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Playoff Pushover Prognostications: Part 2

Another week and another low number for the Fighting Irish as far as the year ending playoffs go.

And as it was last week, the fate for the Irish boils down to two simple aspects:

1- Win Out

Beat Arizona State this Saturday and continue on with the rest of the season, with a goal of winning the remainder of the schedule.

If any team controlled it's own destiny this year, it's Notre Dame.

The images of a late flag still linger..

A close call against North Carolina and Navy will too...

But it all changes with a loss.

2- The Top 10 Will Change

Here's a breakdown of teams that reside above the Irish that have oppurtunities to fall out of the picture this weekend:

Week 2 Rankings

1. Mississippi State (8-0)

2. Florida State (8-0)

3. Auburn (7-1)

4. Oregon (8-1)

5. Alabama (7-1)

6. TCU (7-1)

7. Kansas State (7-1)

8. Michigan State (7-1)

9. Arizona State (7-1)

10. Notre Dame (7-1)

2014 Record: 7-1

The #6 CFP ranked team plays Kansas State this Saturday

Remaining games: Kansas, Texas , Iowa State

2014 Record: 7-1

The #7 CFP ranked team plays TCU this Saturday

Remaining games: West Virginia, Kansas , Baylor

2014 Record: 7-1

The #8 CFP ranked team plays Ohio State this Saturday

Remaining games: Maryland, Rutgers , Penn State

Breakdown:

The Irish play Arizona State this Saturday, a matchup between the #9(Arizona State) and #10(Irish) teams.

The winner advances, the loser will be eliminated.

The 2 games of ranked teams just above them will eliminate atleast one of those teams and possibly a 2nd, if Ohio State beats the Spartans. 

TCU sits in the drivers seat between them and Kansas State. A win Saturday places them in an ideal spot considering their remaining schedule.

And the Wildcats remain in harms way if they win, with a remaining game against Baylor at seasons end.

Alabama is in an interesting spot at #5. This week the Tide face an up and coming LSU team. With a loss already attached to their season, a 2nd could drop them below the top 10.

That's a possibility for 4 teams to drop below the top 10, providing the Irish with a window to jump forward.

And all of these scenerios hinge on a victory over the Sun Devils Saturday.

Recruiting Rumblings

Tony Alford has yet again pegged another elite prospect at the runningback position for the Irish.

This time, his sights are set on the state of Texas, home of Cam McDaniel.

Soso Jamabo is anything but 'so-so'.

As of last week, Jamabo has amassed some impressive numbers in the highest class in Texas football- a massive gauge of talent: rushing yards (1,711)  rushing touchdowns (33) averaging 11.3 yards per carry.

The 6'2", 210 pound back holds several major offers, but the 3 teams in the running remain the Irish, Texas A&M and UCLA.

The 28th overall player in the ESPN 300 and overall #1 runningback would be the cornerstone of the 2015 recruiting class for Notre Dame.

Gameday Notes:

-The road weary Irish journey to the desert for a 3:30 kickoff on ABC

-The last time the Irish came running out of the tunnel in South Bend was October 11th against North Carolina

-The weather is optimal, with expected temperatures in the mid 80's

-After last year's win, the Irish realed off 3 consecutive wins before losing to Pittsburgh

-Should they mirror that again this year, that puts them at 11-1

NDFANRADIO

For the "Homer" Irish fan, your week's don't end after the game.

The weekly pod cast show at blogtalkradio.com/tnndn features a menu of stats, debate and insight.

Whether you have an opinion, insight or just wish to share your fandom for the Irish- this is the finest format out there.

The 2 host's serve up a forum based with not only knowledge and perspective of Notre Dame, but football in general.

Each week, NDFANRADIO discusses the upcoming game on Wednesday's and a recap following each game.

Don your Shamrocks and blue and gold colored glasses and enjoy Irish bantar with 2 fans themselves.

twitter: @irishtightness @ndfanradio

Playoff Pushover Prognostications: Part 2

Another week and another low number for the Fighting Irish as far as the year ending playoffs go.

And as it was last week, the fate for the Irish boils down to two simple aspects:

1- Win Out

Beat Arizona State this Saturday and continue on with the rest of the season, with a goal of winning the remainder of the schedule.

If any team controlled it's own destiny this year, it's Notre Dame.

The images of a late flag still linger..

A close call against North Carolina and Navy will too...

But it all changes with a loss.

2- The Top 10 Will Change

Here's a breakdown of teams that reside above the Irish that have oppurtunities to fall out of the picture this weekend:

Week 2 Rankings

1. Mississippi State (8-0)

2. Florida State (8-0)

3. Auburn (7-1)

4. Oregon (8-1)

5. Alabama (7-1)

6. TCU (7-1)

7. Kansas State (7-1)

8. Michigan State (7-1)

9. Arizona State (7-1)

10. Notre Dame (7-1)

2014 Record: 7-1

The #6 CFP ranked team plays Kansas State this Saturday

Remaining games: Kansas, Texas , Iowa State

2014 Record: 7-1

The #7 CFP ranked team plays TCU this Saturday

Remaining games: West Virginia, Kansas , Baylor

2014 Record: 7-1

The #8 CFP ranked team plays Ohio State this Saturday

Remaining games: Maryland, Rutgers , Penn State

Breakdown:

The Irish play Arizona State this Saturday, a matchup between the #9(Arizona State) and #10(Irish) teams.

The winner advances, the loser will be eliminated.

The 2 games of ranked teams just above them will eliminate atleast one of those teams and possibly a 2nd, if Ohio State beats the Spartans. 

TCU sits in the drivers seat between them and Kansas State. A win Saturday places them in an ideal spot considering their remaining schedule.

And the Wildcats remain in harms way if they win, with a remaining game against Baylor at seasons end.

Alabama is in an interesting spot at #5. This week the Tide face an up and coming LSU team. With a loss already attached to their season, a 2nd could drop them below the top 10.

That's a possibility for 4 teams to drop below the top 10, providing the Irish with a window to jump forward.

And all of these scenerios hinge on a victory over the Sun Devils Saturday.

Recruiting Rumblings

Tony Alford has yet again pegged another elite prospect at the runningback position for the Irish.

This time, his sights are set on the state of Texas, home of Cam McDaniel.

Soso Jamabo is anything but 'so-so'.

As of last week, Jamabo has amassed some impressive numbers in the highest class in Texas football- a massive gauge of talent: rushing yards (1,711)  rushing touchdowns (33) averaging 11.3 yards per carry.

The 6'2", 210 pound back holds several major offers, but the 3 teams in the running remain the Irish, Texas A&M and UCLA.

The 28th overall player in the ESPN 300 and overall #1 runningback would be the cornerstone of the 2015 recruiting class for Notre Dame.

Gameday Notes:

-The road weary Irish journey to the desert for a 3:30 kickoff on ABC

-The last time the Irish came running out of the tunnel in South Bend was October 11th against North Carolina

-The weather is optimal, with expected temperatures in the mid 80's

-After last year's win, the Irish realed off 3 consecutive wins before losing to Pittsburgh

-Should they mirror that again this year, that puts them at 11-1

NDFANRADIO

For the "Homer" Irish fan, your week's don't end after the game.

The weekly pod cast show at blogtalkradio.com/tnndn features a menu of stats, debate and insight.

Whether you have an opinion, insight or just wish to share your fandom for the Irish- this is the finest format out there.

The 2 host's serve up a forum based with not only knowledge and perspective of Notre Dame, but football in general.

Each week, NDFANRADIO discusses the upcoming game on Wednesday's and a recap following each game.

Don your Shamrocks and blue and gold colored glasses and enjoy Irish bantar with 2 fans themselves.

twitter: @irishtightness @ndfanradio

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to have to finish the season with yet another defensive player being placed in injured reserve.

The team announced, through its website on Wednesday that cornerback Alan Ball was placed on season ending injured reserve. Last week, the team placed linebacker and leading tackler Paul Posluszny on season ending IR and also announced that defensive end Andre Branch would be out 6-8 weeks with a groin injury.

According to jaguars.com, Ball, a seventh-year veteran and a starter in 22 of 24 games since joining the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in the 2013 offseason, finished the 2014 season with an interception, three passes defensed and 22 tackles. He had two interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 2013, when he started 15 games.

Second-year veterans Dwayne Gratz and Demetrius McCray started against Miami last week with Ball injured. Gratz had opened the season at left corner starting opposite Ball, with McCray taking over that spot after Gratz sustained a concussion in Week 4 at San Diego. McCray had remained the starter after Gratz returned to health.

McCray is expected to start at left cornerback with Gratz starting at right corner.

Jaguars nickel corner Will Blackmon sustained a fractured finger against Miami. That leaves the corner position with Jeremy Harris backing up Gratz and McCray, with rookie Aaron Colvin possibly being activated this week to play the nickel spot.

The Jaguars also could move safety Sherrod Martin to the nickel, and they also have first-year veteran Peyton Thompson available at corner. Thompson was signed from the practice squad Saturday.

SIZING UP THE BENGALS

As the Jaguars prepare for their road game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team still has plenty of questions regarding its recent play. The team opens up as an 11-point underdog. Can this team regroup from a poor offensive output last week and concentrate on winning on the road?

Here are a few questions from jaguars.com that needs to be answered.

Will the picks stop?

This overshadows all other Jaguars topics right now. Rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has thrown 12 interceptions in six games. Four have gone for touchdowns, including two Sunday in the loss to Miami. He knows they must stop. He’s also a rookie going through an NFL learning curve. Until that learning curve flattens out and involves fewer turnovers, this will be a weekly topic.

Can they keep running?

The Jaguars couldn’t run in Weeks 1-6. That changed over the last two Sundays when Denard Robinson ran for 122 and 108 yards and helped the Jaguars have to an average of 181 yards a game. Teams could soon see this as strength and defend it accordingly.

Can A.J. Green be stopped?

The first question here should be, “Will Green play?” The All-Pro wide receiver has missed the last three games with a toe injury, but has said this week he expects to play. The second question is, “How effective will be?” He has said he doubts he will be 100 percent again this season. Still, 80 percent of Green is better than most NFL receivers. Jaguar’s corners Demetrius McCray and Dwayne Gratz played well last week. They’ll need to do it again Sunday.

Can the trend continue?

The Jaguars’ defense has been dominant the last four games, with no opponent scoring more than 16 points and the defense providing sacks and turnovers. Now, injuries are starting to pile up. No Paul Posluszny. No Andre Branch. No Alan Ball. No Will Blackmon. The defense played through significant losses last week. Can they do it again, on the road, against a team with A.J. Green? We’re about to find out.

When will the offense grow up?

Bortles is not the only hot topic on offense. The Jaguars are playing a rookie quarterback, three rookie wide receivers and potentially three rookie linemen on offense. That’s just one of the reasons the team is struggling to finish drives. Red-zone efficiency and clutch, touchdown-producing plays are generally the domain of experienced players. The Jaguars don’t have many of those, and they won’t this season. When will they grow up? Realistically, not for a while…but the sooner the better.

The Jacksonville Jaguars are going to have to finish the season with yet another defensive player being placed in injured reserve.

The team announced, through its website on Wednesday that cornerback Alan Ball was placed on season ending injured reserve. Last week, the team placed linebacker and leading tackler Paul Posluszny on season ending IR and also announced that defensive end Andre Branch would be out 6-8 weeks with a groin injury.

According to jaguars.com, Ball, a seventh-year veteran and a starter in 22 of 24 games since joining the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in the 2013 offseason, finished the 2014 season with an interception, three passes defensed and 22 tackles. He had two interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 2013, when he started 15 games.

Second-year veterans Dwayne Gratz and Demetrius McCray started against Miami last week with Ball injured. Gratz had opened the season at left corner starting opposite Ball, with McCray taking over that spot after Gratz sustained a concussion in Week 4 at San Diego. McCray had remained the starter after Gratz returned to health.

McCray is expected to start at left cornerback with Gratz starting at right corner.

Jaguars nickel corner Will Blackmon sustained a fractured finger against Miami. That leaves the corner position with Jeremy Harris backing up Gratz and McCray, with rookie Aaron Colvin possibly being activated this week to play the nickel spot.

The Jaguars also could move safety Sherrod Martin to the nickel, and they also have first-year veteran Peyton Thompson available at corner. Thompson was signed from the practice squad Saturday.

SIZING UP THE BENGALS

As the Jaguars prepare for their road game against the Cincinnati Bengals, the team still has plenty of questions regarding its recent play. The team opens up as an 11-point underdog. Can this team regroup from a poor offensive output last week and concentrate on winning on the road?

Here are a few questions from jaguars.com that needs to be answered.

Will the picks stop?

This overshadows all other Jaguars topics right now. Rookie quarterback Blake Bortles has thrown 12 interceptions in six games. Four have gone for touchdowns, including two Sunday in the loss to Miami. He knows they must stop. He’s also a rookie going through an NFL learning curve. Until that learning curve flattens out and involves fewer turnovers, this will be a weekly topic.

Can they keep running?

The Jaguars couldn’t run in Weeks 1-6. That changed over the last two Sundays when Denard Robinson ran for 122 and 108 yards and helped the Jaguars have to an average of 181 yards a game. Teams could soon see this as strength and defend it accordingly.

Can A.J. Green be stopped?

The first question here should be, “Will Green play?” The All-Pro wide receiver has missed the last three games with a toe injury, but has said this week he expects to play. The second question is, “How effective will be?” He has said he doubts he will be 100 percent again this season. Still, 80 percent of Green is better than most NFL receivers. Jaguar’s corners Demetrius McCray and Dwayne Gratz played well last week. They’ll need to do it again Sunday.

Can the trend continue?

The Jaguars’ defense has been dominant the last four games, with no opponent scoring more than 16 points and the defense providing sacks and turnovers. Now, injuries are starting to pile up. No Paul Posluszny. No Andre Branch. No Alan Ball. No Will Blackmon. The defense played through significant losses last week. Can they do it again, on the road, against a team with A.J. Green? We’re about to find out.

When will the offense grow up?

Bortles is not the only hot topic on offense. The Jaguars are playing a rookie quarterback, three rookie wide receivers and potentially three rookie linemen on offense. That’s just one of the reasons the team is struggling to finish drives. Red-zone efficiency and clutch, touchdown-producing plays are generally the domain of experienced players. The Jaguars don’t have many of those, and they won’t this season. When will they grow up? Realistically, not for a while…but the sooner the better.

Playoff Pushover Prognostications

With the release of the 1st Playoff Projection Tuesday evening, college football has it's first ever glimpse of what could happen if the season ended today with the inception of a playoff to determine it's champion.

And, as 'luck' would have it, Irish faithful will have to wait until seasons end to see if Notre Dame can somehow climb into the picture with it's lone defeat to Flordida State.

The panel did get it right.

Notre Dame does not belong within the top 4.

But that's today.

And 10 is a bit low, but understandable from the most important perspective:

Who have the Irish 'beat'?

A Stanford win looked nice heading into the season.

So did Michigan.

Heck, the Rice game would have been a decent win had the Owls played half as good as they did in 2013.

The same holds true for North Carolina, another ranked team at the beginning of the season -but one that has fallen well below expectations.

So forget one thing Irish fans:

The results of those wins. The outcome of all the games this year play no part in the status of the Irish today. Even the Florida State game.

Notre Dame resides at 11 simply by the lack of production of the teams they faced.

Some are even leaning to the notion the Noles are a little down, with squeakers over NC State and Oklahoma State.

It's a long season and the Irish can work their way back in with some help-and if they run the table.

Here's a closer look at how that can happen:

The 1st 4 in as of October 28th:

#1 Mississippi State

Remaining schedule: Arkansas, UT Martin, Alabama, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss

Possible loss: Alabama, Ole Miss

Final Record: 11-1 to 10-2

#2 Florida State 7-0

Remaining schedule:Louisville,Virginia, Miami,Boston College,Florida

Possible loss: Louisville

Final record: 12-0 to 11-1

#3 Auburn 6-1

Remaining schedule: Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia,Samford and Alabama

Possible loss: Ole Miss,Georgia,Alabama

Final record:10-2 to 9-3

#4 Ole Miss 7-1

Remaining schedule: Auburn,Presbyterian, Arkansas, Mississippi State

Possible loss: Auburn, Mississippi State

Final record: 11-1 to 10-2

Translation:

Without the usage of a crystal ball or the vast well of knowledge Kirk Herbstreet has, there are plenty of games to lose for all the teams currently within the top 4 today.

Ole Miss and Mississippi State will end their season's in the Egg Bowl which will eliminate Ole Miss if it's the Rebs who lose. Ole Miss could very well be eliminated by then with a loss possibly to Auburn. Arkansas has a slim chance to defeat the Rebs.

Mississippi State would advance to the SEC title game providing they remained undefeated, which is unlikely. They could very well lose to Alabama.

Auburn looks bad on defense, and will lose 1 more game- which could happen this weekend to Ole Miss.

The team that could remain undefeated out of the 4 is Florida State. Some are suggesting they'll to Louisville.

Should they win this week, the Noles have a clear path to the final four, less an upset via Florida, Miami or BC.

What does all this mean for Notre Dame?

Alot. Remaining undefeated no longer is a must for any team in the new format. It helps, but it's not a death nail. Key is winning all your prime matchups, winning big and throttling the teams your supposed to throttle.

But it's all pointless if the Irish do not run the table o matter how they accomplish that.

Recruiting Rumblings

Brian Kelly is hitting a home run where his next class is concerned.

Linebacker U as some would call it. Little early?

Notre Dame picked up a huge commitment for the recruiting class of 2015 when 4-star inside linebacker Tevon Coney committed to Notre Dame over the Florida Gators.

Coney, a 6’0″, 220 lbs inside linebacker, had one of the most impressive offer lists of any current Notre Dame recruit prior to committing to the Irish. Coney also had offers from the likes of Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Miami.

Prior to his pledge, the Irish hauled in Asmar Bilal from Indiana.

Bilal, a 6-3, 205-pound inside linebacker, previously narrowed his choices to Notre Dame and Michigan. Bilal is ranked by 247sports.com as the No. 3 inside linebacker in the country and the No. 2 in-state prospect behind  linebacker Josh Barajas, who is also committed to Notre Dame.

And the list grows with the addition of Bo Wallace from River Ridge Louisianna.

Add these players alongside current Domer Jaylon Smith and freshman Nyles Morgan and next year looks pretty stellar in the middle for Notre Dame.

CBS and The Middies

This Saturday's game with Navy will be broadcast in primetime yet again for the Irish.

Former lineman Aaron Taylor will help with the tone for Irish faithful as a guest color analyst. He is talented folks and tops the list of people many love to see on NBC games for Notre Dame.

And to the question as to why the game is on CBS, it's 2014- even years go to CBS within the series.

NDFANRADIO

Don't let the work week get you down Irish fans.

On Wednesday's, join Irish Nation on the web with perhaps the finest podcast available.

Go to Blogtalkradio.com