BTF

Lol, forget it. Deleted my last post.

He's not even in the same league as Jo Pa.

Overall body of work. Michigan was the better team the night they played ND. Michigan might even win 8 of 10 against the Irish because of how they match up against them. But because ND got waxed by Michigan doesn't mean they would have lost to Wisconsin by 21. It doesn't mean they would lose to Penn State by 7. It doesn't mean they would have struggled against Army. Which team should have been ranked higher? That's debatable.Like I've said all season, 4-15 is a crapshoot. Michigan looked great in waxing ND and IU. They were impressive in beating Iowa. In big games though, they were 1-3 with all three losses being blowouts. Notre Dame at least put up a fight when they played at Georgia. Waxing Navy and Iowa State played in ND's favor among the voters. How will the Wolverines be next year? The media seems to love them at the beginning of the year...........every year. Early rankings for 2020 even have them ahead of the Irish. Although oddsmakers have ND ahead. I will be rooting for them to go 9-3 next year. Losses hopefully to IU, Purdue, and Ball State.

It's really just a measurement of how you did that season. I agree that it's good for recruiting. Some schools use it to tout how many top ten finishes they've recorded in the past "x" amount of years. I'm sure it means a ton to those directly involved in the program. For a school like Navy, finishing in the Top 25 is kind of a big deal.

So when Snider comes with-in a field goal of a Carmel team that is considered one of their all time "greats", it' because rain is the "great equalizer." I heard that several times from several people on this forum. The same doesn't apply at the college level? Sad that Notre Dame's season has to be judged on a game played on the road in a monsoon. Kirk Herbstriet made a pitch in 2018 that Ohio State should have been the fourth playoff team instead of ND despite getting crushed by Purdue in a game in which they were completely embarrassed. It just seems like there is a different set of rules when it comes to ND.

Thoughts on a 4-loss Wisconsin team and Minnesota finishing higher than Notre Dame in the final rankings? The Irish obliterated a team that Oklahoma, Baylor, and Iowa struggled with.

Is Brett St. Germain coming back anytime soon?

Good for them. Maybe they can make it 5 of 20 for anyone not named Carmel, Ben Davis, or Warren Central. Back to what this discussion was originally about. I see the north as a crap shoot this year. I feel like there are 7 or 8 teams who are pretty darn good vs they typical 2-4 teams most years. Maybe that increase in competition will make the north better overall (or maybe I'm seeing things through "rose colored glasses"). Contrary to what some believe on here, by and large, better competition breeds better football teams. Take note, I did say "by and large." I think most on here know what that means. You have the occasional Penn team (mostly in the 90's and 2000's that blitzes through a non-competitive schedule and carries their way to state on good coaching and talent alone. But at the end of the day, better competition benefits most football programs. The HCC wouldn't be where it is today without the MIC pushing them to make them better. I can remember a time (not long ago actually) when sectional 3 vs sectional 4 was an absolute blood bath in favor of the north. Over time, as the MIC strengthened and became more than a 3 team conference, the increased competition made the HCC what it is today. Maybe increased competition up north will give the us a better opportunity to compete with the MIC in the state championship...................and maybe it won't. Let's see what happens. Looking forward to 2020! As for King of the North? I came up with that title mainly because there's now an opportunity for someone not named Carmel who can take the crown without having to play a school twice their enrollment. And it will make for a more interesting tournament up here even if it's at the expense of a less interesting state championship. But hey, who knows. The North has come through in the past and will again in the future. Will it be 2020?

Probably not. There will be some great games up north between Penn, Snider, Homestead, Merrillville, Layfayette Jeff, Crown Point, Warsaw, Carroll and new mega school Elkhart. But at the end of the day, the true "king" is enrollment. Carmel, Warren Central, and Ben Davis have won 15 of the last 19 state championships and more than likely will win again in 2020.

Great hire for Wayne. The SAC just got stronger.

It wouldn't hurt my feelings if he went to Butler................great program! I'd just be surprised if it wasn't IU.

Allows for a more interesting tournament up north. But maybe a less interesting state finals. Hopefully the north is upping their game and the increased competition will better prepare them for the finals. I'm talking about the resurgence of the likes of Jeff, Warsaw, Carroll, Merrillville, and possibly Elkhart.

I'm sure you have your reasons. They were competitive against the state's better teams last year (Carmel, Avon, and Brownsburg). Not sure what happened in the Fishers game. If they have a decent amount of players returning, then your pick looks pretty valid.

He's a 4-star with a rating of 96. Holds offers from Indiana, Purdue, Butler, Louisville, Iowa, Maryland, Xavier, Illinois, Norhtwestern, Texas, and others. Indiana is my early prediction.

I guess Valpo and Dwenger could be considered, and deservedly so. My emphasis was more on the 6a level.