Notre Dame has played a much weaker schedule. Their last 4 games have been Army, Navy, Air Force, and North Carolina. How can they possibly be ranked ahead of Arkansas? Arkansas has played the much tougher schedule.
2006-11-20 06:55:01 · 20 answers · asked by conservativeguyfromnc 2 in Sports ➔ Football (American)
Ah the BCS issues again. The simplest answer is this: The only loss that notre dame has suffered this season has been to #2 michigan. In a sense, notre dame has played a perfect season since the game against michigan, that is the reason why. Arkansas may have played the tougher schedule, but they lost to USC. Arkansas has only had 2 big wins this entire season - tenesse and auburn. Notre Dame has only had 2 as well, but in the end it all comes down to one thing- The terrible BCS system. If you ask me, Arkansas is number 4 in the country, but hey, what do i know?
2006-11-20 07:00:54 · answer #1 · answered by keep_it_friscy 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The BCS is made up of 3 main areas, USA today Poll, Harris Poll and the computer rankings. Strength of schedule plays a part but if you look at the computer rankings, where it is included, ND is way ahead in percentage points . Strength of schedule is just a component of a component. Notre Dame would be ranked better in other areas. However, before all of that, you have to realize that Arkansas' strength of schedule is actually worse than ND's. According the CBS sportlines, Arkansas is at 58 and ND at 37.
Lastly, here are some of the teams Arkansas has played: Mississippi state(3-8), Louisiana-Monroe(2-8) not even sure if it is 1A, Vanderbilt (4-8), Utah State(1-10), Mississippi(3-8). Total 13-42
Army(3-8), Air Force (4-6), Navy (8-3), N.C.(2-8), Stanford (1-10)
Totals 18-35
Records aren't everything, but it does show some insight into the soft schedule both have. Arkansas' being worse.
2006-11-20 07:20:39 · answer #2 · answered by t r 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because it's Notre Dame. They have their own TV contract. Also, they were ranked a lot higher at the beginning of the season (#2, compared to Arkansa's being unranked). Arkansas has spent the whole season rising in the rankings, while Notre Dame was already up there. That's why Notre Dame is higher, despite the fact that Arkansas has the third longest win streak in the nation.
The preseason polls have too much influence on the final rankings. Look at the ACC. FSU and Miami were ranked #10 & 11, respectively at the beginning of the year, and both have had severely disappointing seasons. On the other hand Wake Forest and Maryland were unranked, and have had surprisingly really good seasons. If Wake Forest was ranked #10 at the beginning of the season, they would have been in the top 5 before losing to VT on Saturday, instead of being #16. That just shows how little the sportswriters and coaches know about all these teams, and how unreliable it is to use polls as the determining factor on who is the best team. It's like in high school when the "cool kid" won president of the student council, rather than the more responsible kid.
2006-11-20 07:07:27 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
ESPN recently did a really neat blind BCS resume piece where they showed the strength of schedule, quality wins, etc. for a couple of teams without revealing their identities. Notre Dame's SOS was 31, while Arkansas's was 53. I guess that's what happens when you play SE Missouri St. Heck, I think even Mark May accidentally picked Notre Dame over Arkansas as more deserving due to their noticeably higher SOS. That shouldn't change much over the last two regular season games (Army ~ Mississippi St.; USC ~ LSU), though Arkansas will get a boost from the SEC Championship. So in short, no, Arkansas has not played a much tougher schedule, they've actuall played a significantly weaker schedule.
2006-11-20 07:28:35 · answer #4 · answered by Lmeister 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
One answer could possibly be the fact that Arkansas got blown out by a USC team that has struggled/not dominated in almost each and every game they have played this year (except Stanford and Arkansas). However, Notre Dames schedule is extremely weak. They have yet to beat a ranked opponent to this date (Penn State no longer counts as being ranked, although they were ranked when they played). I wouldn't read into Arkansas's ranking too much, Arkansas still has to play a tough LSU team and then win the SEC championship against Florida to even be considered for the National Championship. If they win the next two games then they will most likely be ahead of Notre Dame. It may be important to add, Notre Dame will most likely not beat SC because they have shown that they aren't as good as the rankings make them out to be, so in that case they will once again, as I said drop behind Arkansas. If SC does win, and I think all will agree with me, Arkansas does not deserve to be ranked ahead of USC.
2006-11-20 07:12:04 · answer #5 · answered by gl4375 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
theamericandream is pretty dumb.
who has USC played? arkansas, nebraska, oregon and cal so far. then they will crush notre dame. sounds like a pretty tough schedule to me.
yes, notre dame lost to a very good michigan. but who else have THEY played. g-tech, michigan state, and penn state have barely done anything this year. so that leaves: stanford, ucla, navy, north carolina, air force and army. are you kidding me??? is notre dame gonna play HIGH SCHOOL teams next year?
jesus christ. with a schedule like that, arkansas SHOULD be ranked higher than notre dame. they knocked off alabama, auburn and tennessee so far. they'll probably do the same to lsu and florida to win the SEC championship.
the only reason why they're not ranked higher than USC is because they got creamed 14-50 by the trojans.
ok, ok, arkansas is a MUCH different team now. but then again, so is USC and everyone else. USC barely won games against unranked opponents, but now, they are killing the ranked ones. teams are supposed to get better as the season progresses.
2006-11-20 08:19:58 · answer #6 · answered by loveholio 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Arkansas is a good football team they have won all of their games but the one to USC in their opener. Arkansas really just found thier talent by winning against Auburn and now they will play really hard and they should be higher than Notre Dame. Arkansas deserves it. GO Razorbacks.
This is comming from a Husker fan
GO BIG RED
2006-11-20 08:40:05 · answer #7 · answered by Nebraska Fan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Arkansas had a Slow Start and Norte Dame Didn't, the only way Arkansas surpass Norte Dame is the Irish Lose to USC and the Razorbacks win out the Season.
2006-11-20 07:11:37 · answer #8 · answered by tfoley5000 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Arkansas is not that proven, the lost to a USC team who will probably lose to ND, they beat struggling Auburn and Tenn. teams, and they will probably lose this week to LSU. Notre Dame's only loss is to the second best team in the country (MI) and have dominated every other team on their schedule. I am NOT for the BCS, but let's be fair here the computer only has them in front of Arkansas by .0133. After the coming games with Ark. vs LSU and ND vs USC, there will be no more controversy, everything will work its way out.
2006-11-20 07:02:19 · answer #9 · answered by Eric 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I believe that despite Notre Dame winning the Commander in Chief's trophy, they do have a higher strength of schedule than Arkansas, whose non-conference schedule outside of USC is pathetic (Southeast Missouri State, Louisiana-Monroe, and Utah State). In addition, the Razorbacks don't play either Florida or Georgia in the regular season, which hurts their SOS.
2006-11-20 07:11:26 · answer #10 · answered by TheOnlyBeldin 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋