Take the Test -- Rank the TEAMS in the Playoff

Well, the Notre Dame family has its IRISH UP!

We just saw our Fighting Irish drop from #4 to #6 -- with three teams jumping us this week in the CFB Playoff Rankings.  Here's what happened Saturday to precipitate this change:

• #4 Notre Dame beat Boston College (3 - 8) 19 - 16 -- despite five turnovers
• #5 Iowa beat Purdue (2 - 8) 40 - 20 at home
• #7 Oklahoma beat TCU (9 - 1) 30 - 29 -- stopping TCU's two point conversion to win the game
• #9 Michigan State beat Ohio State (10 - 0) 17 - 14 -- last second FG

We keep hearing the term "body of work" -- so, here it is -- the body of work for each of the teams ranked #3 to #6 in the CFB Playoff Rankings.  Now it's your turn to sit on the Committee.  You rank the teams...

TAKE THE CFB PLAYOFF COMMITTEE TEST! 
Rank these four "nameless" teams -- in order of #3 to #6.  I'm willing to bet you that if you just use the body of work -- you won't see the Fighting Irish outside the TOP FOUR!

TEAM A  10 - 1

• FBS Opponents' Record:  69 - 59
• FBS Opponents with 8+ wins: 3

TEAM B  11 - 0

• FBS Opponents' Record:  53 - 68
• FBS Opponent's with 8+ wins:  3

TEAM C  10 - 1

• FBS Opponents' Record: 70 - 60
• FBS Opponent's with 8+ wins:  4

TEAM D  10 - 1

• FBS Opponents' Record:  73 - 58
• FBS Opponents with 8+ wins: 5

If you need "tie-breakers" to assist you in determining the rankings of these four teams -- here they are:

• Team D beat Texas 38 - 3
• Team A lost to Texas 24 - 17

• Team D beat Pittsburgh:  42 - 30 @ Pitt
• Team B beat Pittsburgh:  27 - 24 @ Home (on a last second FG)  

Cheat Sheet: Team A is Oklahoma, Team B is Iowa, Team C is Michigan State and Team D is Notre Dame.

A "Sneak Peek" -- A Season With Notre Dame

Go behind-the-scenes as @NDFootball made their home away from home @fenwaypark ​tonight,10p/9c. #ASeasonWith #NDvsBC https://t.co/RMUL9071p1

— A Season With (@ASeasonWith) November 25, 2015

On Showtime this evening at 10 PM ET.

Stanford Week: Coach Kelly Press Conference

OT: Pope Francis' Miracle Kiss...

   

Romeo Okwara Talks With Jac Collinsworth

Coach Kelly Talks BC Win with Jack Nolan

Tonight's CFB Playoff Rankings...

Folks, here's the drill...

Whether we're #3, #4, #5 or #6 tonight -- it really doesn't matter.

WE HAVE TO BEAT STANFORD SATURDAY ON THE ROAD -- we do that and I like our chances of finishing in the TOP FOUR.  Here's why:

• The ACC will have one team in the CFB Playoff
• The SEC will have one team in the CFB Playoff
• The Big Ten will have one team in the CFB Playoff 

This is a given.

It will come down to who looks better on paper out of these three teams -- for one of those four positions in the Playoff:

• 11 - 1 Notre Dame
• 11 - 1 Oklahoma or an 11 - 1 Oklahoma State

Here's what that "paper" looks like right now:

NOTRE DAME:

• FBS Opponents:  11
• Opponents Records:  73 - 58
• Opponents with 8+ wins:  5
• Common opponent Texas: Notre Dame 38 - Texas 3

Please note:  if Pitt beats Miami this Saturday -- ND will have 5 opponents with 9+ wins this season.

OKLAHOMA:

• FBS Opponents:  11
• Opponents Records:  69 - 59
• Opponents with 8+ wins:  3 
• Common opponent Texas:  Texas 24 - Oklahoma 17

OKLAHOMA STATE:

• FBS Opponents: 9
• Opponents Records:  67 - 60 
• Opponents with 8+ wins: 3
• Common opponent Texas: Oklahoma State 30 - Texas 27

We beat Stanford Saturday night -- it will be difficult to keep us out of the Playoff!

BC Head Coach Talks Loss to Notre Dame

Full Game Replay: ND 19 - BC 16 @ Fenway

Here's a link to the full game replay of Notre Dame's win over Boston College last night at Fenway Park...

LINK:  ND 19 - BC 16

BC Game: Coach Kelly's Post Game Presser

Brian Kelly Talks With ESPN After Win Over BC

David Ortiz's Request of Notre Dame Football

This is pretty cool.

Notre Dame Football Equipment Manager Ryan Grooms @NDFBEquipment sent out this tweet, acknowledging that Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz requested that Notre Dame wide receiver Torii Hunter, Jr. (son of recently retired baseball star Torii Hunter, Sr.) -- be assigned his locker for tonight's game at Fenway Park.

Classy move.

Photo: Notre Dame Helmet Atop Green Monster

Notre Dame Football's Equipment Manager Ryan Grooms @NDFBEquipment "tweeted" out these two photos yesterday...

BC Coach Talks ND: Live From Fenway Friday

Boston's Security Plans for Tonight's Game

Here's a TV report from Boston's ABC affiliate last night about security plans for tonight's Shamrock Series game between Boston College and Notre Dame at Fenway Park.

LINK:  BEEFED UP SECURITY

ND at Fenway: Undefeated & Unscored Upon

The Fighting Irish played their first game at Fenway Park back in 1944 -- beating Dartmouth 64 - 0.  The coach that year -- Ed McKeever -- was "standing in" for the legendary Frank Leahy, who left Notre Dame to serve our country in the Navy during World War II.

Tonight's game with Boston College will be Notre Dame's second football game at Fenway Park -- 71 years later.

Notre Dame's Team Photo at Fenway Park

The folks at @ndfootball "tweeted" this out last night after the Fighting Irish's walk through at Fenway Park --- note the iconic "Green Monster" in the background...

CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO ENLARGE.

Shamrock Series: Coach Kelly's Last Presser

Boston Globe: A Notre Dame Invasion!

Thought you'd enjoy this Boston Globe story where they suggest a name change for Boston to Notre Dame, Massachusetts as more than 30,000 Fighting Irish fans are expected to invade their town this weekend...

LINK:  NOTRE DAME INVASION

WSBT-TV Coverage From Fenway Park Friday