College Football Week 11: Indiana is playing for a Big Ten title. In football.

True, but there is a lot to be said for the difference between a 27-point win and a three-point win.

If Notre Dame were winning games by 10, even with a less than impressive offense, I think it's probably a non-issue. But barely surviving against Pitt and Purdue and BYU? That says something about them and not something good.

 

I know. And I'm saying that's a good thing, even though it spits out a result I think that we intuitively doubt: Notre Dame as No. 1 by most of the computers.

 

They should definitely be punished by voters for those games. But not for BC or Michigan or Michigan State, where they basically suffocated the life out of a team in tedious fashion. But the computers would do so, permitted to factor in margin of victory.

 

How does dominating BC = Achievement Unlocked?

 

Yes. I agree with that.

But as I said, I think that in reality, it probably comes out OK because voters take margins into account and the computers don't. In a weird way, that might just balance out how much they should be worth.

 

I'm just comparing it to Oregon's victory over similarly hapless Cal.

 

??

Was referencing a contention earlier in the thread that Oregon dominated and Notre Dame didn't based on the scoreline. Dominating BC doesn't mean much at all, but there was a feeling that ND let 'em hang around and that should be counted against them. A good example that style of play can lead to some erroneous conclusions, because at no time was BC in that game, certainly not after ND got to 14 points.

 

The Michigan game is the one that gets me. Notre Dame fans view that as a dominant performance. But the Wolverines led in yards and time of possession, converted more and a better percentage of third downs and lost by one score while throwing five interceptions. Take back one of those passes and it's a completely different ball game. Great defenses dictate play. The Fighting Irish prevent touchdowns, sure. But where are the three-and-outs? Where is the field position? Where are the defensive touchdowns?

Jeff Sagarin and at least one or two other BCS computer programmers have argued against eliminating margin of victory. It produces a flawed result that often is showed clearly by season's end in bowl games and such. Interestingly, Sagarin's real ratings:

1. Alabama
2. Kansas State
3. Oregon
4. Texas A&M
5. Notre Dame
6. Florida
7. Oklahoma
8. Georgia
9. South Carolina
10. LSU

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt12.htm

 

Dear Versatile: Nice try.

 

Vers, Michigan never once got inside the 30-yard line in that game, so I'm not sure where that tying touchdown was ever going to come from.

 

Yes, I actually am Jeff Sagarin and after years of burnishing my reputation decided to prove a point on a message board and throw it all away.

 

I was at Notre Dame-Michigan.

Three or four minutes in, I looked at the guy with me and said, "Michigan will not score a touchdown today."

The nation had figured Denard Robinson out at that point.