Your Thoughts on ND-Syracuse

Submitted by Swayze Howell Sheen on November 16th, 2018 at 1:46 PM

Not a great slate this weekend, but I'm super interested in the ND-Syracuse game. Something tells me that Syracuse might win. Not sure what that would do for UM chances at the playoff, but I always enjoy an Irish loss.

Your thoughts on this game, on others?

For your viewing pleasure, Syracuse coach Dino Babers after a previous big game:

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to hell with notre dame

UM Fan from Sydney

November 16th, 2018 at 2:17 PM ^

I simply don't understand why they have to wear that terrible jersey. Football has absolutely nothing to do with baseball. I hate how they are playing in the Yankees' stadium, too. Play the game in Syracuse's dumb dome. Neutral site games are terrible for regular season.

Joined: 09/17/2015

MGoPoints: 58076

UMAmaizinBlue

November 16th, 2018 at 1:51 PM ^

I think Syracuse is vastly overrated, and Notre Dame is better than people think. Syracuse keeps it close in the first half, but Notre Dame pulls ahead after the half and it's game over.

31-13 Notre Dame 

I hate myself now.

Joined: 09/23/2009

MGoPoints: 36258

Watching From Afar

November 16th, 2018 at 1:53 PM ^

ND loses and Michigan just has to worry about 2 scenarios:

2 SEC teams (UGA beating Alabama) and Oklahoma jumping in.

WSU if they win the Pac 12 with 1 loss - Which probably won't even matter because the Pac 12 is terrible and WSU won't jump a 1 loss conference champ Michigan.

If ND loses, 4 slots for Clemson, SEC, Michigan, and WVU/Oklahoma.

As for the game itself... I'd still take ND. Book will be back but maybe a little unwilling to put himself at risk for hits due to the injury. Syracuse played Clemson close but has also turned into a shootout team of sorts and ND is the best defense they'll have seen since Clemson almost 2 months ago.

Joined: 10/10/2016

MGoPoints: 15980

goblueram

November 16th, 2018 at 1:54 PM ^

I think Notre Dame will win by 100. Then, I thought the same about OSU against Purdue when you guys were all calling for an upset. So, take this as a good sign.

Joined: 08/18/2009

MGoPoints: 11701

DCGrad

November 16th, 2018 at 1:55 PM ^

Weather is supposed to be pretty good tomorrow and Cuse runs a tempo offense. 

My thoughts on ND are they will only play 4 true road games this year.  Those were at Wake Forest, Virginia Tech (w/o a QB), Northwestern, and USC.  I don't think ND is one of the best 4 teams in the country, I don't even know if they are top 8.  I don't think the committee puts an 11-1 ND team in the playoff.  Since USC can't tie its own shoes, this is the only chance they have left to lose.  Even is ND finishes 12-0, if they struggle the next 2 weeks and UM blows out IU, OSU, and NW, I could see us moving into 3rd and ND being 4th.

Joined: 09/20/2014

MGoPoints: 9255

Perkis-Size Me

November 16th, 2018 at 2:13 PM ^

I have a hard time envisioning us moving ahead of ND even if we win out. I do believe the committee recognizes that we've improved leaps and bounds since week 1, and that's why we are where we are, ahead of Georgia and, as of now, in. But a head to head win is a head to head win, and that's got to count for something. 

If ND struggles to put away a bad USC team, and Michigan (hypothetically speaking, not saying it will happen) puts an absolute whuppin' on OSU and NW (like beating OSU by 3+ scores and then doing to NW what OSU did to Wisconsin in the 2014 BTCG game), then you could probably make a case for moving us up to three. But I still think that H2H win that ND has will ultimately be what holds us back from getting any higher than 4. Assuming ND doesn't lose tomorrow or next week. 

Joined: 11/30/2011

MGoPoints: 105763

m9tt

November 16th, 2018 at 2:02 PM ^

Eric Dungey can't stay healthy and ND's defensive line is really good; so I think Notre Dame wins this game fairly easily if they can get to Dungey.

 

(please be wong)

Joined: 06/16/2015

MGoPoints: 3694

saveferris

November 16th, 2018 at 2:02 PM ^

Our CFP chances are much more enhanced by beating Indiana, OSU, and Northwestern.  As for this weekend's match-up between ND and Syracuse...to hell with Notre Dame.

Joined: 07/02/2009

MGoPoints: 24841

Perkis-Size Me

November 16th, 2018 at 2:07 PM ^

Could be a good game, but my only thought on Syracuse is this: who have they beaten? Credit them for winning the games on their schedule, and I know they almost beat Clemson, but that was with Trevor Lawrence knocked out of the game. Their best win is probably a barn-burner against a very meh NC State team. 

Outside of Clemson the ACC is hot garbage this year. I don't think Syracuse's ranking is a reflection of how good they are so much as it is the overall "average-ness" of college football for teams not in the top-10 this year. This is a pretty down year for the sport, and I really believe that most teams ranging from around 11-30 are all pretty interchangeable. Hell, pretty much every team outside the top-5 has at least one major flaw. 

But back to the game. Could Syracuse win? Yes, they could. ND has looked very vulnerable in several games this year, and Syracuse has the ability to put points on the board. Do I think ND losing is going to happen? Not really. Mostly just because I'm not convinced that Syracuse is really that good. They've just benefited from the rest of the ACC being awful. My guess is that its close going into the second half, but ND pulls away on a score of something like 38-21. 

And for those of you who think ND losing would hurt us, my only question is how? OSU did not need VaTech to keep winning after they got smacked by them on their own turf. If anything, ND losing helps us and possibly gets us out of the dreaded 4 spot against Bama, if we win out. I'll be rooting hard for Syracuse this weekend. 

Joined: 11/30/2011

MGoPoints: 105763