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....

[GoHorns1]

ND must join a Power 4 conference (ACC since all others already have) for football or be left out the  CFP!  No more special rules for ND crap!

[CHorn427]

41 minutes ago, horn_fan_14 said:

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....

Lincoln Riley has turned USC into a ferocious paper tiger. Made of premium Dunder Mifflin stuff.

USC is the Mizzou of the Big10. Stays ranked even though they can’t beat a serious team. Solely for the purpose of Big10 teams/Notre Dame saying they have an impressive win.

The Big10 and Notre Dame should hold a day of mourning and remembrance when USC finally parts ways with Riley.  

[.45s]

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

 

They were also probably that team 37 years ago that remained in the poll at 0-2.  😆 

It is amazing how they are perennially ranked so high, even after losses.

[CHorn427]

47 minutes ago, .45s said:

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

 

They were also probably that team 37 years ago that remained in the poll at 0-2.  😆 

It is amazing how they are perennially ranked so high, even after losses.

Would have been funny but it was Michigan 😂

[Clifton]

52 minutes ago, .45s said:

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

 

They were also probably that team 37 years ago that remained in the poll at 0-2.  😆 

It is amazing how they are perennially ranked so high, even after losses.

Bingo. Notre Dame has gotten the benefit of the doubt my entire life. 

[NotGerryHamilton]

ND thinks way too highly of themselves. If the P4 conferences had any balls they completely block them out with scheduling until they joined a conference. If ND was in a conference they know they’d immediately become irrelevant 

[CHorn427]

3 hours ago, NotGerryHamilton said:

ND thinks way too highly of themselves. If the P4 conferences had any balls they completely block them out with scheduling until they joined a conference. If ND was in a conference they know they’d immediately become irrelevant 

1000% agree. Texas should lead the charge and cancel our home and home with them in 28 and 29 and explicitly say why. It literally won’t matter if we win those games, Notre Dame will still be in CFP contention with their weak rest of schedule

Edited 5 hours ago by CHorn427

[dentonhorn]

Catholic lobby is deep and powerful. The committee’s unwritten rules though, head to head don’t matter if it’s Notre Dame.

[.45s]

12 hours ago, CHorn427 said:

Would have been funny but it was Michigan 😂

Well, I have been around long enough that Notre Dame would have been my first guess anyway, unless I had specifically remembered that it was Michigan.  I am guessing that there was a better argument for Michigan than there would have been for Notre Dame.

[jonbailey]

I say this as a guy who in general likes Notre Dame, don’t hold it against me guys. Note Dame does not deserve to get into the playoffs this year. Texas should be in over them. Miami also has a good case of getting in over ND as well. I talk sport with a lot of aggies, once again don’t hold it against me guys, and even the Aggies agree Texas should be in over ND. 

I’m still on the fence about canceling the future non-con games against OSU, Mich, and ND. I still want those games and I think if we are really a national championship level team we can win those games or at least win enough games to make the playoffs but I will absolutely lose my mind in 2028 /2029 if we beat ND and they get into a playoff over us because of their schedule.

[CHorn427]

23 minutes ago, jonbailey said:

I say this as a guy who in general likes Notre Dame, don’t hold it against me guys. Note Dame does not deserve to get into the playoffs this year. Texas should be in over them. Miami also has a good case of getting in over ND as well. I talk sport with a lot of aggies, once again don’t hold it against me guys, and even the Aggies agree Texas should be in over ND. 

I’m still on the fence about canceling the future non-con games against OSU, Mich, and ND. I still want those games and I think if we are really a national championship level team we can win those games or at least win enough games to make the playoffs but I will absolutely lose my mind in 2028 /2029 if we beat ND and they get into a playoff over us because of their schedule.

I say cancel Notre Dame for sure. I wouldn’t cancel Ohio State and Michigan. Every P4 should cancel with ND to force them to join a conference 

[Coach840]

Work smarter not harder

[FootLaw]

ND and the G6 auto bid are wasting spots this playoff. Neither is among the 12 best teams in the country. Miami has the H2H over ND with the same record. Make it make sense.

[Joe Naural]

On 12/2/2025 at 2:21 PM, horn_fan_14 said:

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....

Fl played Ga as good as any team …. Shouldve beatem!  Manhandled the dts …! They have dudes!

[CHorn427]

23 minutes ago, Joe Naural said:

Fl played Ga as good as any team …. Shouldve beatem!  Manhandled the dts …! They have dudes!

Florida played 5 teams in the Top 13 and took them all into the 4th quarter.

I really don’t think our loss to Florida was even as bad as Tech’s loss to ASU. 

[Joe Naural]

Fl probably would beat ND… in the Swamp!