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Northwestern

This year Northwestern won because they had a schedule that was a bakery store. Luck carried them past Nebraska, and playing in the second division of BIG helped. It would be a huge mistake for the Packers to hire Fitzgerald, who has a golden horseshoe in the college ranks. Culture? I guess you could call it that.

I am not a NU guy by any stretch, but you have to give them credit. They did beat 4 ranked teams (2 on the road). Not many schools can claim that. Their "bakery store" schedule as you call it is anywhere between the 9th and 16th most difficult in the nation depending on the source.
 
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Please tell me who again is ranked and they beat on the road? Look at Illinois, Rutgers, Iowa. Nebraska ,Akron scores.
 
Please tell me who again is ranked and they beat on the road? Look at Illinois, Rutgers, Iowa. Nebraska ,Akron scores.


I am well aware of their schedule and their scores. They are an interesting team. They seem to play to the level of their opponent.

After looking at schedule again, I made a mistake. They beat 3 teams who were ranked when they played.

At #20 MSU
at #21 Iowa
vs #20 Wisconsin

I do not think NU are world beaters, but they did play a tough schedule. In contrast to the Illinois, Rutgers and Nebraska scores, I would say look at the ND and Mich scores. For that matter, they stayed with OSU through 3 quarters. I think they are what they are.... a decent team that doesn't blow anyone out, but plays everyone tough. With that formula you will win some close ones (Nebraska, Iowa) and lose some close ones (Michigan, Arkon)
 
They beat zero teams ranked at the end of the year. 0-3. They beat Wisc after the QB went down. Interesting to say the least. NU beat teams in front of them I guess. Using the rational of at the time Nebraska had yet to win and gave NU the game in OT ...at home. Losing to Akron and Duke? The worst...beating The Illini by 8 when others were thrashing them late in the year. Mediocrity plus I guess.
 
That is why Notre Dame is in. No one is going to tell me they are the 3rd best team in the country and expect me to believe it.

I'm not a fan of ND, but this is 100% subjective, so it has nothing to do with what you believe and more about the way they calculate for a playoff. The committee didn't want them in at all in most opinion circles. They ran the table so it's impossible to keep them out.

The only acceptable answer here is an 8 team playoff. That is ideal and anything short of that just creates controversy.
 
I am not a NU guy by any stretch, but you have to give them credit. They did beat 4 ranked teams (2 on the road). Not many schools can claim that. Their "bakery store" schedule as you call it is anywhere between the 9th and 16th most difficult in the nation depending on the source.
And three of their losses were to teams currently ranked #4-#6-#14.
 
I’m OK with Northwestern winning games but the talk of Coach Fitzgerald moving to the NFL is crazy. They did not beat any team in the top 30 and are ranked #22 which is not great for a seasoned BIG coach. We will see next year with the influx of talent how his resume reads goIng forward. There were grumblings from Evanston this year early season and up to the Wisconsin game. We need a team in Illinois besides NIU to achieve any respect nationally.
 
I’m OK with Northwestern winning games but the talk of Coach Fitzgerald moving to the NFL is crazy. They did not beat any team in the top 30 and are ranked #22 which is not great for a seasoned BIG coach. We will see next year with the influx of talent how his resume reads goIng forward. There were grumblings from Evanston this year early season and up to the Wisconsin game. We need a team in Illinois besides NIU to achieve any respect nationally.

If for some reason you don’t think Fitz has national respect you must not watch or read about college football much. What he has done at a program that was a zero for years is remarkable. He has made this program relevant in the Big 10. And has one of the longer conf winning streaks and records in the country. What he gets from what he has is impressive if not remarkable. He’s not getting Ohio St or Michigan athletes. He’s not even getting Stanford or duke level kids. And every year he’s winning 8-10 games.

Sorry but he has done a remarkable job there. This team this year was picked mid pack in the west and he won it - rather easily. That’s impressive
 
If for some reason you don’t think Fitz has national respect you must not watch or read about college football much. What he has done at a program that was a zero for years is remarkable. He has made this program relevant in the Big 10. And has one of the longer conf winning streaks and records in the country. What he gets from what he has is impressive if not remarkable. He’s not getting Ohio St or Michigan athletes. He’s not even getting Stanford or duke level kids. And every year he’s winning 8-10 games.

Sorry but he has done a remarkable job there. This team this year was picked mid pack in the west and he won it - rather easily. That’s impressive
Has turned the program around. 13 years..overall 95-70. Conference 56-51. This year out of conference 0-4. Plays in the B league of the BIG. I understand not everyone wants to be educated as they play college ball, but 13 years of recruiting should not still be an excuse for putting his stamp on it. Maybe he should bolt for the NFL and the pay bump from his 2 Mil. a year. Heck Illinois is hoping for the same with Lovie. I am not a hater of Northwestern at all, just looking at numbers. Geez, I don’t even dislike Sandburg.
 
I'm not a fan of ND, but this is 100% subjective, so it has nothing to do with what you believe and more about the way they calculate for a playoff. The committee didn't want them in at all in most opinion circles. They ran the table so it's impossible to keep them out.

The only acceptable answer here is an 8 team playoff. That is ideal and anything short of that just creates controversy.
I think 8 teams are too many. You could have a team with 3 losses in there. Sorry, 3 losses shouldn't give you a chance to play for a national championship. I might be talked into 6 teams with 1 and 2 getting first round byes.

Trust me, this whole thing is about money.
 
Has turned the program around. 13 years..overall 95-70. Conference 56-51. This year out of conference 0-4. Plays in the B league of the BIG. I understand not everyone wants to be educated as they play college ball, but 13 years of recruiting should not still be an excuse for putting his stamp on it. Maybe he should bolt for the NFL and the pay bump from his 2 Mil. a year. Heck Illinois is hoping for the same with Lovie. I am not a hater of Northwestern at all, just looking at numbers. Geez, I don’t even dislike Sandburg.

I would say yes. Remember, this is Northwestern. You have to go back to Ara Parseghian before you find a NU coach with a winning record prior to Fitz. He has made NU a respectable program that has shown it can compete year in and out. That is quite a feat for that university.
 
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I think northwestern lulls teams asleep,which she allows themselves to take advantage,not a bad way to win,few can do this and come out on top.
 
If for some reason you don’t think Fitz has national respect you must not watch or read about college football much. What he has done at a program that was a zero for years is remarkable. He has made this program relevant in the Big 10. And has one of the longer conf winning streaks and records in the country. What he gets from what he has is impressive if not remarkable. He’s not getting Ohio St or Michigan athletes. He’s not even getting Stanford or duke level kids. And every year he’s winning 8-10 games.

Sorry but he has done a remarkable job there. This team this year was picked mid pack in the west and he won it - rather easily. That’s impressive

Your not giving any credit to Gary Barnett and Randy Walker - those two guys deserve a ton of credit for the NU turn around from the years of futility that preceded them. Fitz has done a fantastic job, but the program wasn’t a doormat before he took the top job when Randy died.
 
Let’s see what Frost at Nebraska does next year in the B league before we put out the final reports on NU and Coach Fitzgerald.
 
Let’s see what Frost at Nebraska does next year in the B league before we put out the final reports on NU and Coach Fitzgerald.

Your “B” division could get real interesting in the next few years. I think it will be much tougher sledding moving forward. And I know it’s not going to be the East but it will start getting tough IMO.
WIS- will rebound after below average season.
Purdue/Min/Neb- I expect to improve the next 2-3 years.
Iowa- will be Iowa for the most part.
 
Your not giving any credit to Gary Barnett and Randy Walker - those two guys deserve a ton of credit for the NU turn around from the years of futility that preceded them. Fitz has done a fantastic job, but the program wasn’t a doormat before he took the top job when Randy died.

The table was set but no coach has sustained that program like he has. Walker and Barnett set things up but the sustained success is impressive. Call it B division or whatever you want but Purdue curb-stomped Ohio St Norrhwestern won at Michigan St and lost to Michigan by a field goal.
 
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Well then I guess we are fortunate to have you and your infinite wisdom on all things football! ;)
yes, it's good. I'll refrain from lecturing the dolts though. it's fun to just laugh at them rather than get their uninformed britches in a bunch.
 
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I am not saying it happened this year. But, I guarantee it will in the future. Then we can talk.

Just like I think the NFL should seed their playoff teams by number of games won, period. Not by winning the division first. Years ago I said someday a team would be under.500 and still be in the playoffs because they won their division.

And sure as hell, in 2010 the Seattle Seahawks went 7-9, won their division and got a home game. And the Tampa Bay Bucs and NY Giants both went 10-6 and neither of them even made the playoffs. Just plain stupid.

Mark my words, if they go to 8 teams you will eventually have someone with 3 losses in there. No team with 3 losses has any business playing for a championship or even competing to get to one.
 
I am not a NU guy by any stretch, but you have to give them credit. They did beat 4 ranked teams (2 on the road). Not many schools can claim that. Their "bakery store" schedule as you call it is anywhere between the 9th and 16th most difficult in the nation depending on the source.

Agreed as Fitzgerald isn't getting the same 5 Star recruit's like Ohio State, Michigan......
 
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Lol
I am still trying to understand how come a 3 loss team had a home game against the #1 and undefeated team in East? Seems wrong but hey what’s right?

This has played out year after year after year. It's the way the system works. Deal.
 
This has played out year after year after year. It's the way the system works. Deal.
Agree. But don’t see the harm in allowing the higher seed the option of not hosting round one. Might delay the times and places of the playoff-week-one matchups by a day but that’s not too big of a deal.
 
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Ummmmmm?

1
Alabama
13-0

-


2
Clemson
13-0

-


3
Notre Dame
12-0

-


4
Oklahoma
12-1

1


5
Georgia
11-2

1


6
Ohio State
12-1

-


7
Michigan
10-2

-


8
UCF
12-0

-
But a 5-4 record in Illinois High School football is supported by several posters on this site as those teams played in Conferences that they were 4A or 5A against 7A or 8A league opponents going on to win State Titles .

Hypothetically, what if a 8-3 Southeast Conference team lost by a total of 8 points in those three losses ?

Are they not good enough to play against teams that went undefeated winning three games by a total of eight points ?
 
Let's understand something about the playoff. It isn't about putting the best four teams in. It never was. It is about money. That is why Notre Dame is in. No one is going to tell me they are the 3rd best team in the country and expect me to believe it. I was almost surprised OSU didn't leapfrog Oklahoma. Would have solidified my money theory even more. And Oklahoma isn't the 4th best team either. We will all see how weak their defense is when the play Alabama.

As for Expansion of the playoffs, it's coming. But it will be a while yet. I personally don't like the idea and want it to stay the way it is. But eventually, money will dictate the expansion. By expanding, you can get all major conferences in. That will be the ultimate goal.

So close. No. Notre Dame gets a sweet annual payment as part of the revenue deal of the CFP, because their brand commands that at the negotiating table. P5 conferences agreed to that. That's the part that's about money. However, with the schedule it played this year and the results, they earned their way into it.

Note that in addition to the committee slotting them at #3, ND is #3 in the media and coaches poll as well. Those polls don't matter a lick in the selection process, but they serve as several other data points as to how ND is viewed.
 
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Lol
I am still trying to understand how come a 3 loss team had a home game against the #1 and undefeated team in East? Seems wrong but hey what’s right?

Irishglory vibe.

When LWE had their first run in 2004 they were 5-4 and hosted two playoffs games. Including a Semifinal game against higher seeded teams. I don't remember the LWE posse at the time having an issue with that.
 
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Here is fact that is pretty staggering, Northwestern had 80 football players get a 3.0 gpa or higher during the fall season, Tremendous football season and a better academic semester. Great job
Yeah, pretty incredible comeback tonight.
NU coaching staff made some adjustments and their players were smart enough to execute them
 
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Often, NU seems to play with the edge of being underrated while ND plays with the burden of being overrated.
 
Looks like it didn't work out with the Eagles, but he's now on the Cowboy's practice squad. Nice to see a local kid who did so well in college at least get a sniff of the NFL.
 
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Nice win for the Cats today and nice game for DA 2.0 making the most of his opportunity.
 
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