ND ended up facing exactly two ranked teams last year, Michigan and Northwestern. Michigan faced 3 top 10 teams in 2016. ND had a little UCF factor last year that got them into the playoff. We can play the what if games, but I'm comfortable in saying the team that Michigan produced in 2016 was as good, if not better, than the teams that ND has gotten into the playoff/BCS with. The major difference is that Michigan is guaranteed to hit good teams in the B10 and ND, given no conference, is not. Which does work in their favor.
ND also blew out top 15 Syracuse last year, FYI
Unless I'm missing something, which is possible, only two teams finished ranked in the AP: Michigan and Northwestern. No one cares where they were ranked when you played them.
It doesn't change the argument I'm making. My point wasn't to shit on ND. And while I do somewhat enjoy that, the overall message was that considering how hard it is to come out of the dumpster, we've done really well in the first 4 years but we're still missing that signature moment. But throwing the baby out with the bathwater would turn us into Tennessee.
That's where they were ranked when they played, not where they finished.
That's assumed. No one brags about beating teams that were ranked high to start the season but finished the year unranked.
That's stupid. No, they don't. Of all the things you could be arguing against my point, this aint it. I can only imagine your outrage if I tried claiming Michigan beat a top 15 in 8-5 Wisconsin last year.
Love how the 34 year old with 6 years of being a WR coach is now an "exciting" guy to call all offensive plays, something he's never done, yet the 40 year old with high-level college OC experience, NFL coaching experience, who has been sought after for other OC/HC jobs for the past several years is a "high school coach".
