Comments on: DEBATE THIS! Revisted: Notre Dame’s Strength of Schedule

By: Leaping Leprechaun

Leaping Leprechaun — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 03:35:52 +0000

In reply to ND_IRISH_FAN. I would have to agree with you completely on your points. I live in SEC country and hear the same argument every day about the SOS of the SEC. The one 'saving grace' the SEC can hang their hat on is the BCS record they boast...I have faith ND can stop this streak in its tracks..Roll Damn Irish!!!

By: ND_IRISH_FAN

ND_IRISH_FAN — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:03:43 +0000

Everyone talks of the tough schedule the SEC faces. Really? Since everyone is assuming a matchup in the BCS Championship game with Alabama, let us look at their tough SEC schedule. Alabama is 11-1. Their 12 opponents so far have a combined record of 70-72 this year and of that their SEC opponents had a combined record of 51-45. They beat one 8-4 Big 10 team. Their two tough Sun Belt teams had a combined record of 10-13. They played a brutal matchup in a FCS Southern conference team (Western Carolina) that ended the season 1-10. Among the SEC opponents that had that 51-45 overall record mentioned above, those SEC teams were only 24-40 within the SEC conference. Although they played eight SEC teams, with two being noteworthy, (LSU & Texas A&M) they were not very good overall.
Notre Dame on the other hand has an undefeated record at 12-0. Their opponents have a combined record of 79-62 with three Big Ten teams that had a 12-12 combined conference record. They played three ACC teams with a combined conference record of 9-15. They played against two Pac 12 teams that had a combined conference record of 13-5. Their lone game against a Big 12 team was versus Oklahoma who at 9-2 has a 7-1 conference record. They also matched up against only one team from the Big East in Pitt who has a 2-4 conference record. Their other two opponents were Independents in Navy with an overall record of 7-5 and BYU with the same record.
Touting how much tougher the SEC schedule is and then substantiating this with opponents Alabama played only being 24-40 within SEC… it doesn’t really prove the point. Throw in a Div I-AA team victory as one of their 11 wins and once again, it doesn’t solidify their “tougher SEC schedule” argument.
For Alabama fans bashing on a Notre Dame team that went undefeated against opponents that even the weakest of which would have no doubt also beaten teams the likes of Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic and a FCS team in Western Carolina is comical.

By: Teo

Teo — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:20:58 +0000

I disagree fully with the front-loaded schedule bit. The voters have an anti-ND bias. You could tell as soon as the BCS standings arrived. But even before then, when we were betting up Michigan, MSU, and Stanford, we were looked down upon because we weren’t blowing anyone out.

I think it will sort itself out – Oregon will lose and we will get our shot against USC – because voters have been wrong all year. First it was USC, then Michigan, MSU, West Virginia and Alabama. My hunch is Stanford’s defense will pull it out. I could be wrong and we could get the shaft, but someone has to lose for us to have a shot. And that’s because the voters have been wrong all year.

By: ndtex

ndtex — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 19:13:00 +0000

In reply to NDZibby.

The SEC is 30-16 since 2007 in bowl games. (Source: http://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/play-index/sgl_finder.cgi?request=1&match=game&year_min=2007&year_max=2012&conf_id=sec&school_id=&opp_id=&game_type=B&game_num_min=&game_num_max=&game_location=&game_result=&c1stat=&c1comp=gt&c1val=&c2stat=&c2comp=gt&c2val=&c3stat=&c3comp=gt&c3val=&c4stat=&c4comp=gt&c4val=&order_by=pass_td#stats::none )

As for non-conference, yeah it’s easy to be dominate when you schedule like this: http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-06-29/sec-nonconference-schedule-rankings-alabama-florida-lsu-missouri-arkansas

By: NDZibby

NDZibby — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 17:41:00 +0000

Ok HLS readers, I could use some help. Got into a debate with a friend last night in which I stated that we don’t really know if the top of the SEC is that good. He called me biased (shocking!) and categorically stated that the SEC has dominated non-conference and bowl games over the last 5+ years and thats why we know they’re so dominant.

I know earlier this year there were multiple articles/blogs with info that pointed to that statement being a fallacy, but I no longer know where those places are. Can someone direct me?

By: JoeSchu

JoeSchu — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 13:09:00 +0000

Keep in mind that the Irish have won more games against BCS AQ opponents than the ENTIRE SEC has faced in their non-conference schedules. Don’t let the echo chamber suck you in.

By: ndtex

ndtex — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 06:07:00 +0000

In reply to trey. No. Cupcakes are FCS teams and non-BCS bottom-feeders.

By: Tnirish

Tnirish — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 01:57:00 +0000

There is another factor no one is talking about. SOS only looks at averages. Which four game schedule is tougher, two games vs top 10 plus another two in the 80’s (aka cupcake) OR four games vs teams in the 30’s? Math would tell you the latter. I think the first one would be tougher. We (ND) are not getting the human votes because the top end of our schedule has lost its luster. I disagree with the voters who think this way but they ignore the cupcakes and focus on the high profile games.

By: RUDY-2

RUDY-2 — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 23:56:00 +0000

In reply to NDZibby. If ND was in the SEC East, undefeated and had played a SOS similar to the one they have, is there any doubt they would be ranked #2 in the BCS and waiting on the Conference championship game vs. Alabama? How else do you explain Georgia at #5 with a blowout loss to South Carolina? The bias is rampant; pro-SEC, coaches' poll that favors their conferences, anti-ND, and pre-season rankings barriers, on and on. I am sick of it. Let's just win out and hope two ahead of us lose. We can never again count on fairness from the voters. It's been that way since 1989. Just ask Lou.

By: trey

trey — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 23:20:00 +0000

In reply to FightingSonOfNotreDame. Actually, we do, and we play vry poorly in them. BYU and Pitt are cupcakes