Why all the Notre Dame hype?

Question

I understand they have the huge Catholic following but what have they done to show they are on the rebound? A decent 9-3 season? Here are some w-l records since 2000......

Ohio State 58 - 17 | 41 more wins than losses



USC 59 - 17 | 42 more wins than losses



Oklahoma 68 - 11 | 57 more wins than losses



Texas 65 - 11 | 54 more wins than losses



LSU 59 - 18 | 41 more wins than losses



Auburn 55 - 20 | 35 more wins than losses



Michigan 53 - 21 | 32 more wins than losses



and finally....



Notre Dame 44 - 28 | 16 more wins than losses


Pretty sad showing considering the level of talent they play


What is your opinion on the Notre Dame hype machine?

Air Force, Navy, Stanford, North Carolina! Wow...those are some really great teams.

In the 2005 season Notre Dame's opponent W-L record is 71-67. Then you look at only their WINS and their opponents records are 44-58. Awesome! Losing to a 5-6 Michigan State team is quite the accomplishment. Also allowing Ohio State to rack up 617 total yards in the Fiesta Bowl! 342 passing yards and 275 rushing yards. Terrible defense. Yes they have won a lot of NC....12 according to http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com 7 of them coming before 1950 and only 2 in the past 30 years!

I admit their offense is good but their D is horrible. Over 600 yards to Ohio State, only beating a 5-6 Stanford team by 7 points. If ND wants to be taken seriously they better hope their D can stop someone. Their biggest win was a close LOSS to USC!

Yes, USC is a good team. Penn State? They had a good year last year....their record since 2000 is 37-34! 3 games over 500! Not good at all...take out the 2005 season and it's 26-33 and they will probably have a bad season since last year was a fluke. Not exactly a win I'd brag about.

Anyone else have thoughts of the hype machine?

It doesn't matter if playing the academies is tradition or not, they are weak teams plain and simple and it's an embarrassment. USC is a great team now...but they weren't up until 2002...from the 1990 to 2001 season they had one 9 win season and four 8 win seasons. Not exactly a great team so basically they have had to play a great usc team for only 4 years.

Notre Dame is the most popular because of the whole "Catholic" thing. No denying that

No one has anything else to put about the Notre Dame hype machine?

Oh yeah...Notre Dame hasn't won a bowl game since 1993!

Answer 1

When isn't Notre Shame overhyped? The Farting Amish always are considered to be national championship contenders.

BTW, MSU's won 7 of the last 9 vs. the Amish.

Answer 2

First, how they did two or three years ago is not relevant to how they will do in the upcoming season for two reasons. One, past performance does not equate to future performance. You had Michigan on your list as one of the better teams recently, but we all know that didn't stop them from going 7-5 last year. Same with Tennessee. At the other end of the spectrum, Penn St. was keeping company with Illinois and Indiana in the Big Ten cellar. Last year they turned it around and won the Orange Bowl. The point is that none of that stuff in the past matters, all that matters is the present. You could write any success (Penn St.'s or otherwise) as a fluke, but it really doesn't matter because the fact that they did achieve that success is all that really matters, not whether or not they 'deserved' it. Two, the circumstances of previous teams and last year's team are completely different. This boils down to one key factor: coaching. No disrespect against Coach Willingham, but the program is completely different under Charlie Weiss. Watching 2004 and then 2005, it’s plain to see that the team has much more confidence in everything it does. Willingham’s Irish could never have hung with USC for 59:57 (in fact, they lost by 31 three straight times). Granted, they still lost, but it represents an incredible change in mentality.

I’ve answered questions on hype and on scheduling already. I personally don’t believe in hype period. After all, it is only August, and games are played on the field, neither on paper, nor in the minds of sportswriters. I put no stock into what the talking heads say before and during the season. Let the kids figure it out. Here are links to some of my other answers on this topic:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ArlLia0tool4tOd5QEnpT1vsy6IX?qid=20060802142937AAW5pVw [West Virginia’s cake schedule]
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiZjjEVi4Wbei7m_j_UPfrPsy6IX?qid=20060712084325AAwb3Kw [Notre Dame hype]

By the way, Texas’s schedule includes Rice, North Texas, I-AA Sam Houston St., Baylor, and of course, three Big 12 North opponents.

My two main points: the past doesn’t determine how good a team is today, and hype means nothing.

Answer 3

Name a patsy on the schedule or a Div II school, hey they return almost all the offense from last year, and 80% of the defense. ND does get a media bias as well, then again what school that has as many titles as they do doesnt. Thats why there is hype. When they win the title this year everyone can say they knew they were going to but after their bowl loss last season they couldnt rank them #1. Me I am a true fan of the Irish, and its been a long time coming that they will have back to back great seasons, I use great loosely however I remember a time when a great season was only 1 loss or no losses and a title. Huge National Following, Their Own Contract for TV everyone gets paid when they are hyped. Oh and UM vs ND since 2000 1w 4l against the Irish.

Answer 4

I dont understand all the hype. They are going to be a good team this year but there are quite a few teams who are going to be better. They kind of have a pillow schedule this year; Army, Navy, Air Force, North Carolina, Stanford, Purdue, and an overrated UCLA team. That should be 8 sure wins. Penn St., Michigan and USC will be tough. But Penn St. I dont think will be as good as last year because they lost so many seniors. Michigan is a rivalry as is USC, so they will be tough. But they have Michigan and Penn St. at South Bend. I have always found Notre Dame to be a little hypocritical. Seem to have put football before their religion. And the touchdown Jesus thing I find to be blasphemous. But that is another topic.

Answer 5

Notre Dame has a very talented offense but their defense is suspect. They may very well lose their opening game at Ga. Tech who has Calvin Johnson and a great defense that shut down Auburn and Miami on the road last year! Then they have to battle Penn State and Michigan early on and USC late in the season. I just can't see them going undefeated and I really believe they will lose at least two games!

Answer 6

Everyone in the world knows ND has had a rough past 8 or 9 years. don't talk about their scheldule b/c they play two of those teams you just had up there (USC/Michigan). They play the academies out of tradition. During WWII, ND would of shut down if the navy didn't send its cadets there. Army was one of the biggest rivalries of its time(games played at Yankee stadium, Army dominated the football world until ND played them). Air Force is a bit of a stretch-but show me ONE school who plays a tougher schedule! oh, whoever it is a bet they play a MAC school or a Sun Belt team or maybe some pasty I-AA school. Please don't use the scheldule as a way to say ND is terrible. Do some research back about six/seven years and you will find that ND has consistently played the hardest schledule in the country.

You want all-time? Here,
http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/rankings/all_time_team_sched_rankings.php

Maybe all the hype b/c ND is the most popular team in the country every year! You want a source?here,

http://und.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/111704aaa.html

#1 ever since the poll began.

Answer 7

Yeah they were bad a few years ago but they made a GREAT coaching change to Charlie Weis and he has turned that team around. They have one of the best QBs in college football this season named Brady Quinn a good running back Darius Walker and a good wide receiver Jeff Samardjza.Also most of their starters are returning.And the schedule? they play Penn State, Michigan, and USC and those are some pretty good teams. So just because they weren't that good a few years ago doesn't mean they aren't good now!

Answer 8

Their victories during the Depression era captured the hearts and minds of the nation. Their coaches were very colorful. The press adored them. Movies were made. Recruiting became easier. Many sports fans who didn't have a college affiliation "adopted" the Irish and joined the "subway alumni".
It's a good story.

But, they get more votes than they deserve. Sportswriters participating in the polls think their readers want to see the Irish rise in the polls, so the writers inflate their ranking.

No patsies on their schedule!!! Give me a break. Three wins by just showing up when they play Stanford, Army and Navy. And ND does not win over any true fans with their Sweetheart BCS deal. It's a lot of BS that they have to be included if they reach a certain ranking (including votes from sportswriters who are kissing up to the Irish). When they join a major conference and prove themselves week in and week out they can get their kudos the old fashioned way - by earning it.

Answer 9

Exactly why people who aren't Notre Dame fans hate Notre Dame fans.

Hook'em!!!!!!!!!!

Edit
North Texas is not 1-AA.