Tuesday, November 24, 2015

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


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!

Saturday, November 21, 2015

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