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CNNSI's Mandel on the Buckeyes

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BuckeyeInTheBoro

BuckeyeInTheBoro

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Stewart Mandel - Why Notre Dame is ranked above tOSU

Almost the entire mailbag column dedicated to Notre Dame's ranking:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/stewart_mandel/11/16/mailbag/index.html

...but this one is the best:

You have Notre Dame ahead of Ohio State in your Power Rankings? How do you justify this, especially considering Ohio State beat Michigan State, and considering that Ohio State is playing considerably better than when it barely lost to Texas (just as Notre Dame barely lost to USC).
--Mike, Baltimore
All right, I can't take it any more -- what's wrong with you Ohio State people? Honestly? Do you have nothing better to do with your time than play the "my two-loss team is better than your two-loss team" game? This is like arguing over the Best Supporting Actor Oscar.


We're basically splitting hairs here, but if you want my honest opinion: Ohio State is the more talented team, but in the Buckeyes' two biggest games of the season, I watched as their offense -- at the direction of their coaches -- curled into the fetal position. In Notre Dame's biggest game of the season, Charlie Weis showed no fear whatsoever against the No. 1 team in the country. When the Irish fell behind 28-24 with 5:09 left, Quinn promptly drove them 87 yards and dove for the go-ahead touchdown. When Ohio State fell behind Texas 23-22 with 2:37 remaining, Buckeyes QB Justin Zwick promptly fumbled. Down seven to Penn State in the final minutes, Troy Smith fumbled. Now, since that Penn State game, Smith and the OSU offense have been among the most explosive in the country. Yet why do I have this sneaking suspicion Jim Tressel's sphincter will tighten considerably when the Buckeyes go to Ann Arbor this weekend?


Tell you what, OSU fans. If he proves me wrong, I promise I'll revisit my rankings. Now, please, go find yourselves some cold towels.
Click to expand...

I think we're going to have some fun with Mr. Mandel after The Game.

:biggrin:
 
Mandel is one of the best internet sportswriters out there. He was one of the few to continuously give us respect in 2002 while idiots like Tim Brando were predicting Fiesta scores like 48-10. </p>He has commented several times in his columns about all the emails he gets from OSU fans whenever he (appears) to slight them. It's obvious that he likes the emails and realizes all he has to do is push a button and the OSU fans will respond like sheep.
 
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Sober said:
Mandel is one of the best internet sportswriters out there. He was one of the few to continuously give us respect in 2002 while idiots like Tim Brando were predicting Fiesta scores like 48-10.
He has commented several times in his columns about all the emails he gets from OSU fans whenever he (appears) to slight them. It's obvious that he likes the emails and realizes all he has to do is push a button and the OSU fans will respond like sheep.
Click to expand...

Well, according to some, you like sheep a LOT. Is that why you hang out here with us? :p
 
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gee, i wonder what's missing from mandel's rundown of notre dame's season:

I understand that Ohio State has two losses, but those losses are to two top-five teams by a combined margin of 10 points. Notre Dame lost to an unranked Michigan State team at home. How are the Irish still ranked above Ohio State? --Andrew, Columbus, Ohio

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As you may recall, Notre Dame began the season unranked in the AP poll; Ohio State started sixth. After the season's first weekend, in which the Irish beat then-No. 23 Pittsburgh and the Buckeyes beat Miami of Ohio, the Irish debuted at No. 20; OSU moved up to fourth. The following week, the Buckeyes dropped to ninth following their loss to No. 2 Texas, while Notre Dame jumped 10 spots to No. 10 following its win at No. 3 Michigan. It would later turn out that neither of the Irish's first two opponents were deserving of their preseason stature, but the pollsters didn't realize that at the time.

Notre Dame first passed Ohio State in the poll following the Buckeyes' 17-10 loss at Penn State on Oct. 8, a game in which OSU's already questionable (at the time) offense looked downright awful against an opponent few figured would be 9-1 right now. Notre Dame rose to ninth; Ohio State dropped to 15th. The following week the nation watched as the Irish played the consensus No. 1 team in the country, USC, to a standstill for 59 minutes, losing on a miraculous last-second sequence. AP voters, quite justifiably in my opinion, kept the Irish right where they were (I dropped them one spot.)

Since then, the Buckeyes' offense has exploded, keying a five-game winning streak in which they've gradually risen back to No. 9, but all Notre Dame has done since the USC game is blow out three opponents as well. So, while OSU has been able to close the gap between the two (currently three spots in the AP poll, one spot on my ballot), it's been unable to pass the Irish. That's pretty how much how it happened.

according to mandel's recollection, notre dame is 10-1... not 9-2.
 
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Sober said:
Mandel is one of the best internet sportswriters out there. He was one of the few to continuously give us respect in 2002 while idiots like Tim Brando were predicting Fiesta scores like 48-10. </p>He has commented several times in his columns about all the emails he gets from OSU fans whenever he (appears) to slight them. It's obvious that he likes the emails and realizes all he has to do is push a button and the OSU fans will respond like sheep.
Click to expand...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the same guy who wanted the University to Self impose the death penalty follwing the Troy Smith Incident?
 
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Bucky Katt said:
According to some, you are Tibor. I don't think you are, that is why I said, "According to some." :)
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He's probably not Tibor, he just likes sloppy seconds.

goat.jpg
 
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BuckeyeInTheBoro said:
Almost the entire mailbag column dedicated to Notre Dame's ranking:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/stewart_mandel/11/16/mailbag/index.html

...but this one is the best:



I think we're going to have some fun with Mr. Mandel after The Game.

:biggrin:
Click to expand...
OK, I'm not going to get into it about Mandel and how he must hate the Buckeyes because he doesn't have them #1 in his poll.......but his answer to this email isn't very bright. Apparently we only rank teams on offense. We have a great defense and a not so great (at the time) offense. Notre Dame is the exact opposite. We don't need to mention how Notre Dame's defense curled up into the fetal position when they had the USC game won on 4th and long and USC busted a 61 yard pass play that all but ended the game? Be consistent man.
 
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