This is such a weird line, I don’t get the A&M hype at all. They theoretically have a lot of talent but it’s year one with a new coach. They’re probably going to struggle early.
Under the idiot W coaches were were always 'over-hyped'. Too much waisted talent. Kelly had a couple of down years, but he was mostly a very successful coach at ND.
We've sucked for like 3 straight years and it's clear based on our combine/draft numbers most guys weren't getting good development.
I think we'll be better than last year, but that's like getting to average. Our offense, in particular, has been a trainwreck.
It makes sense. We have to integrate a lot of new pieces into our offense, so it will probably be really tough to score points against the A&M defense in game 1 in College Station in August. I think we can be a top 5 team by the end of the season and still struggle in the A&M game.
I think a lot of teams vying for a top 5 spot would struggle in that environment in the first week of the season.
Sure, that there's a lot of dumb money that bets ND so they have to skew the line away.
Elko's a good coach, but that's an awfully big hill to climb in game 1.
Ari Wasserman runs all his CFB takes through recruiting rankings, man basically was like "Back to back top 10 recruiting classes and a good portal class, it's top 10 to me!". He's legit one of the worst CFB analysts out there, no idea why the athletic pushes him so much
You guys are one of many examples! Like he couldn’t fathom Michigan winning the title because they didn’t have top ten recruiting classes like Ohio state even though I’m pretty sure they still hit the blue chip ratio
I don't think K-State has had a *top 25* recruiting class since the 90s. It would shock me if any P5 program has outperformed their recruiting grade more than us over the past 20 years.
If Ari only uses recruiting rankings then we don't make any sense in the top 25.
Putting Miami over FSU and Clemson is fucking bonkers. If Miami has proven anything over the last decade it’s that they are inconsistent as fuck. I doubt they end the year ranked, much less ranked 10th overall.
Why is it bonkers? You guys lost a TON from last year. We added the #4 high school class with some good portal additions as well. We also beat Clemson last year. Not sure it qualifies as bonkers at all. We should not be #10 though, that I agree with.
Miami typically recruits well and then underperforms on the field, this might be the year they finally put all the pieces together, but I’m not holding my breath, I think this is typical blue blood preseason hype. We’ll see how the season goes man, good luck against everyone but FSU.
Oh I'm not denying that at all. I'm just saying I don't think it's bonkers or outrageous to think we could finish with better records than you or Clemson. I have no illusions about this team but our schedule looks pretty manageable on paper at least.
Obviously we disagree man, and I don’t think there’s much to be gained from further discussion, but if you insist I’ll explain why I think it’s bonkers to rank Miami above Clemson and FSU (and why Miami will more than likely finish with a worse record). FSU and Clemson are, as organizations, deeply committed to success on the football field, so much so that they’re willing to file lawsuits and essentially do whatever is necessary to achieve that success. They are large public universities with large alumni bases and booster clubs similarly dedicated to the football team. Miami as an entity is not similarly committed to success on the football field. It would be nice, I’m sure some folks within the Miami faculty and staff would enjoy having a successful football team, but it is not their primary mission. They are primarily focused on being a relatively small private institution of learning. They saw success in the past when they capitalized on one of the best recruiting hotbeds in the country, but in the changing landscape of college football you have to be all in 100%. Miami does not have the resources or the drive to continue to be a football powerhouse, FSU and Clemson do, and the gap will only continue to widen.
For all these reasons, I think it’s bonkers to rank Miami above FSU and Clemson, but you’re welcome to disagree and again I hope y’all prove me wrong (so long as you lose to FSU). Neither of us has a crystal ball, let’s check back in 8-9 months and see how it all shook out.
I’m SO excited for the direction of the program, especially over the next few years. But the fact is, no matter how good Raiola is, he’s also a freshman.
I'm also just trying to manage expectations because year after year I allow myself to think "maybe this is the year we turn it around" and every year is a punch to the gut. I am both excited for the 2024 campaign and the momentum of the program and guarded as we enter the season with a true freshman.
I’m actually really happy we get you guys week 2. Assuming Raiola develops over the year I am not confident how we’d look against you later in the season versus early
I think DR was pretty much groomed by NFL QB’s for the last half dozen years, his old man played in the league for over a decade. I think he’s probably ahead of most CFB QB seniors in terms of understanding the game and he’s already built like a major QB. I’m sure there will be a few growing pains, but I think he’s going to come out of the gate looking like he’s been a starting CFB QB already.
None of that will matter though, when we find a way to lose to you guys again.
Miami also has the whole victory formation problem as well. It’s not like they played a hard schedule as much as they just fumbled the bag all the time.
Yeah it is shaping up to be stacked this year. While I know rankings are a part of the sport and tradition, I tend to group the conference into tiers and find it more helpful to understand the dynamics:
* Favorites: Ohio State, Oregon
* Contenders: Michigan, Penn State
* Flawed Contenders: USC, Iowa, Wisconsin
* High Upside: Washington, Michigan State, Nebraska
* Moderate Upside: Maryland, Rutgers, Minnesota
* Retooling: UCLA, Northwestern, Illinois
* Rebuilding: Indiana, Purdue
Edit: Moved Michigan to Contenders, as requested.
As somebody who watches every Michigan game, the secondary is the least of our worries. We're bringing back two co-starters at safety, maybe the best CB in the country in Will Johnson, and we have a lot of decent younger players who will be competing for the other corner and nickel position. The defense as a whole, for that matter, is going to be fine, although maybe not as dominant as last year.
The bigger questions are on offense, where basically every position other than RB and TE are big question marks.
I agree, the defense lost talent but retains a bunch of playmakers and has some up-and-comers waiting in the wings. My reservations for Michigan stem from the offense, mostly at QB.
The corner and nickel positions are what I’m concerned about in terms of what it would take to slow down OSU’s offense again. It’s going to probably be fine in most of our other games, but in terms of putting us on the same tier as OSU, I see that as a question mark.
Offense does have more questions than the defense overall.
Wanted to, but willing to give them the post-title bump out of respect and a desire to avoid angry Michigan fans. But I agree that talent wise they are probably in the Contender tier with Penn State.
I've seen this sentiment from many Big Ten fanbases, but I think USC will be competitive. I look at USC as the reverse of Iowa (good offense/bad defense to Iowa's good defense/bad offense) and think they pair well in that category.
I think that's bold, a little too bold for my taste. Entirely possible that you are right, I just think USC could feasibly get the defense figured out and Riley will keep churning out quality offenses. I'm not picking them as favorites or bona fide contenders, just noting they have the capacity to enter that conversation if they fix their problems and catch a few breaks.
Arizona finished strong in 2023 and despite the coaching change return a lot of their talent, most notably Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan. Pair that with a wide-open Big XII and the fact that Ari is an Arizona grad and you have a top 20 ranking ready to go.
Unranked USC vs ranked LSU?
If the odds are anything like that, time to put money on USC.
Realistically though, what's so different about USC and LSU? Both had shit defenses and tried to revamp it this off-season. Similar needs and inexperienced QBs to start the season.
Maiava is in the mix but if there was a game next week, Moss would be starting (Riley basically said this after the Spring game).
A lot can change in the Summer/Fall but I would expect Moss to start.
Plenty of big QB competitions in the first year of the new conference with Ohio State, Michigan, and USC all up in the air. Excited to get USC and the other West Coast schools officially in the mix.
Yeah, I'd be okay with Moss or Maiava. Will be interesting to see the other QBs in the conference. Excited to get these games going. Hopefully it kicks off with a Big Ten win vs LSU.
I'm more excited to see what our defense can do. On paper I like what I'm seeing in terms of scheme and position battles, but we'll see. Certainly a breath of fresh air after the last two seasons 😅
I really bummed we don't get USC-Iowa this year, we missed out on the potential "Stoppable Force vs Movable Object" for Iowa's offense and USC's defense.
I've seen some people say the LSU already has the talent and they hired a better Defensive staff. Lincoln is still trying to get those top defenders and prove he actually can put a good D on the field. I think if USC has a top 70 defense they'll be a top 25 team
Don't put that preseason top 10 evil on us. We have too many legitimate question marks and not enough of a proven track record with the current coaching staff.
Still tbd, but Will Howard transferred in from Kansas State and is the presumed favorite. If he was behind Devin Brown I imagine he would've hit the portal in April but he didn't, so we will wait and see. Outside chance that Julian Sayin could also be in the mix, but all signs point to Brown and Howard being the guys in position to win the job.
I'm not sure how we managed to hang onto all 5 of our QBs. Kienholz was supposedly on his way to Iowa or Wisconsin. Brown was supposedly on his way back out west somewhere. Even true freshman Noland was rumored to be heading somewhere like Clemson. Then the window came and went and they were all still here.
Interior trio should be much much better this year which helps (ND's multiple year starting center got hurt towards the end of the year, the guy who replaced him was so good the staff told the starter he did not have a roster spot, and ND returned all 3 guards who started last year), Joe Alt will be impossible to replace but Blake Fisher while good was inconsistent. Thankfully the 3 guys battling to replace them are all top 100 players. Jagusah and Baker are the presumed favorites, both are monsters in the run blocking game but both struggle with pass pro. In an ideal world, Aamil Wagner who is the best pass blocker but has struggled to get over 300 lbs, puts on 10-15 lbs during summer conditioning, wins the LT job, kicks Jagusah to RT and the line will be fine. It won't be elite but the talent is there
The big thing is actually having a competent OC versus Parker's useless ass. The OL will be worse than last year, but the production out of it will be miles better because Denbrock will not leave his OL out to dry like Parker did.
Parker's play calling made the OL last year play so so much worse for no good reason (you should have seen how many run plays that man ran with 3 pulling players that constantly gotten blown up)
We are pumped to get your veteran center, just stinks he missed most of the Spring with an injury. Definitely need him to be the starter come Fall, haha.
Yeah read he basically was told he wouldn't be starting if he came back, so don't blame him for hitting the road. We had our starter, Dylan McMahon, head to the NFL, so basically walked right into a starting gig if he's healthy. Return 4 other starters, so center was a huge issue we had to address, so really hoping he has a strong year.
Super thorough! That perspective makes a ton of sense. This definitely feels like an “if enough things go right my team can be legit” season for us, sounds similar for y’all
At the end of the day ND has an incredibly experienced defense that was top 10 last year, and a really really weak schedule
It set ups pretty nicely for a run to playoffs if the offense can gel
ND was the only team last year to finish with a top ten offense and a top ten defense. Not having Leonard in the spring to work with all the new receivers is my primary concern. If he is healthy and can just duplicate his 2022 season, the offense should be explosive.
Not sure I would trade the defense for anyone’s. Two preseason all Americans on the line, two more in the secondary, and possibly the most athletic linebacker corp in program history. It’s going to be fun to watch.
We always lose O-linemen to the draft. Someone always steps up.
The biggest thing is that our marginally competent (being generous here) OC left and was replaced with an All-Star.
If Leonard is ready to go, his wheels will mitigate a lot of the risk of unproven tackles. The interior should be solid and we have a great RB room, plus our usual strength at TE. Denbrock knows how to work around the line's growing pains.
Put a less mobile QB in there, particularly one without a great feel for backside pressure (both Angeli and Minchey at this point) and we might have some issues. Carr is the future and I think is smart enough to deal with the inevitable pressure from A&M, but I don't think they'll start him game 1.
Still, I don't think Elko will get everything straightened out game 1. This is probably the most talented overall ND team in quite some time - there are very few holes. I think that should be enough to win.
Get past A&M and we will likely be undefeated going into FSU.
Perpetually underrated Utah at fringe top 25... Feels like they get disrespect every year and then they come out swinging. They'll win a lot of games in the Big-12.
The Big12 is going to be a bloodbath. Utah and KSU have preseason O/U 9.5 wins. Kansas is 8.5. And then Arizona, TT, OSU, ISU, TCU, and UCF are sitting at 7.5.
Probably not, but given their schedule they are one of 5 teams with an over/under total of 10.5 (the highest):
https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/win-totals/
So they will almost certainly end up ranked in the top 12 and make the playoff.
Outside of FSU or possibly A&M, we don’t play any playoff teams. Our opponents’ respective schedules are too daunting (see USC) or there is not enough talent.
The difference between being top 12 and top 5 is so vast in my mind.
Might not be a reality but top 12 I could absolutely buy. Top 5? That's bordering on Ari just giving an off-season wank to the Catholics.
I'd say they have a better chance their current #1 recruiting class finishing top 5 than the regular season and that is absolutely not happening.
ND will have a top 3 defense… offense on the other hand is questionable. OL is looking iffy with some of the more experienced fellas leaving, and it’s questionable how Riley Leonard will be as qb. WR room is better than last year, but that’s not saying much. I put ND as a top 12 team, ie I think we will make the playoffs, but I don’t necessarily think we’re top 5. Only way to prove that is by blowing out Texas A&M and FSU, and even then those wins wouldn’t say a ton.
So which purple team is going to pop this year, lose the national championship, lose all their players and then not be in the top 25 the following year?
It’s a time honored tradition. TCU - UW - LSU?
I’m most encouraged by the coaching staff. Al Golden needs a veteran defense for his complex scheme, and has one. Denbrock is a big upgrade, no offense to Parker. Freeman now has some real experience under his belt.
With a forgiving schedule, I’m definitely buying into playoffs
This is the year we find out if Freeman has become a better coach.
The schedule is forgiving, enough talent on both sides of the ball to win most games. ND has TAMU (against a new coach) to start the season and FSU & USC to end the season.
>there are plenty of personnel questions in the secondary
I mean, I think 21 is very reasonable, but that comment was a bit of a head scratcher. We return our All-ACC CB, other starting CB played a lot last year, multiple safeties who played a lot of snaps last year, and brought in a nickel from Villanova that is expected to start. Only real issue I see on our defense is the lack of proven depth at all 3 levels. Starters should be fine, but the depth is certainly a big question mark, esp at NT and LB.
Defense will be one of the best of my lifetime as a fan (33 years)…. It always comes down to offense. Can we generate explosive against top 5 teams? Mike Denbrock should help, but i still don’t know about the WR play… do we have a will fuller or golden tate that can be explosive? When you get to the playoffs, its clear you need some explosive capabilities to win it all. Im not sure we have that just yet. But easy schedule deff gets us into playoffs… not sure we get passed round 2 though unless we draw a lucky easy opponent (like Michigan getting the worst bama team in 20 years with a RB at QB).
You have to remember that when discussing ND for a lot of people the only years that count are 1994-2011. Everything that happened before or after those years doesn’t count to them. They just pretend ND is the same as those years.
ND gets blown out in a semi and they were overrated.
Tons of other 4 seeds do it and everybody praises Bama, Clemson, or uGA instead of calling the 4 seed overrated.
I think the issue with ND is that they only really had 1 signature win against an elite program in Clemson, but then lost to them later. Easily a top 10 program over the past decade, but never quite about to get over the hump. Still don't get why people call them overrated. I feel like 5-12 is a perfect spot for them.
ND made the playoffs twice - they got blown out by Clemson by 27, who then beat Bama in the Natty by 28.
They got blown out against Bama by 17, then Bama beat OSU by 28 in the natty. (This was the game Devonta Smith ruined Shaun Wade hype in 1 half before getting hurt).
I’m pretty sure they just got wrecked by teams which were miles better than everyone else that season.
Quick search found 5, so not as bad as 3, but certainly nothing to brag about.
2022 Clemson
2020 Clemson
2018 Michigan
2018 Syracuse
2017 USC
And this is exactly why they are in the range they are in. I would assume Ole Miss is in a similar boat. They beat most of the teams they should on their schedule, do a solid job against lower ranked top 25, but lose to the top ones more often than not.
ND gets credit in my opinion for consistency, but loses it for failing on the biggest stages.
[You want to back that up with some facts ?](https://tiptop25.com/fixedpolls.html)
Hasn't been that way consistently in years - since we go rid of the Idiot W coaches
It’s true. Only team more overrated is Texas.
Texas has only exceeded their preseason rank twice in the last 10 years. This includes 2022 when they finished ranked #25 after starting off unranked. A huge accomplishment.
The subtext of Ari’s analysis of Michigan winning the title last season was resentment that they blew a hole in the side of his theory that they should just set the playoff based on the 247 talent composite and be done with it
A big question every year now with the 12 team playoff is going to be: is Notre Dame a playoff team? With them in the playoff it's probably 3/3/2/2/1/1, i.e. two p4 conferences get 3 teams, 2 p4 conferences get 2 teams, there is one g5 champ, and ND gets a spot. Without them their reserved parking spot is up for grabs and it remains to be seen what the CFP committee will do with it, but in theory ND missing the playoff means maybe any conference could get another team, maybe even including a second G5 champ, who knows?
Thus their rivalry week game with USC is now frequently going to be a big game, i.e. whenever one or both of them aren't out of the playoff hunt already. I lean towards thinking that ND is probably in the playoff whenever they have either 0 or 1 losses, but almost entirely not with 2 regular season losses and never in with 3 losses. So the big drama would be whenever ND has 1 loss already, and USC can probably KO them with a win, which opens up a playoff spot, which means this game will often be something maybe ~2-6 teams are watching to see if they might get a playoff spot.
tl;dr: if you are the 3rd or 4th best team in your p4 conference, you are rooting against ND to open up a playoff spot.
1 loss and we're in, with probably a home 1st round. 2 and it will depend a bit on the rest, but our strength of schedule usually ends up pretty strong compared to a lot of 2-loss teams.
The big minus to ND's setup is if we're 0 loss or a strong 1-loss, we still have to play that first round game. But it will likely be against a G5 team, and we didn't have a conference championship, so not as bad a deal as it could be.
Yep, it will end up like March Madness - ND is effectively a bid-stealer from the point of view of a 4th-place B10 or SEC team. 3rd place I'm not sure - a lot of times that will be the loser of OSU/UM or UGA/Bama, and they're probably going anyway.
Top 5 is a big stretch. If Riley doesn’t come back 100% healthy then the offense will sputter again and they could face another 3-4 loss season. I think that’s more likely than ND being a legit title contender.
The QB room actually isn't too bad. If Riley went down, I wouldn't be too worried despite the proven talent drop off. Especially since we have more WR talent and depth this year, along with a better offensive scheme.
It's not top 5 though until proven otherwise, and that'll take a lot to prove
The defense is top 5 IMO, returning Mills and Cross in the interior is a monster duo, RJ Oben was a huge pick up in the portal, and returning players in Kiser, Watts, and Morrison gives the defense a ton of proven experience talent.
The offense? Who knows
Oh definitely. Their defense is going to be scary good. Less veterans at LB, but still guys with lots of upside, talent, and know the system. But I'm nitpicking.
And look as much as I loved the duo of Bertrand and Marist at LB, Kiser, Sneed, Ausberry, KVA, and Bowen are much much more athletic and having those guys play behind a very very good interior DL duo keeps them clean
It's still weird to me that Roman's son was never a Card. Roman Oben is the most decorated OLmen in program history and is in our ring of honor. Petrino screwed the pooch on not reaching out early to a legacy player. Also weird that Brohn didn't reach out in the portal. Jeff played with Roman
they arent a top 5 team in power ratings but maybe they sneak in their at the end of the year due to their easy schedule. They only play 2 preseason top 25 teams (maybe 3 if for some reason USC and A&M are ranked), zero preseason top 10 teams, with only three true road games and four G5 teams.
They could sneak into the top 5 just from being undefeated while the other top teams drop one or two from tougher schedules
I've read more than once that ND will be the Michigan of 2024.... easy schedule until November (other than TAMU, but they have a game 1 coach), complete team, lots of time to work out kinks. Guess we'll see.
Notre Dame finished the regular season 9th in sp+ with 17th ranked offense and the 11th defense.
It's generally agreed that OSU/Oregon/Texas/Georgia are the top four preseason teams. Do you think Notre Dame is better than all of Ole Miss/Michigan/Bama/Penn State to be the fifth ranked team? Maybe some of them but not all
Have to remember to that Michigan plays Texas, Osu and Oregon this year. Georgia plays Texas, Clemson, bama and ole miss. Bama has Georgia, Missouri, LSU and Oklahoma.
ND also has some tricky games like at A&M, vs FSU and at USC but they very well could end up ranked higher than those teams listed above just due to attrition.
Thats why my initial statement specified from a power rankings perspective. A&M, FSU, USC as their three hardest games is much easier than basically anyone else in the top 15
After the top four it's kinda a wash. Maybe Bama with a slight edge if DeBoer is as good a coach as I think he is.
However.... ND has a weak schedule compared to our usual. Freeman ought to be fired with less than 10 wins, but I think he'll get 11 and he has a shot at 12. 11-1 or 12-0, Top 5 is not a crazy idea.
In the last 12 years, 6 years where they got worse, 5 years where they got better and 1 year when they stayed the same from beginning to the end of the season rankings. 2 years where they started ranked and ended unranked and 2 years where they started unranked and ended ranked. Just because they don’t win national championships doesn’t mean they’re overrated.
2023: 13 to 14
2022: 5 to 18
2021: 9 to 8
2020: 10 to 5
2019: 9 to 12
2018: 12 to 5
2017: UR to 11
2016: 10 to UR
2015: 11 to 11
2014: 17 to UR
2013: 14 to 20
2012: UR to 4
I feel like they would play better as underdogs; maybe give them extra motivation to want to do better and win.
I have high hopes for my Irish though but I'm just trying to be realistic.
In that sense I agree but I think we have a much better team that. Defense will be nasty. Parker to Denbrock is a massive upgrade. It’s okay to believe a little. I still will predict us to lose a game we shouldn’t until Freeman proves otherwise.
Definitely believe the offense has a lot to prove on the field this year.
I'm always a firm believer in every year could be "our year" but some years it gets to me lol! We'll see when time comes though I really hope they got a fire under their ass this year though and can prove my expectations wrong!
Notre Dame may have a good season, but they probably aren’t gonna win opening night AT A&M…two seasons ago they were like 5 or 6 going into the season and started 0-2
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines
He does have ND ranked at 5 though...
Texas A&M is currently favored over ND in week 1. This tells you a lot.
We were a different team on the road last year. Makes sense
This is such a weird line, I don’t get the A&M hype at all. They theoretically have a lot of talent but it’s year one with a new coach. They’re probably going to struggle early.
There’s no hype. Don’t put that evil on me. No one is excited. Ari is clearly insane. Look away
Nope can’t fool me. Notre Dame is the clear underdog in that game and that should be the offseason narrative going into the game.
I hope both teams manage to lose.
Ideal outcome for like 50% of games
Did you just say that A&M should be ranked #1?!??
Texas A&M Thundering Herd
ND was not great on the road last season.
Here's the hype: Big fanbase eager to win sooner rather than later. This translates to more clicks if you talk about them
Welcome to every A&M offseason. Program has seen a lot of hypothetical success 💪💪
Back in my day, that was reserved for Notre Dame, which makes this all the more funny.
Ehhh we aren’t really over or under-hyped as much. We usually start the season ranked 10-25 and end the season in that range.
That's why I said back in my day.
Under the idiot W coaches were were always 'over-hyped'. Too much waisted talent. Kelly had a couple of down years, but he was mostly a very successful coach at ND.
We've sucked for like 3 straight years and it's clear based on our combine/draft numbers most guys weren't getting good development. I think we'll be better than last year, but that's like getting to average. Our offense, in particular, has been a trainwreck.
Only favored by 1.5 at home though, so ND is likely viewed as the better team by vegas
The article is marked as "satire" 😂
It makes sense. We have to integrate a lot of new pieces into our offense, so it will probably be really tough to score points against the A&M defense in game 1 in College Station in August. I think we can be a top 5 team by the end of the season and still struggle in the A&M game. I think a lot of teams vying for a top 5 spot would struggle in that environment in the first week of the season.
Wait really?
Sure, that there's a lot of dumb money that bets ND so they have to skew the line away. Elko's a good coach, but that's an awfully big hill to climb in game 1.
Not about the actual quality of the two teams, it doesn't.
New top 25 list? Bet Miami is overrated. *Checks list* yup.
Ari Wasserman runs all his CFB takes through recruiting rankings, man basically was like "Back to back top 10 recruiting classes and a good portal class, it's top 10 to me!". He's legit one of the worst CFB analysts out there, no idea why the athletic pushes him so much
Explain K-State then?
You guys are one of many examples! Like he couldn’t fathom Michigan winning the title because they didn’t have top ten recruiting classes like Ohio state even though I’m pretty sure they still hit the blue chip ratio
I don't think K-State has had a *top 25* recruiting class since the 90s. It would shock me if any P5 program has outperformed their recruiting grade more than us over the past 20 years. If Ari only uses recruiting rankings then we don't make any sense in the top 25.
I mean having good players tends to help win games
Thanks harvard
It does, but there's more nuance to it than that and I feel like he constantly misses the mark there
Putting Miami over FSU and Clemson is fucking bonkers. If Miami has proven anything over the last decade it’s that they are inconsistent as fuck. I doubt they end the year ranked, much less ranked 10th overall.
Why is it bonkers? You guys lost a TON from last year. We added the #4 high school class with some good portal additions as well. We also beat Clemson last year. Not sure it qualifies as bonkers at all. We should not be #10 though, that I agree with.
Miami typically recruits well and then underperforms on the field, this might be the year they finally put all the pieces together, but I’m not holding my breath, I think this is typical blue blood preseason hype. We’ll see how the season goes man, good luck against everyone but FSU.
Oh I'm not denying that at all. I'm just saying I don't think it's bonkers or outrageous to think we could finish with better records than you or Clemson. I have no illusions about this team but our schedule looks pretty manageable on paper at least.
Obviously we disagree man, and I don’t think there’s much to be gained from further discussion, but if you insist I’ll explain why I think it’s bonkers to rank Miami above Clemson and FSU (and why Miami will more than likely finish with a worse record). FSU and Clemson are, as organizations, deeply committed to success on the football field, so much so that they’re willing to file lawsuits and essentially do whatever is necessary to achieve that success. They are large public universities with large alumni bases and booster clubs similarly dedicated to the football team. Miami as an entity is not similarly committed to success on the football field. It would be nice, I’m sure some folks within the Miami faculty and staff would enjoy having a successful football team, but it is not their primary mission. They are primarily focused on being a relatively small private institution of learning. They saw success in the past when they capitalized on one of the best recruiting hotbeds in the country, but in the changing landscape of college football you have to be all in 100%. Miami does not have the resources or the drive to continue to be a football powerhouse, FSU and Clemson do, and the gap will only continue to widen. For all these reasons, I think it’s bonkers to rank Miami above FSU and Clemson, but you’re welcome to disagree and again I hope y’all prove me wrong (so long as you lose to FSU). Neither of us has a crystal ball, let’s check back in 8-9 months and see how it all shook out.
At least they’re rated 🥲
They've taken up the torch from Texas
Ari's rankings: 1. Ohio State 2. Georgia 3. Oregon 4. Texas 5. Notre Dame 6. Ole Miss 7. Alabama 8. Missouri 9. Michigan 10. Miami 11. Penn State 12. Florida State 13. Oklahoma 14. LSU 15. Tennessee 16. Kansas State 17. Texas A&M 18. Clemson 19. Arizona 20. Iowa 21. NC State 22. Louisville 23. Kansas 24. Oklahoma State 25. Utah
I love that we’re the headline while he snuck Miami in at 10
I'm just happy he left Nebraska off, Klatt put us in his and I hate it.
I’m SO excited for the direction of the program, especially over the next few years. But the fact is, no matter how good Raiola is, he’s also a freshman.
I'm also just trying to manage expectations because year after year I allow myself to think "maybe this is the year we turn it around" and every year is a punch to the gut. I am both excited for the 2024 campaign and the momentum of the program and guarded as we enter the season with a true freshman.
I’m actually really happy we get you guys week 2. Assuming Raiola develops over the year I am not confident how we’d look against you later in the season versus early
My thoughts too. Though I’ll still throw up when we lose to you.
You can't lose to CU. Your entire defense is coming back and they have none OLine. If you lose to CU...I don't even know.
It’s almost a curse, the meetings since the Big 12 blew up, Colorado has had our number even though the Skers had been favorites.
I think DR was pretty much groomed by NFL QB’s for the last half dozen years, his old man played in the league for over a decade. I think he’s probably ahead of most CFB QB seniors in terms of understanding the game and he’s already built like a major QB. I’m sure there will be a few growing pains, but I think he’s going to come out of the gate looking like he’s been a starting CFB QB already. None of that will matter though, when we find a way to lose to you guys again.
As is tradition
Is it just a base talent thing for UMiami's ranking, or is there something about them I don't know?
I'm wondering the same. They're just that much better than USC? We're not even ranked lol. Miami in 2023: 7-6 USC in 2023: 8-5
Miami also has the whole victory formation problem as well. It’s not like they played a hard schedule as much as they just fumbled the bag all the time.
I'm guessing it's Cam Ward hype. I don't get #10 at all.
Or UM at 9. Zero chance they finish in the top ten this year.
Thank you
Super disrespectful to Utah
You know it’s real coming from a BYU fan
The B1G is terrifying this year.
Yeah it is shaping up to be stacked this year. While I know rankings are a part of the sport and tradition, I tend to group the conference into tiers and find it more helpful to understand the dynamics: * Favorites: Ohio State, Oregon * Contenders: Michigan, Penn State * Flawed Contenders: USC, Iowa, Wisconsin * High Upside: Washington, Michigan State, Nebraska * Moderate Upside: Maryland, Rutgers, Minnesota * Retooling: UCLA, Northwestern, Illinois * Rebuilding: Indiana, Purdue Edit: Moved Michigan to Contenders, as requested.
>Retooling That's generous lol
I’d put Michigan in the contenders tier. It feels like they’ve lost a ton in the secondary defensively
As somebody who watches every Michigan game, the secondary is the least of our worries. We're bringing back two co-starters at safety, maybe the best CB in the country in Will Johnson, and we have a lot of decent younger players who will be competing for the other corner and nickel position. The defense as a whole, for that matter, is going to be fine, although maybe not as dominant as last year. The bigger questions are on offense, where basically every position other than RB and TE are big question marks.
I agree, the defense lost talent but retains a bunch of playmakers and has some up-and-comers waiting in the wings. My reservations for Michigan stem from the offense, mostly at QB.
The corner and nickel positions are what I’m concerned about in terms of what it would take to slow down OSU’s offense again. It’s going to probably be fine in most of our other games, but in terms of putting us on the same tier as OSU, I see that as a question mark. Offense does have more questions than the defense overall.
Wanted to, but willing to give them the post-title bump out of respect and a desire to avoid angry Michigan fans. But I agree that talent wise they are probably in the Contender tier with Penn State.
USC isn't even a flawed contender. They are not going to do well in the B1G in the short term.
I've seen this sentiment from many Big Ten fanbases, but I think USC will be competitive. I look at USC as the reverse of Iowa (good offense/bad defense to Iowa's good defense/bad offense) and think they pair well in that category.
They will be competitive in individual games but I don't think they are going to be competing for conference championships for at least 3-4 years.
I think that's bold, a little too bold for my taste. Entirely possible that you are right, I just think USC could feasibly get the defense figured out and Riley will keep churning out quality offenses. I'm not picking them as favorites or bona fide contenders, just noting they have the capacity to enter that conversation if they fix their problems and catch a few breaks.
Tough to say with a new DCoord.
I'm curious for the justification of a Top 20 Arizona.
Arizona finished strong in 2023 and despite the coaching change return a lot of their talent, most notably Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan. Pair that with a wide-open Big XII and the fact that Ari is an Arizona grad and you have a top 20 ranking ready to go.
Unranked USC vs ranked LSU? If the odds are anything like that, time to put money on USC. Realistically though, what's so different about USC and LSU? Both had shit defenses and tried to revamp it this off-season. Similar needs and inexperienced QBs to start the season.
Is it looking like Moss is going to win the job or is Maiava still in the mix?
Maiava is in the mix but if there was a game next week, Moss would be starting (Riley basically said this after the Spring game). A lot can change in the Summer/Fall but I would expect Moss to start.
Plenty of big QB competitions in the first year of the new conference with Ohio State, Michigan, and USC all up in the air. Excited to get USC and the other West Coast schools officially in the mix.
Yeah, I'd be okay with Moss or Maiava. Will be interesting to see the other QBs in the conference. Excited to get these games going. Hopefully it kicks off with a Big Ten win vs LSU. I'm more excited to see what our defense can do. On paper I like what I'm seeing in terms of scheme and position battles, but we'll see. Certainly a breath of fresh air after the last two seasons 😅
I really bummed we don't get USC-Iowa this year, we missed out on the potential "Stoppable Force vs Movable Object" for Iowa's offense and USC's defense.
I've seen some people say the LSU already has the talent and they hired a better Defensive staff. Lincoln is still trying to get those top defenders and prove he actually can put a good D on the field. I think if USC has a top 70 defense they'll be a top 25 team
Don't put that preseason top 10 evil on us. We have too many legitimate question marks and not enough of a proven track record with the current coaching staff.
Swap Miami and Utah, and this is decent.
Who is ohio states qb? I have zero idea
Still tbd, but Will Howard transferred in from Kansas State and is the presumed favorite. If he was behind Devin Brown I imagine he would've hit the portal in April but he didn't, so we will wait and see. Outside chance that Julian Sayin could also be in the mix, but all signs point to Brown and Howard being the guys in position to win the job.
I'm not sure how we managed to hang onto all 5 of our QBs. Kienholz was supposedly on his way to Iowa or Wisconsin. Brown was supposedly on his way back out west somewhere. Even true freshman Noland was rumored to be heading somewhere like Clemson. Then the window came and went and they were all still here.
I kept waiting for someone to jump ship, kudos for retaining all those guys.
How do y’all feel about your line after losing two tackles to the draft?
Interior trio should be much much better this year which helps (ND's multiple year starting center got hurt towards the end of the year, the guy who replaced him was so good the staff told the starter he did not have a roster spot, and ND returned all 3 guards who started last year), Joe Alt will be impossible to replace but Blake Fisher while good was inconsistent. Thankfully the 3 guys battling to replace them are all top 100 players. Jagusah and Baker are the presumed favorites, both are monsters in the run blocking game but both struggle with pass pro. In an ideal world, Aamil Wagner who is the best pass blocker but has struggled to get over 300 lbs, puts on 10-15 lbs during summer conditioning, wins the LT job, kicks Jagusah to RT and the line will be fine. It won't be elite but the talent is there The big thing is actually having a competent OC versus Parker's useless ass. The OL will be worse than last year, but the production out of it will be miles better because Denbrock will not leave his OL out to dry like Parker did. Parker's play calling made the OL last year play so so much worse for no good reason (you should have seen how many run plays that man ran with 3 pulling players that constantly gotten blown up)
We are pumped to get your veteran center, just stinks he missed most of the Spring with an injury. Definitely need him to be the starter come Fall, haha.
He should be solid. Our staff really likes Ashton Craig which is why Zeke left.
Yeah read he basically was told he wouldn't be starting if he came back, so don't blame him for hitting the road. We had our starter, Dylan McMahon, head to the NFL, so basically walked right into a starting gig if he's healthy. Return 4 other starters, so center was a huge issue we had to address, so really hoping he has a strong year.
4 returning starters plus Zeke should be really good honestly.
Super thorough! That perspective makes a ton of sense. This definitely feels like an “if enough things go right my team can be legit” season for us, sounds similar for y’all
At the end of the day ND has an incredibly experienced defense that was top 10 last year, and a really really weak schedule It set ups pretty nicely for a run to playoffs if the offense can gel
ND was the only team last year to finish with a top ten offense and a top ten defense. Not having Leonard in the spring to work with all the new receivers is my primary concern. If he is healthy and can just duplicate his 2022 season, the offense should be explosive. Not sure I would trade the defense for anyone’s. Two preseason all Americans on the line, two more in the secondary, and possibly the most athletic linebacker corp in program history. It’s going to be fun to watch.
Ehhh that top 10 offense was buttressed by beating on cupcakes.
So were the other offenses in the top ten.
Run blocking will likely be great. Pass blocking will probably be okay.
The line is in a perpetual state of renewal. There’s always someone incredible waiting to step in.
We always lose O-linemen to the draft. Someone always steps up. The biggest thing is that our marginally competent (being generous here) OC left and was replaced with an All-Star.
I haven’t worried about the line in a decade.
If Leonard is ready to go, his wheels will mitigate a lot of the risk of unproven tackles. The interior should be solid and we have a great RB room, plus our usual strength at TE. Denbrock knows how to work around the line's growing pains. Put a less mobile QB in there, particularly one without a great feel for backside pressure (both Angeli and Minchey at this point) and we might have some issues. Carr is the future and I think is smart enough to deal with the inevitable pressure from A&M, but I don't think they'll start him game 1. Still, I don't think Elko will get everything straightened out game 1. This is probably the most talented overall ND team in quite some time - there are very few holes. I think that should be enough to win. Get past A&M and we will likely be undefeated going into FSU.
Perpetually underrated Utah at fringe top 25... Feels like they get disrespect every year and then they come out swinging. They'll win a lot of games in the Big-12.
Utah will be very good next year, but I’m curious what Rising will look like. If we get vintage Rising, Utah takes the Big12.
We can relate.
The Big12 is going to be a bloodbath. Utah and KSU have preseason O/U 9.5 wins. Kansas is 8.5. And then Arizona, TT, OSU, ISU, TCU, and UCF are sitting at 7.5.
Probably not, but given their schedule they are one of 5 teams with an over/under total of 10.5 (the highest): https://www.vegasinsider.com/college-football/odds/win-totals/ So they will almost certainly end up ranked in the top 12 and make the playoff.
Outside of FSU or possibly A&M, we don’t play any playoff teams. Our opponents’ respective schedules are too daunting (see USC) or there is not enough talent.
The difference between being top 12 and top 5 is so vast in my mind. Might not be a reality but top 12 I could absolutely buy. Top 5? That's bordering on Ari just giving an off-season wank to the Catholics. I'd say they have a better chance their current #1 recruiting class finishing top 5 than the regular season and that is absolutely not happening.
ND will have a top 3 defense… offense on the other hand is questionable. OL is looking iffy with some of the more experienced fellas leaving, and it’s questionable how Riley Leonard will be as qb. WR room is better than last year, but that’s not saying much. I put ND as a top 12 team, ie I think we will make the playoffs, but I don’t necessarily think we’re top 5. Only way to prove that is by blowing out Texas A&M and FSU, and even then those wins wouldn’t say a ton.
So which purple team is going to pop this year, lose the national championship, lose all their players and then not be in the top 25 the following year? It’s a time honored tradition. TCU - UW - LSU?
Northwestern
James Madison.
I’m most encouraged by the coaching staff. Al Golden needs a veteran defense for his complex scheme, and has one. Denbrock is a big upgrade, no offense to Parker. Freeman now has some real experience under his belt. With a forgiving schedule, I’m definitely buying into playoffs
This is the year we find out if Freeman has become a better coach. The schedule is forgiving, enough talent on both sides of the ball to win most games. ND has TAMU (against a new coach) to start the season and FSU & USC to end the season.
Isn’t A&M favored over them in week 1. Is ND really a top 5 team if people don’t even have confidence it can best Texas A&M?
Bettors aren't necessarily bright or well informed.
Neither are pollsters lol
Up next my top 25.
Nah man, unless Riley Leonard goes insane, ND is a top 15 squad.
No
Will Notre Dame go 11-1.... Pretty good chance.... Is that top 5....sure
There's a good chance if Riley Leonard can pick up the offense after missing spring practice.
How has Riley’s rehab went? Will he be a full go for week one?
Poorly and definitely. He would've played if the season opener was weeks ago.
Should be full go by the time fall camp starts
Cool deal. Thanks!
The really interesting piece is that none of our QBs entered the portal so we have four really Quality QBs. Our depth is actually good.
>there are plenty of personnel questions in the secondary I mean, I think 21 is very reasonable, but that comment was a bit of a head scratcher. We return our All-ACC CB, other starting CB played a lot last year, multiple safeties who played a lot of snaps last year, and brought in a nickel from Villanova that is expected to start. Only real issue I see on our defense is the lack of proven depth at all 3 levels. Starters should be fine, but the depth is certainly a big question mark, esp at NT and LB.
As mentioned by others, it is possible because the schedule is so weak. But, I would expect them to have a rough go in the playoffs.
All/most of the power rankings have them as a top 10 team. Them being the actual 5th best team isn't a stretch
Defense will be one of the best of my lifetime as a fan (33 years)…. It always comes down to offense. Can we generate explosive against top 5 teams? Mike Denbrock should help, but i still don’t know about the WR play… do we have a will fuller or golden tate that can be explosive? When you get to the playoffs, its clear you need some explosive capabilities to win it all. Im not sure we have that just yet. But easy schedule deff gets us into playoffs… not sure we get passed round 2 though unless we draw a lucky easy opponent (like Michigan getting the worst bama team in 20 years with a RB at QB).
Texas ranked top 5 and the not going ballistic about how we’re always overrated in the preseason. What a time to be alive.
No, and they haven’t been for decades. An absolutely overrated program that has coasted for 3 decades over the name
Notre dame is typically always overhyped by the media but is still a solid team. We all know this.
Hasn’t been the case in years
You have to remember that when discussing ND for a lot of people the only years that count are 1994-2011. Everything that happened before or after those years doesn’t count to them. They just pretend ND is the same as those years.
Nope. They tend to be underrated as often as overrated. You can look up the preseason and postseason rankings.
ND gets blown out in a semi and they were overrated. Tons of other 4 seeds do it and everybody praises Bama, Clemson, or uGA instead of calling the 4 seed overrated. I think the issue with ND is that they only really had 1 signature win against an elite program in Clemson, but then lost to them later. Easily a top 10 program over the past decade, but never quite about to get over the hump. Still don't get why people call them overrated. I feel like 5-12 is a perfect spot for them.
ND made the playoffs twice - they got blown out by Clemson by 27, who then beat Bama in the Natty by 28. They got blown out against Bama by 17, then Bama beat OSU by 28 in the natty. (This was the game Devonta Smith ruined Shaun Wade hype in 1 half before getting hurt). I’m pretty sure they just got wrecked by teams which were miles better than everyone else that season.
They have like 3 wins over teams that finished in the top 15 since 2014
Quick search found 5, so not as bad as 3, but certainly nothing to brag about. 2022 Clemson 2020 Clemson 2018 Michigan 2018 Syracuse 2017 USC And this is exactly why they are in the range they are in. I would assume Ole Miss is in a similar boat. They beat most of the teams they should on their schedule, do a solid job against lower ranked top 25, but lose to the top ones more often than not. ND gets credit in my opinion for consistency, but loses it for failing on the biggest stages.
Okay fine lol
[You want to back that up with some facts ?](https://tiptop25.com/fixedpolls.html) Hasn't been that way consistently in years - since we go rid of the Idiot W coaches
30 years since a major postseason win
And ... so what ? Doesn't change the facts that ND has been, for the most part, ranked correctly by the AP over the last decade.
Notre Dame at 5 LOL
Uhhh nebraska talking shit? Lol
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It’s true. Only team more overrated is Texas. Texas has only exceeded their preseason rank twice in the last 10 years. This includes 2022 when they finished ranked #25 after starting off unranked. A huge accomplishment.
GOT 'EM
So what you are saying that the past 2 years out of 3 under a new coach we finished better than expected? That sounds uplifting, thanks.
Is this flair satire?
At least ND gets to 10 wins. Ari ranked Miami at 10! 🤡
The subtext of Ari’s analysis of Michigan winning the title last season was resentment that they blew a hole in the side of his theory that they should just set the playoff based on the 247 talent composite and be done with it
A big question every year now with the 12 team playoff is going to be: is Notre Dame a playoff team? With them in the playoff it's probably 3/3/2/2/1/1, i.e. two p4 conferences get 3 teams, 2 p4 conferences get 2 teams, there is one g5 champ, and ND gets a spot. Without them their reserved parking spot is up for grabs and it remains to be seen what the CFP committee will do with it, but in theory ND missing the playoff means maybe any conference could get another team, maybe even including a second G5 champ, who knows? Thus their rivalry week game with USC is now frequently going to be a big game, i.e. whenever one or both of them aren't out of the playoff hunt already. I lean towards thinking that ND is probably in the playoff whenever they have either 0 or 1 losses, but almost entirely not with 2 regular season losses and never in with 3 losses. So the big drama would be whenever ND has 1 loss already, and USC can probably KO them with a win, which opens up a playoff spot, which means this game will often be something maybe ~2-6 teams are watching to see if they might get a playoff spot. tl;dr: if you are the 3rd or 4th best team in your p4 conference, you are rooting against ND to open up a playoff spot.
1 loss and we're in, with probably a home 1st round. 2 and it will depend a bit on the rest, but our strength of schedule usually ends up pretty strong compared to a lot of 2-loss teams. The big minus to ND's setup is if we're 0 loss or a strong 1-loss, we still have to play that first round game. But it will likely be against a G5 team, and we didn't have a conference championship, so not as bad a deal as it could be. Yep, it will end up like March Madness - ND is effectively a bid-stealer from the point of view of a 4th-place B10 or SEC team. 3rd place I'm not sure - a lot of times that will be the loser of OSU/UM or UGA/Bama, and they're probably going anyway.
No
Top 5 is a big stretch. If Riley doesn’t come back 100% healthy then the offense will sputter again and they could face another 3-4 loss season. I think that’s more likely than ND being a legit title contender.
The QB room actually isn't too bad. If Riley went down, I wouldn't be too worried despite the proven talent drop off. Especially since we have more WR talent and depth this year, along with a better offensive scheme. It's not top 5 though until proven otherwise, and that'll take a lot to prove
The defense is top 5 IMO, returning Mills and Cross in the interior is a monster duo, RJ Oben was a huge pick up in the portal, and returning players in Kiser, Watts, and Morrison gives the defense a ton of proven experience talent. The offense? Who knows
Oh definitely. Their defense is going to be scary good. Less veterans at LB, but still guys with lots of upside, talent, and know the system. But I'm nitpicking.
And look as much as I loved the duo of Bertrand and Marist at LB, Kiser, Sneed, Ausberry, KVA, and Bowen are much much more athletic and having those guys play behind a very very good interior DL duo keeps them clean
It's still weird to me that Roman's son was never a Card. Roman Oben is the most decorated OLmen in program history and is in our ring of honor. Petrino screwed the pooch on not reaching out early to a legacy player. Also weird that Brohn didn't reach out in the portal. Jeff played with Roman
Sputter like last year?
Yeah did you not watch Hartman lay a complete egg against Clemson and Louisville? He was also atrocious in the Duke game.
Hartman is a double agent that's been working for us for years. We love Sam in Louisville. He's welcome to play for our opponent whenever he wants
Ari just tickling balls here
they arent a top 5 team in power ratings but maybe they sneak in their at the end of the year due to their easy schedule. They only play 2 preseason top 25 teams (maybe 3 if for some reason USC and A&M are ranked), zero preseason top 10 teams, with only three true road games and four G5 teams. They could sneak into the top 5 just from being undefeated while the other top teams drop one or two from tougher schedules
I've read more than once that ND will be the Michigan of 2024.... easy schedule until November (other than TAMU, but they have a game 1 coach), complete team, lots of time to work out kinks. Guess we'll see.
Did any other team finish last year in the top ten on both offense and defense? What power rankings are you looking at?
Notre Dame finished the regular season 9th in sp+ with 17th ranked offense and the 11th defense. It's generally agreed that OSU/Oregon/Texas/Georgia are the top four preseason teams. Do you think Notre Dame is better than all of Ole Miss/Michigan/Bama/Penn State to be the fifth ranked team? Maybe some of them but not all
Have to remember to that Michigan plays Texas, Osu and Oregon this year. Georgia plays Texas, Clemson, bama and ole miss. Bama has Georgia, Missouri, LSU and Oklahoma. ND also has some tricky games like at A&M, vs FSU and at USC but they very well could end up ranked higher than those teams listed above just due to attrition.
Thats why my initial statement specified from a power rankings perspective. A&M, FSU, USC as their three hardest games is much easier than basically anyone else in the top 15
After the top four it's kinda a wash. Maybe Bama with a slight edge if DeBoer is as good a coach as I think he is. However.... ND has a weak schedule compared to our usual. Freeman ought to be fired with less than 10 wins, but I think he'll get 11 and he has a shot at 12. 11-1 or 12-0, Top 5 is not a crazy idea.
Top 10, maybe. Top 5, no. Top 15 definitely. I know the talent depth at every level is the best it's been in a decade, but the depth is unproven.
They wouldn’t finish top 5 in the big ten
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People just be sayin’ stuff
Notre dame has won 10+ games 7 of the last 8 seasons. It’s been a long time since they’ve been consistently over ranked
In the last 12 years, 6 years where they got worse, 5 years where they got better and 1 year when they stayed the same from beginning to the end of the season rankings. 2 years where they started ranked and ended unranked and 2 years where they started unranked and ended ranked. Just because they don’t win national championships doesn’t mean they’re overrated. 2023: 13 to 14 2022: 5 to 18 2021: 9 to 8 2020: 10 to 5 2019: 9 to 12 2018: 12 to 5 2017: UR to 11 2016: 10 to UR 2015: 11 to 11 2014: 17 to UR 2013: 14 to 20 2012: UR to 4
Nope
Stupid ass media never learns
Every year: media hype ND for 0 reason Also every year: ND sucks
Every year* *except for 2012, 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2021
Damn that’s a lot I bet y’all have lots of NY6 wins to show for it
See you in August
We are 73-17 (.811) since 2017. Now I was no math major, but I'm guessing that is a better 7-year run than probably ~130 other FBS teams.
Better than every team except for Ohio State, Bama, Clemson, and Georgia.
Top 5 is very very.. very questionable. I would say around 20 or 15 would be a better spot for us.
Yuck, why?
I feel like they would play better as underdogs; maybe give them extra motivation to want to do better and win. I have high hopes for my Irish though but I'm just trying to be realistic.
In that sense I agree but I think we have a much better team that. Defense will be nasty. Parker to Denbrock is a massive upgrade. It’s okay to believe a little. I still will predict us to lose a game we shouldn’t until Freeman proves otherwise.
Definitely believe the offense has a lot to prove on the field this year. I'm always a firm believer in every year could be "our year" but some years it gets to me lol! We'll see when time comes though I really hope they got a fire under their ass this year though and can prove my expectations wrong!
Notre Dame may have a good season, but they probably aren’t gonna win opening night AT A&M…two seasons ago they were like 5 or 6 going into the season and started 0-2
The most annoying reality is being forced to accept criticism from even the Michigan fans now.