W said:

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yes, the Buckeyes definitely earned it

Notre Dame had an incredibly soft schedule -- only playing #21 Army during the regular season

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Yet they beat 5,6 and 10 in consecutive games.

W said:

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and we do need to mention...

Elko finished unranked in year 1

Sumlin finished #5

Jimbo finished #16 with wins over #6 LSU and #12 Kentucky -- their end of year rankings

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So maybe he has the opposite of their careers, where once they got teams of only their guys, they went downhill.

ND beat 7 teams that finished in the top 35 (when you look at the others receiving votes).
ND beat 6 ranked teams during the regular season, (like A&M), many of which didn't finish ranked because of losing to ND, & a few who dropped out because ND blew them out so bad. ND played a team that was ranked, undefeated at the time (9-0) and completely dropped out because ND beat them by 30+ (team finished just outside top 25 because of that blowout loss).
And of course, ND beat 3 straight top 10 teams in a row in the final poll.
A&M will get another shot at ND in week 3. (ND opens at night in Miami in the Orange Bowl).

Oh but we beat nobody. Wait til next year. I've been listening to this crap for sixty years

We were a legitimate top 15 team until we lost Moss and were capable of beating most of these top 25 teams with him. We need more depth to overcome injuries.

rickslatts said:

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We would beat many of the teams on that list by multiple touchdowns. Deion, Memphis, Unlv, Syracuse, etc.

Lost the best running back in the nation. That changed our offense. We will be a sleeper next year.

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Jeanty says hi

Should Notre Dame be favored to win the National Championship next season? 🤔

(via @SportsTalkDrew) pic.twitter.com/zHAGVzZ25c

— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) January 21, 2025

We got one freaking vote on the AP poll

To all y'all barking, including me...COULDA, WOULDA, SHOULDA... Beat Auburn, beat Carolina and we are 10-2 to finish with a different outlook and a much better game 13...

sincereag said:

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We were a legitimate top 15 team until we lost Moss and were capable of beating most of these top 25 teams with him. We need more depth to overcome injuries.

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I'm not sure how we are listed in the first published '25 odds as +3000 when we were +4000 before the ND game THIS year. If Vegas is paid to know, does this mean they see improvement on the horizon?

W said:

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and the Ags started the season unranked in 2012

didn't break into the poll until week 6

and of course finished the year with a win over the national champs (13-1 Alabama)

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Actually, we finished that regular season with a loss to LSU

Bison said:

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I'm not sure how we are listed in the first published '25 odds as +3000 when we were +4000 before the ND game THIS year. If Vegas is paid to know, does this mean they see improvement on the horizon?

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We could be plus 70 million and it still would be a bad bet.

Three years in a row not ranked in top 25.

Yes, agreed, doing less with more.

Frustrating.

RR

RingOfive said:

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We destroyed Missouri with a trash QB who transferred to cougar high. What a ridiculous season.

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This was one of the most disappointing seasons I can remember in a very long time. These coaches totally failed everyone

MMantle said:

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Three years in a row not ranked in top 25.

Yes, agreed, doing less with more.

Frustrating.

RR

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This is actually the 4th year in a row we did not finish ranked in the top 25.

2021: 8-4 (4-4 SEC) before we pulled out of bowl game against Rutgers
2022: 5-7 (2-6 SEC)
2023: 7-6 (4-4 SEC), ending with a 31-23 loss to 10-4 (7-2 Big 12) Oklahoma State in the Texas Bowl
2024: 8-5 (5-3 SEC), ending with a 35-31 loss to 7-6 (4-5 Big 10) USC in the Las Vegas Bowl

After we started 7-1 (5-0 SEC)), we lost 4 of our last 5 games, including 3 consecutive losses to end the season. Our only win in that span was over New Mexico State, and we have lost 4 consecutive games to Power 4 opponents since a 38-23 win over LSU on 10/26. Dating back to a 42-30 road loss at LSU on 11/25/2023, we have lost 4 consecutive November SEC games and 2 consecutive bowl games. We have lost 6 consecutive November/December Power 4 games since a 51-10 home win over Mississippi State on 11/11/2023, which was Jimbo Fishers last game of his tenure. Also, we have not won a bowl game since a 41-27 win over North Carolina in the 2021 Orange Bowl on 1/2/2021.

Losses to 9-4 (5-3 SEC) South Carolina and 13-2 (7-1 SEC) CFP semifinalist Texas were understandable, but a loss at 5-7 (2-6 SEC) Auburn was inexcusable. If we had beaten Auburn, we would have finished 9-3 (6-2 SEC) in the regular season and reached the SEC Championship Game for the first time. Yes, Texas would have probably beaten us again, but we probably could have gotten a better bowl game and won it to finish 10-4 (6-2 SEC).

For the 4th straight year, we finished unranked:
2021: 8-4 (4-4 SEC) before we pulled out of bowl game against Rutgers

2022: 5-7 (2-6 SEC) for first losing season since a 6-7 (3-5 Big 12) finish in 2009 and first time we failed to reach bowl eligibility since a 4-8 (2-6 Big 12) finish in 2008

2023: 7-6 (4-4 SEC), ending with a 31-23 loss to 10-4 (7-2 Big 12) Big 12-runner up Oklahoma State in the Texas Bowl

2024: 8-5 (5-3 SEC), ending with a 35-31 loss to 7-6 (4-5 Big 10) USC

Beep boop bop indeed.

W said:

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7 SEC teams finished ranked in the final poll

and the sips only played 1 of them...and went 0-2

t.u. indeed had a tomato can schedule in 2024

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Cool story. Beat Ags at home. Is Elko a tomato can?

levypantsEOY said:

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W said:

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7 SEC teams finished ranked in the final poll

and the sips only played 1 of them...and went 0-2

t.u. indeed had a tomato can schedule in 2024

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Cool story. Beat Ags at home. Is Elko a tomato can?

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Yes sip
You're correct. Feel better about that pathetic schedule you had?