The most important stat you brought out was the fact that Georgia is 61st in penalty yardage against. They make way too many dumb mistakes and can be totally undisciplined at times. Not exactly what you need to win championships.
I honestly think ND played the toughest schedule in America this year. Michigan, Stanford, at Oklahoma, at USC, Michigan State, BYU...pretty tough. Yes, some of them were not as solid as predicted to be but still pretty darn difficult.Notre Dame did not have an easy schedule. But, they were fortunate to catch a lot of traditional football powers in down years.
I think we can use Sagarin to weed out some of this win loss stuff.
Notre Dame SoS (30)
Alabama SoS (39)
Georgia SoS (42)
This is thrown off a bit by a couple really soft opponents that Alabama and Georgia played. Likewise, once Alabama and Georgia play it will provide a huge boost to their SoS.
Georgia played #4, #10 (lost), #29, and #33.
Notre Dame played #8 (should have lost), #9, #20, and #37.
Alabama played #7 (lost) #11 and #20, and #33.
Georgie was +53 points, Notre Dame was +46, Alabama was +46
I think the argument could be made that Alabama and Georgia did have a more rigorous schedule due to the difficulties of playing in the SEC. Both Georgia and Notre Dame had very bad days. Georgia got blown out by South Carolina, and Notre Dame should have lost to a 5-6 Pitt team. Alabama distances itself in the fact that they have been able to maintain a higher level of play with more consistency and Notre Dame by not losing. If you remove Georgia's game against South Carolina though, and they might look like the best team on paper.
I would bet on Alabama to beat Georgia or Notre Dame. But, to beat Georgia AND Notre Dame? That's a tall order for any team...
Western Kentucky is 7-5 and going bowling....while Pitt is 5-6 and lost to Youngstown StatePlaying Navy or Pitt is a WHOLE lot tougher then playing Western Carolina, Western Kentucky, or Florida Atlantic. IF ND EVER played a team like that the media would CRUCIFY them....Those games ARE scrimmages. And if the the mighty LSU can struggle against "mighty" Towson State (12-10 victory) and Florida can struggle against that "juggernaut" Louisiana Lafayette (27-20) ND can "struggle" against ANY team on their schedule.
These are kids not professionals so ANYTHING is possible.
I'd like to point out that neither LSU or Florida are in the NCG. Even so, Sagarin has ULL ranked #61 in his predictor rankings, vs Pittsburgh's #56. UF won by 7. ND won by 3. Is there a significant difference?Playing Navy or Pitt is a WHOLE lot tougher then playing Western Carolina, Western Kentucky, or Florida Atlantic. IF ND EVER played a team like that the media would CRUCIFY them....Those games ARE scrimmages. And if the the mighty LSU can struggle against "mighty" Towson State (12-10 victory) and Florida can struggle against that "juggernaut" Louisiana Lafayette (27-20) ND can "struggle" against ANY team on their schedule.
These are kids not professionals so ANYTHING is possible.
Well I think anyone looking at it objectively because numbers are numbers:
1) ND has played a tougher schedule
2) ND's defense MORE than stacks up
3) ND's scoring offense lags behind the two SEC teams
4) Alabama overall stats when you look at both sides of the ball are the best
Just going by the Sagarin ratings:Playing Navy or Pitt is a WHOLE lot tougher then playing Western Carolina, Western Kentucky, or Florida Atlantic. IF ND EVER played a team like that the media would CRUCIFY them....Those games ARE scrimmages. And if the the mighty LSU can struggle against "mighty" Towson State (12-10 victory) and Florida can struggle against that "juggernaut" Louisiana Lafayette (27-20) ND can "struggle" against ANY team on their schedule.
These are kids not professionals so ANYTHING is possible.
Re-think what? Bottom line even if you take out Alabama's FCS opponent your opponents' records is 69-62. The record of the teams Alabama beat (FCS game removed)is 59-62.....ND's opponents record 82-60, Record of teams ND beat 40-32.Just going by the Sagarin ratings:
#59 - Louisiana Monroe
#61 - Louisiana Lafayette
#66 - Pitt
#73 - Navy
#82 - Western KY
#113 - Wake Forest
#121 - Boston College
#125 - Towson
#127 - FL Atlantic
#204 - Western Carolina
You might want to re-think that, Mav.
"Remember, boys, no points for second place!"
Alabama and Georgia have played four common opponentsThanks for the stats, Mav; but how do these teams stack up against common opponents? Since we're looking at stats and all . . .
Would love to see these stats with the amount of time 2nd/3rd string was in.Alabama and Georgia have played four common opponents
Tenn, Florida Atlantic, Ole Miss, and Auburn
Ga beat Tenn 51-44
Alabama beat Tenn 44-13
Ga beat Florida Atlantic 56-20
Alabama beat Florida Atlantic 40-7
Ga beat Ole Miss 37-10
Alabama beat Ole Miss 33-14
Ga beat Auburn 38-0
Alabama beat Auburn 49-0
Georgia scored 182 points while surrendering 74 points
Alabama scored 166 points while surrendering 34 points
So adding it all up Ga beat these teams with a point differential of 108 or by 27 points per game
Alabama beat them with a point differential of 132 or by 33 points per game
Alabama and ND have only one common opponent, Michigan
Alabama defeated Michigan 41-14 ND defeated Michigan 13-6
Georgia and ND do not have any common opponents.
For top teams, there is little difference between playing a bad team and a mediocre team as far as winning percentage goes. A top team should beat middle-of-the-pack and bottom-feeding BCS teams as well as any FCS teams on the schedule. However, if you LOSE to those teams, or win with spurious calls, or just look bad winning, then the perception is that you may not really be that good. Notre Dame, while they have won every game, has looked bad winning against several opponents. The top SEC teams have each lost games, but only against other good SEC teams. Georgia has looked bad against SC and Kentucky, Florida has looked bad against Georgia and LA-Lafayette, and LSU has looked bad against Towson and Auburn. Alabama has looked vulnerable in two games against good teams, losing one, but has NEVER looked bad. That is why Alabama is still favored to win.Re-think what? Bottom line even if you take out Alabama's FCS opponent your opponents' records is 69-62. The record of the teams Alabama beat (FCS game removed)is 59-62.....ND's opponents record 82-60, Record of teams ND beat 40-32.
Florida from the SEC has played the toughest schedule not Alabama or Georgia.
Look, I hear what you are saying but the bottom line is out of the strong teams in the SEC Florida is the only one who has played a tougher schedule than ND. ND's first 9 opponents are all bowl eligible. And the composite records are the composite records of the opponents.ND doesn't have any comparison, because it doesn't have a conference. Several of the "bowl eligible" teams you refer to are Big10 (14) teams, and the best one of those ND played, Bama beat 42-14.