Polls

[boilerdug]

Since the B1G didn't start when everyone else started, they removed the B1G teams from the polls. I see they have put B1G and Pac12 teams back in.
The problems is that there really isn't any upward movement by these schools because all you are relying on is the schools in front of you to lose and drop.
Meanwhile, Notre Dame is playing their cupcake schedule and leapfrogging teams that lose and are idle. Presently now at #4.

No matter how much they say the polls don't figure in to the CFP or whatever, the fact is that the Bowls want ranked teams. Boilers don't have any pre-conference games to help boost the record. Not sure how to level the playing field here. I would hate to see the B1G teams get screwed by the late start. Or is it inevitable?

Thoughts?

 

[FirstDownB]

Notre Dame is doing what people have been wanting them to do for years, playing a P5 conference schedule, including the current #1 team in the nation. I wouldn't classify it as a cupcake schedule or any easier than Purdue's. By the end of the year things will work themselves out. The legit contenders from the Big Ten are within striking distance in the polls. If an Big Ten team goes undefeated they will be in the CFP. Period. And IMO without the cupcake games it will be clear who deserves a bowl game. Just take care of business against Iowa and go from there.

The real cluster is going to be the Pac12. Oregon could go 6-0 with only a couple decent wins.

 

[boilerdug]

Notre Dame is doing what people have been wanting them to do for years, playing a P5 conference schedule, including the current #1 team in the nation. I wouldn't classify it as a cupcake schedule or any easier than Purdue's. By the end of the year things will work themselves out. The legit contenders from the Big Ten are within striking distance in the polls. If an Big Ten team goes undefeated they will be in the CFP. Period. And IMO without the cupcake games it will be clear who deserves a bowl game. Just take care of business against Iowa and go from there.

The real cluster is going to be the Pac12. Oregon could go 6-0 with only a couple decent wins.

Notre Dame hasn't played Clemson yet. Their wins right now are a combined 1-9 (Duke 1-4, FSU 0-3, SFU 0-2). SOS is 66 on Sagarin (who has them 16th). Next 2 games are Louisville (0-3) and Pitt (2-2). Climbing right up the chart while playing in the mighty ACC. Not much in the ACC after the top 2 or 3.

 

[FirstDownB]

Notre Dame hasn't played Clemson yet. Their wins right now are a combined 1-9 (Duke 1-4, FSU 0-3, SFU 0-2). SOS is 66 on Sagarin (who has them 16th). Next 2 games are Louisville (0-3) and Pitt (2-2). Climbing right up the chart while playing in the mighty ACC. Not much in the ACC after the top 2 or 3.

They have 11 games scheduled against P5 conference opponents. That is similar to our 2019 schedule, which most considered to be challenging. To your point, their early season opponents are struggling (still hard to believe how far FSU has fallen). But in the end their opponent records will balance out, same as any other P5 team. But I don't really want to talk about Notre Dame here.. IMO what we've really lost this season, more so than the offset starting dates, is the inter conference matchups that provide some idea of how the conferences stack up. To that end, your opinion that there isn't much ACC after the top 2 or 3 will be hard to dispute or validate. And people could be saying the same thing about the Big Ten if Ohio State and Wisconsin run away with their divisions and everyone else beats up on each other. In the end it comes down to the eye ball test and also some preconceived notion of which conferences are more difficult to win games in this year. That part is inevitable.

 

[purduepat1969]

Notre Dame hasn't played Clemson yet. Their wins right now are a combined 1-9 (Duke 1-4, FSU 0-3, SFU 0-2). SOS is 66 on Sagarin (who has them 16th). Next 2 games are Louisville (0-3) and Pitt (2-2). Climbing right up the chart while playing in the mighty ACC. Not much in the ACC after the top 2 or 3.

Who cares where ND is ranked right now. It doesn't matter until the end of the season.

 

[Chi-Boiler]

Notre Dame hasn't played Clemson yet. Their wins right now are a combined 1-9 (Duke 1-4, FSU 0-3, SFU 0-2). SOS is 66 on Sagarin (who has them 16th). Next 2 games are Louisville (0-3) and Pitt (2-2). Climbing right up the chart while playing in the mighty ACC. Not much in the ACC after the top 2 or 3.

The point is that they will play Clemson. If they beat them, they'll deserve to be ranked that high. If they get blown out as expected, they won't. Spread has been out for weeks as Clemson -10 or 10.5. And that's considering how well ND gets bet on.

Point is, and I think you're making it dug, is that this year will be more controversial than any other. It always is, but this year moreso. Vis-a-vis Notre Dame, it's actually easier to put them in the right place by the end of the year because they're playing a full conference season, and not playing 2 service academies among other random easier games they sometimes get. If a B1G/SEC/ACC team goes undefeated, it's easy. But how do you differentiate 9-1 Georgia with 7-0 Oregon? 8-1 Wisconsin? 7-1 Penn State? 6-1 USC? The Big 12 is already a jumbled mess. Who emerges there?

Gonna be a weird playoff/bowl season.

 

[NDAFArly]

It’s hilarious people are talking ND’s schedule. They routinely play one of the toughest schedules in the country. People talking about military academies. They play Navy, who over past decade has been ranked more often than not. Navy has been a better program than Purdue. And ND plays 10 P5 games along with those ranked Navy teams. They scheduled home and homes with OSU, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin. played LSU multiple times, Clemson, FSU (when they were champs), Miami, USC, Stanford multiple times. ND traveled coast to coast, playing “home” games in away stadiums.
ND’s schedule got easier by joining a conference. ND’s schedule this season before the change was still Clemson & UNC, but also had Wisconsin, USC and Stanford.
People need to not let their hatred for ND get in the way of the truth.

 

[wakeman2626]

The point is that they will play Clemson. If they beat them, they'll deserve to be ranked that high. If they get blown out as expected, they won't. Spread has been out for weeks as Clemson -10 or 10.5. And that's considering how well ND gets bet on.

Point is, and I think you're making it dug, is that this year will be more controversial than any other. It always is, but this year moreso. Vis-a-vis Notre Dame, it's actually easier to put them in the right place by the end of the year because they're playing a full conference season, and not playing 2 service academies among other random easier games they sometimes get. If a B1G/SEC/ACC team goes undefeated, it's easy. But how do you differentiate 9-1 Georgia with 7-0 Oregon? 8-1 Wisconsin? 7-1 Penn State? 6-1 USC? The Big 12 is already a jumbled mess. Who emerges there?

Gonna be a weird playoff/bowl season.

Poll inertia is real though and it will be interesting to see how those teams that started earlier will benefit from that. If a #4 ND team loses to #1/2 Clemson, how far will they really drop? Conversely, no doubt in my mind Wisco or PSU would be 3-0 against that same schedule, but very few voters will put them ahead of ND (not saying that is wrong necessarily, but again pointing out the inertia.. at this point Wisco and PSU will have to go above and beyond whatever ND is doing to jump them, when I don't think that would have been the case if everyone started at the same time).

 

[boiler1987]

Poll inertia is real though and it will be interesting to see how those teams that started earlier will benefit from that. If a #4 ND team loses to #1/2 Clemson, how far will they really drop? Conversely, no doubt in my mind Wisco or PSU would be 3-0 against that same schedule, but very few voters will put them ahead of ND (not saying that is wrong necessarily, but again pointing out the inertia.. at this point Wisco and PSU will have to go above and beyond whatever ND is doing to jump them, when I don't think that would have been the case if everyone started at the same time).

This year is going to be so interesting when it comes to bowl games. So many unknowns that will play into it.

 

[Heiner]

Irish are not very good and will be exposed very soon. Got lucky yesterday.

 

[purduepat1969]

It’s hilarious people are talking ND’s schedule. They routinely play one of the toughest schedules in the country. People talking about military academies. They play Navy, who over past decade has been ranked more often than not. Navy has been a better program than Purdue. And ND plays 10 P5 games along with those ranked Navy teams. They scheduled home and homes with OSU, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin. played LSU multiple times, Clemson, FSU (when they were champs), Miami, USC, Stanford multiple times. ND traveled coast to coast, playing “home” games in away stadiums.
ND’s schedule got easier by joining a conference. ND’s schedule this season before the change was still Clemson & UNC, but also had Wisconsin, USC and Stanford.
People need to not let their hatred for ND get in the way of the truth.

I haven't made a comment on their schedule. But I will make a comment. F#ck Notre Dame...

 

[FirstDownB]

After just ONE week...
OSU beat a mediocre Nebraska team and jumped 5-0 ND in the polls to #3.
IU jumps from no votes to #17 after a single win.
Penn State hangs in both polls (only ranked team with losing record).
Big Ten with 5 ranked teams (tied w/ SEC) and 4 more receiving votes, including Purdue.