at 6-4 with no wins over and current top 25 teams. 0-2 vs top 25 Other losses include Akron (4-5, 2-4 in MAC) and Duke.
Big 10 favoritism at its finest!
Big 10 favoritism at its finest!
Northwestern in Top 25 this week
- Thread starter Dointhatrag
- Start date
They lost to Duke and AKRON. They barely beat Rutgers. It is a joke that they are ranked ahead of us.
It's just like all the Big 10 alumni talking up the Big 10 on ESPN. Good old Herbstreit and company were saying Michigan belongs in playoffs over ND if Michigan wins out.
I don’t like ND, but they deserve to get in if they go undefeated. No question about it.
It's kind of why SOS is bologna is NCAAF. Playing 10 teams rated around 50th is deemed more difficult than playing 3 teams around 15th and 7 teams around 70th.
That said, it's hard to hate on a program like NW, who I always thought was a comparable to Pitt's situation, with similar challenges.
That said, it's hard to hate on a program like NW, who I always thought was a comparable to Pitt's situation, with similar challenges.
That is how I felt about them. Then Pitt played them in the Pinstripe Bowl and lost all respect after seeing how dirty they play.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
It's not favoritism, it's perception. NW has been decent the last few years. Not great but not terrible and have been in the top 25 recently. Pitt...not so much.
Wow that’s a total crock of crappolla
I guess head to head completion doesn’t matter ND bitch slapped scum
Bull what they did last year should have no bearing on this years polls
But as I said the only poll that matters is the last one. Win the next two and the bowl game and Pitt will be in the top 20
pittdan77
Athletic Director
It's really weird to say that. Like it or not, it always matters. Pitt needs to win three of their last four to finish ranked, plus don't get blown off the field by Clemson. Even then I won't be shocked if Pitt doesn't land in the final top 25.
Both are 6-4
Both lost close games to ND.
Both lost games to a good B10East team (though NW was close at Mich and we were blown out by PSU)
Both lost a game they shouldn't have (@ UNC, home vs Akron)
Pitt beat Duke, NW lost to Duke
Pitt lost at UCF, NW won at Mich St.
So, at this point, we'll be nice and call this even.
NW has beaten 2 6-4 teams (Iowa, Wis), 5-5 Purdue, 3-7 Nebraska, and a D2 team (Rutgers)
Pitt has beaten 8-2 Syracuse, 7-3 UVa, 6-4 GT, 4-5 VT, and Albany (which is similar to Rutgers).
Based on resume, Pitt's is better and hopefully that is reflected in the CFP standings which rank resumes
Both lost close games to ND.
Both lost games to a good B10East team (though NW was close at Mich and we were blown out by PSU)
Both lost a game they shouldn't have (@ UNC, home vs Akron)
Pitt beat Duke, NW lost to Duke
Pitt lost at UCF, NW won at Mich St.
So, at this point, we'll be nice and call this even.
NW has beaten 2 6-4 teams (Iowa, Wis), 5-5 Purdue, 3-7 Nebraska, and a D2 team (Rutgers)
Pitt has beaten 8-2 Syracuse, 7-3 UVa, 6-4 GT, 4-5 VT, and Albany (which is similar to Rutgers).
Based on resume, Pitt's is better and hopefully that is reflected in the CFP standings which rank resumes
It’s knterestjng how much emphasis is placed on polls at this point in the season for a team like Pitt. They are absolutely meaningless until the season is over. If Pitt loses out does it matter how they were ranked on Nov 12?
Similarly. If the win out they will likely be in the top 20 and possibly top 15
Enjoy the process. I’m just thrilled Pitt will be playing a meaningful game this weekend. Doesn’t happen to often this time of year and no one thought we’d be on this position a month agon
Similarly. If the win out they will likely be in the top 20 and possibly top 15
Enjoy the process. I’m just thrilled Pitt will be playing a meaningful game this weekend. Doesn’t happen to often this time of year and no one thought we’d be on this position a month agon
two of their losses were also not by 45 and 31 points either. their lone conference loss was to Michigan while Pitt's was to UNC......Cannot believe they did not take the time to do a Pitt /NW comparison via intense analysis and research...unconscionable (not the perceived snub, but the woe you guys suffer over this silliness)...
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Being ranked gets your scores scrolling across TV's. Being ranked is something a coach uses for in-season recruiting. Being ranked gets your program attention and interest. Being ranked puts your program in a spotlight. No idea why anyone would think it's no big deal.
Pollsters don't do this research but the CFP committee should. Or else, why even rank the Top 25? Pitt should be ahead of NW in the CFP rankings
very nice, but this is a discussion about the top 25 poll...just because you cherry picked a resume (funny you never mentioned the blowout losses or the much, much worse lone conference loss ) does not make it so...
losing to akron by 5 = being embarrassed by 31 (not even that close) points to a non power 5 school (no matter how high they are ranked) that has squeaked by much lesser opponents (Memphis, Temple, Navy)...
Lone conference loss to UNC < Lone Conference lost to Michigan.
They were hyped before the nd game like they were really tough or something. Scoreboard made it look closer than it was They suck and will be exposed in bowl season. Like us they lost 3 out of conf but to FAR worse opponents. We hold a win over the 13th ranked team in the country. They haven't beaten anyone
It really irritates me
These teams are viewed as "independents" when comparing. The fact that UNC plays in the ACC is irrelevant. It was on the road and I correctly compared it to NW's home loss to 4-5 Akron.
I would agree that Northwestern's close loss at Michigan was way more impressive than us getting curbstomped by PSU at home but the end result was still losses.
There is absolutely no denying that Pitt's resume is better
To be fair, at MSU is a good win. But beating B10 West teams is no different than beating the Coastal teams we beat
Again the ranking at the end of the year has the most value in all the areas stated above. Being in the polls for one or two weeks has little value
There is absolutely no denying that Pitt's resume is better... uh, sure there is, I just did..."absolutely", hahahahaha, now, don't you think you are just the cat's meow. In my humble opinion (as I am not so arrogant as to work in absolutes ), it is pretty much a wash.
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You are correct. Akron is 4-5 and 2-4 in their conference. That is as bad of a loss as it gets.
I disagree. Honestly no one remembers end of year college football polls. Polls are only talked about during the season and before the season. Getting ranked during the season has far more impact to being relevant and getting discussed and showing your score at halftime of national games and putting focus on the pitt program than an end of year poll that never gets discussed.
Except that the vast majority of the experts and computer rankings beg to differ.
I'm amazed at how much some people think there is a magic to being #25 in a media poll but not #30 that is so strong it will improve our recruiting. Do high school kids even watch college football anymore?
I am not saying Pitt is better than NW. I am saying their resume is better. A computer may view NW as the better team based on different sets of data and they may well be but Pitt's resume is unquestionably better.
As far as the "experts," we know more than they do. Please.
Northwestern lost no game by more than 14 points. Pitt lost 2 games by more than 30. Blowouts kill your resume. Penn State found that out in 2016 when Michigan blew them out.
Stop being amazed. Its reality. There are only so many prime slots for televised games and highlights and those spoils go to the Top 25. It may be silly but its reality. If you aren't in that group you are irrelevant. Beating WVU 13-9 had little to no impact for us nationally because it was just a fluke win by some team outside the Top 25. Its just the way it is.
As long as they are using the SoS argument to keep UCF out of the top 10, I doubt Pitt gets ranked. That plus Cincinnati would give them 2 ranked wins which would be more than some one loss teams ahead of them like Oklahoma.
Being ranked gives you more exposure. Better odds of getting highlights, as already pointed out the name scrolls across the bottom of the ticker, it shows up on the ESPN college football scores on the app. Everyone can see that you are one of the best 25 teams in college football. A casual viewer doesn't see a number next to Pitt and if they had to guess may say they're ranked 50th in the nation. Being ranked means winning and a lot of recruits want to play for winners.
LOL. PSU was ranked AHEAD of Michigan in the final CFP rankings despite getting blown out by them and having the exact same number of losses.
Michigan was ranked ahead of them until PSU won the Big Ten Championship Game. I find it hard to believe that Northwestern will be ranked above Pitt if Pitt wins the ACC Championship game.
Both beat Wisconsin.
PSU was 11-2
Michigan was 10-2
Michigan destroyed PSU and yet, were ranked lower.
Of course. The key there was not the number of losses. Penn State had one more win than Michigan, against #6 Wisconsin in the BigTen Title Game. I think blowout losses stick in the minds of voters. Pitt had 2 and Northwestern had none. I believe that's why NW is ranked ahead of Pitt. You may think otherwise. So be it.
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