Notre Dame go to 8-0 but, is it all in vain?

Posted on Sunday, October 28, 2012 at 06:47 AM

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Notre Dame appear to have something cooking this season. Defying pre-season expectations they have beaten all comers culminating in an impressive 30-13 win over Oklahoma last night, on the road, no less. Everett Golson threw for 177 yards and dove for the decisive 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. They got some serious help on the defensive side too. Just a few weeks ago some idiotic websites scoffed openly at the chance of Manti Te'o winning the Heisman, well now bigger, national sites are commenting that the young man bolstered his Heisman Trophy candidacy with a late interception. That's right, bolstered.

Notre Dame would appear to be, as they say, legit.

Here's the problem. The possibility remains of this incredible season being eventually measured as having been basically for naught, lost in the quagmire of the usual vitriolic debate over how College football should award its winners.

The fact to bear in mind here is the switch to the much anticipated playoff system doesn't come into force until next season. That means that even if Notre Dame run the table, and beats (in order) Pittsburgh, Boston College, Wake Forest and USC (on the road), the chances are they are not going to be playing for the National Championship.

How can we suggest that with such confidence?

Easy.

Alabama, Kansas and Oregon are all now 8-0 after impressive weekend wins, and are ranked higher than Notre Dame in the BCS standings. Kansas have beaten three ranked teams, including their last two victories. and have a relatively easy run-in on their schedule. Kansas should finish 12-0. If Alabama survives next week's battle with LSU, they should also finish 12-0.

Oregon faces perhaps the toughest run in, on paper at least, however USC and Stanford are not the forces they once were, and California should be easily swiped aside. Oregon's last game against Oregon State will probably decide whether they go 12-0 or not.

The bottom line is, at least two of those three should finish 12-0, and even if The Fighting Irish beat their own last four opponents, they most likely will not be playing for the National Championship.

Up to now, many great college teams have lost out of playing for the National Championship thanks to the antiquated, out-dated and frankly farcical old BCS format. Thankfully from next season four teams will have a chance to battle it out, in what should provide excellent, dramatic viewing for us the fans.

Sadly, that will most likely come a season too late for this Notre Dame squad.

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Dodger300 | Nov 04, 2012, 07:47 AM EST

Kansas St. is not Kansas, any more than Ohio St. is Ohio, or Michigan St. is Michigan, or Notre Dame is Indiana. The writer of the articlerevealed his supreme ignorance of college football. However, your comment is far worse, as you responded to a factual statement by mocking it and spitting in the eye of the previous commenter. It is because of this kind of arrogance from ND fans that most college football fans across the country will take great pleasure if the Irish are denied a chance to play for the national championship.

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DaddyMac22 | Oct 29, 2012, 07:48 AM EDT

@KSUfan1 : Kansas this, Kansas that, they aren't the focus of the story. Kansas is Kansas. The overall story is about ND and their record, so, was it really worth your time to 'troll' and article completely out of Context?

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KSUfan1 | Oct 28, 2012, 04:39 PM EDT

It's not Kansas, it's Kansas State. Kansas is KU. You really need to learn this lingo if you're going to be a supposed sports writer. Notre Dame's biggest issue, is that you haven't played many teams worth much and won't be this season. Oregan's the team that has the easiest run and will continue to. Kansas State has the hardest out of the top 4 seeds as far as the rest of the season. If you knew really anything about college football, you'd know this. Time to get out the ND bubble.

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