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Asked after Notre Dame's 36-3 victory over Syracuse on Saturday, if his team was to be included in the same conversation as No. 1 Alabama and No. 2 Clemson, coach Brian Kelly said the Irish No. 3 did not want to be compared. . "
And yet, perhaps unintentionally, he did exactly that.
"Remember now," Kelly said, "we played the triple option [offense]. "
The same goes for Alabama on Saturday, when he was tied at 10 at halftime with The Citadel before beating at 50-17 at home. Notre Dame defeated the Navy, a three-way offensive, 44-22 on Oct. 27 in San Diego.
"We played a very physical team in the Northwest," Kelly said.
The same goes for Michigan, No. 4, who lost to Notre Dame in the first game of the season but missed Northwestern 20-17. Our Lady won at NU 31-21.
"And then Florida State," said Kelly, "and a widespread crime in Syracuse."
Just like … Clemson.
Clemson won at Florida State 59-10 and defeated Syracuse at home 27-23 with the Seminoles quarterback. Notre Dame hammered Syracuse Saturday at Yankee Stadium.
All this should not be comparative, although this is exactly what the College Football Playoff Selection Committee does when comparable teams compete against common opponents.
"I lost against both," said Syracuse coach, Dino Babers, about Clemson and Notre Dame. "I do not think it's fair to talk about them, I'll tell you this, these – that Our Lady is better than what people think they are."
Saturday, when nothing was easy for most of the playoff contenders during what was to be a week of disappointing results, Notre Dame overturned the 12th team convincingly and further strengthened its place in the playoffs playoffs.
The Orange entered the match with an average of 44.4 points and scored 15 goals in a row, but was held out late in the fourth quarter. The Notre Dame defense allowed Syracuse just 3.2 yards per game and 234 total yards, well below the average of 482.2 yards from Orange.
"Defensively, I thought the plan was exceptional," Kelly said. "We performed it perfectly."
With Saturday's win, Notre Dame's chances of reaching the playoffs rose from 78% to 88%, according to ESPN's playoff predictor. Notre Dame was the only top-10 team to play a ranked opponent on Saturday, and at least the Irish seemed to close the gap with Alabama and Clemson, although it's unlikely that their # 3 position changes in the top 25 of the committee Tuesday.
Notre Dame has more than a match to play against her rival USC (November 24, at 8 pm, ABC time, ABC), but given that the Trojans have a defeat of 3-8 at UCLA, the Irish should not lose.
"They play as they played us," Babers said of the Irish, "they will probably have the opportunity to play for a national championship".
According to ESPN Football Power Index, there is a 71% chance that the Irish wins the USC next week. If they do, they will have a 98% chance of reaching the playoffs.
Notre Dame is different from the one dismantled by Alabama 42-14 at the 2012 BCS National Championship. It's a different coaching staff, a different quarterback. Against Syracuse, Ian Book racked up 292 yards and two touchdowns after missing last week's game with a rib injury. He raised not only the offensive of Notre Dame, but also his place on the national scene. Despite the success, there seems to be a reluctance across the country to accept the possibility that Alabama-Notre Dame will happen again, probably because no one wants to see an eruption on the biggest stage of this sport.
Alabama is still good, probably better. Notre Dame 2012 vs. Our Lady 2018?
Now c & # 39; no comparison.
Five things that happened on Saturday that can affect the series race:
1. Oklahoma State 45, West Virginia 41. Oklahoma State broke a 17-point deficit at half-time to take the Mountaineers out of the playoff race, but WVU can still reach the title of the Big 12 title when it defeated Oklahoma in the final. the regular season Friday night (8 pm, ESPN). If a conference championship qualification remains a goal for WVU, it would likely exclude the entire conference from the playoffs, as the Sooners are the only opponent to lose in the Big 12. reach the series fell to 1%. with the loss of Saturday.
2. The Ohio State defense awarded 535 yards and seven touchdowns. Anthony McFarland, Maryland's running back, totaled 298 yards and two touchdowns. The Buckeyes have never dominated in regulation, but have beaten the Terps 52-51 in overtime, not thanks to their defense. Despite all the criticism, the Oklahoma defense has secured its season, the Terps have also uncovered the weaknesses of the Ohio State, and coach Urban Meyer has called the game defensive. 39; "alarming". If the Buckeyes are to beat Michigan on Saturday at Columbus (noon ET, FOX), they will need a major upgrade soon – not just on the defensive side. Ohio State also imposed 10 penalties and three turnovers on the Terps.
3. Georgia QB backup Justin Fields gains valuable experience. This could have an impact on the playoff race if Fields is used in certain situations to help knock Alabama No. 1 in the SEC championship game. He certainly looked good this week, despite facing a senseless defense from UMass, while Fields scored for 121 yards and ran for 100 yards. He is Georgia's first quarterback to run for 100 yards in a match since Quincy Carter against Kentucky in 1998.
4. Michigan has red zone problems. The Wolverines were playing a game too tight against Indiana largely because of the offense of their attack in the red zone. Michigan was seven times in the 20-yard Hoosiers and scored only one touchdown. (Jake Moody has scored six field goals.) Michigan 's defense will perform as well as the offensive will have to be more productive against an attack from the Ohio State led by Dwayne Haskins.
5. UCF is still unbeaten. Although the Knights are unlikely to be in the top four, they should be in the top 10 with their victory over the No. 24 Cincinnati and the No. 9 loss to West Virginia against Oklahoma State. The question is how high they can go up, especially considering Ohio State's difficulties in the win against the Terps. As the UCF moves, the bowl's image from the new year to six will change.
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