Notre Dame almost got doubled up by USC last night, 44-24, and as a result, the Irish’s poll ranking doubled, from #6 in both the AP and coaches polls last week to #12 in both polls this week. (The AP isn’t part of the BCS formula. The new Harris poll, which is, isn’t available yet.)
To remain BCS-eligible — which would virtually assure the Irish of an invitation to either the Rose or Sugar Bowl, barring a bizarre sequence of events that could result in Louisville getting an automatic at-large berth (more on that in a later post) — the Irish must remain in the BCS top 14. Since the computers have generally liked them better than the human pollsters all season, and since the computers don’t consider margin of victory (a fact which hurt the Irish last year, but helps them this year because of the lopsided losses to Michigan and now USC, and the too-close wins against Michigan State and UCLA), I assume ND won’t plummet far enough in the computers to fall out of the top 14 in the BCS.
As for USC, the Trojans leapfrogged Michigan to become #2 in the new AP poll, and increased their margin in the coaches poll from 16 points to 46 points. So basically, they picked up 30 new second-place votes from among the 63 voters. That’ll help them overtake Michigan in the new BCS standings. Beat UCLA and they’re in.
Oh, and by the way, expect the outrage over Wisconsin’s exclusion from the BCS to build. The Badgers are ineligible because of the rule that no conference can have more than two teams in the BCS (so anyone who blames pro-Notre Dame bias for their exclusion is an idiot). But now they are ranked #6 in the coaches poll and #7 in the AP poll. In the final BCS standings, they’ll finish ahead of the Big 12 and ACC champions, Notre Dame and Boise State, probably the Big East champion and possibly one or two BCS-bound SEC teams. And yet they’ll be playing in their second straight Capital One Bowl, while all of those teams are playing in the big-money bowls.
November 26th, 2006 at 3:32:26 pm
[…] CS Rankings come out later today, USC will be at No. 2. More thoughts from Brendan Loy [link] T […]
November 26th, 2006 at 3:55:31 pm
Ouch. It’s a tough day for a golden domer to admit that Southern Cal has established the current golden standard of college football. Well, I guess I’m getting a bit ahead of myself…the Bucknuts are going to have something to say about that come January. Nonetheless, Southern Cal will likely find itself playing in its 4th consecutive championship game…damn, that’s impressive. Particularly considering they only look to get better.
As for all of the Charlie Weis trash talk from the condom fans: take a deep breath and take a look at the Poodle. Is he a great football coach? Hell, his record indicates that he’s the best. Is he a self-centered, arrogant little pip-squeak? Check his out his website. The Trojans have set the golden standard in college football–Pete Carroll has set the golden standard for conceited, arrogant, shit-bag extraordinare.
And Brian Foster—he’s a football coach, not a law school dandy. Let Charlie wear a freaking hooded sweatshirt if he wants—its the gridiron, not the courtroom
November 26th, 2006 at 4:11:07 pm
USC now has a large enough lead in the Coaches and Harris polls over Michigan that they will be #2 this week even if the Trojans do not move up in any of the computer polls. The Coaches poll has it .947 to .917 and Harris has it .951 to .917. Even with last weeks computer rankings, USC would lead Michigan in the BCS .939 to .931…but I expect USC to move up in a couple of the computer polls this week so the lead should be even larger. (USC will be #1 in the Colley Matrix this week…but they were already ahead of Michigan in Colley so that won’t change anything at this point..as you throw out the high and low computer rankings anyway.) (FYI, ND is #10 in Harris)
November 26th, 2006 at 4:36:48 pm
Oh, and by the way, expect the outrage over Wisconsin’s exclusion from the BCS to build.
Here’s a free hint to the Wisconsinites: Be better than third best in your conference.
November 26th, 2006 at 6:01:25 pm
Re: Pete Carroll being a “self-centered, arrogant little pip-squeak” … I daresay the main difference between him and Charlie Weis in that regard is that Charlie is neither little nor a pip-squeak. :)
November 26th, 2006 at 6:03:56 pm
Also, far be it for me, of all people, to talk down the Trojans’ accomplishments, but technically it would be only their third straight “championship game,” assuming you mean BCS championship game, since they were left out of the title game despite being ranked #1 in both polls in 2003-04. But it’s the fourth straight year they’ll be playing for the national championship, since a win in the Rose Bowl assured them of the AP championship that year.
November 26th, 2006 at 6:23:50 pm
Although not supposed to be released for another hour and a half, the new BCS standings are hidden away on the college football hall of fame website.
Link to BCS PDF File
Or By Cut & Paste: http://www.footballfoundation.com/pdf/bcs06/112606l.pdf
USC’s lead is surprisingly substantial. Much more than any projections I had seen. They’ve jumped to #1 in two computer polls!
November 26th, 2006 at 6:46:47 pm
We had so much fun watching the game…
- Our son dave did the push ups for each point scored
- Our son Jon was in charge of the pom poms ( from last years rose bowl )
- Our son Will drank a shot of wiskey for each TD
-Our daughter Elsie sang the fight song
-Our nefew did a girley dance for each ND touch down ( he is 6′5″ 300 pounds LOL )
I won the pool and now they all have to chip in and buy me a jersey - I chose a 25 Saunts jersey - Love Reggie
Jim was in heaven… it was a great night
FIGHT ON Beat FUCLA
November 26th, 2006 at 6:59:00 pm
Beefy-poo, I don’t know what you’re talking aboutl. Pete Carroll’s website is the coolest site ever. ;)
November 26th, 2006 at 7:07:25 pm
That’s a fabulous picture. When we were watching that, I had this image of Bruce Smith and the way he used to absolutely smoosh the opposing QBs when he got the chance. As I said to Brendan, Sedrick Ellis has a great football name. ;) And that’s not the guy you want to see out of the corner of your eye. He’s HUGE.
November 26th, 2006 at 7:07:51 pm
Does anyone know where I can get a peak at Weis’ postgame press conference? I’d love to know what he said.
November 26th, 2006 at 7:16:51 pm
Least we forget but Nebraska played in 3 consecutive National Championship games also so this is impressive I agree but it it is not totally new or unprecedented in this day and age.
Congrats to SC backers.
You all should be pulling for Nebraska this weekend because if they win the Big 12 Championship then that only bolsters your argument that much more of why USC should play OSU over Michigan.
November 26th, 2006 at 7:18:41 pm
Indeed. I’ll be rooting for Nebraska and Arkansas. It would be awesome if USC can claim three BCS bowl teams as regular-season victims of the mighty Trojan juggernaut. :)
November 26th, 2006 at 8:02:12 pm
Yes, Nebraska, your Cornhuskers had a good run. Of course, Nebraska’s in-conference competition leaves much to be desired, but you’re correct, Nebraska used to be an elite team.
And, of course, considering the Trojans’ depth of talent, it doesn’t look like Southern Cal is going to walk into the sunset any day soon.
November 26th, 2006 at 8:53:18 pm
Yeah, Nebraska had a ridiculously amazing run. Lost to Florida St. on a last second field goal in 93, but otherwise would have been undefeated champions three years in a row. Then after winning in 94 and 95, they come back in 97 and claim a share of the title. What amazes me is that Nebraska was still finding a way to do well with an option attack into the 2000s before Colorado 62-36ed them and effectively ended an era before the Cornhuskers were destroyed by Miami in the title game.
It’s hard to believe Nebraska has a shot at a BCS bowl suddenly after a few really disappointing years.
USC is what Nebraska was in the 90s.
Anyways, Go Irish!
November 26th, 2006 at 8:54:41 pm
Weis’s post-game comments should be here:
http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/nd-m-footbl-body.html
probably sometime tomorrow (the video of post game interviews is up, but the transcript for Charlie doesn’t appear to be.)
November 26th, 2006 at 10:41:37 pm
Well, I’m a Wisconsin fan and I think there’s now way they belong in a BCS bowl with the schedule they played. They did do better against Michigan than the Irish, in Ann Arbor. But they didn’t play OSU, and they lost convincingly to Michigan, so they’re 3rd best in the Big 10 and if you argue that one should win one’s conference to play in the BCS championship, it’s not unreasonable to say you need to finish in the top 2 in your conference to play in a BCS game.
The more interesting question to me is what happens with Louisville if Rutgers wins next week.
November 27th, 2006 at 8:13:59 pm
Just thought I’d pass this along:
A student of mine who is a freshman and on the football team and made the trip to So Cal told me this morning that coming on to field after the half Will Ferrell shouted strings of obscenties at ND players as they ran by. He did not seem to think Ferrell was joking.
Stay Classy Southern Cal!
November 27th, 2006 at 9:32:59 pm
Wisconsin? Who have they beaten? Here’s their OOC schedule: Three midmajors with losing records and a I-AA team. In turn, they lost to Michigan and didn’t play Ohio State. Their two “quality wins” are Purdue (8-5) and Penn State (8-4). The rule against having three teams in the BCS conference exists precisely to prevent BS teams like this from getting in. Keeping a clearly undeserving ND out of the BCS, on the other hand, seems to be something the rulemakers are loathe to fix.
November 27th, 2006 at 11:45:46 pm
Wisconsin did get the shaft. When Rutgers or Boise State Will go to the BCS and not the Badgers, there is something wrong. Rutgers can claim they beat Louisville, but how good is Louisville or any Big East team. They only have beaten each other and yet, West Virgina losses to South Florida, Rutgers losses to Cinn. When that is your big claim to fame you have to be worried. Put Boise State in the Pac 10 or SEC and see if they can even contend for a title. They are the most Overratted team in the Nation, period.
November 28th, 2006 at 12:44:13 am
A Wisconsin fan, calling someone else overrated because of their weak schedule? Heh.
Up next: a Terrell Owens fan complaining that there’s too much focus on the individual in professional sports these days, followed by a John Kerry supporter critcizing someone else’s candidate for flip-flopping.
November 28th, 2006 at 3:30:30 am
ND Prof, spend some time on this blog, heck i can point you to some posts if you want where ND fans are behaving in definitely not classy behavior. There are some on both sides.
November 28th, 2006 at 3:30:30 am
ND Prof, spend some time on this blog, heck i can point you to some posts if you want where ND fans are behaving in definitely not classy behavior. There are some on both sides.
November 28th, 2006 at 3:21:37 pm
Can we please remove the “classy” word from Davie’s vocabulary? I know you were responding to ND Prof, but I am sick of the blatant hypocrisy from you, a fan of both USC and Washington. Let’s see:
USC: Johnny-come-lately Raider Nation defects fill your stadiums, the program suffers from either a blatant failure of compliance officials to inform their athletes of the rules, or wanton disregard of said rules by the players, Paris Hilton.
Washington: More fair-weather fans who only sell out the Apple Cup (and the Notre Dame game), irrational hatred for Notre Dame manifested by cheering when the MSU/ND first quarter score was posted at their stadium, glee by the coaching staff when Notre Dame loses (per KJR-AM, Davie), anti-Catholic comments by fans while hosting Notre Dame last year, enjoy referring to our school as ‘racist.’
I cringe every time I see a comment from you along the lines of “You Domer’s (sic) stay classy.” It’s about as hypocritical as calling someone else dumb.
Oh yeah, I forgot. I resigned this blog. But if you want to continue this discussion, I’d be glad to engage.
November 28th, 2006 at 4:44:36 pm
Wobbly,
Its not hypocritical because its something that Irish fans, many atleast, have tried to claim over and over, about how much classier they are than other fans. I’ve never tried to claim any kind of superiority for either of my schools in the arena of fandom. Of course there are asshole fans at various schools, although your examples are pretty weak. Irational hatred? Because we have fans who cheer when our oponents lose? Are you telling me that if a score is posted in your stadium for a school you have any kind of rivalry with you don’t have fans who cheer? Yes there is no huge rivalry between the two schools, but given the way our recent contests have gone, and how poorly Notre Dame treated our current coach, yes there is some happiness. Its not like thats a unique phenomenon in college ball. And its not “hatred”. Anti-Catholic comments by fans? Shocking really, i would never imagine people might make anti-Catholic comments, you mean there are jerk fans out there??? Try LIVING WITH IT, i’m Catholic, i have been my whole life and i’ve put up with it not within the confines of a safe University, so don’t begin to claim that its some sort of UW only phenomenon that some fans are going to say classless anti-Catholic things. Its nationwide, there is anti-Catholic bias. I deal with it, but i also don’t try and equate the entirety of fandom at any given school based on the actions of so very few. Believe it or not i assume that the asshole domer’s who post here don’t represent the majority of your fans either.
But all of that has NOTHING to do with the issue at hand. As I said, i’m not claiming my school or any other has some sort of superior classiness to it. But ND fans are doing exactly that! The smug superiority, calling themselves “God’s team” and BELIEVING it. Acting as if they are somehow inherently better than any other school out there, the idea that a school always plays their best against Notre Dame, etc. Its arrogance and when i see the numerous counter examples being displayed here, i’m going to point out each and every one.
And if you bothered to read what I wrote to ND Prof you’d see that I said PRECISELY that. Read it again and pay attention to these words: THERE ARE SOME ON BOTH SIDES
Moreover, when you and some of your fellow ND comptratiots demonstrate a repeated unwillingness to read what i actually write and instead make things up, well it doesn’t do much to bolster your case.
I’d love to engage in some civil and even not so civil but friendly banter with Notre Dame fans. There is a lot to love about the school, its history and as someone who has experienced game day in South Bend, i agree that its one of the best out there. Playing with the band in the stadium was one of the highlights of my football carreer, and i was pleased with the civility and friendliness of the majority of fans there. Sadly since then we have had to put up with the dregs who have managed to find there way here, distort and lie about what i say, and basically give ND fans a bad name.
They claim Weis is a genius and trash talk Pete Carroll, but when you try and counter argue with them, they hurl insults at you and act as if youare challenging their religious convictions. They talk about how their team is so great now, and going to walk all over the trojans, but when they lose they can’t take it. They hurl insults and personal attacks, and treat you like the stupidest person this side of Homer Simpson just because you won’t accept their warped view of how we should all worship Notre Dame as the Greatest Football Team Ever to Grace the Earth. On top of all THAT we have to listen to how much “classier” ND fans are compared to . Well its bull. You have good fans, and you have bad fans. Just like everyone else. Maybe if you spent more time telling the asshole fans to shut up and less time making up things to accuse me of to try and defend them, i wouldn’t have a reason to criticize.
November 28th, 2006 at 6:38:15 pm
Davie,
Your response to NDProf was another example of what you usually do: Equate the actual, in person behavior of another team’s fans (including your own) to what people say on a blog. I wasn’t only referring to your comments in the present case, but to a regular pattern of behavior in which you point to a comment by a poster here and say that it indicates that Domer fans are classless. (I understand that you couch it in terms that suggest some fans from every school can act this way, and an entire school’s fanbase can’t be responsible for some of its members. While I agree to a certain extent, isn’t this exactly what you are doing in arriving at the conclusion that Notre Dame’s fans are arrogant and no better than Washington’s or USC’s?)
I appreciate you copping to enjoying the Notre Dame game atmosphere. As fans, we take pride in that and how we treat opposing fans. While visiting Washington was no Michigan, there were certainly more gestures of rudeness than there were of hospitality. From what I have heard, USC is no different. But there are “Domer’s” (sic) that were mean to you: So that must negate the fact that, put bluntly, we are better fans. While those here might not be ‘classier’ than the Trojans or other schools’ fans here, there is a wide disparity in class at the gameday atmosphere between us and most other schools, which I would argue is truly what matters.
It’s a similar agenda put forth by Andrew Long a week or so ago: Notre Dame, and their fans, are of no greater quality than anyone else. It conveniently ignores all the things our football program stands for: Holding athletes to the same standards as other students and graduating them at high rates, producing an outstanding gameday atmosphere for our fans, and being a source of pride for the predominant Catholic school in the country. I’m kind of wondering where Brendan is on these threads to call you two out. (I know, Brendan’s not a babysitter, don’t bother with the italicized response). His knowledge of the tradition of ND probably extends back the same amount as his knowledge of USC’s (8 years or less).
November 28th, 2006 at 8:30:16 pm
Wobbly, I’ve repeatedly expressed my opinion that I think most Notre Dame fans are classy and treat opposing fans well. There’s no point in my repeating it. David and Andrew already know that, if they say otherwise, they are in disagreement with me. It serves nothing to repeatedly “call them out” on a subjective point of opinion.
That said, I’ve also repeatedly expressed that I think an unfortunate number of Notre Dame fans, including some of the ones who treat opposing fans well, have a “holier than thou” attitude that makes them somewhat difficult to talk to about their team without getting irritated. This attitude is exemplified by your ridiculous insult, that my “knowledge of the tradition of ND probably extends back the same amount as his knowledge of USC’s (8 years or less).” Well, of course my firsthand knowledge extends back only as long as I’ve been a fan, and no, I don’t have some deep historical knowledge of the program. How does that make me a bad fan? That’s just stupid. (Please read the previous sentence in your best mental Larry the Cable Guy impression.) I’ve rooted for the Irish since I became a Notre Dame student. I daresay that’s true of many, many Domers (though there are certainly some who come here in part because they and their families have always been fans). Are you suggesting that anyone who adopts Notre Dame football after becoming a Notre Dame student is somehow not a legitimate fan, and is worthy of being insulted for not having a deep historical knowledge of the team, unless and until they study up on Notre Dame football history? I’ve never claimed to be an expert on Notre Dame football history, I’ve claimed only to be an ND fan, so I can only assume that you think a deep knowledge of ND football history is a reasonable expectation to have of all fans, and anyone who doesn’t have such knowledge is a lesser fan as a result. I think that’s just incredibly lame. It’s perfectly possible to be a Notre Dame fan without knowing Knute Rockne’s shoe size.
November 29th, 2006 at 1:04:29 am
Wow Wobbly, you still can’t admit that you were just plain wrong, that i didn’t actually say what you think I said/wanted to believe I said/etc. If you want to keep your holier than thou attitude i can’t help that. If you want to keep thinking how pathetic the rest of us are and ignoring the fact that there are good fans and bad fans AT EVERY SCHOOL IN THE COUNTRY, well thats your problem. The rest of the people here can judge which of the two of us is actually being honest. You who seem unwilling to admit that what i said was not equating the whole of Notre Dame fandom or even the majority to the behavior of the few. I know it, and Brendan knows it, and Andrew knows it, and anyone else who is willing to look around this blog and elsewhere (go read some of the things being written about Brendan on NDNation) that there are Notre Dame fans who are the furthest thing from classy i have ever seen. You personally my pride yourself on being polite and respectful, but not all fans at your school do, and worse many of them seem to think they are still better than any fan from any other school regardless of how they themselves behave.
I can accept obnoxious fans. But if you expect me to sit here day in and day out and listen to how ND fans are somehow superior to the rest of us and then see them behave the way they have? Not gonna happen. I will call them on it every time. I recognize that not every fan at my own schools is classy, but i’ll be damned if i let you paint US all with the same brush you accuse me of painting Domer’s with. That is an arrogance of epic proportions and further proof of what I and so many others have come to dislike about Irish fans. Guess what? The football world doesnt’ revolve around South Bend, Indiana. Maybe once upon a time it did, but even when Notre Dame was an annual title contender, well guess what, fans in Seattle, WA and L.A., CA, and Baton Rouge, LA and yes even Durham, N.C. care just as much about THEIR team as you do about yours. Some more some less, but guess what, there are people who couldn’t care less about how the Irish do. There are fans at stadiums accross the country who are going to behave well and there are fans who are going to be assholes. Now like i said, i’m sorry you ran into some bad Apples at the Washington game, but as someone who has had friends and family from other schools, including our rival schools of Oregon and Washington attend games and suffer nothing worse than the usual college trash talking, your experience is NOT typical.
But go ahead, feel free to live in your delusional world where I supposedly called all Irish fans classless, and where you all live on some golden domed pedastal of godliness. Meanwhile the rest of us are going to continue to think you are arrogant pricks, and thankfully as a Trojan fan, i can think you are arrogant pricks who lost to us too. Luckily i’ve met Irish fans who aren’t arrogant so i am going to assume, unlike you, that that is the rule and not the exception. Too bad you don’t have the “class” to do the same.
November 29th, 2006 at 3:22:02 pm
Brendan,
There is a difference between ‘knowledge,’ as I said in my post, and ‘firsthand knowledge,’ the meaning you inferred from it. Larry the Cable Guy would be correct that asserting that the only real fans are those with firsthand knowledge is just stupid. You and I should not be held to a lower standard as fans because we didn’t see Joe Montana’s comeback (after all, it’s not our fault that we were either very young or not born yet).
However, it is possible to recognize that this rich history of tradition exists, along with other aspects about Notre Dame such as their high graduation rate and the general interest in ‘doing it right’ that other programs do not share. I do believe that a basic understanding of and belief in THIS is necessary to be an actual Notre Dame fan. You have to “get it.” I have never seen you mention anything that might make Notre Dame football special beyond the fact that their gameday atmosphere is fun; I suggest that you talk to an engaged person who does “get it” (you might not find one in the Ivy-covered building by Main Circle) and perhaps mention this to Andrew or Davie next time they drop a Becky Steamer on Notre Dame football.
November 29th, 2006 at 10:17:42 pm
Wobbly, you still just don’t get it. I have nothing against the tradition of Notre Dame, in many ways i envy it. I also haven’t ever called into question things like the graduation rate. What i do have a problem with is the insistance by many Domer’s that South Bend is the center of the college football universe. As i said above thats just not true for a number of reasons. I also am tired of hearing how great Charlie Weis is and how terrible Pete Carroll is. Trash talking is one thing, make fun of his hair, or his website, whatever. Failing to acknowledge the success he has had, or trying to minimize it by insisting it is 100% due to talent? Thats just being a poor loser. But one of the most annoying things is how Irish fans try and lord over the rest of us how much better/nicer/classier they are, but fail to acknowledge that for as many classy/nice fans there are, theres also a group of asshole arrogant fans too.
You have a lot to be proud of at Notre Dame, the Heismans, the Championships, the legendary coaches, the band, etc, and hell you should be. If anyone calls into question the rich history of Notre Dame, well their just crazy. The problem is it causes a lot of Irish fans to behave as if they are better than any other school and that we should respect the current team solely on the accomplishments of the past. Sorry but this teams deserves to stand on its own merits, good or bad. If Brady Quinn has a stellar performance or Jeff Samardzjia makes a great catch, they deserve to get credit for it. But when Brady Quinn fails to live up to the lofty expectations, well he deserves to be called on it too.
For instance, saying that Brady Quinn doesn’t deserve to win the Heisman, doesn’t mean you think he is the worst quarterback ever. And saying Charlie Weis hasn’t proved he is a genius yet, doesn’t mean you think he’s an absolute failure. But try and mention things like that and its worse than if you insulted an ND fans mother. Maybe you should think about THAT the next time you or other fly off the handle at those of us who don’t show a blind love of Notre Dame football.
Oh, and by the way the name is David, not Davie. Try and show a little class if you want to have a civil discussion.