What if ND had an agreement with the Power 5 conferences to play the highest rated (per CFP) team not qualifying for a conference championship game. It would suck any time we go undefeated, but under the present scenario, a one loss ND is pretty much eliminated. Until the craziness last Saturday night in College Station, a highly ranked 1 loss ND would've been playing the pollsters darling LSU in what might have been a play-in game. Now it would be Michigan. It would definitely be the highest rated teams, #6 and #7?? Outside of Alabama/Georgia. As hard as it is to run the table, I for one would love to see us have a chance late in the year. Thoughts? Flames?
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Which is the same for every Power 5 team.
Let's take this year for example. Tell me the team you think ND could have lost to, that would put them in a debate with 12-1 Oklahoma r 12-1 Ohio State.
They would be sitting somewhere between 4 and 7 right now. Just like UGA, OU, and OSU.
Does it mean they'd get in? Probably not this year because the schedule wasn't of their historical caliber. Or style points would have mattered more. Perhaps Kelly runs some scores up and impresses the committee even more. It's hard to tell.
But those are the shakes when there are only 4 teams that get in. Good football teams are gonna be left out when they have a loss.
I think we have a shot.
I'm OK with the current arrangement. The conference championships are shit sandwiches for the coaches and players. I am glad we don't have one and am happy to give up an edge to avoid it.
Alabama, Georgia, OSU and OU all have to face another game in which injuries can happen, and weaknesses are exposed.
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And remember, ND was ranked 3 with 1 loss last year with Miami and Stanford still to play. They probably are a 2 seed if they win our, perhaps a 1 seed.
If USC, FSU, and VT average out to what they normally are, ND could have suffered a loss this year. Those 3 just happened to have historically bad years all at once.
Loss to the #1 team by one point on the second week of the season. (One week earlier would be the only way it could have been any "better".)
Ohio State has played like crap in numerous games and has a 29 point loss to unranked Purdue yet still has a decent shot.
Same schedule and same loss and Notre Dame would have s NO shot at all.
Hope UGA and OU lose.
Their is really no difference, except OSU could lose this weekend and be done no matter what.
way that Ohio State did. Ohio State is being given a big bump because Urban has Three NC's.
Their recent display against Purdue, Maryland and Nebraska would sink ND to level at least on a par with Michigan and UCF and without a conference championship type game to try and "atone" for their sins they would have virtually no shot (or the same shot that UCF has). Hell, Ohio State is being credited with having their defense "really come on" for only giving up 39 points to Michigan.
There are all sorts of things that have to fall into place for a one loss ND to get in. Loss has to be very early and to a top 5 team by a small margin PLUS last (or very near last) game of season has to be a convincing victory against a top team. Failing that, a one-loss ND has very little shot. Meanwhile, one-loss Alabama is in nearly every time and is racking up NC's with a loss and a weak SOS.
That's the reality of the current system. I'm not advocating for a 13th game. Just saying how it works for ND these days. 29-point loss to Purdue and they're virtually done every time without massive help.
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Rutgers and Maryland, it's the same bad MAC/AAC/Mountain West team at the end, but looks better on paper
now and then...Bama schedules at least 3 of them..Yes, most yrs Rutgers/Maryland should be a win, but they are still power 5 schools...MD should have upset, and lost by a whisker to OSU this year..
All the talk of a 13th game is nonsense.
There is not a single mention of whether ND should have (or should hereafter) play a 13th game. There is still a lot of odd logic, particularly with the callers, but that never comes up. It seems the 13th game is an issue only on this board.
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Win all your games.
Even so, I think there are scenarios in which a one-loss ND team gets in. With so many high caliber 0-loss and 1-loss teams this year, it would be difficult. If ND loses to a top five team early, and wins the rest of its games against a decent schedule, they'd have a chance.
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ND's schedule rating in Sagarin is 44th. It's Massey schedule rating is 22nd. What is SOR?
There are seasons (someone mentioned last year, I think), where we could have gotten in with one loss. I'm not saying we have an exactly even chance as some other teams with one loss, just that it's not impossible.
Your schedule. The lower the number, the better your SOR.