Isnt this just beautiful?

[vatz22au 142]

I love how Notre Dame could lose not one, but two games and still be ranked #9. Unbelievable. Yes, it was a close game against a top ranked opponent, but doesnt the SEC have that on a daily basis? Our teams jump from anywhere in the top ten to the top thirty!

With this logic, we mine as well put Ole Miss at #10...they did in fact almost beat #5 Alabama

One stat to remember (dont know the actual valid info on this, just something I heard on gameday last night on espn) but Notre Dame hasnt beaten ANYBODY with a winning record this season.

I love the system in place for college football.....I think it portrays America perfectly

[Logan 0]

I can understand them still being in the top ten over what was a hell of a fight they put against USC. But if they have 2 losses, then no, not the top 10...no no no.

[vatz22au 142]

I can understand them still being in the top ten over what was a hell of a fight they put against USC. But if they have 2 losses, then no, not the top 10...no no no.

189489[/snapback]

I agree...but in all honesty, USC would lose to Virginia Tech and Texas. I might be the only one who thinks so, but I think the media hypes up USC more than what they really are.

USC is a very very good team, no doubt about that, but there are teams out there who I think could beat them by ten points.

Still, back to the point. This just goes to show that Notre Dame could lose 3 games this year, and make it to the BCS. I think thats just pathetic. Notre Dame either needs to join a conference or keep quiet

[lukeduke 8]

Unfortunately, there are media darlings and everyone else. If USC would have lost, they would be 3 or 4 at worst.

[Raven_tiger 5]

We have yet to beat a team with a winning record, unless you want to the count I-AA Wester Kentucky(5-1) victory. Our opponents combined record is 17-19. BTE, ND beat Michigan who is 4-3 (winning record)

ND does not play a I-AA team this year. Go figure...

ND was 4 seconds away from beating the #1 team and defending National Champs riding a 27 game win streak. It took a miracle 4th down 61 yard pass play, that was well defended to pull the game out. SC is arguably one of the greatest college teams of our era, over the last 2-3 years. That's looking at it from purely a objective point of view. Give credit where credit is due. The loss to MSU was also a 3 pt lose, in OT, in the 3rd game of Weis' ND career. 2 loses by a combined 6 pts. Not too shabby for a team that finished 6-6 last year and is lacking talent across the board.

There can be no more doubting the Irish

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Say what you want about Leprechauns, green jerseys, Touchdown Jesus and three-inch-high blades of grass, the reality of Saturday's showdown in South Bend was no fluke. Notre Dame, which came within seven seconds of knocking off "the greatest offensive team in college football history," is legit. Do not write this off as anything other than that.

Notre Dame went toe-to-toe with USC. The Irish didn't do this with gimmickry and they didn't get the benefit of quirky bounces or a bunch of unforced mistakes or any of the things many suspected it would take for the Irish to stage some sort of miracle upset.

The pass defense, ranked 114th, which was supposed to be so brutal, thumped Matt Leinart and forced the star QB into two interceptions, which nearly doubled the total he had coming into the game.

The Irish attacked and capitalized on some of the Trojans' flaws -- suspect cornerback play and a soft middle. That's what good teams do. The Irish also took every haymaker the Trojans unloaded, yet they never buckled.

Still, Notre Dame wasn't in any mood to talk about how the gutty upstart Irish, a team some experts thought might start out 0-6, may have won something despite not winning. This was, after all, the same Notre Dame team that the Trojans had throttled by 31 points in each of their last three meetings. But, by now, we've realized it's really not. To borrow a line from Charlie Weis' mentor Bill Parcells, you are what you are, and ND is indeed very good. It's time for anyone who thinks the Irish have just been reaping the rewards of Weis' genius playcalling to re-evaluate. This team is loaded with solid football players from quarterback Brady Quinn to tight end Anthony Fasano to linebacker Brandon Hoyte.

Better still, they have proven each week that they may be the most unpredictable offense in college football. And now against the ultimate benchmark, the Irish showed they belong in the discussion when the subject of elite teams comes up. Weis, though, wasn't buying into any "almost" victories. You know he didn't leave the NFL to lead his alma mater to the Mediocre Bowl.

"If you're waiting for me to say it was a good loss, you won't hear that here," Weis said. "Losing is losing; there are no moral victories. What I did tell them was not to hang their heads. That was a slugfest, a street fight. That was a good football game."

Weis got the last part of that wrong. It was a great football game, just another classic chapter in a storied rivalry. Once again, we saw more evidence of USC's mental toughness as well as superb physical conditioning. (The Trojan defense was on the field for 87 plays, 23 more than Notre Dame, which held more than a 17-minute edge in time of possession.) Leinart provided more proof why he might be one of the most clutch QBs the college game has ever seen. (Exhibit J: The perfect pass he floats to Dwayne Jarrett on fourth-and-9.) But this was more a reintroduction of a glorious program. Don't expect them to be a double-digit underdog to anyone again for a very long time.

Asked what the Irish proved, Irish running back Travis Thomas said without hesitation that they proved they are "one of the best teams in the country."

The message Weis hammered home in the locker room after the game as many of his players fought back tears was that there was no shame in losing like that and to let go of this one quickly because they still have a long season in front of them.

"Today we showed that this team fights," said sophomore tailback Darius Walker. "We're fighters, and no matter what happens, we're gonna keep our composure.

"But we don't wanna feel like this any more, and hopefully it'll encourage us to work harder," he said.

Trojans coach Pete Carroll, after surviving the Irish, knows that's a scary proposition.

"They're going to be a real problem for everybody," he said with a hint of relief.

As he was about to leave the podium, a question came from the crowd asking if Carroll thought the days of blowing the Irish out by 31 might be gone.

"Yeah, Carroll laughed. "That might be a thing of the past."

Bruce Feldman is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. He can be reached at bruce.feldman@espn.com.

[LegalEagle 22]

RT, you may have missed the point.

Assume AU played the exact schedule as ND.

Assume AU had the exact scores and record ND had before the USC game.

Would AU be ranked 9th?

Further assume that AU played USC with the exact same plays, effort and result as ND.

Would AU be ranked 9th?

If you believe the answer to both questions is "yes," I'll have a drink of whatever you are drinking.

The point is you have a certain short list of "fair-haired" teams in the NCAA. They are given preference over all others.

Other examples:

If AU had the exact record as UA and played the exact schedule would we be ranked the same as UA?

If UA had the same schedule and results as we did last year (except they beat us, of course) would they have played USC or VT?

[PChamp119 96]

Yes.... if Auburn was 6-0, Auburn would be ranked in the top 5 right now, do doubt. Alabama got up there slowly week after week with teams infront of them losing. Auburn would easily be ranked #5 right now.

But why don't we just worry about Auburn this weekend. If our boys beat LSU, we'll be top 10 and that's all that matters.

[Raven_tiger 5]

RT, you may have missed the point.

Assume AU played the exact schedule as ND. 

Assume AU had the exact scores and record ND had before the USC game.

Would AU be ranked 9th?

Further assume that AU played USC with the exact same plays, effort and result as ND.

Would AU be ranked 9th?

If you believe the answer to both questions is "yes,"  I'll have a drink of whatever you are drinking.

The point is you have a certain short list of "fair-haired" teams in the NCAA.  They are given preference over all others.

Other examples: 

If AU had the exact record as UA and played the exact schedule would we be ranked the same as UA?

If UA had the same schedule and results as we did last year (except they beat us, of course) would they have played USC or VT?

189628[/snapback]

I don't like to assume. Remember the old saying:

When you assume, you make an out of me and "u".

Or, if my aunt had male reproductive organs, she would be my uncle...

If we were undefeated and/or had a more difficult schedule we would be ranked in the top 5. IMHO.

[AUHansel 0]

the thing that kills me is that USC is still number 1. I don't understand that. They've played pretty crappy the past couple of weeks and had some close calls but don't even lose any votes. They are not the best team in america right now and should not be number 1. Va Tech and Texas have played better than they have. I know they haven't faced the same competition, but USC does not deserve this ranking.

[big dude 0]

That doeesn't really matter. You don't take the Number One ranking away from ANYONE if they don't lose, IMO. Because the amount of points you win by doesn't matter, right? Riiiiiiiiight....

I'll agree that Va. Tech and Texas are slaughtering everything in their path right now, but that doesn't mean you'd place them above a team that has consistently won all of their games also. THAT'S the only reason for pre-season rankings in my mind. If you have that number one spot, you play NOT to lose it.

[tgr4lfe 220]

I can understand them still being in the top ten over what was a hell of a fight they put against USC. But if they have 2 losses, then no, not the top 10...no no no.

189489[/snapback]

I agree...but in all honesty, USC would lose to Virginia Tech and Texas. I might be the only one who thinks so, but I think the media hypes up USC more than what they really are.

USC is a very very good team, no doubt about that, but there are teams out there who I think could beat them by ten points.

Still, back to the point. This just goes to show that Notre Dame could lose 3 games this year, and make it to the BCS. I think thats just pathetic. Notre Dame either needs to join a conference or keep quiet

189531[/snapback]

I agree with you vatz, USC if they don't get beat by UCLA or Cal, will get beat by Texas or Va Tech, which ever wins out. My guess is Texas. I don't see them getting beat. Any body with a really good D and balanced O will beat USC. Notre Dame had the balanced good O to hang in with them and just good enough D to keep it close, BUT not enough. A top notch D cna slow USC enough. A relaly good balanced O can scorch the USC D whcih is not good!!!

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

Ah I love these discussions and they will go on ad naseum until..........

we finally get a playoff system for the NC.

[AUesquire 1]

I'm a huge Duke basketball fan. What does that have to do with this thread?

Okay, nothing...so I'll just move on.

I bring that up because I was debating with a buddy over great college basketball teams and I put 93' Duke REPEAT National Champions as one of the best. One of the criteria I was using had as much to do with the "Repeat" aspect of it as anything else. Every night on the floor, bar none, Duke got the other team's best shot. USC gets that every Saturday. Think about the build up to the ND game. The announcers were calling it the greatest football atmosphere ever. They had to move the ND pep rally to the stadium to accomodate all the people.

I think USC has to face something Texas, VT and many others don't. Every game they play, is the other team's national championship. Make no mistake, this team is loaded beyond belief with talent. They seem to have the ability to turn it on whenever they want. They've made a believer out of me and until someone knocks them off, USC is #1.

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

I agree. Dang you present a good case

[SKCAUB 0]

We have yet to beat a team with a winning record, unless you want to the count I-AA Wester Kentucky(5-1) victory. Our opponents combined record is 17-19. BTE, ND beat Michigan who is 4-3 (winning record)

ND does not play a I-AA team this year. Go figure...

ND was 4 seconds away from beating the #1 team and defending National Champs riding a 27 game win streak. It took a miracle 4th down 61 yard pass play, that was well  defended to pull the game out. SC is arguably one of the greatest college teams of our era, over the last 2-3 years. That's looking at it from purely a objective point of view. Give credit where credit is due. The loss to MSU was also a 3 pt lose, in OT, in the 3rd game of Weis' ND career. 2 loses by a combined 6 pts. Not too shabby for a team that finished 6-6 last year and is lacking talent across the board.

There can be no more doubting the Irish

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Say what you want about Leprechauns, green jerseys, Touchdown Jesus and three-inch-high blades of grass, the reality of Saturday's showdown in South Bend was no fluke. Notre Dame, which came within seven seconds of knocking off "the greatest offensive team in college football history," is legit. Do not write this off as anything other than that.

Notre Dame went toe-to-toe with USC. The Irish didn't do this with gimmickry and they didn't get the benefit of quirky bounces or a bunch of unforced mistakes or any of the things many suspected it would take for the Irish to stage some sort of miracle upset.

The pass defense, ranked 114th, which was supposed to be so brutal, thumped Matt Leinart and forced the star QB into two interceptions, which nearly doubled the total he had coming into the game.

The Irish attacked and capitalized on some of the Trojans' flaws -- suspect cornerback play and a soft middle. That's what good teams do. The Irish also took every haymaker the Trojans unloaded, yet they never buckled.

Still, Notre Dame wasn't in any mood to talk about how the gutty upstart Irish, a team some experts thought might start out 0-6, may have won something despite not winning. This was, after all, the same Notre Dame team that the Trojans had throttled by 31 points in each of their last three meetings. But, by now, we've realized it's really not. To borrow a line from Charlie Weis' mentor Bill Parcells, you are what you are, and ND is indeed very good. It's time for anyone who thinks the Irish have just been reaping the rewards of Weis' genius playcalling to re-evaluate. This team is loaded with solid football players from quarterback Brady Quinn to tight end Anthony Fasano to linebacker Brandon Hoyte.

Better still, they have proven each week that they may be the most unpredictable offense in college football. And now against the ultimate benchmark, the Irish showed they belong in the discussion when the subject of elite teams comes up. Weis, though, wasn't buying into any "almost" victories. You know he didn't leave the NFL to lead his alma mater to the Mediocre Bowl.

"If you're waiting for me to say it was a good loss, you won't hear that here," Weis said. "Losing is losing; there are no moral victories. What I did tell them was not to hang their heads. That was a slugfest, a street fight. That was a good football game."

Weis got the last part of that wrong. It was a great football game, just another classic chapter in a storied rivalry. Once again, we saw more evidence of USC's mental toughness as well as superb physical conditioning. (The Trojan defense was on the field for 87 plays, 23 more than Notre Dame, which held more than a 17-minute edge in time of possession.) Leinart provided more proof why he might be one of the most clutch QBs the college game has ever seen. (Exhibit J: The perfect pass he floats to Dwayne Jarrett on fourth-and-9.) But this was more a reintroduction of a glorious program. Don't expect them to be a double-digit underdog to anyone again for a very long time.

Asked what the Irish proved, Irish running back Travis Thomas said without hesitation that they proved they are "one of the best teams in the country."

The message Weis hammered home in the locker room after the game as many of his players fought back tears was that there was no shame in losing like that and to let go of this one quickly because they still have a long season in front of them.

"Today we showed that this team fights," said sophomore tailback Darius Walker. "We're fighters, and no matter what happens, we're gonna keep our composure.

"But we don't wanna feel like this any more, and hopefully it'll encourage us to work harder," he said.

Trojans coach Pete Carroll, after surviving the Irish, knows that's a scary proposition.

"They're going to be a real problem for everybody," he said with a hint of relief.

As he was about to leave the podium, a question came from the crowd asking if Carroll thought the days of blowing the Irish out by 31 might be gone.

"Yeah, Carroll laughed. "That might be a thing of the past."

Bruce Feldman is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. He can be reached at bruce.feldman@espn.com.

189576[/snapback]

BUT THEY LOST!!!!!!! I don't care if it's by 1 or 101...they lost...they have 2 losses...and they shouldn't be in the top 15!!!!!!!! Oh....and I HATE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!

[Raven_tiger 5]

I'm a huge Duke basketball fan.  What does that have to do with this thread? 

Okay, nothing...so I'll just move on.

I bring that up because I was debating with a buddy over great college basketball teams and I put 93' Duke REPEAT National Champions as one of the best.  One of the criteria I was using had as much to do with the "Repeat" aspect of it as anything else.  Every night on the floor, bar none, Duke got the other team's best shot.  USC gets that every Saturday.  Think about the build up to the ND game.  The announcers were calling it the greatest football atmosphere ever.  They had to move the ND pep rally to the stadium to accomodate all the people.

I think USC has to face something Texas, VT and many others don't.  Every game they play, is the other team's national championship.  Make no mistake, this team is loaded beyond belief with talent.  They seem to have the ability to turn it on whenever they want.  They've made a believer out of me and until someone knocks them off, USC is #1.

189759[/snapback]

BINGO! Good post.