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The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: medinabuckeye1 on January 10, 2025, 11:09:47 PM

Title: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 10, 2025, 11:09:47 PM
The stuff of @Mdot21 (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1595) 's nightmares.
Title: Re: CFP CG #5 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: SFBadger96 on January 10, 2025, 11:15:33 PM
All I know from everything I’ve read and heard is that the Irish are DOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!!!
Title: Re: CFP CG #5 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: Mdot21 on January 10, 2025, 11:18:40 PM
obviously dislike both of these teams greatly. 

but think I would rather have Ohio State win just to say...."cool, congrats, but you couldn't beat us." 

And I think everyone dislikes Notre Dame in large part because they are akin to the Cowboys in the NFL, Yankees in MLB, or Lakers in NBA and talked about constantly even though they have largely sucked ass for most of the last 40 years or so.
Title: Re: CFP CG #5 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: Mdot21 on January 10, 2025, 11:20:31 PM
All I know from everything I’ve read and heard is that the Irish are DOOOOOOOOOOOOMED!!!!!!
I feel very confident in saying this....Ohio State is going to beat the absolute fuck out of Notre Dame. This is a really bad matchup for Notre Dame.
Title: Re: CFP CG #5 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: Honestbuckeye on January 10, 2025, 11:27:08 PM
I feel very confident in saying this....Ohio State is going to beat the absolute fuck out of Notre Dame. This is a really bad matchup for Notre Dame.
Not culturally, or the school, but ND’s team this year reminds me of Michigan.   Tough as nails and gritty as hell.   This will be a game.   
Title: Re: CFP CG #5 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: Mdot21 on January 10, 2025, 11:37:11 PM
Not culturally, or the school, but ND’s team this year reminds me of Michigan.  Tough as nails and gritty as hell.  This will be a game. 
No it won't. Riley Leonard is pretty bad at throwing the football. Michigan last year was a much better, deeper, more talented team than this years Notre Dame. Oh yeah not to mention they had a top 10 NFL draft pick QB'ing them and Riley Leonard won't be a top 10 CFL draft pick...

2023 Michigan had 15 guys drafted to the NFL I think- and their best NFL draft prospects were sophomores that couldn't even be drafted- Will Johnson, Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Colston Loveland- who are all about to be 1st round picks in this draft. That team had 5 DT's in the rotation that will wind up being NFL draft picks in the top 3 rounds when said and done- with two of them being 1st round picks (Graham & Grant) - that's pretty nutty depth and talent at defensive tackle on one team- and that's where you win ball games- the trenches.

this ND squad doesn't have that kind of raw NFL talent over 2 drafts nor a QB anywhere in the same universe talent wise as JJ.

Ohio State is going to straight up decapitate Notre Dame.
Title: Re: CFP CG #5 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: Honestbuckeye on January 10, 2025, 11:41:22 PM
No it won't. Riley Leonard is pretty bad at throwing the football. Michigan last year was a much better, deeper, more talented team than this years Notre Dame. Oh yeah not to mention they had a top 10 NFL draft pick QB'ing them and Riley Leonard won't be a top 10 CFL draft pick...

2023 Michigan had 15 guys drafted to the NFL I think- and their best NFL draft prospects were sophomores that couldn't even be drafted- Will Johnson, Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant, and Colston Loveland- who are all about to be 1st round picks in this draft. That team had 5 DT's in the rotation that will wind up being NFL draft picks in the top 3 rounds when said and done- with two of them being 1st round picks (Graham & Grant) - that's pretty nutty depth and talent at defensive tackle on one team- and that's where you win ball games- the trenches.

this ND squad doesn't have that kind of raw NFL talent over 2 drafts nor a QB anywhere in the same universe talent wise as JJ.

Ohio State is going to straight up decapitate Notre Dame.
I am talking about this years UM team- you know, the one that beat OSU a few weeks ago. 
Title: Re: CFP CG #5 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: Mdot21 on January 10, 2025, 11:44:27 PM
I am talking about this years UM team- you know, the one that beat OSU a few weeks ago.
oh well, sure. but Notre Dame is better because they have an average QB whereas Michigan does not have one at all. 

this is a different Ohio State that lost to Michigan at home. they've handled everyone in the playoff- not going to short circuit at Notre Dame- arguably the weakest team they've faced. 

Ohio State went through the gauntlet- smashed SEC team Tennessee at home, smashed Oregon in the rematch in the Rose Bowl, and just took care of business vs Texas and won by 2 TD's. 

Notre Dame is going to get annihilated. 
Title: Re: CFP CG #8 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: Mdot21 on January 10, 2025, 11:46:56 PM
The stuff of @Mdot21 (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1595) 's nightmares.
https://twitter.com/BarstoolUofM/status/1877927499184672981
Title: Re: CFP CG #8 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: Mdot21 on January 10, 2025, 11:48:04 PM
https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1705778876800958697
Title: Re: CFP CG #8 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 10, 2025, 11:56:14 PM
ND will do what they've done vs elite talent teams the past 35 years.  
Lose.
Just watch the 2012 NCG vs Alabama.  
Or the playoff game vs Clemson in 2018.  
Or the playoff game vs Alabama in 2020.  
This year?  They haven't played an elite team.  You could stretch and say UGA, but with their backup QB.  Penn State?  ND's mirror, totally imasculated by big-boy teams going back decades.  Literally, since 1994, their only big wins late in the  year were followed by losses to USC in the RB.  It's a joke.

ND's only chance is that it's very difficult to "get up" for 4 straight games (themselves included) and random chance happens to avalanche their way.  An ND win would be a statistical outlier, plain and simple.
Title: Re: CFP CG #8 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 11, 2025, 12:04:53 AM
Here's a fun stat.  ND is is only 4 points a stronger underdog than TCU was vs Georgia in 2022.  

That pretty much says it all.
Title: Re: CFP CG #8 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 11, 2025, 12:10:58 AM
Shit, actually, ND does have a chance.  

Winged helmets.
Title: Re: CFP CG #8 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: FearlessF on January 11, 2025, 04:17:10 AM
Domers could have the luck of the Irish

some crazy ball bounces, official's calls, special teams blunders

I'm just hopin for a 4th quarter game with a Big Ten win
Title: Re: CFP CG #8 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: TyphonInc on January 11, 2025, 07:58:42 AM
Didn't these 2 teams play just last year? Didn't ND lead most of the 4th? Didn't OSU need ND to only have 10 defenders on the last play?

I don't think OSU is head and shoulders better than the Catholics.

Yah OSU beat Texas by 2 scores but The Horns were 1st and goal at the 1 from tying this game up. 

This could be a really good game. I mean I'm rooting for a 21-0 OSU lead at the end of the first type game, but this could be a real slugfest.
Title: Re: CFP CG #8 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 11, 2025, 08:37:26 AM
If OSU can pull this off, then they would have won at least one under each format; 12 team playoff, 4 team playoff, BCS, and of course several under the "beat Michigan and win the Rose Bowl if eligible" system. 
Title: Re: CFP CG #8 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: Honestbuckeye on January 11, 2025, 08:55:34 AM

Defense:

Ohio State is #1 allowing 12.1 pts/game

Notre Dame is #2 allowing 14.3 pts/game

 

Offense:

Notre Dame is #6 scoring 37.0 pts/game

Ohio State is #11 scoring 36.4 pts/game

Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 11, 2025, 11:59:38 AM
Defense:
Ohio State is #1 allowing 12.1 pts/game
Notre Dame is #2 allowing 14.3 pts/game

Offense:
Notre Dame is #6 scoring 37.0 pts/game
Ohio State is #11 scoring 36.4 pts/game
I'd like to see this relative to opposition because my impression is that Ohio State has played a much tougher schedule. 

College Football Nerds will have it up soon.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MrNubbz on January 11, 2025, 12:56:07 PM
Ya saw those stats on 11 W 😎

Tebow called Howard's keeper who did a good job of following his blocks
https://twitter.com/i/status/1877924190205968708
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 11, 2025, 01:01:51 PM
I like all the posts online about how many ranked teams ND played, ignoring that Army and Navy were 2 of them.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 11, 2025, 01:16:08 PM
I like all the posts online about how many ranked teams ND played, ignoring that Army and Navy were 2 of them.
I thought the same thing about Ohio State tying a record by beating four top-5 teams. 

Apparently LSU-19, USC-67, and ND-43 were the only teams to do so previously. 

I'm a lot more interested in final rank of opponents than gameday rank of opponents.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: nwms on January 11, 2025, 01:44:27 PM
nd's defense & oline (backs too) are really good but riley leonard is atrocious & the ohst d is elite. this feels like a game that'll be a slow bleed ohst gets up by a score early & the nd offense puts their d in bad spots asking it to save them over & over until the dam breaks late.

-9.5 tells it all & i would lay the points.

there is a world where nd wins but i don't think it's going to happen. will howard is a really good player & has never looked better to me than he has this playoff. that said he'll throw it up for grabs if you can get heat on him. i saw him do it plenty at kst & he did it last night. nd would have to get to him consistently & produce turnovers.

i just hope the game is good. idk how they lost two games but they had no biz doing so.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SFBadger96 on January 11, 2025, 04:49:19 PM
I feel very confident in saying this....Ohio State is going to beat the absolute fuck out of Notre Dame. This is a really bad matchup for Notre Dame.
More or less confident than when you said this:


Any time you hear this kind of excuse before hand- expect a beat down coming. I already thought Notre Dame was probably overrated and offensively challenged with a shitty QB that can't pass the ball at all and that they'd lose in a close one to Penn State. Switching it up to the blow out. Penn State big.

Personally, I think Ohio State is a step up from Penn State this year--their game in Happy Valley suggested that--so yeah, ND is DOOOOOOOOOOMED!
That said, can we agree on what the excuse will be if OSU loses? Is it the unfair schedule; that they had a tougher road? Or will there be another reason?
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MrNubbz on January 11, 2025, 06:03:12 PM
That said, can we agree on what the excuse will be if OSU loses? Is it the unfair schedule; that they had a tougher road? Or will there be another reason?
Yes we were still laughing at the Badgers getting wood shedded by Iowa and the Goophs
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Honestbuckeye on January 11, 2025, 06:35:42 PM
More or less confident than when you said this:

Personally, I think Ohio State is a step up from Penn State this year--their game in Happy Valley suggested that--so yeah, ND is DOOOOOOOOOOMED!
That said, can we agree on what the excuse will be if OSU loses? Is it the unfair schedule; that they had a tougher road? Or will there be another reason?
You need to get over yourself.  Seriously 
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SFBadger96 on January 11, 2025, 10:09:39 PM
What times are these that honest Buckeyes come to the defense of outlandish Michigan fans?

Next thing you know passing ruffians will say “knee” to old ladies.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SFBadger96 on January 11, 2025, 10:12:43 PM
Yes we were still laughing at the Badgers getting wood shedded by Iowa and the Goophs
That checks out.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Hawkinole on January 12, 2025, 12:29:07 AM
Yes we were still laughing at the Badgers getting wood shedded by Iowa.
I was at that game!
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Hawkinole on January 12, 2025, 01:18:55 AM
The only thing I can think to add to this thread is the following irrelevant chant: S-E-C, S-E-C, S-E-C (We at S-E-C are now completely humiliated especially after the addition of Big 12/8 helmet schools, which didn't advance our interest, a bit).
We, at the S-E-C, bow to the powers of college football.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Honestbuckeye on January 12, 2025, 07:11:33 AM
What times are these that honest Buckeyes come to the defense of outlandish Michigan fans?

Next thing you know passing ruffians will say “knee” to old ladies.
Is that what I did?  Between a confusingly worded post and my Saturday bourbon- totally unintentional 😂.  
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MrNubbz on January 12, 2025, 08:32:49 AM
I was at that game!
I actually LOVE IT when the the rest of the conference can give blue bloods a knuckle sandwich along the seasons dips/curves. It would do the CFB landscape well to see Spartans/Badgers/Goophs/Bug Eaters/Hawks/Nits etc. raise the hardware.Notice no mention of carrion eating skunk weasels that came to prominence along with Biden,woke & border openings,I don't think it's a happenstance - that was a package deal.;D

CJ Stroud and his posse showed massive headwound harbaugh w/o stalions the door yesterday. 
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 12, 2025, 08:48:49 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqpnEcUB-6w
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Temp430 on January 12, 2025, 10:04:18 AM
The bad news is Michigan rivals #1A and #1B are in the NC game.  The good news is that one of them will lose.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 12, 2025, 10:11:22 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqpnEcUB-6w
I was at that game, and attendance record at the time. 

My grandparents attended the home loss in the 30'a
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MrNubbz on January 12, 2025, 10:17:57 AM
The bad news is Michigan rivals #1A and #1B are in the NC game.  The good news is that one of them will lose.
The better news is if Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding hadn't missed two field goals inside 40 yards vs M,Day & Kelly don't feel the heat and change things up
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SFBadger96 on January 12, 2025, 10:55:13 AM
Is that what I did?  Between a confusingly worded post and my Saturday bourbon- totally unintentional 😂. 
Well, it is a confusing world where Mdot21 is going so strong for the Buckeyes. And I realize the excuse comment probably came across as an attack on the Buckeyes.
(Pssst: Ohio State will probably will this game; it is rightly favored. I think 9.5 is probably high--and will likely move--but OSU does have the more impressive wins against a more impressive schedule. Perhaps I'm using the trope incorrectly, but that's exactly why I'm invoking the doomed gambit.)
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MrNubbz on January 12, 2025, 11:00:44 AM
One Buckeye starter who didn’t play a full game against Texas was Denzel Burke, who spent the second half watching from the sideline with Jermaine Mathews Jr. taking his place in the lineup at cornerback opposite Davison Igbinosun. It was unclear whether Burke, who remained on the sideline with his helmet on in the second half, was dealing with an injury or was benched for performance reasons.

 But Burke, who declined an interview request in the locker room after the game, didn’t return to the game after missing a tackle on a 24-yard catch-and-run by Silas Bolden that set up a game-tying touchdown for the Longhorns late in the first half. Jermaine Matthews Jr. (47 snaps) played more than Burke (28) against Texas. Some have said he was injured or had the flu. He played decent vs Oregon,hopefully he's healthy as Mathews is good but got flagged twice vs Texas
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Honestbuckeye on January 12, 2025, 11:10:59 AM
One Buckeye starter who didn’t play a full game against Texas was Denzel Burke, who spent the second half watching from the sideline with Jermaine Mathews Jr. taking his place in the lineup at cornerback opposite Davison Igbinosun. It was unclear whether Burke, who remained on the sideline with his helmet on in the second half, was dealing with an injury or was benched for performance reasons.

 But Burke, who declined an interview request in the locker room after the game, didn’t return to the game after missing a tackle on a 24-yard catch-and-run by Silas Bolden that set up a game-tying touchdown for the Longhorns late in the first half. Jermaine Matthews Jr. (47 snaps) played more than Burke (28) against Texas. Some have said he was injured or had the flu. He played decent vs Oregon,hopefully he's healthy as Mathews is good but got flagged twice vs Texas

Burke was injured on that missed tackle.  He played well up to that point.

Jermaine Matthews played well too.  His penalty in the end zone was the smartest thing ever.  It was intentional and had he not done that, an easy TD for Ewers and a tied game.  This is perhaps the least talked about yet most important play of the now famous ( or infamous) goal line stand.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Mdot21 on January 12, 2025, 11:17:31 AM
The better news is if Ohio State kicker Jayden Fielding hadn't missed two field goals inside 40 yards vs M,Day & Kelly don't feel the heat and change things up
And if my grandmother had wheels she’d be a bicycle….

this is a loser mentality coming from a loser program. excuses are like assholes. Ohio State is just Michigan’s little brother right now. Deal with it.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Honestbuckeye on January 12, 2025, 11:23:10 AM
And if my grandmother had wheels she’d be a bicycle….

this is a loser mentality coming from a loser program. excuses are like assholes. Ohio State is just Michigan’s little brother right now. Deal with it.
I think you missed his point.    He is thanking Michigan for waking a sleeping giant.   By the way..thank you.  
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MrNubbz on January 12, 2025, 11:55:04 AM
And if my grandmother had wheels she’d be a bicycle….

this is a loser mentality coming from a loser program. excuses are like assholes. Ohio State is just Michigan’s little brother right now. Deal with it.
OK fucktard,CTE,Mongoloid - your descriptions of an HC that won a Natty in AA :D. Oh and the final verdict on your crime syndicate isn't in yet
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SFBadger96 on January 12, 2025, 12:05:37 PM
His penalty in the end zone was the smartest thing ever.  It was intentional and had he not done that, an easy TD for Ewers and a tied game.  This is perhaps the least talked about yet most important play of the now famous ( or infamous) goal line stand.
I'm a fan of the properly invoked penalty. One of my recent favorites was in soccer, where on a breakaway at the end of the last regular season game, with a playoff berth on the line, a defender committed an obvious take down (DOGSO: denial of goal scoring opportunity--straight red) just outside the penalty area--there was no way she had time to make a fair play on the ball before the attacker got a shot off. So she gets sent off (red carded) and suspended, but the restart is a direct kick rather than a penalty kick. Result: defending team makes the playoff. Huge play.
Similar result here: instead of needing a FG to avoid overtime, OSU comes away with a 14-point win that most people (and the chattering masses on TV) will forget was a really close game.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 12, 2025, 12:17:35 PM
Similar result here: instead of needing a FG to avoid overtime, OSU comes away with a 14-point win that most people (and the chattering masses on TV) will forget was a really close game.
I, for one, acknowledged upthread that it was a REALLY close game. 

My standard, go-to, way of assessing the closeness of a game is in terms of time rather than points, as in:

At what point in the game would a neutral viewer have thought it was over?

In this case that was not until ~2 minutes to go.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Mdot21 on January 12, 2025, 12:41:18 PM
SEC SEC SEC!

https://twitter.com/ianmSC/status/1877928247696187440
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: LittlePig on January 12, 2025, 03:11:24 PM

SEC SEC SEC!

Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC, Michigan and Illinois are now 8-1 against the SEC this season, which is stunning considering the SEC remains undefeated in hypothetical matchups
Not sure why the folks on twitter chose those teams specifically,  but the Big Ten overall is 6-4 vs the SEC this year,  which is still a good record for the Big Ten.

Missing from the the Twitter post is Wisc loss to Bama,  UCLA loss to LSU,  Iowa loss to Mizzou in Music Bowl.  Then add in Notre Dame's wins over A&M and Georgia and you get 8-1.   

I know that doesn't change the original point that the SEC is down by SEC standards and was a little over-rated this year,  but it does not mean the SEC is suddenly awful either.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 12, 2025, 03:40:25 PM
Seeing how giddy they are about a now 2-year! run without the SEC dominating is revealing.

Come back to me when you've utterly dominated every facet of the sport for 18 years.  5 different schools winning NCs in that amount of time among the 13 overall in those 18 years.  

These posts mocking the SEC are adorable.  It's like selling all of your Apple stock after it dips for 2 days.  Yawn.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 12, 2025, 03:52:32 PM
I actually LOVE IT when the the rest of the conference can give blue bloods a knuckle sandwich along the seasons dips/curves. It would do the CFB landscape well to see Spartans/Badgers/Goophs/Bug Eaters/Hawks/Nits etc. raise the hardware.
The Big Ten has struggled with this for......60 years now.  The whales of UM and OSU + the plankton they feast upon.  
The Big Ten hasn't had parity since peace-love-dope.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 12, 2025, 04:56:17 PM

That said, can we agree on what the excuse will be if OSU loses? Is it the unfair schedule; that they had a tougher road? Or will there be another reason?
Upsets happen.  Statistical certainty.  Something that doesn't happen 97% of the time still happens 3% of the time.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MrNubbz on January 12, 2025, 05:00:46 PM
The Big Ten has struggled with this for......60 years now.  The whales of UM and OSU + the plankton they feast upon. 
The Big Ten hasn't had parity since peace-love-dope.
Sorry our bagmen get a say now but that post has nothing to do with the SEC. FLA at least looks like it's climbing out and i've stated that,work on your complex
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 12, 2025, 11:24:12 PM
One thing that I think will be interesting to see is how the AP treats things.  The most recent AP Poll came out before ANY of the bowls.  This is quite unusual therefore for the teams that have played multiple CFP games because usually there is only one game between AP Polls but now there are a bunch for various teams.  Here is the last AP Poll (again, before any of the bowls) along with results since then:


Interesting that nine consecutive teams from #7 Tennessee through #15 Miami all lost.  That leaves a lot of upward mobility possible for the teams behind that with impressive wins:

The Playoffs also produced eight teams that went 0-1 so it will be interesting to see what the voters do with:

Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 12, 2025, 11:31:03 PM
My guess for final AP Poll top-10:


Title: Re: CFP CG #8 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: SuperMario on January 13, 2025, 11:22:52 AM


Yah OSU beat Texas by 2 scores but The Horns were 1st and goal at the 1 from tying this game up.

This could be a really good game. I mean I'm rooting for a 21-0 OSU lead at the end of the first type game, but this could be a real slugfest.
This is why I have always appreciated this group. Yes, rival fans tend to slug it out on here occasionally, but for the most part a reasonable group. The game was that close and a couple plays different could have lead to a far different outcome. I can't believe it's the case, but coaching was a huge factor. I have thought Sarkisian had a James Franklin feel to him and it's leaning more towards that right now.

Couple plays that changed the game - The screen to Henderson to basically end the first half. Honestly a brilliant call when the defensive call was beyond stupid on so many level. As in illogical, senseless, unintelligent, dumb, irresponsible, etc. Blitz everyone and have your DBs start the play running backwards? wow.

Two, the Sawyer play was obviously legendary. I really dislike that dude. I think his character is far short of what a good buckeye fan deserves. He runs his mouth all the time, has choked in some big situations.. but that's as legendary of a play as you can ask for in a perfect moment. Props for that.. .but it also followed two plays the later the dumbest 2nd and goal from the 1 play i've ever seen. Why? Why in the world with OSU's defense clearly that quick tracking guys all game would you pitch backwards and think you'll outrun their D? Moronic.. idiotic.. stupid.. great play by the buckeyes.. beyond stupid play call on so many levels.

That's my weekend throw up and Buckeye's in the title game vomit expulsion. I think the real title game was Friday night and OSU will win this one easily. Notre Dame is pretty banged up and their offensive line pretty messy. OSU is pretty talented and if they were going to fall, it was going to be Friday as Texas had the talent in the right places to pull a win, but the talent gap for this game is far bigger. The only thing that may keep it close is Freeman outcoaching Day, i'm not sure that's possible with a talent gap this big. OSU fans, enjoy the title. The joy of the experience is better from moments like the Sawyer play and happening around good friends or family. I'm not sure how long the joy lasts, but in some cases it can go beyond 1871 days. O:-)
Title: Re: CFP CG #5 Ohio Stata vs #7 Notre Dame
Post by: MikeDeTiger on January 13, 2025, 11:42:00 AM
All I know from everything I’ve read and heard is that the Irish are DOMED!!!!!!

fify
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Honestbuckeye on January 13, 2025, 12:26:08 PM
This is why I have always appreciated this group. Yes, rival fans tend to slug it out on here occasionally, but for the most part a reasonable group. The game was that close and a couple plays different could have lead to a far different outcome. I can't believe it's the case, but coaching was a huge factor. I have thought Sarkisian had a James Franklin feel to him and it's leaning more towards that right now.

Couple plays that changed the game - The screen to Henderson to basically end the first half. Honestly a brilliant call when the defensive call was beyond stupid on so many level. As in illogical, senseless, unintelligent, dumb, irresponsible, etc. Blitz everyone and have your DBs start the play running backwards? wow.

Two, the Sawyer play was obviously legendary. I really dislike that dude. I think his character is far short of what a good buckeye fan deserves. He runs his mouth all the time, has choked in some big situations.. but that's as legendary of a play as you can ask for in a perfect moment. Props for that.. .but it also followed two plays the later the dumbest 2nd and goal from the 1 play i've ever seen. Why? Why in the world with OSU's defense clearly that quick tracking guys all game would you pitch backwards and think you'll outrun their D? Moronic.. idiotic.. stupid.. great play by the buckeyes.. beyond stupid play call on so many levels.

That's my weekend throw up and Buckeye's in the title game vomit expulsion. I think the real title game was Friday night and OSU will win this one easily. Notre Dame is pretty banged up and their offensive line pretty messy. OSU is pretty talented and if they were going to fall, it was going to be Friday as Texas had the talent in the right places to pull a win, but the talent gap for this game is far bigger. The only thing that may keep it close is Freeman outcoaching Day, i'm not sure that's possible with a talent gap this big. OSU fans, enjoy the title. The joy of the experience is better from moments like the Sawyer play and happening around good friends or family. I'm not sure how long the joy lasts, but in some cases it can go beyond 1871 days. O:-)it’s funny, one man’s terrorist is another man’s patriot.
For sure -that game could have gone either way.

it’s funny, one man’s terrorist is another man’s patriot.  I could see why you don’t like Jack Sawyer 

ironically, the reason he is so loved by the team, and the coaches and the fans is precisely because they love his character.  They view him as a true leader, and he does so much outside of the team for the community. 

I would also say he has made himself a lot of money during this playoff run. I can’t tell you how many sacks, batted down passes and excellent plays he has made.    The play before the strip sack is another place of Texas is that he ruined 


as far as Notre Dame I would not count my chickens just yet. They are phenomenal at bringing the game to a slog.  Both Michigan and Texas proved that you can really slow down the OSU offense by doing that   
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: LittlePig on January 13, 2025, 12:27:23 PM
The real title game was in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SuperMario on January 13, 2025, 12:55:37 PM

it’s funny, one man’s terrorist is another man’s patriot.  I could see why you don’t like Jack Sawyer 

ironically, the reason he is so loved by the team, and the coaches and the fans is precisely because they love his character.  They view him as a true leader, and he does so much outside of the team for the community. 

I would also say he has made himself a lot of money during this playoff run. I can’t tell you how many sacks, batted down passes and excellent plays he has made.    The play before the strip sack is another place of Texas is that he ruined 


For the most part, he's been pretty irrelevant in my following of the game, until everything that happened with the flag planting, how he handled it and then people tracking him and showing him running his mouth with Tennessee players coming onto the field. He may be a great locker room guy and may be great in the community, but on the field, the dude runs his mouth too much and acts in a way i don't like. To give you reference, my closest friend is a lifelong Buckeye and my text to him was "he's your Hunter Dickinson."  My point was, being in your uniform, you have to root for him but if he was on any other team, you'd really dislike how he comes across. It makes it much easier to overlook negative characteristics when they make big plays in big moments. That TD play would be similar to hitting a game winner at the buzzer in the final four.. I would always only see the positive in Dickinson if that were the case.  So I get it and I don't knock anyone that supports him. I just look at all the other Buckeyes over the years and there's been so many other guys I wish would have been wearing maize and blue because of their talent and personality. Sawyer is definitely not that for me.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Gigem on January 14, 2025, 10:33:11 AM
Dang, is it just me or does it seem weird that we're two full weeks into the New Year and we have one more week of CFB?  I mean, I will watch the game but my brain has moved on to next season.  
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 14, 2025, 03:42:47 PM
I think the real title game was Friday night and OSU will win this one easily. Notre Dame is pretty banged up and their offensive line pretty messy. OSU is pretty talented and if they were going to fall, it was going to be Friday as Texas had the talent in the right places to pull a win, but the talent gap for this game is far bigger.
This is my view.  

Before anybody tells me not to overlook Notre Dame, I'm not playing.  You can watch the game on Monday forwards and backwards.  You can record it and watch it again later but no matter how close you look, you absolutely, positively will not see @medinabuckeye1 (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1547) suiting up and taking the field.  

FWIW, I sincerely hope that my team views Notre Dame as the greatest team in the nation and is preparing to take them on as if it was some monumental uphill struggle but my view as a fan is that Ohio State is a substantial favorite for good reasons.  

Notre Dame has a good defense to be sure but I frankly think that Ohio State's is better.  Since the first Oregon game, Ohio State's defense has been lights out.  Even in the games where the Buckeyes struggled (notably Nebraska and Michigan) the defense did their job:

Nebraska:
Nebraska scored three FG's (39, 54, 47) and a TD with 2pt conversion.  On the three FG drives the tOSU defense gave up some yards but tightened up in scoring position to force FG's rather than TD's.  You shouldn't lose very often when giving up 17.  

I'll also point out that the Nebraska game was sandwiched between epic top-3 games against Oregon in Eugene and Penn State in Happy Valley.  

Michigan:
Michigan scored 13 points on two FG's and a TD but that is unfair to Ohio State's defense because the TD came on a "drive" of two yards and the first FG came on a "drive" of three yards.  Ie, Michigan got 10 of their 13 points on drives totaling just five yards.  It is hardly fair to blame the defense for that.  The defense really only gave up one FG.  

Since giving up 32 points in the first Oregon game, the Ohio State defense has given up:
It simply doesn't get much better than that.  

As some of you know, one of my favorite CFB podcasts and websites is College Football Nerds because I'm a numbers nerd and because they do their stats relative to other opponents.  By that metric:
That is to say that I think that Notre Dame's defense is really good but Ohio State's is better.  

What is astounding is that Ohio State is ALSO #1 in relative scoring offense.  The Buckeyes are scoring 35.80 ppg and that is 60% more than their opponents typically give up.  Notre Dame is #4 at 37.00 ppg which is 56% more than their opponents typically give up.  

On both metrics Notre Dame is pretty good and Ohio State is just better.  

Their model projects a 25.9-12.2 Ohio State win.  They have:
The ONLY cause for concern that their model raises is that within their model they have what they call a "consistency score" and Ohio State's consistency is basically off-the charts low.  Ie, Ohio State is REALLY inconsistent.  


I frankly think that Ohio State got their "clunker" game out of the way against Texas.  The Buckeyes had multiple unforced errors, mostly dumb penalties.  The penalty on Henderson killed a drive and the momentum.  There was a holding* that was behind the play that killed a drive.  I can't recall off the top of my head but I thought there was another one as well.  

*I'm making a distinction here between a "smart" holding penalty that prevented a sack vs this which was a holding after the play was already past.  

Ohio State's OL is a patchwork mish-mash but guess what, so is Notre Dame's.  Some of that is dumb luck for these teams, some of it is that they are both about to play their 16th game of the season.  Injuries happen and when you play this many games they accumulate.  

I'm not saying Notre Dame can't win.  They certainly can.  I pointed out above that Ohio State is #1 in both relative scoring offense AND relative scoring defense but Notre Dame isn't chopped liver.  They are #4 and #2 respectively so they can definitely challenge the Buckeyes but they aren't better at either one.  The Irish could win but it would most definitely be an upset and a fairly large one at that.  
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Gigem on January 14, 2025, 04:03:49 PM
*You're overlooking Notre Dame.  


:57:
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Hawkinole on January 15, 2025, 12:54:21 AM
I have no analysis other than, Ohio State should win by 13. And I didn't read Medinabuckeye's preceding post, until after I had written the 1st sentence of my post. I also didn't view AI on this, either (yet).
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: TyphonInc on January 15, 2025, 01:05:33 AM
I too watched College football Nerds. They had the top 4 seeds as 
1) Oregon
4) Notre Dame
3) Texas
2) Georgia 

Regular season OSU getting beat but TTUN coming in at 7. Then with Georgia's QB getting hurt, OSU upsetting them. And stating and Oregon/ND and OSU/Texas being a much better representation of the actual best 4 teams. Basically saying Oregon got screwed with the seeding. And ND is really one of the 4 best teams.

My biggest concern is ND can TTUN up this game, slow everything down, stay close enough that tired out OSU D can't prevent a go ahead score late in the 4th 
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SFBadger96 on January 15, 2025, 12:38:23 PM
Defense isn't as sexy as offense, but "defense _ _ _ _   _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _."
Now, Ohio State has a really good defense, too, and has played tougher competition.
Two options: Ohio State wins big or either team wins a defensive slugfest. ND isn't going to win big.

All of these teams are closer in talent/ability than the media and fans want to believe. 
(Trust me, I agree that Ohio State should be favored.)
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SuperMario on January 15, 2025, 02:48:45 PM
Defense isn't as sexy as offense, but "defense   Wins    NDRULES TITLES"
I filled in your blanks for you so we could properly salute a key member to this group.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Mdot21 on January 15, 2025, 03:07:05 PM
https://twitter.com/nezzy21/status/1879595982448705884
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Mdot21 on January 15, 2025, 03:11:01 PM
https://twitter.com/A_M_D_16/status/1878475540945867007
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SFBadger96 on January 15, 2025, 03:39:14 PM
It's not that hard to figure out. I would trade at least 10 losses to Iowa in a row for one national championship--particularly if those losses came in years that Wisconsin otherwise had strong seasons. Now, Wisconsin doesn't have any NCs, so maybe if your school has several, the calculus is a little different, but I'm guessing most folks would trade losing to their bitter rival for winning a national title--particularly in the CFP era, where it's going to be real hard for anyone to argue that it's a MNC.
But in a world in which Ohio State loses to Notre Dame? Pretty sure that loss to Michigan goes back to being a big deal (along with the loss to ND).
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Gigem on January 15, 2025, 03:41:37 PM
It's not that hard to figure out. I would trade at least 10 losses to Iowa in a row for one national championship--particularly if those losses came in years that Wisconsin otherwise had strong seasons. Now, Wisconsin doesn't have any NCs, so maybe if your school has several, the calculus is a little different, but I'm guessing most folks would trade losing to their bitter rival for winning a national title--particularly in the CFP era, where it's going to be real hard for anyone to argue that it's a MNC.
But in a world in which Ohio State loses to Notre Dame? Pretty sure that loss to Michigan goes back to being a big deal (along with the loss to ND).
Nobody puts banners up on the stadium marquee of years they beat their rival (surprisingly, not even A&M).  They do put up banners of years they win conference championships or National Championships.  
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: betarhoalphadelta on January 15, 2025, 03:47:17 PM
It's not that hard to figure out. I would trade at least 10 losses to Iowa in a row for one national championship--particularly if those losses came in years that Wisconsin otherwise had strong seasons. Now, Wisconsin doesn't have any NCs, so maybe if your school has several, the calculus is a little different, but I'm guessing most folks would trade losing to their bitter rival for winning a national title--particularly in the CFP era, where it's going to be real hard for anyone to argue that it's a MNC.
But in a world in which Ohio State loses to Notre Dame? Pretty sure that loss to Michigan goes back to being a big deal (along with the loss to ND).
Exactly... I find it really weird that fans of 8-5(!) Michigan are trying to flex on a fan base about to play for the national title, because of a regular season game that ultimately didn't matter because it didn't keep OSU out of the playoff. If OSU wins on Monday, that loss to Michigan doesn't matter at all.

But as you state, if OSU loses, then the Michigan loss can become a big deal again.

I can't even fathom a Purdue NC in football, but to make it more realistic... I'd take getting swept and going 0-3 (regular season + conference tourney) against an IU team that doesn't make the tourney at all in a season of basketball 100 times out of 100, if it was also a year that Purdue won the NCAA Tournament. Let 'em crow about how they beat us three times. Whatever. We won the games when it mattered.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MrNubbz on January 15, 2025, 04:12:02 PM
I can't even fathom a Purdue NC in football
I'd love to see it,them and many others,even if their fans swill indecent pale ales
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: FearlessF on January 16, 2025, 12:19:30 AM
Nobody puts banners up on the stadium marquee of years they beat their rival (surprisingly, not even A&M).  They do put up banners of years they win conference championships or National Championships. 
but, usually the banner years include beating their rivals
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Temp430 on January 16, 2025, 06:49:34 AM
Exactly... I find it really weird that fans of 8-5(!) Michigan are trying to flex on a fan base about to play for the national title, because of a regular season game that ultimately didn't matter because it didn't keep OSU out of the playoff. If OSU wins on Monday, that loss to Michigan doesn't matter at all.

The win over Ohio State matters a GREAT deal to Michigan fans and alumni.  It made the season a success.  I'm pretty sure Buckeye fans would feel the same way if the situation was reversed.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 16, 2025, 08:28:09 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INviJHHb2KI
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MrNubbz on January 16, 2025, 09:05:34 AM
The win over Ohio State matters a GREAT deal to Michigan fans and alumni.  It made the season a success.  I'm pretty sure Buckeye fans would feel the same way if the situation was reversed.
That's just Michigan malarkey most of us never felt that way at all

(https://media3.giphy.com/media/1hMhlrWWfXU77iYnBB/giphy.gif?cid=6c09b952r3bpeirn27pc81y99z5olxrvfadgru3t39vie81t&ep=v1_internal_gif_by_id&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g)
(https://www.cfb51.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.kinja-img.com%2Fgawker-media%2Fimage%2Fupload%2Fs--vyyWRkow--%2F1401537538732057519.gif&hash=7124403df0a87271b6a5b3e9974a0b3e)

;D


Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SuperMario on January 16, 2025, 09:51:56 AM
Exactly... I find it really weird that fans of 8-5(!) Michigan are trying to flex on a fan base about to play for the national title, because of a regular season game that ultimately didn't matter because it didn't keep OSU out of the playoff. If OSU wins on Monday, that loss to Michigan doesn't matter at all.


Flexing or questioning why all of the sudden a lot of vocal OSU fans are acting like that game didn't matter, when most of the vocal crowd were the same ones that wanted Day fired. Again, we're pretty lucky with our group of level headed Buckeyes here, but considering 95% of my friends and family are all Buckeyes, it's been a somewhat comical roller coaster to watch the past couple months.  The reasonable ones, I'll be very happy for their win Monday night and their chance to experience the title. The unreasonable ones, I'll remind them their captain may have a title but doesn't have a career win against Michigan. One is far more important than the other, but the unreasonable ones make it fun to stir their pot. 
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MikeDeTiger on January 16, 2025, 09:55:27 AM
but, usually the banner years include beating their rivals

Interesting point.  With the expanded playoff a lot of scenarios are going to come up that probably didn't in the past.  If LSU won the SEC (or more), it almost certainly meant they beat, for example, Ole Miss or Auburn or Alabama.  Being stuck in the same division, if they don't win those games, the other teams probably have good enough records to preclude LSU from winning that division.  We usually get knocked out of contention because of another good team in our division, and vice versa.  And the good teams tend to be who we think of as rivals.  If we lost the showdown to Ole Miss, 2003 never happens.  The Rebel Scum would've won the west, played UGA for the SEC, and we'd have been off to the Peach Bowl.  Conversely, LSU could survive a loss to a non-division rival, say, Florida, because of the way the division titles worked.  

I suspect we'll be getting more instances going forward of a legitimately good team not winning a rivalry game but advancing anyway, and possibly winning it all.  
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: FearlessF on January 16, 2025, 10:11:19 AM
well, you could win 2 outta 3 rivalry games
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 16, 2025, 11:27:14 AM
Interesting point.  With the expanded playoff a lot of scenarios are going to come up that probably didn't in the past.  If LSU won the SEC (or more), it almost certainly meant they beat, for example, Ole Miss or Auburn or Alabama.  Being stuck in the same division, if they don't win those games, the other teams probably have good enough records to preclude LSU from winning that division.  We usually get knocked out of contention because of another good team in our division, and vice versa.  And the good teams tend to be who we think of as rivals.  If we lost the showdown to Ole Miss, 2003 never happens.  The Rebel Scum would've won the west, played UGA for the SEC, and we'd have been off to the Peach Bowl.  Conversely, LSU could survive a loss to a non-division rival, say, Florida, because of the way the division titles worked. 

I suspect we'll be getting more instances going forward of a legitimately good team not winning a rivalry game but advancing anyway, and possibly winning it all. 
This.  

For us, The Game represented two things:

The Game as an end onto itself:
You obviously want to beat your rival even in a year when doing so doesn't really help you achieve any other goals such as league or national titles.  A great example of this for tOSU is Earle Bruce's last year, 1987.  It was a bad year for the Buckeyes, so bad that Bruce had been fired before the game.  Thus, beating Michigan didn't help win a league title (MSU won that year) and Ohio State wasn't in the NC race so it didn't impact that either.  For that matter, beating Michigan in Bruce's last game didn't even get Ohio State another game.  Despite the win and finishing over .500, the Buckeyes did not go to a Bowl after the 1987 season.  The win still mattered because it matters as a stand-alone thing.  

The Game as a means to other ends:
For generations Ohio State fans have repeated the mantra that the goals every season are to:

Once the BCS (and later CFP) were established #3 was slightly amended to "win the NC".  Beating Michigan was a means to the other two.  Ohio State and Michigan have about 80 combined league titles and I would guess that they don't have more than a half a dozen outright titles in years when they lost The Game.  The last time either team won an outright league title WITHOUT winning The Game was in 1992 when Michigan had their "year of the tie" and tied tOSU.  They won the league outright at 6-0-2.  The last time the loser of The Game won an outright league title was in 1982 when Michigan lost to Ohio State and finished 8-1, half a game ahead of the 7-1 Buckeyes.  So it has literally been more than 40 years since the Ohio State/Michigan loser won an outright league title.  

I also don't think that either team has ever won an NC without winning The Game.  Until very recently it was generally a practical impossibility.  Look, for example, at the 1996 season.  Heading into The Game the Buckeyes were 10-0 and ranked #2 sandwiched between 10-0 #1 Florida and 9-0 #3 FSU.  The only other major undefeated team was #4 ASU.  The Buckeyes and Sun Devils had already clinched their Rose Bowl berths so Ohio State's path to the NC was pretty clear:


#2 and #3 happened.  Ohio State beat ASU 20-17 and FSU beat Florida in Tallahassee but turned around and lost to them in the Sugar Bowl.  In the final AP Poll for the season the top-4 were exactly the same as they had been in the Poll immediately prior to The Game.  All four teams had picked up one loss each and they all went back to where they had been before that all started:
Some of this is simply because The Game has been the last game of the season for almost a century.  In 1996 if the Buckeyes had lost to Notre Dame in September and beaten Michigan in November there is a pretty good chance that they'd have won the NC.  

Beating Michigan was important in large part because it was generally a necessary precondition to winning the league and national titles.  That simply isn't true anymore.  If the Buckeyes don't win the NC this year it will be because they lost to ND in the CG not because they lost to Michigan in a game played two months earlier.  


Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: betarhoalphadelta on January 16, 2025, 12:04:27 PM
The win over Ohio State matters a GREAT deal to Michigan fans and alumni.  It made the season a success.  I'm pretty sure Buckeye fans would feel the same way if the situation was reversed.
I think I'd phrase it the opposite way--it prevented the season from being a failure. 

I can't imagine that Michigan fans look at a season where they went 5-4 in conference, obviously didn't sniff a conference title or the CFP, and were an offensive mess all year, as anything resembling a success. But it would have been immeasurably worse if they'd lost to OSU, so I get that. 

As a Purdue fan, our season was an abject failure. But if we had knocked off IU in their historic year to finish it off, it still would have been a failure, but that would have been a really nice little silver lining to it. 

Flexing or questioning why all of the sudden a lot of vocal OSU fans are acting like that game didn't matter, when most of the vocal crowd were the same ones that wanted Day fired. Again, we're pretty lucky with our group of level headed Buckeyes here, but considering 95% of my friends and family are all Buckeyes, it's been a somewhat comical roller coaster to watch the past couple months.  The reasonable ones, I'll be very happy for their win Monday night and their chance to experience the title. The unreasonable ones, I'll remind them their captain may have a title but doesn't have a career win against Michigan. One is far more important than the other, but the unreasonable ones make it fun to stir their pot.
Yeah, I get that. And in my basketball scenario, I'd completely expect some irrational Purdue fans to be losing their minds if we were 0-3 against an IU team in a bad year. That's... Embarrassing. And the vitriol that would be sent at Painter from said fans would be ugly. 

But a NC would salve all wounds. Which is why I'm sure I'd hear a lot from IU fans trolling Purdue--right up until Purdue won an elite 8 game and we were heading into final four weekend. I'd expect most of them to shut up right about that time. 

Which is why I posted that it was pretty odd after OSU had won three playoff games, and are about to play for the NC, why it's still something M fans are trolling with. 

If they lose Monday, that means OSU:


Then it makes tons of sense to troll. They'd be 0 for 3 in their season goals. But if they WIN on Monday, then achieving #3 excuses #1 and #2 completely. 

Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SuperMario on January 16, 2025, 12:36:43 PM
I think I'd phrase it the opposite way--it prevented the season from being a failure.

I can't imagine that Michigan fans look at a season where they went 5-4 in conference, obviously didn't sniff a conference title or the CFP, and were an offensive mess all year, as anything resembling a success. But it would have been immeasurably worse if they'd lost to OSU, so I get that.

As a Purdue fan, our season was an abject failure. But if we had knocked off IU in their historic year to finish it off, it still would have been a failure, but that would have been a really nice little silver lining to it.
Yeah, I get that. And in my basketball scenario, I'd completely expect some irrational Purdue fans to be losing their minds if we were 0-3 against an IU team in a bad year. That's... Embarrassing. And the vitriol that would be sent at Painter from said fans would be ugly.

But a NC would salve all wounds. Which is why I'm sure I'd hear a lot from IU fans trolling Purdue--right up until Purdue won an elite 8 game and we were heading into final four weekend. I'd expect most of them to shut up right about that time.

Which is why I posted that it was pretty odd after OSU had won three playoff games, and are about to play for the NC, why it's still something M fans are trolling with.

If they lose Monday, that means OSU:

  • Lost to M
  • Didn't win the B1G
  • Didn't win the NC

Then it makes tons of sense to troll. They'd be 0 for 3 in their season goals. But if they WIN on Monday, then achieving #3 excuses #1 and #2 completely.
Solid post, top to bottom. Part in bold is a great summation. The part that was really tough this year is that Michigan was actually a very good team, outside of 1 very specific position, QB. Everyone sees the 4 conference losses, but the only games they lost because of more than a qb is probably Texas and Oregon. Washington, illinois & Indiana the offense was so terribly bad, it put a ton of stress on the defense, which still kept them in the game. For example:

Washington - UM was ahead 17-14 going into the 4th with only 133 passing yards with an INT and qb fumble
Illinois - within a td most of the game, qb sacked and terrible qb sneak at goal line. INT and qb fumble in the game
Indiana - qb - 16/32 for 137 yards passing, couldn't throw it in the ocean and M defense absolutely dominated the 2nd half, 2 qb fumbles

With a remotely functional qb, Michigan was probably a playoff team this year. They absolutely should have won the Indiana game, probably the Washington game and probably 50/50 on the Illinois game as Illinois had a great defensive showing. 

The OSU win prevented total failure season. What's really sad is Michigan's defense was really good this year, even better considering how absolutely awful the offense was and put the defense in terrible positions. It's interesting concept when you think about it because OSU's defense has almost every stat in their favor, showing they're among the best, but OSU offense rarely put their defense in tough positions or rarely gave the defense a break. Only time I remember seeing it was against Michigan because OSU play calling took peed on their own leg that day. 

Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MikeDeTiger on January 16, 2025, 01:30:29 PM
But a NC would salve all wounds. Which is why I'm sure I'd hear a lot from IU fans trolling Purdue--right up until Purdue won an elite 8 game and we were heading into final four weekend. I'd expect most of them to shut up right about that time.

Which is why I posted that it was pretty odd after OSU had won three playoff games, and are about to play for the NC, why it's still something M fans are trolling with.

I see that as two separate things.  A reasonable Michigan fan can be 1) unhappy with Michigan's season,  2) unhappy about Ohio State's potential success (or, realized success, if OSU wins the NC), and 3) happy that Michigan stuck it to OSU and find a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings about that which makes trolling worthwhile.  None of those things are at odds with each other.  

I know for me, LSU could be 4-4 in conference and I'd say "unacceptable."  I could watch Alabama win a NC and it would make me roll my eyes and despise them more.  If the same 4-4 LSU team beats that same Alabama team on their way to a NC.....consider me amused and ready and willing to troll.  No matter what other circumstances there are, LSU bloodying Alabama's nose and putting a blight on whatever pure and perfect season they hoped for would be delicious.  

I assume something similar exists with fans of Michigan, OSU, etc.  Hell, I still see Auburn and Ole Miss fans getting "whose your daddy?" mileage out of '06 and '08 Florida, respectively.  Florida fans don't care for the most part.  Doesn't mean fans of the teams that beat them don't still take pleasure in it.  
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 16, 2025, 02:04:08 PM
It's interesting concept when you think about it because OSU's defense has almost every stat in their favor, showing they're among the best, but OSU offense rarely put their defense in tough positions or rarely gave the defense a break. Only time I remember seeing it was against Michigan because OSU play calling took peed on their own leg that day.
This is a very fair point.  As usual, I like the College Football Nerds solution of ranking by yards per carry and yards per pass attempt because that MOSTLY takes out the impact of the offense being good or bad.  

I also like that they do it relative to opposition so if you play a bunch of teams that suck at passing you don't get an unrealistically good ranking based on their inability to throw.  Instead, you are compared to how they did against their other opponents.  

Passing yards per attempt allowed (relative to opposition):


Rushing yards per carry allowed (relative to opposition):

Michigan does MUCH better on these per-play metrics than they do on the per-game metrics where they were #27 in passing defense and #4 in rushing defense.  

Total Defense:
Scoring Defense:
There is no doubt in my mind that Michigan's defense was at least solidly in the top-10.  In those areas where they rank outside of that I think that their offense incompetence made their defense look bad*.  

Another factor that it is REALLY hard to eliminate is the fatigue factor.  If your offense sucks and can't move the chains then your defense gets forced to play a whole lot of plays and tends to wear down over the course of a game.  This was DEFINITELY an issue for the tOSU defense on Michigan's final drives in The Game.  Their final two drives were:
Michigan only gained 234 yards total so it is telling that they got 134 of those yards or nearly 60% on their last two possessions.  

That impacted Ohio State in that game but it impacted Michigan pretty much all year long.  

*Offensive incompetence making defense look worse than they actually are:
Once again the same thing happened to Ohio State in The Game.  Michigan got their TD on a possession that started at the Ohio State 2 yard line and they got one of their FG's on a three-and-out that gained 3 yards.  Vis-a-vis who won that makes no difference but if you are trying to evaluate the offenses and the defenses as separate units then you should give the credit/blame for those two scores to Michigan's defense and Ohio State's offense.  

Similarly, this impacted Ohio State in that game but it impacted Michigan pretty much all year long.  
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: TyphonInc on January 16, 2025, 02:18:58 PM
https://twitter.com/A_M_D_16/status/1878475540945867007
As a Buckeye fan, the loss to TTUN matters a lot.

The 2014 title has that loss to a mid VT team. If OSU can beat ND, this title will have that loss to a mid TTUN team. And TTUN fans annoy me a lot more than VT fans do.


Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 16, 2025, 02:26:26 PM
The win over Ohio State matters a GREAT deal to Michigan fans and alumni.  It made the season a success.  I'm pretty sure Buckeye fans would feel the same way if the situation was reversed.
Agreed, but not as much as it used to.  

If a middling Ohio State/Michigan team had upset a NC Contending Michigan/Ohio State Team 20 or more years ago that upset would have ruined the NC chances for the loser.  Now, it just means a change in seeding.  Even if Ohio State doesn't win the NC it still will not be because of the loss in The Game.  
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: MrNubbz on January 16, 2025, 02:42:54 PM
If they lose Monday, that means OSU:

  • Lost to M
  • Didn't win the B1G
  • Didn't win the NC

Then it makes tons of sense to troll. They'd be 0 for 3 in their season goals. But if they WIN on Monday, then achieving #3 excuses #1 and #2 completely.
Yes but they beat Texas who throttled M in AA. So 3rd party smack route
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: SFBadger96 on January 16, 2025, 03:38:11 PM
This discussion also points out the changes to our traditions that abandoning the bowl structure have lead to. In the old days, if you wanted to win the Rose Bowl (Sugar/Cotton), you probably also had to beat your rival. In rare circumstances you might get the Rose without beating the rival, but those were...rare. That's why the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry is such a big deal. 

For those of us commoners, the caclulus was different, but related. The Rose Bowl--while always the goal--wasn't something we were playing for year in and year out. So how to measure a successful season? Well, beat the Gophers and the Hawkeyes. Do those things, and even if you aren't in the Rose, it's still a year that feels pretty good. That probably won't change for the schools that aren't regularly competing for the CFP playoff. But for the Helmets? It might.

With 100 years of history, the Michigan/Ohio State rivalry won't change overnight. But the more that a team can survive the loss and still win the ultimate goal, the less importance the Game will have. It will always be important, just not as important.
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 16, 2025, 04:44:02 PM
There is another factor, at least for season-ending rivalries like The Game that has diminished them, IMHO.  

What I am referring to here is the time before your next game.  Until the mid-1970's the BigTen had the RoseBowl only rule which meant that only one team from our league went to a bowl.  Consequently, The Game was the last game for at least one of the participants for about nine months.  Even if one of the two teams did go to the RoseBowl, The Game was still their last game for about six weeks.  

Even once the RoseBowl only rule was dropped and the Buckeyes and Wolverines were both generally playing in bowls every year, there was still a roughly six week gap between The Game and the next game.  

Now the CG is seven days after The Game so for a team that is in the CG, The Game has the same gap as a normal regular season game.  Then, with the expanded playoff, even though neither team was in the CG (due to the result), Ohio State's next game was the opening round CFP game against Tennessee three weeks after The Game.  

So the time to celebrate a win or stew over a loss before moving on to the next game has progressively dropped from almost a year in the early 1970's to roughly six weeks from then until the CCG to now three weeks or even just one week.  

Are Ohio State fans still stewing over the loss, sorta but not really.  The fanbase took this loss particularly hard which contributed to the lower than normal home attendance that allowed Tennessee fans to grab a substantial portion of the tickets for the first round CFP game.  Once that game got to 21-0, I think most Ohio State fans moved on to thinking about Oregon and then Texas and now Notre Dame.  If this were 1972 instead of 2024/5 the Ohio State fanbase would only be a little less than two out of nine months into stewing over the loss in The Game.  Instead, our team has played three games since then and is about to play another one . . . for a National Championship.  
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 16, 2025, 11:01:34 PM
There were plenty of great OSU HC's that got canned because of their record against Michigan. 

Francis Schmidt invented modern OSU football. Script Ohio, female cheerleaders, swapping Illinois for Michigan for the season ending rivalry, the inventor of the gold pants tradition with the infamous quote, the red jersey with the white numbers and the grey stripe on the sleeve, and so on and so forth. He won his first four Michigan games, which was their greatest stretch of pre-Woody success in the history of the rivalry, but then he dropped his next three games against the Wolverines and got canned.

The guy before Woody was named Wes Fesler. He was a legendary OSU player under Paul Brown. He coached OSU for five seasons, he had an innovative offense, he produced a Heisman winner in Vic Janowicz, he won a Rose Bowl and an outright Big Ten title in 1949, but he was 0-4-1 against Michigan so he got canned. 

John Cooper is in the college football hall of fame as a HC... 
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: FearlessF on January 16, 2025, 11:10:38 PM
So is Frank Solich
Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 16, 2025, 11:15:58 PM
    Some of this is simply because The Game has been the last game of the season for almost a century.  In 1996 if the Buckeyes had lost to Notre Dame in September and beaten Michigan in November there is a pretty good chance that they'd have won the NC. 

    Only because they wouldn't have played Florida.  :72:
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: FearlessF on January 16, 2025, 11:32:19 PM
    or Nebraska
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: SuperMario on January 17, 2025, 11:07:03 AM
    When I find that I'm being biased, I try to really listen to highly intelligent buckeyes to help shape my opinion to make sure it's fair. So i will defer to one of the most intelligent ones.


    (https://i.imgur.com/S1WFp6G.png)
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MikeDeTiger on January 17, 2025, 11:17:16 AM

    (https://i.imgur.com/S1WFp6G.png)


    Damn.  That invalidates every NC we claim.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 17, 2025, 11:50:19 AM
    Ya but you beat Ohio St who beat Michigan so you're good
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 17, 2025, 12:13:22 PM
    https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/ohio-state-notre-dame-national-title-game-college-football-michigan-b8b1e9c4
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: SuperMario on January 17, 2025, 12:20:42 PM

    Damn.  That invalidates every NC we claim.
    Maybe I can put your mind at ease and win you over to my thinking.

    There's only 2 teams that have made and never lost in the CFP national championship game.. Michigan & LSU. 
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 17, 2025, 12:33:06 PM
    Michigan has 2& 1/2 NCs since the end of WWII 👀
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: SuperMario on January 17, 2025, 12:35:42 PM
    Michigan has 2& 1/2 NCs since the end of WWII 👀
    (https://i.imgur.com/ewLZQrP.jpeg)
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 17, 2025, 12:52:43 PM
    Michigan has 2*& 1/2 NCs since the end of WWII 👀
    FIFY
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: SuperMario on January 17, 2025, 01:00:54 PM
    Don't worry, we'll add the * to the Buckeyes this year.. Michigan had plenty of microscopes on them last year, but still won their conference, beat their rival and went undefeated to win a title. Their * is there because what they accomplished will apparently begin to be uncommon since new age champions can now finish 4th in their conference, lose to their rival, have multiple losses and still convince themselves they are one of the greatest teams ever.


    Going down unwise paths is fun isn't it?
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: NorthernOhioBuckeye on January 17, 2025, 02:07:41 PM
    https://www.wsj.com/sports/football/ohio-state-notre-dame-national-title-game-college-football-michigan-b8b1e9c4
    This how I felt about the ReliaQuest bowl. >:(
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: SFBadger96 on January 17, 2025, 02:38:03 PM
    Kind of wild that an indoor stadium in Atlanta is a fortunate thing given the weather expected on Monday. It's going to be cold in Atlanta (by Atlanta standards, but also actually cold). I presume it will be lovely inside the stadium.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 17, 2025, 02:48:45 PM
    Don't worry, we'll add the * to the Buckeyes this year.. Michigan had plenty of microscopes on them last year, but still won their conference, beat their rival and went undefeated to win a title. Their * is there because what they accomplished will apparently begin to be uncommon since new age champions can now finish 4th in their conference, lose to their rival, have multiple losses and still convince themselves they are one of the greatest teams ever.
    LoL.  

    This is what bothers me about Michigan fans in general.  

    Your argument here is not even internally consistent.  Your argument is that the * is because they won.  Ah, sorry to give you a dose of reality but Michigan's rampant cheating was discovered BEFORE they won.  

    The * isn't because they won.  The * is because they flagrantly cheated.  These are facts. 

    Your program is dirty and their NC will be vacated.  Yet for some reason there isn't even a hint of contrition from the fanbase.  It is all "F*&k you, we cheated, you lost" ( @Mdot21 (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1595)  in case anyone didn't recognize it) or this clown argument that "The NCAA is picking on us because we are so good" from basically the rest of your fanbase.  

    Remember when Tressel got busted failing to report knowledge of ONE email.  Certainly not all, but a lot of the Buckeye fans thought what he did was terrible and incredibly stupid.  Where are the Michigan fans who think that what Stallions/Moore/Harbaugh did was terrible and incredibly stupid?  

    Ohio State fired a NC coach because he failed to report ONE email.  Michigan promoted Moore after and in the knowledge that the deleted at least 50 text messages in an effort to obstruct an active NCAA investigation.  One institution has integrity and the other doesn't.  
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: SuperMario on January 17, 2025, 03:18:07 PM
    Calendars are difficult to read..  When all the red flags were raised about Michigan's cheating in the past, there was a full season of football left to play with a lot of microscopes put on them and plenty of people ensuring there's no possible way the were crossing the line in the season they won the national championship. They played without their head coach, plenty of microscopes and still stomped on every team they faced.

    So go on your little tangent and scream cheaters because you can't deal with them winning a title and then try to explain why they pushed around your team last year and you have no excuse why they embarrassed a 20 point favorite this year. So go hang on to your hope of a championship being vacated since you're not over it and cant seem to move on in life.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MikeDeTiger on January 17, 2025, 03:57:55 PM
    Oh good, I was hoping the Buckeyes and Wolverines would start re-litigating Michigan's season last year.  
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: betarhoalphadelta on January 17, 2025, 04:37:59 PM
    Oh good, I was hoping the Buckeyes and Wolverines would start re-litigating Michigan's season last year. 
    Hey @LetsGoPeay (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=7) your program is utter trash. How can you root for a program that employed that hothead arsehole Bobby Knight who threw that chair 40 years ago?!?!

    You and your university make me sick!

    (Sorry, just wanted to participate. It looked fun.)
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: utee94 on January 17, 2025, 04:40:23 PM
    ou sucks

    The End
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: LetsGoPeay on January 17, 2025, 04:44:38 PM
    Hey @LetsGoPeay (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=7) your program is utter trash. How can you root for a program that employed that hothead arsehole Bobby Knight who threw that chair 40 years ago?!?!

    You and your university make me sick!

    (Sorry, just wanted to participate. It looked fun.)

    Hey! I thought the Astronaut Farmer was a pretty cool movie. @betarhoalphadelta (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=19) 
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: betarhoalphadelta on January 17, 2025, 04:59:23 PM
    Hey! I thought the Astronaut Farmer was a pretty cool movie. @betarhoalphadelta (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=19)
    I did not know such a thing existed. Given what I saw about the plot on Wikipedia, that sounds like one of @utee94 (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=15) 's buddies though...

    But I guess we can find some middle ground and not hate each other...


    :57:

    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MikeDeTiger on January 17, 2025, 05:31:43 PM
    I was thinking maybe Texas' Minister of Culture could produce and star in a movie about a kid from Austin who dreamed of playing for Texas but wound up at Purdue instead, before going on to become a professional legend in, I dunno, let's say, randomly, Louisiana.  

    IU wouldn't factor into the movie at all, because, who cares about those basketball-lovers anyway?  


    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: SFBadger96 on January 17, 2025, 05:47:10 PM
    • If there's a school who would produce someone who decided to become a hobbyist astronaut and ACTUALLY launch himself safely into space and through re-entry, it's probably going to be a Purdue grad.
    I know exactly one current Purdue student. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he decided to, and did launch himself into space, then safely get himself back down here. But he wouldn't want to talk to anyone about it. At least not anyone who would tell the story to the masses.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: FearlessF on January 17, 2025, 05:50:53 PM
    Calendars are difficult to read..  When all the red flags were raised about Michigan's cheating in the past, there was a full season of football left to play 
    it was not a full season
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: FearlessF on January 17, 2025, 05:51:31 PM
    Kind of wild that an indoor stadium in Atlanta is a fortunate thing given the weather expected on Monday. It's going to be cold in Atlanta (by Atlanta standards, but also actually cold). I presume it will be lovely inside the stadium.
    lovely, but not FOOTBALL weather
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MikeDeTiger on January 17, 2025, 05:52:05 PM
    I'd been wondering if I'd catch much of the NC game due to the fact I go to bed so early on work nights.  Got an email today already announcing the closure of work on Tuesday due to the fact that it's supposed to snow here, and in SETX we are snow-wusses, and we don't take chances.  If it's threatening, we just shut it all down.  But with no work, I'm in.

    Unless it's not a good game.  Then I'm out again.  
     
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 17, 2025, 07:07:43 PM


    Who would win a fight between an actual Irishman and an actual Buckeye? 

    What happens if you eat buckeye nuts?
    Buckeye nuts are edible if you prepare them properly. But they can lead to serious health problems if you eat them without preparing or cooking. Let’s see what happens when you eat buckeye nuts without any preparation.

    Vomiting and diarrhea:
    Raw and undercooked buckeye nuts are not safe for the digestive system. Buckeye nuts have tannic acid that can lead to the malfunction of the digestive system. So, they can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

    Moreover, overeating buckeye nuts will cause vomiting and diarrhea.

    Paralysis and life loss:
    It’s not compulsory that the buckeye nut will cause paralysis and life loss to whoever eats it. A well-cooked buckeye nut will not cause any harm to humans. But raw buckeye nuts can cause paralysis and life loss in severe conditions.

    Eating too much buckeye nuts can also lead to these conditions. Moreover, any other parts of this plant can be so poisonous that they can hurt you.

    Breakage of teeth:
    Raw buckeye nuts are super hard. They can even break your teeth also. So, you must eat the buckeye nuts after cooking or roasting. Moreover, you need to peel off the shells before eating.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 17, 2025, 08:43:59 PM
    since new age champions can now finish 4th in their conference, lose to their rival, have multiple losses and still convince themselves they are one of the greatest teams ever.

    This is far more important/tragic than anything OSU/UM-related.
    Because it's true.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: FearlessF on January 17, 2025, 09:37:49 PM
    a very few OSU/UM-related things are also true
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 17, 2025, 10:38:22 PM

    Virginia Tech printed t-shirts when OSU won it in 2014, of course M would tout it as a feather in their cap. 

    I'm more concerned about the Golden Domers. 
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Riffraft on January 18, 2025, 10:37:26 AM
    [img width=234.333 height=500]https://i.imgur.com/ewLZQrP.jpeg[/img]
    With the advent of super sized Conferences and very unbalanced schedules Conference championships are meaningless
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: utee94 on January 18, 2025, 10:41:54 AM
    With the advent of super sized Conferences and very unbalanced schedules Conference championships are meaningless
    In theory that CAN be true, but in practice I don't really agree this is true as a matter of fact.  Texas and Georgia were the two best teams in the SEC, and they faced off in the conference championship.  Georgia earned that title.  And if the suggestion is that currently Ohio State is the best team in the B1G, well, they lost to B1G champion Oregon in the regular season, and lost another game to a non-contender as well.  
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 18, 2025, 10:47:44 AM
    Oh good, I was hoping the Buckeyes and Wolverines would start re-litigating Michigan's season last year. 
    not really, it's just one delusional guy who is a truly obsessed oh and four loser. Nick Saban was right- that entire fan base needs therapy.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 18, 2025, 10:48:39 AM
    ou sucks

    The End
    add a line in there and it's perfect...

    OU sucks. Ohio State sucks.

    The End.


    :)
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 18, 2025, 10:53:03 AM
    This is far more important/tragic than anything OSU/UM-related.
    Because it's true.
    yup. at first I was all for the 12 team, now I think I'm against it.

    Notre Dame losing at home to NIU and Ohio State losing at home to Michigan when Michigan literally did not have a QB and were 23 point dawgs was rendered almost insignificant by the new system. What should've been absolute crushing death blows for both those teams was not- and it's kinda bullshit- I don't like it.

    Ohio State lost twice and finished 10-2 in the regular season, finished 4th place in the conference and speaking of 4's just lost to Michigan for the FOURTH straight year- and they get a mulligan because of this new bullshit system that sucks.

    I don't want to see 10-2 teams that couldn't win their conference and beat their arch rival winning a Natty- they don't deserve it imo- and I DEFINITELY don't want to ever see again teams like Boise State and SMU in the playoff. 12 team playoff is retarded. Go back to 4.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: utee94 on January 18, 2025, 10:56:41 AM
    Yup, 12 teams is way too many.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: FearlessF on January 18, 2025, 10:58:21 AM
    no playoff was perfect
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Riffraft on January 18, 2025, 11:55:01 AM
    yup. at first I was all for the 12 team, now I think I'm against it.

    Notre Dame losing at home to NIU and Ohio State losing at home to Michigan when Michigan literally did not have a QB and were 23 point dawgs was rendered almost insignificant by the new system. What should've been absolute crushing death blows for both those teams was not- and it's kinda bullshit- I don't like it.

    Ohio State lost twice and finished 10-2 in the regular season, finished 4th place in the conference and speaking of 4's just lost to Michigan for the FOURTH straight year- and they get a mulligan because of this new bullshit system that sucks.

    I don't want to see 10-2 teams that couldn't win their conference and beat their arch rival winning a Natty- they don't deserve it imo- and I DEFINITELY don't want to ever see again teams like Boise State and SMU in the playoff. 12 team playoff is retarded. Go back to 4.
    Go back to the old bowl system.  Now get off my lawn
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 18, 2025, 05:07:39 PM
    Oh good, I was hoping the Buckeyes and Wolverines would start re-litigating Michigan's season last year. 
    Well we couldn't harp on LSU as purple face is in Baton Rouge and ND is in the National Championship Game. Someone has to have their skivvies in a knot over that :bluegrab:
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 18, 2025, 05:12:15 PM

    no playoff was perfect
    Of course you were gifted half a championship but hung a full banner anyway just like the '97 Weasels
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 18, 2025, 05:14:53 PM
    not really, it's just one delusional guy who is a truly obsessed oh and four loser. Nick Saban was right- that entire fan base needs therapy.
    Our fan base wasn't buying 2 litres of Pepsi just to get rid of tickets for home games. And you didn't need therapy when you were MFing Harbaugh and calling for his head after 5 straight loses to tOSU? and Saban quit after one loss to Michigan so I guess it depends on whose ox is getting gored
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 18, 2025, 05:20:07 PM
    Of course you were gifted half a championship but hung a full banner anyway just like the '97 Weasels
    While not the sexiest potential split NC matchup, 97 UM vs 97 UNL would have been extremely interesting.

    UM's strength was an all-time great pass D, led by you know who.  But Nebraska didn't need to pass, so that sort of becomes irrelevant. 
    And of the 2,000+ teams I've created for WN (and I may have said this before), 97 UM's offense is unique in that only 2 of their top 6 pass-catchers were WRs.  They may be the only team that's true for (acknowledging 90% of the teams I've created are very good teams...so this phenomenon is likely more common for poor teams).
    Anyway, what that means is a ton of check-downs to 3 RBs (low yards-per-attempt) and a TE.  Despite the bombs to Toomer & Hays?, that bodes well for a stellar UNL defense.

    Would have been a great game, in my preferred traditional bowl system + 1 as necessary format.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 18, 2025, 05:21:06 PM
     Ohio State sucks the wind out of the Short Horns NC hopes
    FIFY
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: betarhoalphadelta on January 18, 2025, 05:54:19 PM
    no playoff was perfect
    You misspoke. What you should have said is: 

    When we had no playoff? That was perfect. 
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: FearlessF on January 19, 2025, 10:04:23 AM
    agreed, my statement could have easily been misconstrued 
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: FearlessF on January 19, 2025, 10:05:39 AM
    Of course you were gifted half a championship but hung a full banner anyway just like the '97 Weasels
    the weasels had no chance in that potential matchup, they knew it and hid in the Doze Bowl against inferior competition
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 19, 2025, 10:35:08 AM
    While not the sexiest potential split NC matchup, 97 UM vs 97 UNL would have been extremely interesting.

    UM's strength was an all-time great pass D, led by you know who.  But Nebraska didn't need to pass, so that sort of becomes irrelevant. 
    And of the 2,000+ teams I've created for WN (and I may have said this before), 97 UM's offense is unique in that only 2 of their top 6 pass-catchers were WRs.  They may be the only team that's true for (acknowledging 90% of the teams I've created are very good teams...so this phenomenon is likely more common for poor teams).
    Anyway, what that means is a ton of check-downs to 3 RBs (low yards-per-attempt) and a TE.  Despite the bombs to Toomer & Hays?, that bodes well for a stellar UNL defense.

    Would have been a great game, in my preferred traditional bowl system + 1 as necessary format.
    would have been a great game. could see it going either way. Michigan had the ultimate X-factor that year in Woodson- he flat out just always made huge plays in critical moments to change games. Did at the next level as well. My god what an unbelievable player he was in both college & the NFL. Can't believe the Raiders quit on him after couple injuries he had in back to back seasons and then he goes off to Green Bay and rejuvenates his career. Probably my all-time favorite defensive player. 
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: utee94 on January 19, 2025, 12:02:36 PM
    Yup, would have been a fantastic game.  If that season happened just a few years later, we would have gotten to see it. 
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: SuperMario on January 19, 2025, 12:36:11 PM
    Our fan base wasn't buying 2 litres of Pepsi just to get rid of tickets for home games. And you didn't need therapy when you were MFing Harbaugh and calling for his head after 5 straight loses to tOSU? and Saban quit after one loss to Michigan so I guess it depends on whose ox is getting gored
    Lol. This is actually a fair point. This was just a reflection of the UM brass getting in the way of RichRod truly having a shot and then horribly hiring Brady Hoke. It was our own Cooper era, except it wasn’t just consistent losses to our rival, it was consistent losses to a lot of teams that were better and it lasted longer. As the reasonable OSU fans can probably acknowledge, when you lose you your rival 10/12 years or 14/15 or whatever absurd stat came after Cooper was ousted, winning that rivalry game and gaining a championship season out of it is a little more meaningful than getting one when times were good for a long time. The Cavs title in 2016 meant more than atom Brady’s 7th ring for Boston. So just like Clevelanders for a long time, there were definitely some UM fans that needed some sports therapy.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 19, 2025, 07:37:08 PM
    The rest of the country is going to be halfway to their spring game by the time this thing kicks off. 
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 19, 2025, 07:47:40 PM
    Ed Zachery,if I had my druthers they would have stopped at 6 and not gone tournament. And all the programs need to get back where they belong - regional grudge matches
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: utee94 on January 20, 2025, 12:34:15 AM
    6 is dumb.  Byes are dumb.  But really the whole tournament is dumb.

    Back to 1983 conference alignments and bowl tie-ins.  So much better.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 20, 2025, 08:36:29 AM
    The Play Offs's serve the purpose of shutting the whore mouths of runner ups like Miami in '02 that would have been handed the hardware 🤩. Simply because they already had handed out the initatioins to the victory party. So an extra two would have done it

    And they haven't been back
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 20, 2025, 08:47:27 AM
    I'll keep saying it - playoffs only make sense when 2 separate entities play it out on the field, a la the World Series in baseball (pre-interleague play) and the NFL-AFL Super Bowls.

    Beyond that, it's putting entertainment ahead of competition, on that sliding scale.  It's putting the small sample size (short series or 1-and-done) over the much bigger, much more valid sample size (regular season).
    I've always argued that sports should lean towards the competition side and away from the cash-grabby entertainment end BECAUSE THE GAMES THEMSELVES ARE ENTERTAINMENT ENOUGH.
    Hello!?!?  That's why they're called GAMES!

    But here we are, trying to extract $12 from someone who once got lost and wandered into a college football game 9 years ago, and calling it progress.

    The game is great.  It's enough entertainment.  The pageantry, the number of teams, the fact that many of us actually went to these schools, etc......you pass that on, generationally, and it grows organically.  Fuck the layperson tee-hee dipshit fly-by fans that bring 0.3% more profits in.  

    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: FearlessF on January 20, 2025, 08:59:04 AM
    6 is dumb.  Byes are dumb.  But really the whole tournament is dumb.

    Back to 1983 conference alignments and bowl tie-ins.  So much better.
    the golden age
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 20, 2025, 09:02:17 AM
    As for the game, ND is 14-1.  Their road to get here was against a team that's never been good before, a team w/o it's QB, and a team who's allergic to big game wins.
    Their best running play vs big-boy teams is their QB not finding a WR and scrambling.
    I've been looking for a comp for Leonard, and it's Vince Young before things clicked for him.  'Great scrambler' shouldn't be the first compliment you give a QB.  A 66% comp rate with a 137 pass rating is brutal. 
    But they have a defense.  Great pass D.  Okay run D.  Nowadays having a strong pass D is more important, but OSU has 2 dudes at RB.  They'd be smart to make ND show they can consistently stop the run before they start tossing it around to their great WRs.
    This could easily be a game that's 28-3 at half.  I hope not, but ND is like Penn St - they literally disappear when faced with equal or lesser talent.  You might be thinking BUT WHAT ABOUT GEORGIA, but this wasn't the previous few years' UGA team.  23rd in scoring D.  QB with a fondness of INTs, but they faced the backup.  Hell, their RB, Etienne, averaged 5.9 ypc at Florida and only 5.0 for the Dawgs this year, so their line wasn't up to standard, either. 
    Those Dawgs ain't bonafide.
    If ND wins, and they may win, it'll be a huge upset.  ND is probably the big bully for 90% of the country, with all the advantages, talent, etc on their side.  But against an OSU, against the teams I listed previously, where the Irish were absolutely curb-stomped, they fall short.

    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 20, 2025, 08:04:16 PM
    Great drive by ND, getting on the board first.  We'll see how they do now that they're off their initial script.

    In the long run, it's not a good thing that your best play is a QB scramble on a called pass play.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 20, 2025, 08:08:01 PM
    Great drive by ND, getting on the board first.  We'll see how they do now that they're off their initial script.

    In the long run, it's not a good thing that your best play is a QB scramble on a called pass play.
    agreed. unless your QB has Vick or Lamar like 4.25-4.3 speed and can house call it anytime the ball is in his hands. that shit used to work like a charm in madden with Vick at least.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 20, 2025, 08:22:56 PM
    First 2 drives are a perfect microcosm.
    These are 2 good teams, BUT
    ND has to claw and scrape, low yards per play, going for it on 4th, etc....to eventually punch it in.
    OSU runs and passes, high yards per play...relatively easy score.

    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: CatsbyAZ on January 20, 2025, 08:55:33 PM
    Congrats Ohio State; might as well say it before the Buckeyes start running away with it. Currently up 14-7 with all the momentum and open receivers downfield.

    First 2 drives are a perfect microcosm.

    How many times have we seen this before, where the overmatched team is able to take an early lead based on a well designed opening drive? A drive that cannot be replicated later, once the opponent's defense has felt things out and can dictate tempo be forcing the offense off-script.

    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 20, 2025, 09:17:39 PM
    I'm not sure that's a widely-known thing.  
    Plenty of 41-7 games started out 7-0, with the losing team scoring first.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 20, 2025, 09:19:56 PM
    That OSU TD pass to Smith was a sick play design.  
    I'd love for them to do it again, but with a TE slipping up the seam after briefly blocking down, behind the defender jumping out wide to cover Smith.

    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: FearlessF on January 20, 2025, 09:27:12 PM
    the chili turned out good
    not great, but that's OK, it was just a couple bowls for me, not a competition

    beer was plenty chilled in the garage - brought it inside

    expected low of -15, could freeze in the garage
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: GopherRock on January 20, 2025, 09:39:57 PM
    Ah yes. This is the Notre Dame we all know and love. 
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 20, 2025, 09:40:49 PM
    (https://media.tenor.com/images/3a6a3fbe3828e52cd7e79940cb52a3b9/tenor.gif)
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 20, 2025, 09:47:14 PM
    the chili turned out good
    not great, but that's OK, it was just a couple bowls for me, not a competition

    beer was plenty chilled in the garage - brought it inside

    expected low of -15, could freeze in the garage
    Damn.
    30s at night here in Phoenix.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 20, 2025, 09:47:57 PM
    (https://media.tenor.com/images/3a6a3fbe3828e52cd7e79940cb52a3b9/tenor.gif)
    All you need to know:
    At halftime, Leonard has twice as many carries as all ND RBs combined.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: FearlessF on January 20, 2025, 09:52:14 PM
    Damn.
    30s at night here in Phoenix.
    Chili weather
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 20, 2025, 09:52:58 PM

    This could easily be a game that's 28-3 at half. 


    I was WAY off.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 20, 2025, 10:27:54 PM
    Is CB #1 on OSU retarded?  Serious question.
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: ELA on January 20, 2025, 10:30:03 PM
    Stupid decision
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Riffraft on January 20, 2025, 10:33:34 PM
    Makes no sense yo kick fg there
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 20, 2025, 10:40:57 PM
    I'm not sure that's a widely-known thing. 
    Plenty of 41-7 games started out 7-0, with the losing team scoring first.

    Yeah, you see that a lot in the power rankings. "OSU won big, but they got off to a slow start." 

    That's because you start out tied at zero, you can only score seven at a time, the other team got the ball first, they scripted their opening drive, and they punched it in. So the first quarter was close. 

    Then what happened?
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: FearlessF on January 20, 2025, 10:47:42 PM
    Makes no sense yo kick fg there
    would have made a lot of sense now
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: ELA on January 20, 2025, 10:52:54 PM
    Snapping with 15 seconds on the play clock is certainly a choice
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Benthere2 on January 20, 2025, 11:07:06 PM
    great out come for the Big Ten

    toughest conference in the nation
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 20, 2025, 11:07:45 PM
    The plucky Irish.

    Great job, OSU.  You were who we thought you were.  Great team, National Champs.
    Just sucks that you had 2 mulligans.  Or one.  But that's not on you guys.

    Congratulations!  :88:
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: FearlessF on January 20, 2025, 11:16:40 PM
    Corngrats

    B!G, B1G, B!G
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: betarhoalphadelta on January 21, 2025, 12:00:01 AM
    Thank you OSU.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: TyphonInc on January 21, 2025, 01:27:44 AM
    ND did just well enough they won't have to be in a conference for another decade.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 21, 2025, 05:51:00 AM
    the chili turned out good
    not great, but that's OK, it was just a couple bowls for me, not a competition

    beer was plenty chilled in the garage - brought it inside

    expected low of -15, could freeze in the garage
    My chili turned out sublime and shyt the Bucks win,Day's kid is still in HS school so he may stay around a yr or two. Thank You Carlos Locklyn, and you Fearless for bringing your beer in,I had to lug in over 2 cases myself of basically different sixers - worth saving though. Have some suds by the fire tonite,Ryan Day now has one more national championship than Bo Schembechler. And one with out an * 😎😎😎
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 21, 2025, 07:32:41 AM
    Corngrats

    B!G, B1G, B!G
    are we turning into the new and improved sec 2.0 fans? does it just mean more now?
    Title: Re: CFPCG: #8 Ohio State (13-2) vs. #7 Notre Dame (13-1) Game Week
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 21, 2025, 07:33:31 AM
    great out come for the Big Ten

    toughest conference in the nation
    SEwho?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztygmWtWCjQ
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 21, 2025, 08:06:49 AM
    I was nice to finally see another northern team on the other sideline in one of these damn things. 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: utee94 on January 21, 2025, 08:12:39 AM
    are we turning into the new and improved sec 2.0 fans? does it just mean more now?
    You have become what you beheld.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: boilerbanger on January 21, 2025, 08:45:15 AM
    @medinabuckeye1 (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1547)  congrats on the big win!  Enjoy it!
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: utee94 on January 21, 2025, 08:46:48 AM
    Congrats to the Buckeyes. I'd say condolences to the domers, but I wouldn't believe in it, so...
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: bayareabadger on January 21, 2025, 08:57:00 AM
    Man, the amount OSU turned it on in the playoffs was something. Good coaching got the most out of that QB. 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Gigem on January 21, 2025, 09:01:10 AM
    Congrats to the Buckeyes. I'd say condolences to the domers, but I wouldn't believe in it, so...
    Do we even have any ND fans on here ?  We had quite a few on many of the old boards. I have vague memories of some old fat guy named Beano Cook expounding how many Heismsns Ron Powlus would win. Beano worked for ESPN, not a poster FYI. 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: 847badgerfan on January 21, 2025, 09:21:47 AM
    Do we even have any ND fans on here ?  We had quite a few on many of the old boards. I have vague memories of some old fat guy named Beano Cook expounding how many Heismsns Ron Powlus would win. Beano worked for ESPN, not a poster FYI.
    We have one. SFBadger is an ND fan as his wife went there.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 21, 2025, 09:29:06 AM
    @medinabuckeye1 (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=1547)  congrats on the big win!  Enjoy it!
    Thanks!


    My youngest had surgery this morning (tubes for his ears, not a huge deal) so I'm at the hospital. 

    I did watch last night, what a game. Looking at the stats it is amazing that ND managed to keep it close. Credit to Marcus Freeman for keeping his team fighting when it looked over.

    For the Buckeyes, what a Playoff run. It will be the norm but for now, since tOSU is first, the season-ending run of:
    That is unprecedented. 


    Go Buckeyes!
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: utee94 on January 21, 2025, 09:35:22 AM
    Freeman is a heck of a coach.  I'd love to see him almost anywhere else.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 21, 2025, 09:47:47 AM
    thought OSU would throttle them but they still won by double digits. ND just didn’t have the talent to keep up and their QB cannot throw a football at all….but Cowherd says he = Josh Allen…lol.

    #FireRyanDay!
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: FearlessF on January 21, 2025, 10:07:43 AM
    My chili turned out sublime and shyt the Bucks win,Day's kid is still in HS school so he may stay around a yr or two. Thank You Carlos Locklyn, and you Fearless for bringing your beer in,I had to lug in over 2 cases myself of basically different sixers - worth saving though. Have some suds by the fire tonite,Ryan Day now has one more national championship than Bo Schembechler. And one with out an * 😎😎😎
    good work with the chili and the sixers, the real cold should get to you in a day or 2.
    Enjoy your suds by the fire tonight, maybe a victory cigar.
    Thankfully, you didn't fire Day a month ago.

    Although, the O-coordinator or whomever was responsible for a measly 10 points at home vs Michigan should suffer some unspeakable punishment
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Temp430 on January 21, 2025, 10:43:18 AM
    #FireRyanDay!
    No, no, no, no...
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: FearlessF on January 21, 2025, 10:52:15 AM
    should have swung the axe when ya had the chance
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SuperMario on January 21, 2025, 11:22:13 AM
    and their QB cannot throw a football at all…

    He's a really likable kid. Gritty, good kid, took a beating in a lot of games physically... BUT.. man that kid can't throw a spiral or a decent ball.

    Congrats OSU fans.  The experience of a championship, especially spending part of the journey with close friends or family is such a memorable ride. Hope it was truly fulfilling as more than just a game. 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 21, 2025, 11:32:37 AM
    Final AP Poll is out. Ohio State is #1 of course but the interesting and probably unprecedented thing is that they beat the other four teams in the final top-5.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: nwms on January 21, 2025, 11:45:30 AM
    best team won, no real surprise. nil for all its warts is balancing regional power - or at least it appears that way atm. 

    it is interesting that ohst wouldn’t have been in it in any of the old systems and rightfully so based on those rules. i think if they’d had competent qb play ly they’d have won it then as well. they were formidable in the cotton bowl in spite of getting zilch from the qb which is quite impressive in its own right.

    it would be interesting to go through previous seasons and guess which seasons would have produced a similar outcome.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 21, 2025, 04:38:49 PM
    Congrats OSU fans.  The experience of a championship, especially spending part of the journey with close friends or family is such a memorable ride. Hope it was truly fulfilling as more than just a game.
    the last 3 game Ducks/Horns/Irish I listened to on the radio as i dropped cable and wasn't springing for stream just for the game. To damn cold to go out late to a pub,specially mondays.Well the Buckeyes played their best 4 game stretch of the season by overhauling their offense after the wasteful effort vs the weasels. So Day getting a bloody nose paid dividends
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 21, 2025, 04:50:19 PM
    You would think winning the NC would at least fetch the Coach a good driver. Well not so fast my friends
    https://twitter.com/i/status/1881575472049590280

    What an A-Hole suck up in the the back ground bumping his groaty gums
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: FearlessF on January 21, 2025, 04:58:01 PM
    those golf carts can be tricky
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: 847badgerfan on January 21, 2025, 05:03:02 PM
    Insert blonde joke?
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 21, 2025, 05:05:24 PM
    those golf carts can be tricky
    Specially after the 19th hole

    https://www.maxpreps.com/football/19-20/stat-leaders/offense/passing/yds/
    Evidently Will Howard was the 434th ranked QB in the country coming out of Downington West H.S.(Page 9)
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: FearlessF on January 21, 2025, 05:36:16 PM
    diamond in the rough
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 21, 2025, 05:37:24 PM
    Insert blonde joke?
    She had 1 job
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SFBadger96 on January 21, 2025, 07:19:41 PM
    Yo--ND fan here. Not surprised by the outcome. Based on the game mid-3rd quarter, I was surprised that ND managed to inject any excitement into the game at all--and I'm surprised they managed to make it as close as they did. I predicted an 11-point loss (although with slightly different numbers) in my family pool. So I guess I have that going for me. Hurt SFIrish a lot more than it hurt me. She was muttering about "36 years..." and I was thinking it would be nice if my team ever won a national title. 

    I'm amused because I think the first time I ever posted on this board was after the 2005(?) bowl game that Ohio State trounced ND in (was it the Fiesta?).

    Deja vu, all over again. Or something.

    Ohio State deserved it. Freeman is a good (maybe great?) coach, but man, OSU made that defense look silly most of the night. I do wonder about that 3rd down call at the end. Had to know they wanted to get the ball to #4, right? The defensive play call begged OSU to do exactly what seemed like the obvious thing in that situation: throw the ball up to your best receiver, 1 on 1, and hope that he makes the play. Why not pull one guy out of that blitz and make it a little harder to hit #4? 

    Anyhoo--not too upset about it all. OSU looked great most of the night. ND needed a better defense, or more luck--probably both.

    ND under Freeman looks pretty good. I wish the Badgers could be upset about losing the national title game.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 21, 2025, 09:09:03 PM
    Finebaum thinks that Notre Dame is in the Big Ten :o

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPj7WXh3iO4
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 21, 2025, 10:13:58 PM
    greatest 4th place in conference multiple loss team ever ? 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: FearlessF on January 21, 2025, 11:24:22 PM
    Finebaum thinks that Notre Dame is in the Big Ten :o
    they should be and will be some fine day
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 22, 2025, 12:07:02 AM
    It's funny, if OSU fans were sane, this NC would feel a lot more ho-hum.  But to be fair:
    a) no fanbase of a big-boy program is sane
    and
    b) this is the first season of that 2nd loss not mattering at all
    .
    Yeah, yeah, I know it was against TTUN and all, but unlike those multiple 90s seasons, this time it didn't cause a scarlet-and-grey train derailment.  It simply gave Oregon a tougher path, lol.

    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: FearlessF on January 22, 2025, 12:30:59 AM
    Finebaum thinks that Notre Dame is in the Big Ten :o
    https://www.on3.com/college/nebraska-cornhuskers/news/matt-rhule-hilariously-eviscerates-paul-finebaum-over-big-ten-take-following-ohio-state-title/?fbclid=IwY2xjawH9YRZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbuRyZPMgVMYqROqzRYJc4oHoal8UD543PzbQLwLuX9Gd3qccLoaXmZnig_aem_v-RsqfEw5YtsDtqgdJ1kgg (https://www.on3.com/college/nebraska-cornhuskers/news/matt-rhule-hilariously-eviscerates-paul-finebaum-over-big-ten-take-following-ohio-state-title/?fbclid=IwY2xjawH9YRZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbuRyZPMgVMYqROqzRYJc4oHoal8UD543PzbQLwLuX9Gd3qccLoaXmZnig_aem_v-RsqfEw5YtsDtqgdJ1kgg)
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 22, 2025, 05:12:28 AM
    It's funny, if OSU fans were sane
    Just stop right there
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Honestbuckeye on January 22, 2025, 07:08:32 AM
    greatest 4th place in conference multiple loss team ever ?
    For sure.   Especially since they beat the snot out of the three teams in front of them.  
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 22, 2025, 07:36:36 AM
    The Wolverines couldn't beat OSU until the game no longer mattered. 

    Crow all you want, all you did was galvanize the team to beat the other four teams that finished in the final Top 5 poll, while you heckled from the sidelines, outside of the CFP. 

    Thanks for the NC. 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: ELA on January 22, 2025, 08:56:59 AM

    b) this is the first season of that 2nd loss not mattering at all
    .
    LSU and Les Miles would beg to differ
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 22, 2025, 09:49:40 AM
    Yo--ND fan here. Not surprised by the outcome. Based on the game mid-3rd quarter, I was surprised that ND managed to inject any excitement into the game at all--and I'm surprised they managed to make it as close as they did. I predicted an 11-point loss (although with slightly different numbers) in my family pool. So I guess I have that going for me.
    Notre Dame certainly has nothing to feel bad about.  When it was 31-7 it could very easily have become a blowout on the scale of UGA/TCU but the Irish held it together, kept fighting, and ultimately were in a one-score game in the fourth quarter of the National Championship, that is a credit to them and their coach.  
    She was muttering about "36 years..." 
    A few comments on this:
    First, it makes me feel REALLY old.  I well remember ND's NC in 1988 and how can that be 36 years ago.  

    Second, do you think, within ND circles that the 1988 NC has a somewhat mythical status that maybe the others don't?  

    Let me explain where that second question comes from:  Ohio State has somewhere between 7-9 NC's depending on who you ask but the seven that are pretty widely agreed on are:
    It always seemed to me that the 1968 team had a sorta mythical status that none of the others have.  I think the reason is simply that they were Ohio State's most recent NC for SOOOOOO long.  I was born in 1975 so the 1968 team was Ohio State's last NC from before I was born until after I had graduated.  In 2002 I was 26 and paid to fly to Vegas and drove down to watch the 2002 NC in person.  

    My point is that fanbases are naturally going to reflect back on the most recent NC.  In Ohio State's case, that has only been for a dozen years or less for all of them except the 1968 team which was our most recent for so long that it just grew a sorta mythic status because we were still reflecting back on it even those of us who hadn't been born yet when it happened.  
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 22, 2025, 09:55:59 AM
    b) this is the first season of that 2nd loss not mattering at all
    LSU and Les Miles would beg to differ
    The distinction, to me anyway, is that back in 2007 when LSU lost a second game, they didn't know that it didn't matter.  They got EXTREMELY lucky for it not to matter.  In 2024 everyone knew before The Game that Ohio State was in the CFP either way.  

    There is a difference, at least to me, between a game not mattering and everyone knows it before it is played and a game not mattering in retrospect because a whole slew of other dominos all fell a particular way.  
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SFBadger96 on January 22, 2025, 01:42:44 PM
    Second, do you think, within ND circles that the 1988 NC has a somewhat mythical status that maybe the others don't? 

    My point is that fanbases are naturally going to reflect back on the most recent NC.  In Ohio State's case, that has only been for a dozen years or less for all of them except the 1968 team which was our most recent for so long that it just grew a sorta mythic status because we were still reflecting back on it even those of us who hadn't been born yet when it happened. 

    1) Yes: because it is currently the last one.
    2) Yes, because everyone knows the older MNCs were pretty open to debate. Not all of them, but several. Until this year, the 1988 MNC that ND had was one of the best years a CFB team ever had as far as the competition that they beat to get there. Plus it had Catholics vs. Convicts. That season had everything (for that era). As ND MNCs go, I don't think there's any real debate about 1973 (unbeaten, took down #1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl)*, but Alabama and maybe Arkansas whine about 1977 (all finished the year with one loss and a win in a bowl game), and there's all kinds of lore about the 1966 championship surrounding the MSU tie.
    * Unbeaten Ohio State (one tie, with Michigan, also unbeaten, but couldn't go to a bowl game), which smoked USC (its other loss was to ND) in the Rose Bowl, and unbeaten (1 tie, vs. USC), but bowl-ineligible Oklahoma, and unbeaten (12-0) Penn State might dispute 1973, but they can all suck it. :-)
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 22, 2025, 02:47:22 PM
    1) Yes: because it is currently the last one.
    2) Yes, because everyone knows the older MNCs were pretty open to debate. Not all of them, but several. Until this year, the 1988 MNC that ND had was one of the best years a CFB team ever had as far as the competition that they beat to get there. Plus it had Catholics vs. Convicts. That season had everything (for that era). As ND MNCs go, I don't think there's any real debate about 1973 (unbeaten, took down #1 Alabama in the Sugar Bowl)*, but Alabama and maybe Arkansas whine about 1977 (all finished the year with one loss and a win in a bowl game), and there's all kinds of lore about the 1966 championship surrounding the MSU tie.
    * Unbeaten Ohio State (one tie, with Michigan, also unbeaten, but couldn't go to a bowl game), which smoked USC (its other loss was to ND) in the Rose Bowl, and unbeaten (1 tie, vs. USC), but bowl-ineligible Oklahoma, and unbeaten (12-0) Penn State might dispute 1973, but they can all suck it. :-)
    The time difference, just like for Ohio State, is striking:
    At this point ND's 1988 NC has been their last for longer than 1968 was for Ohio State.  I personally don't own any and never did, but as a kid I remember other kids at school having Ohio State 1968 NC gear (and I'm talking kids my age, born AFTER that NC).  It is the same for ND today.  When their fanbase looks back at NC's, the first one to contemplate is the one from 1988.  That, I think, is where the "mythology" comes from.  When an NC is the school's most recent it gets talked about, and built up and when that goes on and on and on as it did for 1968 for Ohio State and continues to for Notre Dame's 1988, I think that mythology just keeps growing and growing.  

    I'm not letting the 1973 thing slide without a comment:
    USC is the barometer of that season because the schedule they played was insane.  They "only" went 9-2-1 and finished #8 but:

    There has always been a great deal of luck involved in winning an NC.  A big part of it is simply when you have your off week.  Notre Dame's 1973 team, for example, barely defeated MSU at home, 14-10.  This was an MSU team that finished 5-6 with a 35-0 loss to tOSU and a 31-0 loss to M.  It was clearly a bad week for ND but they survived and nobody cares.  If they had their bad week against USC instead, they aren't NC.  

    In the case of 1973 my argument has been and remains that Ohio State and Michigan were the best two teams in the nation (in that order).  They were both supremely unlucky that the other one was REALLY good that year as well so they tied and finished #2 (tOSU) and #6 (M).  
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SFBadger96 on January 22, 2025, 03:29:59 PM
    I mostly agree with you, Medina, except on the 1973 point. The system was what it was. ND played the best bowl game and was unbeaten and untied. Beating a previously unbeaten Alabama that had pretty well smoked its whole schedule in the Sugar Bowl, more or less a home game for Alabama (same for USC in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State). So ND won the championship. That's how the system worked. Maybe Ohio State did have the best team (with Michigan as a close second). Certainly possible. But based on the standards of the day, going unbeaten and beating unbeaten Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, when no one else did (other than PSU, which played a weaker schedule/bowl) gets ND the title.

    I was born a few days before these bowl games, so I don't have the faintest clue how all these teams looked with the eye-test. I think it's pretty interesting that the top three teams (ND, Ohio State, and Oklahomo) all had a common opponent in USC. What are the odds of that? Ohio State had the best win--on the road (basically), ND also won, convincingly, but at South Bend (and not as convincingly as OSU), and Oklahoma tied USC at USC in week 2. Ohio State and Michigan absolutely carved up their schedules, save for the tie against each other. ND had a near miss against a long-time rival. But they didn't miss.

    Unbeaten team x beats unbeaten team y in major bowl game. Unbeaten team x wins the national title. That was the (flawed) system.

    Now, Ohio State has the most impressive wins of any team ever, BUT it lost two games in the regular season, one of which doesn't look great (better than ND's loss, I'll happily grant you). So how much does ND's near miss with MSU really mean?

    And this is why I kind of enjoyed adding that asterisk about 1973. It's a legit national title for ND, but it was also a system that didn't really give us a great barometer of who the best team was. :-)

    All of which agrees with your point about the outsized importance of ND's 1988 title.

    Also, how great would that 12-team playoff have been?
    Without doing the full analysis, the AP top 12 at the end of the regular season: Bear Bryant's Alabama, Barry Switzer's Oklahoma, Ara Parseghian's ND, Woody Hayes's Ohio State, Bo Schembechler's Michigan, Joe Paterno's Penn State, John McKay's USC, Darrell Royal's Texas...I mean come on. Epic on top of epic and that's just the top 8. UCLA comes in at 9, Arizona State (as WAC champion) at 10, Texas Tech at 11 (only loss was to Texas), and oh look it's Tom Osborne's Nebraska at 12.

    Someone asked about the golden age of college football? There's a case to be made...
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 22, 2025, 04:06:09 PM
    The system was what it was. ND played the best bowl game and was unbeaten and untied. Beating a previously unbeaten Alabama that had pretty well smoked its whole schedule in the Sugar Bowl, more or less a home game for Alabama (same for USC in the Rose Bowl against Ohio State). So ND won the championship. That's how the system worked. Maybe Ohio State did have the best team (with Michigan as a close second). Certainly possible. But based on the standards of the day, going unbeaten and beating unbeaten Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, when no one else did (other than PSU, which played a weaker schedule/bowl) gets ND the title.
    Agreed.  I wasn't arguing that the AP should have voted differently, that was the system and that was how things worked.  11-0 was going to beat 10-0-1 on anything close to comparable schedules.  

    My point was more about the luck issue.  Ohio State went into The Game that year at #1 ahead of #2 Bama, #3 Oklahoma, #4 Michigan, and #5 Notre Dame.  Without the mutual bad luck of both teams having a great year in the same year, the Ohio State/Michigan winner likely stays ahead of Notre Dame and ends up winning the NC once Alabama loses to Notre Dame.  
    Also, how great would that 12-team playoff have been?
    Without doing the full analysis, the AP top 12 at the end of the regular season: Bear Bryant's Alabama, Barry Switzer's Oklahoma, Ara Parseghian's ND, Woody Hayes's Ohio State, Bo Schembechler's Michigan, Joe Paterno's Penn State, John McKay's USC, Darrell Royal's Texas...I mean come on. Epic on top of epic and that's just the top 8. UCLA comes in at 9, Arizona State (as WAC champion) at 10, Texas Tech at 11 (only loss was to Texas), and oh look it's Tom Osborne's Nebraska at 12.

    Someone asked about the golden age of college football? There's a case to be made...
    This is a fascinating point.  On something like the current 12-team format, here is what I get:

    So you'd have:
    That is basically a Mount Rushmore of College Football Coaches going up against each other.  
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SFBadger96 on January 22, 2025, 05:18:55 PM
    Got to find a way to mix in Bobby Bowden, Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, and...?
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: OrangeAfroMan on January 22, 2025, 08:48:20 PM
    1973 is sort of a perfect storm of nearly every blueblood having a great season.  Having 6 such programs going undefeated in the regular season was sick.
    Although Penn State was not yet held in such high esteem as it eventually would (didn't help in '94, though), they had experienced great success.  

    As for '07 LSU....losing to unranked Arkansas in their regular season finale was certainly an OH FUCK WE'RE DONE moment, falling from #1 to #7.  It took an unprecedented perfect storm for them to parley a 7-point win over a Tennessee team ranked in the teens to immediately jump back up to #2.  

    When OSU lost to UM again, all of the chicken little shit had ZERO to do with any playoff ramifications and EVERYTHING to do with losing 4 straight to TTUN and OSU fans' psycho mindsets.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Brutus Buckeye on January 22, 2025, 09:42:01 PM
    Notre Dame certainly has nothing to feel bad about.  When it was 31-7 it could very easily have become a blowout on the scale of UGA/TCU but the Irish held it together, kept fighting, and ultimately were in a one-score game in the fourth quarter of the National Championship, that is a credit to them and their coach.  A few comments on this:
    First, it makes me feel REALLY old.  I well remember ND's NC in 1988 and how can that be 36 years ago. 

    Second, do you think, within ND circles that the 1988 NC has a somewhat mythical status that maybe the others don't? 

    Let me explain where that second question comes from:  Ohio State has somewhere between 7-9 NC's depending on who you ask but the seven that are pretty widely agreed on are:
    • 1942, Paul Brown won the school's first
    • 1954, Woody Hayes' first, 12 years later
    • 1957, Woody Hayes' second, 3 years later
    • 1968, Woody Hayes' third and last, 11 years later
    • 2002, Jim Tressel won for the first time in 34 years
    • 2014, Urban Meyer won 12 years later
    • 2024, Ryan Day won 10 years later
    It always seemed to me that the 1968 team had a sorta mythical status that none of the others have.  I think the reason is simply that they were Ohio State's most recent NC for SOOOOOO long.  I was born in 1975 so the 1968 team was Ohio State's last NC from before I was born until after I had graduated.  In 2002 I was 26 and paid to fly to Vegas and drove down to watch the 2002 NC in person. 

    My point is that fanbases are naturally going to reflect back on the most recent NC.  In Ohio State's case, that has only been for a dozen years or less for all of them except the 1968 team which was our most recent for so long that it just grew a sorta mythic status because we were still reflecting back on it even those of us who hadn't been born yet when it happened. 

    I'm a few years younger than you, and I didn't hear much about 1968 until 2002. Instead it was Archie Griffin era that was held up as the gold standard of CFB history. He played before we were born as well. 

    Really it was just "Woody Hayes" until Urban Meyer got hired. Tressel was just a poor man's Woody Hayes. Or maybe a rich man's Earle Bruce. 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 23, 2025, 09:21:00 AM
    I'm a few years younger than you, and I didn't hear much about 1968 until 2002. Instead it was Archie Griffin era that was held up as the gold standard of CFB history. He played before we were born as well.

    Really it was just "Woody Hayes" until Urban Meyer got hired. Tressel was just a poor man's Woody Hayes. Or maybe a rich man's Earle Bruce.
    Tressel does not get his due enough. He is the one that flipped the script in THE GAME and started dominating Michigan. Oh and he also won a Natty and beat probably the most talented college football program ever. Those '01-'02 Canes teams were insane. And he beat em. For the Natty. That's LEGEND status right there.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: FearlessF on January 23, 2025, 09:24:29 AM
    ya but, the sweater
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SuperMario on January 23, 2025, 09:30:46 AM
    Tressel does not get his due enough. He is the one that flipped the script in THE GAME and started dominating Michigan. Oh and he also won a Natty and beat probably the most talented college football program ever. Those '01-'02 Canes teams were insane. And he beat em. For the Natty. That's LEGEND status right there.
    Completely agree with this. He won a title and beat a completely loaded Miami team with Craig Krenzel. Ohio State has had the luxury of absolutely incredible coaching and it completely shifted when the Sweatervest hit campus. 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 23, 2025, 09:33:27 AM
    someone should probably tell them about 2024 Ohio State vs 2024 Michigan...lol.  

    https://twitter.com/Rivals/status/1882249069030261202
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 23, 2025, 10:05:01 AM
    Tressel does not get his due enough. He is the one that flipped the script in THE GAME and started dominating Michigan. Oh and he also won a Natty and beat probably the most talented college football program ever. Those '01-'02 Canes teams were insane. And he beat em. For the Natty. That's LEGEND status right there.
    Completely agree with this. He won a title and beat a completely loaded Miami team with Craig Krenzel. Ohio State has had the luxury of absolutely incredible coaching and it completely shifted when the Sweatervest hit campus.
    Tressel deserves a lot of credit but there is also another Ohio State coach who deserves some . . .

    For as much as most Ohio State fans (not excluding myself here) hated Cooper's repeated losses to Michigan, especially the losses to obviously inferior teams, John Cooper brought Ohio State's recruiting into the modern era and made it national.  

    Back when Woody was coaching Ohio State really didn't recruit nationally.  Ohio obviously has a lot of HS Football talent so to some extent they didn't need to but that is also part of the reason that by the end of Woody's tenure the Buckeyes were almost as bad in Bowls as Michigan.  Woody ended up 4-4 in Rose Bowls but note that he was 3-0 before Bo got to Michigan then went 1-4 during the Ten Year War.  Meanwhile Bo went 0-5 so the two teams were a pathetic 1-9 in Rose Bowls from the 1969-1978 seasons (1970-1979 Rose Bowls).  

    Early in Woody's tenure he REALLY pissed off the west coast media with a comment that Ohio State's Rose Bowl opponent was a good team, then he said something to the effect that they would probably finish "4th or 5th in 'our' league".  It was probably stupid to say that but it wasn't wrong.  The Big Ten / Pac 8 / Rose Bowl agreement started with the 1946 season (1947 Rose Bowl) and from there the results were:
    Overall, in those first 23 years the Big Ten went 17-6 so when Woody said that the Pac Champions would probably be 4th or 5th in the Big Ten he probably wasn't wrong.  However, that changed as the national population shifted which probably contributed to the Big Ten being so bad in the Rose Bowl in the 1970's.  

    Earle Bruce was a terrible recruiter.  He basically just tried to be a continuation of what Woody had done but Woody started in 1951.  Note that in the 1950 US Census:
    In the 1950's there wasn't a need to recruit nationally because there wasn't that much talent in the rest of the country anyway.  

    Bruce's attempt to replicate Woody's tenure but ~30 years later resulted in a bunch of pretty good Ohio State teams that weren't great.  They lost exactly three games each year from 1980-1986 and the school pulled the plug in 1987.  Bruce had more-or-less dominated the 'little eight' and he'd been competitive with Michigan (5-4 in his nine years) but he hadn't been nationally competitive.  

    Cooper obviously struggled with Michigan and in bowls but he modernized and nationalized Ohio State's.  Tressel won in 2002 mostly with players that John Cooper brought to Columbus.  Tresel maintained that then Urban Meyer REALLY ramped it up.  
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: FearlessF on January 23, 2025, 10:10:28 AM
    fire ryan day!
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 23, 2025, 10:24:25 AM
    A couple things I wanted to comment on:

    First is that Ohio State's defense deserves a LOT more credit than they'll get for not just the ND win but the CFP run in general.  

    Notre Dame rushed 26 times on Monday night and gained 53 yards.  That is 2.0 ypc.  That is pathetic.  It actually gets worse.  When I first saw that stat I thought to myself "didn't they have 40-someting on their first drive?"  I finally took the time to go and check and yes, they did.  On their opening drive Notre Dame rushed 13 times for 44 yards (3.4 ypc).  They also had their two longest runs of the night, an 8 yarder by Riley Leonard on the game's second play and a 9 yarder by Jadarian Price to get into the Red Zone.  If you back out the 13 plays and 44 yards that ND had rushing on the first drive, for the rest of the game they ran 13 more times for 9 more yards.  That is a just flat out insane performance by the Ohio State defense.  

    Second is that when you look at the stats it is astounding that this game was as close as it was:


    I will say that the Egbuka fumble probably prevented this from being a blowout.  At that point the 4th quarter had just started, Ohio State was still up by 16 (31-15), and Egbuka's catch and run had gotten tOSU into the Red Zone.  If he doesn't fumble there the Buckeyes have a 1st down at the ND 21 with a 16 point lead and <15 minutes to go.  


    I absolutely despise ND but you have to give them and their Buckeye coach credit for staying in this game.  They could easily have folded down 31-7 but they didn't.  They kept fighting and kept it together and miraculously made this a one-score game in the fourth quarter.  
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SuperMario on January 23, 2025, 11:06:07 AM
    Ehh.. You can't really knock the Notre Dame running game because they didn't give it a chance and when they were suddenly down big, they couldn't rely on the run. Their star running back Love had 4 carries. They had 17 QB sneaks. YPC in that scenario aren't exactly going to tell a big story. Secondly, yards per passing attempt changed wildly on the one play that sealed the win for the Buckeyes in the 56 yard pass to Smith, which was incredibly odd defensive move, especially putting Notre Dame's worst DB on the best WR in the country. OSU dominated the game, but I don't think it was their defense that dominated, it was Notre Dame's defense unable to stop OSU's dominant offense. If anyone isn't getting enough love, it's Will Howard. The guy played a perfect game. The second time OSU was unstoppable and went up 14-7, Notre Dame could tell they had to be aggressive and try to score every possession and got away from what they opened the game with. 

    As good as Freeman has been all season, he also had two hugely dumb calls. The fake punt and kicking the field goal with the clock working against him. 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SFBadger96 on January 23, 2025, 11:22:13 AM
    My take on the deciding factor in the game was OSU's essentially unstoppable offense in the first three quarters--and yeah, the fumble is what got ND back into it. Who knew: turnovers make a big difference? Ordinarily an offense can have a couple of rough drives and still be in the game. Not this time. By the third time ND had the ball, it was clear they were desperate. They were only down 14-7, but OSU had simply carved up their defense, which is no small thing--that was a pretty good defense all year. By the fourt time, ND was in a huge hole. The first (only?) OSU punt was in the fourth quarter, right, after the fumble?

    That's not to say that OSU's defense doesn't deserve credit--of course it does--but ND was out of its gameplan early because OSU's offense was so good.

    And on the other point: yeah, Tressel was a great head coach for Ohio State. I guess Urban Meyer sucked some of the air out of Tressel's tenure because of how good he was, but that Tressel team was really, really good every year. Woody Hayes was Woody Hayes. Unfair to compare anyone to him. Kind of like Knute Rockne for Notre Dame. He was amazing, but the coaches that came after stood on their own--as does Tressel (or at least he should).
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SFBadger96 on January 23, 2025, 11:33:18 AM
    Also, comparing different national title teams is always fun. Michigan's title* team from 2023 was really good. 15 wins, no losses, and wins over Alabama, Washington, and very good Ohio State, Iowa, and Penn State teams. That's a solid record--comparable to most any national title team, and with the two playoff wins, that was impressive.

    Ohio State this year, because of the playoff format, can boast the best post season by far of any team ever (and the only one to have the opportunity so far). Not only did they win against really good competition, but they won relatively easy. Yeah, the Texas game was close until the end, and yeah, ND managed to make it a 1-score game in the fourth quarter, but the ND game was always pretty well in hand, and the dismantlings of Oregon and Tennessee were impressive. So Ohio State ends the season with wins over teams 2-5 in the final AP poll, and six of the top 10 (since Ohio State is #1, that's six of nine other programs in the AP top 10). Without looking, I suspect Ohio State is the only team that can ever claim that.
    ...
    And two losses. One to the AP #3, by 1, 2000 miles from home. No shame in that. One, at home, to a team that effectively finished 29th in the AP poll. Ouch. So 2024 OSU has both the really great and the really questionable as far as all-time national champions go.
    And if I'm an Ohio State fan (good golly I'm not) all you [Michigan] haters can suck on my national title. Enjoy whatever tarnish you want to put on this season, OSU won the whole damn thing fair and square. No asterisk here.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SuperMario on January 23, 2025, 11:53:19 AM
    @SFBadger96 (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=51) those are two really good posts and spot on.

    Except 1 area. It's not hating. It's simply reminding them a large amount of them wanted their coach fired at the end of the regular season because of a specific outcome and all of these seniors are still searching for their misplaced gold pants. They did win fair and square and had a great run and had to be a fun time for a Buckeye fan. To go from a place of great frustration at the end of November to the trophy holding Monday night is a huge roller coaster, yet probably awesome ride. 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Mdot21 on January 23, 2025, 12:19:41 PM
    Except 1 area. It's not hating. It's simply reminding them a large amount of them wanted their coach fired at the end of the regular season because of a specific outcome and all of these seniors are still searching for their misplaced gold pants. They did win fair and square and had a great run and had to be a fun time for a Buckeye fan. To go from a place of great frustration at the end of November to the trophy holding Monday night is a huge roller coaster, yet probably awesome ride.
    100%. 

    a huge section of the crazy ass OSU fans actually wanted a guy who had won 90% of his games and been to 4 playoffs in 6 years fired. it’s fun to remind them of that. so much so that Day’s family was getting harassed and death threats and he had to have armed police officers on his street apparently.

    of course now all those crazies have amnesia.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: utee94 on January 23, 2025, 12:20:49 PM
    Fan is short for fanatic.  Always has been.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 23, 2025, 12:22:39 PM
    John Cooper brought Ohio State's recruiting into the modern era and made it national.
    Good Post except for this - it's a repeated fallacy. I brought this up before tOSU had maybe the premier recruiting coordinator in all of CFB. Bill Conley he was on Earle's staff and brought back in '91 after Cooper had a 6 loss and 2-4 loss seasons. With Conley recruitng the Buckeyes records steadily improved but lost repeatedly to U of M. Tress won the 1st yr as a dog then won the whole thing in his 2nd with many of the same players. Conley left CBus after 17 seasons in 2004 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 23, 2025, 12:28:30 PM
    someone should probably tell them about 2024 Ohio State vs 2024 Michigan...lol. 
    (https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FqeA0jZAlsCHAI%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1)    
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: Honestbuckeye on January 23, 2025, 12:30:30 PM
    (https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FqeA0jZAlsCHAI%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1)   
    😂😂.    Well played.  
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: 847badgerfan on January 23, 2025, 12:52:00 PM
    😂😂.    Well played. 
    (https://i.imgur.com/vGH4lmH.png)
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 23, 2025, 12:57:18 PM
    100%.

    a huge section of the crazy ass OSU fans actually wanted a guy who had won 90% of his games and been to 4 playoffs in 6 years fired. it’s fun to remind them of that. so much so that Day’s family was getting harassed and death threats and he had to have armed police officers on his street apparently.

    of course now all those crazies have amnesia.
    Mdot no different than you screaming for Harbaugh's head, referring to him as !@#$%&*+ CTE/Autisic weren't viewed as votes of confidence and I read MGOBOARD and Stadium and Main as they were parroting the same views. It just depends on whose ox is getting gored.

     And after November 30th it begged the question to the reality if DAY couldn't beat THAT 5 loss team w/o studs Loveland or Johnson playing in the 'Shoe then when??? That's rational I didn't hear anyone issue a death threat - EVER. Many were offering him a free ride out of town and cursing and swearing and cursing and swearing. The truth of the matter is this is what happened https://youtu.be/uQmD5W3fndM?t=636 time stamped after 10 minutes in and they are right worth a listen
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: utee94 on January 23, 2025, 01:01:49 PM
    Yeah as many times as MDot screamed for Harbaugh's head over the years, it is slightly amusing to see him making fun of Ohio State fans for doing the same thing.

    But, we're college football fanatics, and acting like lunatics is pretty much our calling card.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 23, 2025, 01:18:58 PM
    I was jacked for 2002 NC and the 2014 NC, though nice the Scarlett and Gray got hot at the right time this year and sure it's nice but kind of meh. And the sport has lost alot IMO as by whoring more games out of a schedule the Universities and Networks just can't get enough. Really killing decades old traditions and old rivalries. They'll keep pushing for MORE games until they're poking their ass into Groundhog Day

    "Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching that satisfaction." Erich Fromm
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SuperMario on January 23, 2025, 02:09:34 PM
    I was jacked for 2002 NC and the 2014 NC, though nice the Scarlett and Gray got hot at the right time this year and sure it's nice but kind of meh. And the sport has lost alot IMO as by whoring more games out of a schedule the Universities and Networks just can't get enough. Really killing decades old traditions and old rivalries. They'll keep pushing for MORE games until they're poking their ass into Groundhog Day

    "Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching that satisfaction." Erich Fromm
    It's very interesting to read this take. I think a lot of OSU fans are using the additional games as justification why THE GAME doesn't matter and in this circumstance, it's the greatest thing ever and maybe justifiably so. I leaned more towards your take of 12 teams and all these additional games are too much. It watered it down for me. I questioned if I only feel that way because Michigan was on their couch at home, but I don't think that's it.

    And maybe it's just because we're old and our time and what we grew up loving is gone.. I loved the importance of the Rose Bowl. The younger generations probably love the extra games and college football lasting longer and all the money thrown around with NIL and it's "free agency." I'm beginning to get worried about the disconnect from players to the school they are supposed to represent as they bounce around. As a UM fan, it was a bit easier to connect to last year's team because the stars were players that came up through the system. The JJ, Sainristil, Colson, Blake Corum, Roman Wilson, etc.

    I don't know if I'll connect as much if Michigan is decent in 2025, but then in 2026 they spend a ton of money to bring in high talented seniors from other schools to seal the W.. and apparently their budget is now skyrocketing so it will happen.

    When I think about the 97 team or 2003 team or hell, even the Denard days, there was a connection to the players. If I'm a buckeye fan, I'm just not as connected to Will Howard or Judkins as much as the Bosas, the Marvin Jrs, the Chase Youngs or Zeke Elliotts. It's just a different game now.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 23, 2025, 03:08:35 PM
    Ohio State this year, because of the playoff format, can boast the best post season by far of any team ever (and the only one to have the opportunity so far). Not only did they win against really good competition, but they won relatively easy. Yeah, the Texas game was close until the end, and yeah, ND managed to make it a 1-score game in the fourth quarter, but the ND game was always pretty well in hand, and the dismantlings of Oregon and Tennessee were impressive. So Ohio State ends the season with wins over teams 2-5 in the final AP poll, and six of the top 10 (since Ohio State is #1, that's six of nine other programs in the AP top 10). Without looking, I suspect Ohio State is the only team that can ever claim that.
    This will become somewhat commonplace going forward because the NC will have to win three or four CFP games that will generally be against top-5 or at least top-10 teams but from a historical perspective this is unreal.  Four wins over top-5 teams (4-1 because they also lost to Oregon) and six over top-10 teams (6-1) is just something we have never seen anything like.  
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 23, 2025, 03:14:38 PM
    1973 is sort of a perfect storm of nearly every blueblood having a great season.  Having 6 such programs going undefeated in the regular season was sick.
    Although Penn State was not yet held in such high esteem as it eventually would (didn't help in '94, though), they had experienced great success. 
    It is pretty crazy, pre-bowl 1973 AP Poll:

    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 23, 2025, 03:17:50 PM
    Ehh.. You can't really knock the Notre Dame running game because they didn't give it a chance and when they were suddenly down big, they couldn't rely on the run. Their star running back Love had 4 carries. They had 17 QB sneaks. YPC in that scenario aren't exactly going to tell a big story. Secondly, yards per passing attempt changed wildly on the one play that sealed the win for the Buckeyes in the 56 yard pass to Smith, which was incredibly odd defensive move, especially putting Notre Dame's worst DB on the best WR in the country. OSU dominated the game, but I don't think it was their defense that dominated, it was Notre Dame's defense unable to stop OSU's dominant offense. If anyone isn't getting enough love, it's Will Howard. The guy played a perfect game. The second time OSU was unstoppable and went up 14-7, Notre Dame could tell they had to be aggressive and try to score every possession and got away from what they opened the game with.

    As good as Freeman has been all season, he also had two hugely dumb calls. The fake punt and kicking the field goal with the clock working against him.
    Yeah, the Ohio State offense scoring TD's on their first four dives did effectively take the rushing option away from the Irish but even when they did try it, after the first drive they had 13 carries for 9 yards.  That is some REALLY good defense.  

    Agree on Will Howard.  He's taken some crap but that was a near-perfect game.  
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SuperMario on January 23, 2025, 03:32:19 PM
    Yeah, the Ohio State offense scoring TD's on their first four dives did effectively take the rushing option away from the Irish but even when they did try it, after the first drive they had 13 carries for 9 yards.  That is some REALLY good defense. 

    Agree on Will Howard.  He's taken some crap but that was a near-perfect game. 
    But dive deeper into those stats by score and timing...

    7-7   score - 1 run on 2nd and 25 by Price , not even Love.
    14-7 score - 2 runs technically - qb sneak and the 2nd a fumbled snap considered a run

    The next run came when the game was 28-7.

    Now that being said, the defense did shut down Love on the opening drive and it was actually the QB sneak that worked. 3 of Love's 4 carries were the opening drive for 1 yard. So there's an argument for both parts to be true. Defense shut down the running game outside the QB sneak on the first drive and by the time they could get back to the run again, the game was already out of hand because the offense absolutely dominated. 
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SFBadger96 on January 23, 2025, 03:40:05 PM
    What's definitely true is that between the end of ND's second drive, and Ohio State's fumble, the game didn't look remotely close. Fair to say Ohio State was much better on both sides of the ball during that stretch.
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: betarhoalphadelta on January 23, 2025, 04:30:46 PM
    Yeah, the Ohio State offense scoring TD's on their first four dives did effectively take the rushing option away from the Irish but even when they did try it, after the first drive they had 13 carries for 9 yards.  That is some REALLY good defense. 

    Agree on Will Howard.  He's taken some crap but that was a near-perfect game. 
    That's especially good defense since the ND offense had to pass and the OSU defense KNEW the ND offense had to pass. There should have been more room for delayed runs/etc as the OSU defense was likely pinning their ears back to rush the passer and back 7 sitting in coverage. 

    One caveat--not that it makes a big difference--is that sacks count as rushes in college. I looked it up and it was only 2 sacks for 13 yards, but that changes it from 26 for 53 (2.04 avg) to 24 for 66 (2.75 avg). Which still sucks, hard. But usually when teams are rushing the ball successfully the sack numbers make less of an impact on the total. In this case b/c ND couldn't run the ball the sacks make it look MUCH worse than it would if they'd gone like 25 for 109 (4.36) and the same 2 sacks made it 27 for 96 (3.56 avg). 

    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: medinabuckeye1 on January 23, 2025, 04:37:25 PM
    What's definitely true is that between the end of ND's second drive, and Ohio State's fumble, the game didn't look remotely close. Fair to say Ohio State was much better on both sides of the ball during that stretch.
    I'd cut it off at when it got to 31 to 7.  Here are all possessions from 7-0 to 31-7:
    Ohio State:
    Notre Dame:
    So yeah, in that stretch Ohio State had 310 yards, 4 TD's and a FG while ND had 11 yards and zero first downs.  

    As an OSU fan obviously I love the offense being that dominant but you have to also credit the defense for not even giving up a single first down over that stretch.  
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: MrNubbz on January 23, 2025, 04:44:20 PM
    (https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/325/888/12888325.jpeg?width=600&fit=bounds)
    Title: Re: #8 Ohio State 34, #7 Notre Dame 23 Post Game
    Post by: SFBadger96 on January 23, 2025, 05:17:08 PM
    :)

    Before the game started I wrote to my best friend, a notorious ND hater (but also no fan of Ohio State):
    "Pray for us sinners. There is a lot of Notre Dame love in this house today."