Would a Win Over Pitt Put Irish in the Top 25?
After this weekend’s 33-7 win over Washington, the Irish sit at 5-2 and just outside the Top 25. In a normal year, it would seem like a forgone conclusion that the Irish would be ranked with such a record. In a normal year, the Irish wouldn’t be coming off a 3-9 season though either.
Does a win this weekend put the Irish back in the top 25 for the first time since the end of the 2006 season though? Pitt comes into town with a 5-2 record of their own, but lost in rather unimpressive fashion to a pretty bad Rutgers team. Would a win over Pitt this weekend put the Irish in the top 25?
What’s really ironic to think about is that in Charlie Weis’s first season in 2005, Notre Dame was ranked in the top 10 with a 4-2 record after the loss to USC.
What are your thoughts?
Frank Vitovitch has been Co-Owner and Editor in Chief of UHND.com since joining forces with Kyle Flavin in 1999. Since that time, he has written over 2,000 articles covering Notre Dame football, recruiting, and basketball. He also works with all staff and external writers on all articles published on UHND.com. Frank's love for Notre Dame football started at a young age watching Rocket Ismail give opposing coaches ulcers in the late 1980's. By day Frank works in marketing and holds a degree in Digital Media from Drexel University. Frank's work has been cited by online/print editions of NBC Sports, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated and has been quoted on air by ESPN's Collin Cowherd. He's conducted interviews with Notre Dame legends Rocket Ismail, Randy Kinder, Lee Becton, Reggie Brooks, Michael Stonebreaker, and Ned Bolcar among others over his 20+ years of covering Notre Dame football. He's also been published in the print edition of USA Today Sports Weekly and the USA Today College Football Preview multiple times. Other Published Works/Citations for Frank Three Reasons Notre Dame Will Beat Alabama - USA Today Notre Dame Suspends WR Kevin Stepherson, RB C.J. Holmes Indefinitely - Bleacher Report Notre Dame / Ohio State Fiesta Bowl Preview - Eleven Warriors Brace Yourself: The Fighting Irish are Relevant Again - Sports on Earth Interviews with the Enemy: A Q&A with Frank Vitovitch of UHND - Yahoo! Sports Five Good Minutes: Notre Dame Football Preview With UHND.com - BC Interruption Vicious Electronic Questioning with UHND - MGO Blog
I think you are right, bleednd82. Notre Dame and the non-BCS conferences, have the eligibility for being in a BCS bowl by getting to a 12th ranking. ND and ONE non-BCS conference team are gauranteed a spot by reaching I think it was 7th in BCS standings. I guess we should say BCS standings instead of rankings. So our rank in AP doesn’t count since the AP no longer participates in the BCS. Our rank in USA today Harris poll, and computer rankings all have an efffect, but it’s the BCS that determines all eligibility to BCS Bowls. Other bowls have their own contracts. Interestingly, a BCS conference winner, might not even be ranked in the top 12 and will still be guaranteed a BCS bowl, for example if Oregon St. goes to the Rose bowl. Then the BCS would be scrambling to get USC into another BCS bowl. But that’s another mis-conception about Notre Dame’s supposed “special” status. We’re only treated as well as the non-BCS conferences, except in that we do get a gaurantee that only ONE non-BCS conference also gets. If I were Notre Dame, I’d ban together with the non-BCS conferences to bust this thing open. I still prefer the old poll system, and I also prefer having many independents, they way it was in the 80s.
So for this year, I only want to see Notre Dame within the top 25, and for the Irish to win the bowl game. Certainly achievable with the defense as compared to Minter’s porous group.
Irisheye62: I believe if the Irish finish in the top 12 in BCS standings they are eligible. Someone correct me if I am wrong.
I have a question for those with more knowledge than myself regarding the bowl scenario for the Irish.
#1. BCS-( not this year)
Does the top 10 get automatically selected or are there conference tie -ins?
Where DOES that leave the Irish?
#2. The Gator Bowl—Do we still have a clause in that contract?
#3. Are there Several “at large” bids with a mix up of traditional conference tie-ins which would make Notre Dame an attractive part of the deal with our loyal and faithful fans all over the nation?
Conclusion, We must win first I know! 6 is the magic number.
Let’s beat them all and pray to oust Boston College and Pitt prior to that!
Navy is NO gimme game.
Syracuse–kill them with mega points! Now is the time!!!
USC–I have watched them –and they DO have feet of clay. They have not been as spectacular since the win over the North High Street Team from Ohio St!
I see improvement and a bright hope in the future!
NOW–can we PLEASE Get a field goal kicker?
Anyone to answer all this is appreciated. Irish #1 FOREVER!
Brieves-I wish I could believe you that rankings are based upon how other teams do.
However, I’ve heard the talking heads say WAY too much that “where you start has much to do with the way you finish! I don’t think there should be a pre-season poll. Let’s look at the North High Street Instituion where I live in Cowlumbus,Owhiia( Ohio) Catch the accent here.
OHio State is WAY over rated and should be lower than 13th.YES, they lost to good teams but still have 3 games without an offensive touchdown! And yet-they say
“they aren’t respected!”
When a very poor and young ND team went several quarters without an offensive score, it was highlighted like a political double standard.
WHEN Nd has at least 6 wins -we should take ANY bowl that is somewhat respectable and WIN. That is where we build for 09! Irish Forever #1!
jonnyC,
I agree…I’d much rather win a lesser bowl than get spanked again in a BCS bowl. I think that even if we win out, we’d probably belong in a mid-tier bowl.
am i the only one who’s (slighlty) concerned that if we do end up being 9-2 going into USC, and somehow (good lord willing) beat them, we might end up in a bowl game against the likes of an Oklahoma or Alabama team (using them as examples for no particular reason) & be a little over-matched / over our heads?? i mean, of course i want to make the best possible bowl game, but if we take ANOTHER lose in a bowl it might bring us back a step ot two.– although not nearly as desirable, a victory in a “lower level bowl”, against a team we can handle, might serve us better in the long run, and put us in very good shape for ’09…
Mike,
I agree. To end up in the Top 25 AND win a bowl game would be a great goal for this team. Don’t you wish Brown and Tenuta were running the defense in 2005 and 2006?
bleednd82,
I actually emailed Pat Forde and ripped him a new one. I think I shook him up because he actually replied. Turns out he is Catholic, but I challenged him to read more on Notre Dame and it’s history. What the heck, if GM buys Chrysler and then implodes, we’re all in trouble, but guys like Forde will be the first on the bread line.
ND probably won’t crack the top 25 with a win unless it’s a blow out. But really, who cares. You know if they win all games up to USC, they’ll be ranked. Strangely, willingham’s fate at UDub may have gotten a few to realize the recruiting situation left critical holes in ND’s roster. Plus Penn State’s rise and Ohio St.’s fall showcases young players versus experienced players in a program’s cycle. PSU two years ago sucked. Ohio St. is having an off season by their standards.
SO ND just needs to win. Yes, too bad about UNC, but that’s why you prepare ahead of time. they’ll learn. hopefully they keep a chip on their shoolder until they go undefeated.
They are definitely becoming a solid team. I would like to see them make that next jump, but still am looking to coaching elements to bring that about. We’ll see. Go Irish!!
They should, but I would prefer to sneak under the radar for a bit and beat USC. Then of course go on to win a bowl game.
Keys to the ND-Pitt Game:
http://irishbandofbrothers.blogspot.com/2008/10/keys-to-notre-dame-pittsburgh-game.html
Rankings are based on how all teams do and not just one team. If all teams above us win, we do not not get into the top 25 whereas if all teams above us lose (and we win) we are going to be in the top 25.
Aside from the Washington game the Irish inability to control the game and really put an opponent away is preventing a top 25 ranking. Losses to Michigan State and NC after leading in both games and almost giving the game away to Stanford by going conservative continues to exhibit ND’s unstableness as a solid football program. Their caliber of play for 60 minutes simply does not warrant a top 25 at this point in the season regardless of how much improvement there seems to be after a 3-9 season last year.
Hey guys go check on http://www.espn.com and pat forde 40 yard dash. He bashes ND pretty hardcore. I swear that guy is such a D-bag.
We still would not have beaten anyone. Pitt just got CRUSHED by Rutgers. No way we crack it. We need to beat BC before we get in…..
I usually never do this(looking forward more than 1 game), but if we win out..including a victory of USC should ND get a BCS bowl berth?
It’s all about perception. If it’s a convincing win, I think we break into the top 25.
If Notre Dame wins Saturday I believe they will be ranked just outside the top 25. However, if they follow it up with another win (which they should) to put them at 7-2, they should most definately be ranked.
The Top 25. Its been ohh so long since I have seen ND amongst you. I think a 6-2 ND team belongs in the Top 25. I dont want to get ahead of myself yet either. I can see going into USC 9-2 a major possibility. Didnt help last weekend that Michigan St and UNC.
Any word on Pitts QB? I hear he is not going to play due to a concussion he suffered at Rutgers.
In addition, if Minnesota, California, Georgia Tech, Kansas and West Virginia all lose plus either Michigan State or South Florida, we could very well be in the top 25. But it is asking for a lot to happen this weekend.
If we have a good showing and beat Pitt on Saturday, it is conceivable that the Irish could be in the top 25 based on the teams ranked right above us and the outcomes of their games.
Currently we are 30th in the coaches poll. Here are the match-ups for the teams directly in front of us:
#20 Minnesota plays #33 Northwestern
#21 Michigan State plays Wisconsin
#23 South Florida plays Cincinnati
#24 Oregon plays #28 California
#26 Georgia Tech plays #15 Florida State
#27 Kansas plays #5 Texas Tech
#29 West Virginia plays #31 UConn
As you can see, many team ranked right above and below us have games against each other, so ny combination of wins and losses will greatly affect where we are ranked.
The loss over NC hurt their chances for an early top 25. If the Irish had won that game I suspect they would have been in the top 25 heading into Wash. Although they were not top 25 material at the beginning of the shedule , they have steadily improved to the point where I now think they deserve a top 25 ranking and the win over Pit will surely cement that ranking .