[grunt0300]

Who do you think will play Notre Dame, for the National Championship?

[GMJeff]

Still a few games, Notre Dame may not be there. Watching Oregon and Kansas State fall last week could be foreshadowing.

Besides, i don't believe that Notre Dame should even be in the running for a BCS title as they are a independent. Until they join a conference, they should not even be in the running. The NCAA needs to stand up to the golden domers and force them to.

But that is just my opinion, and yes, i know what opinions are like.

Note2 or Note10, that is the question

[grunt0300]

Still a few games, Notre Dame may not be there. Watching Oregon and Kansas State fall last week could be foreshadowing.

Besides, i don't believe that Notre Dame should even be in the running for a BCS title as they are a independent. Until they join a conference, they should not even be in the running. The NCAA needs to stand up to the golden domers and force them to.

But that is just my opinion, and yes, i know what opinions are like.

Note2 or Note10, that is the question

You are entitled to your opinion, for what it's worth. Being Independent should not disqualify any team from playing for the national title, regardless of who they are. Notre Dame will play for the title, and it will probably be against Alabama. GO IRISH!

[grunt0300]

Irish are number#1. Let's see who they play in Miami, on January 7th.

GO IRISH!!!

[GMJeff]

Yes it is my opinion, but if the NCAA wants to have a true playoff/championship system, the independent classification needs to be dissolved.

Every team in division one needs to be in a conference to allow for a bracketed playoff to determine a true national champion, not a team that the AP or coaches vote as number one, or even a complicated computer algorithm that no human can understand. I mean, how can a cpu determine the toughness of schedule based on stats.

Besides if it weren't for two goal line stands (as mentioned by ESPN during the broadcast tonight) Notre Dame would more than likely be on the outside looking in. That and if USC would learn how to tackle.

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[grunt0300]

Yes it is my opinion, but if the NCAA wants to have a true playoff/championship system, the independent classification needs to be dissolved.

Every team in division one needs to be in a conference to allow for a bracketed playoff to determine a true national champion, not a team that the AP or coaches vote as number one, or even a complicated computer algorithm that no human can understand. I mean, how can a cpu determine the toughness of schedule based on stats.

Besides if it weren't for two goal line stands (as mentioned by ESPN during the broadcast tonight) Notre Dame would more than likely be on the outside looking in. That and if USC would learn how to tackle.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Android Central Forums

Notre Dame's defense, is what got them to where they are now. Good coaching and execution of fundamentals, is the real story behind the success of the Irish. I don't care who they play in January, Notre Dame will win. They've "woke up the echoes, and shook down the thunder". GO IRISH!!!

[Floridadomer]

Besides if it weren't for two goal line stands (as mentioned by ESPN during the broadcast tonight) Notre Dame would more than likely be on the outside looking in. That and if USC would learn how to tackle.
That's like saying If Florida learned how to tackle or didn't self-implode that Florida would be in the SEC playoff. Notre Dame found a way to win 12 straight and deserves to be in the National Championship. To say otherwise is just plain Notre Dame Hatred.

Just read this article.



As Notre Dame is quickly discovering, when you're at the pinnacle of the gridiron world, haters gonna hate.
Despite vanquishing all that stood in their path, including impressive conquests against Oklahoma and Stanford, detractors of the Golden Domers are crying foul, asserting the Irish may not have been so lucky confronting a more arduous itinerary. By skeptics, of course, we're referring to those pigskin patrons below the Mason-Dixon Line. And their idea of a challenging enterprise? A schedule saturated by schools of the Southeastern Conference.

Though the hubris of the league's institutions can be unbearable at times, it's hard to dispute their dominance, as the SEC is home to the last six national champions. The foremost federation of amateur football will be looking to make it number seven, as the winner of this weekend's soiree between Alabama and Georgia receives a ticket to Miami to take on the Irish in the BCS Championship Game.

However, the aforementioned audacity of the conference's advocates has led to the proclamation that the rendezvous between the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs is the real national title game. After all, as the sentiment states, no matter who emerges triumphant from the battle, the victor will undoubtedly annihilate Brian Kelly's squad in South Beach, for Notre Dame could not withstand the rigors of the SEC slate.

Or could they? Thanks to the award-winning WhatIfSports.com college football simulation engine, we are able to put the debate to the test: how would Notre Dame fair against such a schedule? Using Alabama's 2012 matchups, we have "played out" the Blue and Gold's performance versus the SEC. The results are surely to make the South Bend faithful proud:

Please note: 2012 college football teams will be available in SimMatchup next week.

2012 Notre Dame Playing Alabama's SEC Schedule
Opponent Irish Win% Avg. Score
@ Arkansas 75.3 30-20
vs. Ole Miss 71.5 27-19
@ Missouri 77.9 26-17
@ Tennessee 85.0 29-16
vs. Mississippi State 70.3 26-19
@ LSU 52.0 21-20
vs. Texas A&M 55.1 25-23
vs. Auburn 85.2 28-14
There's nothing contentious concerning Notre Dame's W's over Auburn, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Missouri, Ole Miss or Arkansas, so let's cut to the provocative outcomes.

Delivering Alabama's only loss on the season, it's tough to argue against the Aggies as the hottest team in the land. Johnny Manziel has taken the nation by storm with his duo dexterity on the soil and through the sky, transforming his offense into such a juggernaut that many believe Texas A&M would be a nightmare of an opponent if a playoff system existed.

So how would Manti Te'o and the Irish resistance keep Manziel at bay? With all the fervor surrounding "Johnny Football," it's sometimes forgotten that Texas A&M does have two losses on the season, both versus formidable defensive foes Florida (third in the nation in points against) and LSU (11th in this category). Keeping these struggles against stout units in mind, it seems equitable that the Aggies would succumb to the Fighting Irish's second-ranked defense, as Te'o and company are suffocating opponents to 10.3 points per game. That includes the Sooners, a top-10 offensive attack that averages 41.7 points per contest but managed a meager 13 on the scoreboard when Notre Dame visited Norman.

As for the LSU Tigers? The Bayou Bengals certainly have the resume, knocking off South Carolina and Texas A&M, with their only defeats coming at the hands of respectable foes in Alabama and Florida. Alas, while the Tigers possess a tenacious defense, the offense has been stuck in neutral. Subtract the shellackings LSU handed to their meager non-conference opponents (North Texas, Idaho, Towson and Washington), and the Tigers average a pedestrian 22.5 points per game. It's this lack of opulence on the offensive side that translates to the Tigers coming up short.

Indisputably, SEC backers will point to the close calls seen by Touchdown Jesus as evidence against Notre Dame's simulated success, as nail-biters versus middling teams like BYU, Purdue and Pittsburgh do not seem to forecast such fruition. Unfortunately, the same case could be made for LSU (close contests with Auburn, Ole Miss and Arkansas) and Texas A&M (Louisiana Tech, Ole Miss). Moreover, take a gander at Georgia's schedule. Aside from an upset of Florida, would anyone claim the Bulldogs have traveled down a daunting road?

Don't worry, SEC supporters, you'll at least have a dog (or an elephant) in the fight. Much to your dismay, however, there's a leprechaun on the other side of that ring ready to prove its worth

[Synycalwon]

GO IRISH! Around the bowl and down the hole Roll Tide Roll...

[Synycalwon]

Well, it was quite obvious Notre Dame didn't belong in the BCS Championship game, nor did they deserve the number one ranking. IMO, this is an indictment of the BCS ranking system and all the more reason they should at least move to something like college basketball's post-season system or better yet a true playoff format like the NFL. That would level the playing field and give everyone a fair shake. No funky computer algorithms or biased coaches and sports media voting for their favorites. Just simple math based on your regular season record to get a playoff berth. Then it's win or you're out. That would crown a true champion. As it stands now, each year’s winner is not really a true champion as many other deserving teams never got a shot. It's too bad they probably won't ever go to a true playoff system because right now it's all about money. College football has become big business where coaches make a ton of money, yet the players don't get paid. It really is becoming disgusting and I'm seriously debating whether I'll follow college football anymore. That and all the bowl games are boring as hell anyway!

/my two cents and rant...