Kirby Smart Talks Win Over Notre Dame...

Here's How Notre Dame Ends Up In CFP!

Okay, with the loss to Georgia -- we drop to #10 in the polls -- meaning we have the next eleven weeks to move up six more spots.  Here's how we do it.

Week #1 -- BEAT #18 Virginia

• There's only two games this week -- with ranked teams taking on each other.  Beat Virginia and ND probably remains #10

Week #2 -- BEAT Bowling Green

• Auburn and Florida play this week -- Florida loses, drops below Notre Dame.
• Win big over Bowling Green and Notre Dame moves to #9

Week #3 -- BEAT #21 USC

• Alabama travels to Texas A&M -- don't expect the Tide to lose this
• Texas travels to Oklahoma -- Longhorns beat Oklahoma
• Notre Dame beats USC handily -- and move up to #8

Week #4 -- SIT BACK and WATCH

• No teams ahead of Notre Dame play a ranked opponent this week.
• Notre Dame remains #8 in the polls

Week #5 -- BEAT #20 Michigan

• Auburn travels to LSU -- Auburn loses to LSU, drops below Notre Dame in the polls
• Notre Dame beats Michigan -- and moves up to #7 in the polls

Week #6 -- BEAT Virginia Tech

• Georgia travels to Florida -- Georgia handles the Gators
• Notre Dame beats VT -- and remains #7 in the polls

Week #7 -- BEAT Duke -- KEY WEEKEND FOR NOTRE DAME

• LSU travels to Alabama -- Bama wins handily, LSU drops below Notre Dame in the polls
• Iowa travels to Wisconsin -- Badgers lose to Hawkeyes, Wisconsin drops below Notre Dame in the polls
• Notre Dame beats Duke -- moves up to #5 in the polls

Week #8 -- BEAT Navy

• Georgia travels to Auburn -- Georgia wins handily
•  Notre Dame beats Navy -- remains #5 in the polls

Week #9 -- BEAT Boston College

• Penn State travels to Ohio State -- Ohio State rolls the Nittany Lions
• Notre Dame rolls over BC -- remains #5 in the polls

Week #10 -- BEAT Stanford -- KEY WEEKEND FOR NOTRE DAME

• Alabama travels to Auburn -- Bama wins
• Ohio State travels to Ann Arbor -- Harbaugh saves job, beats Buckeyes -- who drop behind Notre Dame in the polls
• Notre Dame destroys Stanford -- moves up to #4 in the polls

Week #11 -- Conference Championships

• Georgia beats Alabama to win SEC
• Notre Dame moves up to #3 in the CFB Playoff
• Gets another shot at Clemson -- who drops to #2 behind Georgia (strength of schedule comparison vs. Georgia) 

CFB PLAYOFF FINAL RANKINGS:

1. Georgia
2. Clemson
3. Notre Dame
4. Big Ten Champ or Big Twelve Champ

Georgia 23 -- Notre Dame 17: Highlights

Kelly & Book: Post Game Media Session

Just Got Back From Athens -- Some Thoughts

 

 

Never seen anything like I experienced last night in Notre Dame's 23 - 17 loss to Georgia at Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium.  Click on the photos above to enlarge.

• It was a "black out" -- but, it looked more like a RED OUT!
• There were red and black tents, tablecloths and chairs -- on every square inch of green grass on campus.  They don't have any parking lots around the Stadium -- so the tailgating is on campus grounds...
• The noise was beyond anything I've ever heard before.  I thought Miami 2017 was loud -- this was at another level.
• The Georgia student section -- world-class!  A little like Oakland's "Black Hole..."
• Don't know how we ever got any snap off in sync.
• First time I ever saw a football stadium turn into a night club -- the light show was impressive and effective -- pre-game and prior to 4th quarter!  The top photo, that's the start of the fourth quarter light show -- a first for Georgia...
• The Georgia home field advantage -- is incredible.
• The campus is very nice -- and very hilly.
• The fans treated us very nicely -- now, if we had pulled the game out -- not so sure...   
• The Georgia fan base did not sell their tickets to Notre Dame fans   
• I was sitting with Tim Brown and Jerome Bettis at half-time on the Notre Dame bench when the Georgia "Red Coats" Marching Band -- marched directly at us on the sideline.  See the photo of Jerome and Tim's reaction seeing the band charging at us -- that's me on the left:  
• 

Now, on to what I saw on the field;

• We miss quickness and speed at the running back spot
• Georgia's speed at every position (but OL and QB) -- is scary!
• Not sure what percentage of Georgia's starting line-up is "home grown" in the Peach State -- but, when they announced their starting line-up, it seemed like every player grew up in Georgia.
• I stood on the sideline for half of the game -- the hitting was intense
• Our kicking game -- solid
• We need to find a running game in big games like this...
• Dropped passes hurt us in the 1st half
• And, the penalties -- when I saw the officials come out onto the field with their SEC sweaters -- I knew we were in for a long day
• The Georgia fan base thought they were going to destroy us -- we earned their respect...
• Impressed we didn't cave -- in that environment, it would have been easy too!
• Georgia's home field advantage is at least 14 points -- it's a really tough environment to play in...

Need to beat Virginia!