Kirk Herbstreit doesn't think Alabama is the most complete team in the nation
No. 2 Notre Dame went on the road on Friday evening and beat No. 19 Notre Dame in an exciting 31-17 game. The score was tied at 17 at halftime before Notre Dame’s defense took over.
Now, the Fighting Irish have wins against Clemson and North Carolina and seem to be close to securing a spot in the ACC Championship Game.
ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit was on the broadcast for the game, and on Saturday morning’s College GameDay, he said he would have the Irish as the top team in the next Playoff rankings:
After seeing them in-person yesterday…
Kirk Herbstreit on @CollegeGameDay just now:
"Notre Dame is the most complete team in CFB. I'd put them No. 1 next week."
— Brad Powers (@BradPowers7) November 28, 2020
Obviously, Alabama still has a chance to impress on Saturday afternoon, hosting No. 22 Auburn in the annual Iron Bowl rivalry game.
We’ll see if Herbstreit changes his tune after watching Alabama play on Saturday afternoon, or if he keeps Notre Dame in his No. 1 spot.
Would have been nice of someone on the crew asked Herbie if he thinks ND can beat Alabama.
What does “most complete” really mean, anyway?
Alabama would be favored by 15 over them
I must say Alabama looked impressive today against Auburn.
A couple of other things: whether it’s No. 1 is debatable, but this is a lot better Notre Dame team than the 2012 Notre Dame team that Alabama road graded. As far as all those “NC gave up 53 to Wake Forest” arguments, I don’t think Kirk is basing his comments on the records of Notre Dame’s opponents. I feel about the same way about that sort of argument as Alabama fans do when people make “they haven’t played anyone” comments based on who beat their opponents.
Oh, and I think Notre Dame can beat Alabama this year. Not saying they will, of course. Not even saying that Notre Dame is the better team. But I’d love to see that game, and I’m sure you would too. :)
Didn’t UNC lose to FLORIDA STATE. Not sure beating them. basically by 7 points (garbage TD late for ND), is all that impressive.
If you want to say that an 89-yard drive that burned the last 4:30 off the clock and put the game away for sure is a “late garbage time TD,” you can do that. It seems unlikely that you’d characterize an equivalent drive by Georgia the same way, though.
Im sure when he hears Ohio St is in danger of missing out on the Big 10 championship game they will be the most complete team lobbying for them to still get in the playoffs without being champions of the Big 10 and only playing five games.
Notre Dame beat a team that has lost to Florida State and Virginia. Notre Dame beat a team that gave up 53 points to Wake Forest and barely beat Boston College and gave up 45 against Virginia Teach. I don’t think Kirk knows what complete football is any longer. Notre Dame would not keep Alabama out of the end zone for three quarters. Sorry, Kirk.
bama would put the beat down on them just like in 2013. You would think that there comes a time when all these people on the committee vote to put ND. In there its never a competitive game.
If Notre Dame is the same team it was in 2013, then so is Georgia. :)
You are right. I don’t like it when they compare teams of the past and equate it to a current team. That being said, I don’t think a team that only scores 12 points against Louisville and gave up 400+ yards to a 2nd string freshman QB can be considered the most complete team. Feel free to argue those points.
Notre Dame was one team in the first four games, and very much another in the last five. That happens. I certainly agree the team that played Louisville could hardly be called complete, with a bad to mediocre offense.
But overall, if you look at the stats, this is a balanced team, and arguably more so than any of the other teams in the top four. If you look at the five categories in which past champions have typically excelled (rushing offense, rushing defense, passing efficiency, total defense and turnover margin), Notre Dame is in the top 20 in three of them, and the other three are in the top 20 in just one (Clemson is in the top 25 in three of them). Here’s a table I put together with the rankings:
RO n16 a55 o28 c80
RD n5 A31 o35 c24
PE n39 a4 o2 c21
TD n11 a47 o33 c12
TM n42 A22 o11 c42
These rankings suggest that Notre Dame is more balanced than any of the other three, in particular because their passing efficiency has improved a great deal in the last five games (from 131.55 to 160.22, which puts them in about Clemson’s area).
If they play, I’ll be a Notre Dame fan for a day.
Vicarious fans are the worst
Vicarious? I’ve been pulling against Bama for decades, no matter who plays them. I’ll even pull for Auburn over Bama.
It’s not vicarious. It’s pure, unadulterated spite.
We understand … jealousy and envy cause spite.
Hard to see where fans of a team that whooped Alabama last year has fans that are motivated by jealousy and envy. Just saying.
Bobrodes: 1 year doesn’t wash years of losses away. Just saying
No, it doesn’t, Darth. But one game does, if it’s the final in the championship. Not saying we’re there yet, but that’s the goal.
Oops. Careless reading. I thought you were talking about Notre Dame, sorry about that. I suppose one could argue that having two national championships in the same time that Alabama has five might engender jealousy and envy. I suppose part of that depends on how old you are.
The team that wins out, will always have an asterisk by their name because it’s 2020. Might not be fair, but it will be there
Oh look a Mississippi state fan commenting on Championships and their value, cute.
The asterisk will stand for. *All SEC Schedule. Even Mississippi’s pathetic record.
Does it really matter?
Good, keep saying things like this. Remind the team that they haven’t proven anything to anyone yet.
The goal from here on out is to dominate, not just win.