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oh look, that horse is dead

FWIW, Sagarin has ND a 2 TD favorite over BYU on a neutral field. Of course, that’s based on both teams playing at full strength.

2 starting interior linemen and top 2 RBs have declared for the NFL. What are the odds they would have played in the Pop Tarts Bowl? I don’t want my franchise QB playing in an exhibition game in late December behind a makeshift O-line and without his running game. And his backup is going to the portal, so that’s not an option. Business decision.

That's fair. I'm not saying Notre Dame is deserving of a 3 seed by any means. Two losses are two losses. I'm with you, I see them as 8+ based on their resume. I just agree with a lot of football experts that Notre Dame is one of the best 5 teams the way they are playing right now.

The committee's rankings mean nothing to me. They don't know anymore than the casual fan. For the record, I have a ton of respect for Miami. They had some sort of mid-season crisis, but they are playing at the top of their game right now. I think they could beat anyone in the SEC. I'm not going to continue repeating myself like a broken record as to why I think ND is Top 3.

Sorry Irish, but kind of funny….

I’d be careful using Vegas odds as a measure of actual strength of a team. Those odds are developed, not to predict outcomes, but to encourage gambling. The odds are based on the oddsmakers’ prediction of how the money will come in, not on the likely outcome of the game. In reality, Vegas odds and point spreads are designed to generate equal money on either side of a wager. That eliminates the risk to the house, regardless of the outcome.

Yeah, the other part of the equation. Personally, I don't watch the bowl games outside of the CFPS. It's equivalent to watching a pre-season NFL game. Not a whole lot of interest. Big Ten is 5-0...........big deal. Are we watching teams at their full strength? C'mon, let's not compare BYU to Notre Dame.......lol. They were barely on the cusp of the Top 12. Notre Dame was on the cusp of the Top 3. Massive difference here.

Well, Notre Dame's best weapon when it comes to "sticking it to people" is to withdraw itself from those who want to use their brand to make a boatload of money. I stand by that decision three weeks later. Maybe I should apply for a job in the front office since our values seem to be aligned. I love that the administration taught their players to not settle for second best. Probably one of the best lessons of their young lives that transpired a few weeks ago. When Notre Dame wins the national title next year, we'll know the lesson worked. When Julian Love battles Jadarian Price for Rookie of the Year honors, we'll know the lesson worked.

Honestly? Do people really pay any attention to these exhibition games? All I can think of at the moment is "rent free."

Now let's see what Riley Leonard can do.

It truly shows the importance and prestige that Notre Dame brings to the national stage when no one even wants to discuss the teams actually chosen to play for a National Championship as we head into the Semifinals of the CFP! Go Irish!