Playoff hopes are still alive for the Irish !
- Thread starter BodiTheGreat
- Start date
We hardly control our own destiny. Cincinnati has a smooth path, and the Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC have scenarios that appear most likely to block us. Even if some things bizarrely open up, Oregon is currently in a better position.
I don’t really understand the rankings right now. I get OSU, lost to Oregon who was up there. I get PSU as Iowa was highly ranked when they lost. I don’t get Iowa staying ahead of ND who lost to a #2. I don’t really get Bama being so high as AM I think was unranked. Most of it will shake out like it always does.
No disagreeing, but it's not completely out ot the realm of possibility. But in sure a ny6 bowl would love to have us also because when it comes down to it it's about the $$$$$
It would just take a wild concatenation of events, the sum total being extremely remote
Sadly, NY6 bowl games have altogether lost their luster. There no chance to procure an NC and the competition is watered down with many top players sitting out.
Every game we win ups the percentages a little. Every game we win in a blowout fashion ups it even more. But if this team keeps winning like it has been we can kiss the playoffs goodbye.
The big goal is to finish strong in recruiting with a top 5 class and do that for the next couple of years. Then we can see what Kelly can do with top talent.
One game at a time. Lets see how we look after the USC game.
This dude you're carrying on with is one of the worst trolls on this board. I'm not sure he's even a real ND fan.
But you're pretty much a very serious BK hater as well, even though you are not a 'toxic' fan in the slightest, so don't be offended. But here you are again, diminishing ND's chances, and I honestly wonder if fans such as yourself would be singing a different tune if it were some other coach you approved of. But as long as its BK the glass will always be distinctly half empty....
So ND could easily make the playoff, and the only real hurdle is going undefeated for the rest of the way, which of course is very much in doubt, and is no way guaranteed or even highly likely. More likely we end up losing again this season maybe more than once! And then of course we are well and truly out of any playoff possibility.
But if we do end up 11-1, we will if only by default very much be in serious playoff contention I would surmise, and there won't be too many other 11-1 or undefeated teams to have to match resumes with. So as good ND fans who want to make the playoffs as often as we can, why don't we happily glom onto that scenario, which is simple and straightforward and in which case we at least control our own destiny, rather than already pre-write ourselves off as effectively having no chance at all?
I hope
Alabama beats Georgia in the SEC championship game and gets in as a 2 or 3 seed and we get in as a 4 seed so we don't have to play them first and we can get our first playoff win.
All we have to do is go undefeated the rest of the way and then hope for the best. Our path is very clear. This is not rocket science. Yes, there's a bunch of different scenarios that you could tediously work out and try to put some sort of odds on it. Bottom line if you're ND just go 11-1 and see where you're at when the season's over.
We'll either be at or very near the top four if we can pull that off....
I have faith that the Irish coaching staff can get the problems on this team ironed out--less sacks, Coan and Buchner making better decisions, and we can blow out all the teams ahead of us. We saw some good improvement on the Oline last week. But I stand by my opinion that the Irish need to win big in the games ahead of us like we did against Wisky. The reason I believe that is that there will be other 11 and 1 teams at the end of the reg season and margin of victory will be important since we don't exactly face murderors row.
I am hoping Virginia pops into the top 20 when we play them. They are 5 and 2 now and just beak Duke 48 to 0 so maybe thay can.
And I hope Purdue keeps rising in the polls and Wisky finishes strong.
*** It is fun as a fan to discuss playoff chances and the many different scenarios.
So you still succumb to your delusions that I'm a Kelly hater after all these years? Forget what your reasoning was for that, but bandying about a word like "hater" seems more like a tactic than a sincere belief. It seems like you're trying to provoke an overreaction
The chances of ND making the playoffs are remote, and would be so even if the Irish impressively run the table. The pathways for teams ahead of us are clear-cut and very plausibly attainable. Even your beloved Oregon, currently also on the outside looking in, has a better shot at the playoffs than ND.
Yup, I do, I still succumb to them. But I will admit that since I now only post on this board I've developed a bit of a complex about it, given how toxic this place is and how no bones are made about how much loathing is harbored and indeed relished for BK around here.... and among large swathes of vocal ND fans in general. All of it essentially baseless and absurd, and getting more so with every good to great season we rack up. Believe me, you don't want to hear me go on an expansive screed about the poisonous and vicious pscyhe of toxic hater ND fans. So consider yourself an exception to the rule. But the rule still very much stands, regardless of any appropriate or not reading of our playoff prospects...
Anyway, I think what you're getting at is if the season ended today, that ND wouldn't cut it, even with our 5-1 record. But every week that changes, and I'm sorry but I'm not sympathizing with any notion that we are somehow so shitty and so bad, that in any head to head matchup of resumes with possible contenders that we would automatically, demonstrably lose. Which is basically the reigning narrative of the moment coming from ND fans. That we suck, indubitably, and we're screwed and we have no shot. NICE!!! That's the spirit!
And I pull for Oregon St. That's the local team that's supported in this household. But I don't mind seeing the Ducks do well either, though I was definitely hoping they would lose to Cal...
Again, I'm curious as to why you succumb to that delusion. What do you remember me saying about Kelly that was so harsh or unfair? Conversely, are there any instances in Kelly's game-planning, key strategic decisions, loyalty to assistants, presser comments, or other comportment that you might find warrant criticism?
I'm surprised you find this board to be so toxic. Didn't you leave the Somogyi Board because of rough and tumble feuds with certain posters?
Again, I think Notre Dame faces a daunting playoff challenge independently of how they take care of business, and their hopes are not affected by whether the coach is Kelly or a composite of Belichick, Rockne, Lombardi, and Einstein. My crystal ball has Cincinnati going undefeated; Oklahoma or Oklahoma State going 12-1; Ohio State going 12-1 (possibly Michigan replacing them); and Bama or Georgia going 12-1 (perhaps Georgia also gets chosen if Bama beats them). Hey, I'm game for things imploding and ND getting in. I'd also love to see 40 year old Roger Federer rattle off 5 more Grand Slam titles.
Even at 11-1, the schedule is so weak I believe there could be several 2 loss teams ahead of Notre Dame.
Maybe Virginia can get ranked, but doubtful, leaving the remaining schedule filled with tomato cans.
A great opportunity to extend the streak vs unranked teams! Will Notre Dame build a statue for that?
You may be right but your not. The committee loves the Irish and gives them much love. In 2018 they had an easy schedule and got in over some 1 loss teams that played tougher schedules. Last year we got blown out in our last game and still got in. We go 11 and 1 and the committee will see that we get in.
I hope you are right. The big difference, even with the easy schedule in 2018, was no losses in 18. Cincinnati definitely can't lose this year, and hope for absolute chaos from the other teams in the top 10.
You're cooking the books in your presentation. In 2018, Notre Dame was 1 of 3 undefeated teams, which all got in along with 1-loss Oklahoma. The one 1-loss team that got left out was Ohio State, but they could hardly complain with the blemish of a 49-20 blowout at the hands of lowly (6-7) Purdue. In 2020, the Irish were chosen over 1-loss Texas A & M, who got destroyed 52-24. Notre Dame did get blown out by Clemson, but they also had beaten Clemson earlier. In short, there was no special love for Notre Dame; they earned their playoff berths fair and square.
Last edited:
I have to admit you are right about the Irish deserved it.. But I still think the Irish get looked at well by the committee. And a conference tie in game is not needed.
I'll just say I hope you're right. I'll be watching the Stanford game in a bar in Denver Thanksgiving weekend. Last time I did a thing like that was during that 2015 heartbreaker, where I watched the game at B.D. Riley's in Austin, Texas, and had to walk my drunk son back to the hotel afterwards. I was so proud of myself for being a responsible father, I forgot that I left my wallet at the bar. Thankfully, everything turned out OK, at least off the field.
Go Irish. new lyrics to the song "Whether they earn it or not, they will land a playoff spot!!!!"
I remember that the replay booth was reviewing Kizers TD run with 30 seconds left on the clock and having an uneasy feeling that I hoped the booth denied Kizers TD because I thought there was too much time left on the clock. If it was denied it would have been second and a half a yard with the clock running.
They probably would have won if the Irish scored on the next play leaving like only 15 seconds. I had lost my faith in BVG.
I'm with ya, and I'll be at the UNC game. I'd love to be wrong!
Bodi…you and Silent are dredging up some terrible memories that Ski and I have worked hard in therapy to forget.
Good! Thank you! Is that so hard?? So many fans counting the ways in which we are screwed and have no chance at the playoffs, even though as you say 11-1 is an absolute possibility, and as good as we've been the last few seasons we've earned the benefit of that doubt....
So I'm with you, we go 11-1 and we're in the running for this thing. So as fans, if we're going to put our mojo into something, let's put it into that....
Many football talking heads are saying this season is like the 2007 season when there were a record number of upsets. LSU got to and won the BCS championship game with two losses. Of course they had a much tougher schedule but still interesting.
Ara was upset with me a couple of Months ago for bringing up the USC game from 1974. Up 24 to 0. Lost 55 to 24. The Anthony Davis endzone wiggle game.
While I like your enthusiasm, an 11-1 ND is not getting in ahead of (potentially)
a 12-1 Georgia
a 12-1 Alabama (assuming Bama beats GA in the SEC CCG)
a 12-1 Ohio State
a 13-0 Oklahoma (assuming they get past OK State)
Now, you have outliers -- OK State could end up 13-0 (assuming they beat OK and win the BIG 12), Oregon could end up 12-1, Iowa could shock the world and end up 12-1 by beating OSU in the BIG CCG (or, someone from the OSU, UM, MSU, PSU knockout rounds). In any of these situations, ND is not getting in ahead of them.
Now -- could there be multiple 2 loss teams -- absolutely, from there, the door is wide open.
Now, in this wacky thing of a year in the NCAA, anything is possible. But, ND's best option would be a NY6 bowl game and win that one (and get rid of the stigma of losing top end bowl games).
You know who we will probably play in the NY6 bowl ? I think Alabama wins out but they will lose to Georgia in the SEC championship (Georgia is far better). They will then get the NY6 bowl and of course everything will be done to get ND to play Alabama in that bowl. We are going to have to beat a tough team whether it is in the playoffs or NY6.
But I would be excited to play Alabama in NY6--- Vengeance !! And it would be a GREAT win because Saban would have them ready--and if anyone sits out the game he has a fresh hungry 5 star player to take their place.
I wouldn’t mind playing bama cuz the cache if we do beat them would be immense. A&M beat them & Florida should have. I don’t see a big difference in either of those two teams & ND. I certainly wouldn’t bet on ND because after 6 games, I still can’t tell if we’re closer to a top 10 team or a middling barely ranked team, but either way, I’d rather play bama than ariz st or something like that. No offense to asu.
"You know who we will probably play in the NY6 bowl ? I think Alabama wins out but they will lose to Georgia in the SEC championship (Georgia is far better)." They will then get the NY6 bowl and of course everything will be done to get ND to play Alabama in that bowl.
Nope -- most (from what I have read -- and yes, this can and will change weekly) -- everything plays out a certain way --
Playstation Fiesta Bowl
Saturday, January 1ESPN, 1:00 pm
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Bowl Tie-Ins: At-Large vs. At-Large
Bowl Projection: Michigan vs Notre Dame
Welcome to the College Football Playoff committee’s dream New Year’s Six matchup. If the top Group of Five champion isn’t in the CFP it’ll be here, but the call is Notre Dame finds its way here at 11-1 – or 10-2 at worst – and Michigan slips in past Penn State and Michigan State.
Bama will go to the Sugar Bowl -- and to echo Golson's comments -- ND is not beating Bama this year.
That's probably what will happen. We'll go 11-1, we won't make the playoff, presumably on account of even though we went 11-1 which by pretty much any standard is a great season, and certainly would be enough to at least qualify for a spot this season, but it's true it was a struggle for us and we're hardly a well-oiled machine....
And all the haters will be proven correct, and then we'll still get our ass stomped by Alabama, this time in a bowl game. That would be fitting, I suppose. My only bitch currently is that Oklahoma and Ok St. should both have one loss by now! Thanks for nothing, seven win Sark......
Michigan sucks again this year. They only blow out terrible teams and barely beat average to below average teams. They are going to have at least three losses probably more. Like Iowa they do not have a good offense but their defense is not as good as Iowa.
Ohio State is going to kill them. Michigan State is going to beat them. And Penn State is going to beat them. I also think they may lose to NorthWestern and Indiana. Harbaugh will probably be fired at the end of the year.
And I didn't say we would beat Bama. I said a win against them would be great because there would be no excuses for them if players sat out because they would replace them with another 5 star player.
We have a shot at the playoffs. That is all.
#14 undefeated Coastal Carolina lost last night. Small victories.
Iowa State favored to beat OK State.
We just need to take care of business every week and the small victories and a few big victories (like Oklahoma dropping a game) will add up.
A one loss Notre Dame team with a history of being blown out in the playoff and that lost a HOME game to Cincinnati is not getting into the playoff. Keep dreaming and keep pushing out the propaganda Kelly tells you to. You're doing great in that department. You should get a raise. Maybe you can help the offensive line coach Quinn too by spewing bullshit about what a great job he's doing.
Agree with the plan. Executing the plan begins vs SC. No slip ups or we don’t get in
