Notre Dame committed a crime this year

[CHorn427]

Notre Dame finessed the system this year harder than any system has ever been finessed. Here is their path to their current AP poll ranking. 

L to ranked TAMU: -16 to #24

*First team in 37 years to remain in the poll at 0-2. 

W vs Purdue: +2 to #22
W vs Arkansas: +1 to #21
W vs BSU: +5 to #16
W vs NCSU: +3 to #13
W vs #20 USC: +1 to #12
Bye: +0 to #12
W vs BC: +2 to #10

* After starting 0-2 then getting five wins over bad to mediocre teams and one 10 point win to a ranked but overrated USC, Notre Dame made it back from #24 to essentially back in the CFP field. This is insane. They were 1-2 vs ranked teams at this point, yet back in the CFP field. 

*Coasted the rest of the season (one spot up for added security)

W vs Navy: +1 to #9
W vs #22 Pitt: +0 to #9
W vs Syr: +0 to #9
W vs Stan: +0 to #9

If Notre Dame would have fallen completely out of the AP poll after starting 0-2 like everyone in the last 36 years, they wouldn’t have moved back up into CFP field by beating the joke of schedule they had after their first two games.

[jkates]

It's true. 

[horn_fan_14]

I went down a rabbit hole this morning regarding Notre Dame. First off, I'm not the biggest fan of FPI but I think it can be a useful metric. 

If you look at some of Notre Dame's wins, here how they rank in the FPI:
1. USC - 11
2. Pitt - 38
3. Arkansas - 41

Care to guess where Florida ranks?

36

That's right, terrible 4-8 Florida is actually a better team, according to FPI, than Notre Dame's second best win.
But let's look at some on field results between Pitt and Florida to see if that makes sense, here are 2 common opponents: Miami and FSU

Florida: 40 FSU: 21

Pitt: 34 FSU: 31

Florida: 7 Miami: 26

Pitt: 7 Miami: 38

I'm not saying that Florida beats Pitt but looking at FPI and on field results is very telling....