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Fair enough. I'm pretty irrational right now I must admit. I have to ask though, do you think there is any team in America that could have competed with these guys tonight? They're an unstoppable force.[/quote]
See, that's the point... I'm not in favor of this system at all, so it is kind of a moot point. But I did see a Texas A&M team beat Alabama earlier in the year. I feel a playoff would have sorted this out nicely. Who knows. Maybe Notre Dame goes in as the #1 seed and plays a #8 seed and still advances to the title game. Great for them. But we have a better idea if there is a common tourney format that awards all teams who belong there (and yes, this year that would most definitely include Notre Dame, as they finished the polls at #1). I think with a couple of more games, we'd get a better matchup.
I think Oregon could have beaten Alabama. I think Texas A&M could again. I think that teams in their own conference have shown that on certain days they can hang with them just fine (LSU could have gotten hot and won a spot into the title game with a playoff... who knows?!).
I mentioned BYU and I'll stand by that. They stunk. They outplayed Notre Dame for the majority of the game, with the exception of one dropped pass that cost them that game. BYU is NOT good. So it's a fluke. But Pitt did the same, so that is where I said, "Sorry, this is not a fluke... Notre Dame isn't that great." I certainly congratulate them on their year. As said before I'm friends with those in the Te'o family and extended family and he's one of my favorite players to ever suit up in college football. I mean that. I am sad that he went out like that, because it was embarrassing. But the fact remains that as long as we keep having this system where it is SEC #1 against some other team from elsewhere then the SEC will continue to win because of their conference and its ability to recruit and the number of TV games, etc. The system favors them.
Oh, I think Ohio State could have beaten them as well, but they weren't bowl eligible. I digress though. I think it's better for your team (Notre Dame) and all teams to be in a playoff. They roll through that playoff and gain even more momentum and solidify their offense a bit more (they have a young O) then they may be ready by the time that national championship game comes. But their independent schedule and the fact that they've not played in a month didn't help them. They were a team that was building momentum and then have to sit and wait for over a month to play one last game and it just didn't look or feel right. See where I'm coming from? I didn't hate on Notre Dame from the outset that I recall. I just felt the system was flawed and rewarded them for its flaw. Don't get me wrong. They have EVERY right to be there. 100% you guys that support them are right. They deserved to be in that game. They beat every opponent. It's hard to do. But without a conference schedule, with the building of superconferences, with the mess that is the BCS, etc. I think a playoff makes more sense. I just didn't feel Notre Dame would win, that's all I stated and I felt attacked, and I'm certain you guys felt disrespected. I apologize for raining on your parade. My need to be right took away from your enjoyment of celebrating your team and their accomplishment. I feel like a jerk about it to be honest. But... in looking back, it was true and that is an indictment on the NCAA/BCS/TV Networks/Bowls/Sponsors. That is NOT an indictment on you as a Notre Dame fan or Redeye81 as a Notre Dame fan. You have every reason to be excited and to be proud of your team. The system they were playing in just set them up for a failure and that's too bad. If the season ends without bowls, then they are national champs. If the season goes to a playoff then maybe they are still national champ. But to me, they weren't built to play and then wait for a month and meet up with the SEC champ who had already played in a huge game and won to earn the right. Notre Dame just waited for their opponent and got "cold" so to speak or were exposed for not being that great. Either way, it is a poor ending to the season for fans of every team but Alabama in that regard and that pretty much sucks, because to me it is totally anti-climactic.