of the college football world (and its recruits/prospects) and reearn their respect

You won't achieve any of that playing & beating ISU & Boise

 

[Golson5]

From a pure "get to the semis" standpoint I agree.

But there's another angle that i believe is equally important to all of this ESPECIALLY as it relates to ND: The branding/marketing of the football program.

Notre Dame has been playing nobodies all season (with few exceptions) going back multiple seasons even.

The only way ND improves their brand power/image (earns respect) is by taking on big brands/respected brands in the sport and beating them in primetime matchups in front of the rest of the country and leaving no doubt about NDs place in the hierarchy of college football.

e.g. bring on the best teams in the big10 and sec (there are only a few of them that would be favored this season anyway)

beat those teams in front of the college football world (and its recruits/prospects) and reearn their respect

You won't achieve any of that playing & beating ISU & Boise

Not according to F+

According to F+, which is the only thing that matters, Notre Dame played 5 teams in the top 45. Top 42 actually

Add the first and second round that will jump up to beating 7 teams in the F+ top 45

F+ thinks that is beating good teams so I agree with them always

 

[raulduke_007]

From a pure "get to the semis" standpoint I agree.

But there's another angle that i believe is equally important to all of this ESPECIALLY as it relates to ND: The branding/marketing of the football program.

Notre Dame has been playing nobodies all season (with few exceptions) going back multiple seasons even.

The only way ND improves their brand power/image (earns respect) is by taking on big brands/respected brands in the sport and beating them in primetime matchups in front of the rest of the country and leaving no doubt about NDs place in the hierarchy of college football.

e.g. bring on the best teams in the big10 and sec (there are only a few of them that would be favored this season anyway)

beat those teams in front of the college football world (and its recruits/prospects) and reearn their respect

You won't achieve any of that playing & beating ISU & Boise

ND doesnt have any of those problems. It doesnt matter what ND does there is a segment of the CFB world pundits & fans that hate ND & will downplay the "brand" no matter what ND does. Since the Kelly era ND has beaten Texas, LSU, S Car, A&M, Oklahoma, Miami, FSU, Michigan, Clemson, USC, and had close losses to multiple high ranked teams like OSU, Georgia. So this notion ND has to beat brand/big boy programs to silence the critics is not understanding what the problem is. Say we beat Bama the critics will say so what its post Saban Bama that is a 3 loss team that lost to Vandy & got destroyed by a bad Oklahoma team. They shouldnt have been there to begin with.

 

[chaseball]

Not according to F+

According to F+, which is the only thing that matters, Notre Dame played 5 teams in the top 45. Top 42 actually

Add the first and second round that will jump up to beating 7 teams in the F+ top 45

F+ thinks that is beating good teams so I agree with them always

I'm not talking about the schedule overall this season im talking about taking on heavyweight champions in their prime in single head to head matchups and defeating them live on national TV to earn the respect of the college football industry

There are still a lot of people out there that view ND as paper champions/Cinderella program/ a team that lucked its way into a ranking they dont deserve (yet again)

The only way you shed this reputation is by taking on the best every opportunity you have and defeating them live in front of everybody and leaving no doubt where you stand in the hierarchy of college football

 

[chaseball]

ND doesnt have any of those problems. It doesnt matter what ND does there is a segment of the CFB world pundits & fans that hate ND & will downplay the "brand" no matter what ND does. Since the Kelly era ND has beaten Texas, LSU, S Car, A&M, Oklahoma, Miami, FSU, Michigan, Clemson, USC, and had close losses to multiple high ranked teams like OSU, Georgia. So this notion ND has to beat brand/big boy programs to silence the critics is not understanding what the problem is. Say we beat Bama the critics will say so what its post Saban Bama that is a 3 loss team that lost to Vandy & got destroyed by a bad Oklahoma team. They shouldnt have been there to begin with.

They beat a down Texas, a down LSU, a gimped S Car in an exhibition bowl game, an OU team 12 years ago that lost 3 games that season, a Miami, Michigan, and Clemson team that weren't that good etc. etc.

You want to earn the respect of the college football world, you take on the current heavyweight champs (at their best) and defeat them. Not by needing last minute miracles, not when their star QB is injured, you take them on at their best and slay them in primetime matchups where everybody is watching and leave no doubt

 

[raulduke_007]

They beat a down Texas, a down LSU, a gimped S Car in an exhibition bowl game, an OU team 12 years ago that lost 3 games that season, a Miami, Michigan, and Clemson team that weren't that good etc. etc.

You want to earn the respect of the college football world, you take on the current heavyweight champs (at their best) and defeat them. Not by needing last minute miracles, not when their star QB is injured, you take them on at their best and slay them in primetime matchups where everybody is watching and leave no doubt

USC was top 10, undefeated & had the reigning heisman with the hottest coach in CFB but that beatdown doesnt count. Clemson was #2 (after Lawrence graduated) we beat them down but doesnt count.
A&M hadnt lost to a top 10 team at home in their last 5 tries we beat them nope doesnt count.
If we beat Bama they will say nope doesnt count.

 

[chaseball]

USC was top 10, undefeated & had the reigning heisman with the hottest coach in CFB but that beatdown doesnt count. Clemson was #2 (after Lawrence graduated) we beat them down but doesnt count.
A&M hadnt lost to a top 10 team at home in their last 5 tries we beat them nope doesnt count.
If we beat Bama they will say nope doesnt count.

There's more parity in the sport this season so there really isn't a heavyweight champ in their prime this year but convincing wins against: Texas, Oregon, OSU, Alabama, Georgia, Penn State (or some combination of these teams in the playoff) would be way more impactful to the brand/reputation of the football program than merely walking through the G5 champ, and some big12/ACC teams.

 

[Juniper_Run]

Oregon beats PSU
ISU beats ASU
BSU beats UNLV
Texas beats Georgia
SMU beats Clemson

That would mean we host ISU and would play Boise in 2nd round. Let the SEC & B1G beat each other up and we should walk into the semi's good to go.

Sounds like a reasonable argument for what would be our easiest path to the semis. I would quibble on ISU/ASU, though. Even though ASU is playing better ball right now, I think it's easy to underestimate the disadvantage that a warm-weather team will face in South Bend. Our guys will have the opportunity to practice every situation in the cold weather that is already present there. ASU and other southern teams can't do much more than put a football in a freezer before the QB throws it.

I've read that a normal betting spread gives 3 points to the home team. If it's a southern team playing in sub-freezing temperatures for the first time, I would expect that spread to give something more like 10 points.

 

[chaseball]

This is Bud Elliot's latest projection of how the playoff bracket could look:


I would be pretty satisfied with this:
Rd 1: Bama
Rd 2: Boise
Rd 3: Texas or Georgia
Rd 4: Oregon, OSU, PSU (natty)

 

[tbonesays]

Oregon beats PSU
ISU beats ASU
BSU beats UNLV
Texas beats Georgia
SMU beats Clemson

That would mean we host ISU and would play Boise in 2nd round. Let the SEC & B1G beat each other up and we should walk into the semi's good to go.

In this situation the Big12 champion is ISU and they don't get a bye. Fine but the Big12 champs would not be seeded so low that we play them as ND is most likely #5 in this scenario. They give the 12th seed to a talented team like Bama or Miami.