Sunday, September 24, 2006

CFB Hangover: Monday Mania

How do you feel about Notre Dame's win? Was it a gritty comeback worthy of a BCS-level team? Or did it showcase a team with massive holes on D?

Given its drama (and its spot on primetime national TV), the "40" will probably eclipse the "37."

But that dovetails nicely with this week's big issue:

With all but two Top 25 teams winning, how much should HOW a team won factor into moving up or down in the rankings?

(And where it's relevant, how much should conference competition factor in? For ND purposes, I'd count Michigan St as a "conference"game.)

Can you hold it against Ohio St or USC or Michigan or Florida for needing all four quarters to beat league rivals? I don't think so (at least, not completely).

Georgia is another story: Don't let non-factor frosh QB Joe Cox's off-the-bench, 4th-quarter heroics fool you: UGA almost lost, at home, to a really bad team that has already lost (at home) to a 1-AA team.

Back to Notre Dame: I'm willing to credit the offense for delivering, but the D obviously has a LOT further to go before I'd rank the Irish ahead of the other teams in the Top 10.

Upshot: Begrudgingly, I put Notre Dame back in the Top 10. (See item above for my ballot in this week's BlogPoll Top 25.)

Revised Heisman Ballot
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Troy Smith
3A. Mario Manningham
3B. Dwayne Jarrett
3C. Calvin Johnson
4. Brady Quinn
5.* David Ball

(* - Honorary)

Comment Question: Two days later, what is the most interesting CFB analysis from the weekend that has stuck with you?

-- D.S.

15 comments:

Trey (formerly TF) said...

Talk about a weekend were everyone played down to their opponents level:

USC, WVU, Florida, Georgia, and Va Tech all needed late runs to put games away.

Joe(dayton)

CorrND said...

I said before the season began that NDs D was no different than the one that got lit up in the Fiesta Bowl. After 2 games, when the "experts" said that NDs D was very much improved over last year, I still said that they were massively overrated. Two weeks in a row of being exposed and now I feel vindicated. NDs D is terrible. The problem is that they're going to play a bunch of crappy teams for the next 2 months and people are going to think they're decent again. Don't be fooled.

All of that said, the offense is still quite good. The fact that they managed 40 points in that ridiculous weather says something. And Brady's stat line against MSU is certainly going to figure in the Heisman voting. In fact, 3 int's against Michigan aside, Quinn's stats this year have been very, very good. He's a couple blowouts against NDs cake-walk schedule away from being right back at the top of the Heisman watch.

john (east lansing, mi) said...

Um, doesn't it seem sorta like, if anything, they managed 40 points BECAUSE of that crappy weather, specifically MSU's inability to deal with it? (not to mention that INT return and the drive that started at the 24 thanks to ND's lousy D and MSU's shitbrick 4th-quarter O)

Did you miss ND's 14 first-quarter plays for 18 yards?

Sure, Brady's a mudder, but that hardly makes the vaunted O a juggernaut most Saturdays. Then again, if you throw 9 out of 14 downs against a Big Ten team, you probably can't help but get to 21. The thing you need to worry about is making sure the other team doesn't catch 3 of those passes on its way to 47.

RevScottDeMangeMD said...

I don't consider this a Notre Dame win. I consider this a Michigan State fuck-up and I am thanking God that I do not root for the Spartans because I probably would be in a mental hospital right now. Then again, it's just "MSU being MSU"

Mega said...

So ND barely beats GA Tech, beats an overrated Penn State, and beats a mediocre MSU and they're top 10? Again, lets see them beat teams like Texas, OSU, or USC before anyone annoints them as top 10 worthy.

Michigan BLEW THEM OUT.

CorrND said...

You've recruited quite an ND hating crew here Dan!

John: so by your logic, Michigan's O isn't very good because 14 of their points against ND came directly off turnovers and another 7 on an int that gave them great field position? That's ridiculous. Both offenses are very good.

Also, I'm not arguing that Quinn deserves the Heisman. I honestly don't think he's even in the top 10 right now. Who knows what he's going to do the rest of the season (although, given the remaining schedule, I'm betting on huge numbers the rest of the season). I'm just saying that when the voters go to decide their pick at the end of the season, Quinn's early season numbers are going to look just fine.

Unfair reality? You bet.

CorrND said...

dan mega: show me one other team in the country that's played 4 real teams so far. WVU is beating the pants off the likes of E. Carolina and you guys think they're hot shit. They haven't played anybody yet!

Where's the outrage over THAT?

CYGNUS003 said...

virgil said...

can't show any love for Notre Dame's victory against a Michigan State team that is coached by such a disorganized coaching staff, just look to the 2005 Ohio State game for a glaring example. But I will concede that the comback win keeps Brady Quinn name at the top of the '07 NFL Draft talk...

as far as "how" a team wins, a win is a win. I know college football has a tradition of favoring teams who blowout an opponent, but if at this point in the season if you are still winning games 77-0, then I call to question scheduling ethics. Parody and familiarity within the conferences should make most games a four quater affair.

john (east lansing, mi) said...

corrnd - alright, ND's offense scored plenty too, I guess 5 is a lot of TD passes. I just thought the game would have turned out differently if it hadn't started raining like that; it was on a decidedly different course before the elements apparently started leaking into John Lansing Smith's skull. Really I just wanted to offer the opinion that the weather didnt make ND's 40 points more incredible, it actually made them easier. But they certainly still existed, yes.
by the by, would it be offensive, or just funny, if I had addressed this to 'corrnd beef'? I'm really not entirely sure.


Dan Mega - I'm not sure what makes MSU so mediocre. They seemed to have a lot going for them up until the end of the 3rd on Saturday. Furthermore, The Corrs is right about early-season scheduling. Maybe Penn State was overrated, or maybe ND just made them look that way, but one thing you have to admit is that those four games were all real teams.
To put your logic to the test, has Texas beaten any of those three teams? How about LSU? Certainly, Georgia? Or especially, wow, WVU? Good point, Corrnd, SportsCenter somehow fooled me into thinking this team was for real. Why does the headline "ECU puts up a fight, but No. 4 West Virginia pulls away late" exist for any reason?
And anyway, ND actually has a game scheduled vs. USC later on this season, and I'd say they have a fair chance of winning. Partly because I think USC is a travershamockery with 3 years of inertia mooring it in the top 5, but partly because ND can actually get things done, fast, in a big way, when they try. Plus, Jesus loves them.

CorrND said...

corrnd beef is definitely funny. I knew the joke was inevitable.

And actually, NDs offense was shut down by the really driving rain at the end of the 3rd. On one possession, Quinn fumbled and recovered twice off the snap and they went three-and-out.

*** these are the kinds of things that won't be remembered when people vote for the Heisman ***

It wasn't until the rain let up a little in the 4th that the offense exploded.

Unknown said...

Trev Alberts lives?

Mark May has supported OSU since the Texas win.

USC had not, until their struggle with Arizona, shown any weaknesses. So why not consider them for #1?

As long as a team is undefeated, there will be debate.

john (east lansing, mi) said...

Hey, yeah, Kirk Herbstreit is always pretty rough on you guys.




*ducks*

Jen said...

I just love all of the Buckeye fans that are here. It sure beats reading a blog where they are getting slammed by people that hate them because they are #1.

I have noticed that no matter what network team is calling a game, the Buckeyes are getting negative comments thrown at them. I'm glad I was at my nephew's birthday party and could only watch Saturday's game.

Jen said...

Chris: "For all I care B. Quinn can win the heisman, get drafted by the Raiders and suck it up for the rest of his life while his sister is getting plowed by a guy with a National Championship ring."

Best. Comment. Ever.

john (east lansing, mi) said...

"I just love all of the Buckeye fans that are here. It sure beats reading a blog where they are getting slammed by people that hate them because they are #1.

jen - i'm interested. where did you say this blog could be found?

:-p - it's gonna be one hell of a The Game this year...