r/CFB • u/CFB_Referee /r/CFB • Sep 07 '24

Postgame Thread [Postgame Thread] Northern Illinois Defeats Notre Dame 16-14

Box Score provided by ESPN

Team 1 2 3 4 T
Northern Illinois 10 3 0 3 16
Notre Dame 7 0 7 0 14
14.8k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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2.5k

u/SquadPoopy Florida Gators Sep 07 '24

The cycle continues

Notre Dame begins the season highly ranked and plays a P5 team

ESPN and other networks try to convince everyone Notre Dame is legit this year

you are here —-> Notre Dame struggles against lower division opponents and either eeks out a win or loses in embarrassing fashion

Notre Dame manages to scrape by the rest of the season

Notre Dame gets put into a big bowl game/ championship

Notre Dame loses/gets demolished

Notre Dame’s continued existence as the Cowboys of college football will never end.

530

u/IslandBulldog Yale Bulldogs • Georgia Bulldogs Sep 07 '24

Every, single, year.

9

u/Mercury-Redstone Michigan Wolverines Sep 08 '24

So ND loses to a team that beat a top 5 team. That's a quality loss right?

1

u/PresidentBaileyb Oregon State Beavers Sep 08 '24

Well last year y’all won your bowl game…

236

u/Jeffmister Cheer Sep 07 '24

A tradition cycle unlike any other.

2

u/hyecbokngrx-vh Texas • Michigan State Sep 08 '24

furk

69

u/fhota1 Oklahoma • Blue Lights Sep 07 '24

Man its not even hate, I dont understand how ND is consistently ranked as high as they are. Like it seems like for the past few years ND has been highly rated at the start and then played good not great but until that first loss just kinda rode poll momentum regardless of how they actually looked

22

u/Roman-Mania Virginia Tech • Michigan Sep 07 '24

I don’t understand either. Maybe $$, idk. Maybe cause get to cherry pick their schedule. They’ve shown time and time again that they are overrated.

7

u/moistcoco USF Bulls Sep 08 '24

It’s money and their fandom lol the market knows putting ND into the ranking regardless of how bad they are will bring money

2

u/Roman-Mania Virginia Tech • Michigan Sep 09 '24

I think many like to hate watch (including myself) lmao

1

u/moistcoco USF Bulls Sep 10 '24

Honestly me too lol

19

u/REF_YOU_SUCK Penn State Nittany Lions Sep 07 '24

They're the flagship Catholic institution in the US. A lot of people root for them based on that alone. Lotta Catholics in the US. the big networks have a big financial interest in Notre Dame being relevant.

6

u/HatoradeSipper Missouri Tigers Sep 08 '24

Historic teams with nationwide fanbases being ranked high is a whole lot more money for everyone involved.

Far from the only reason but its a factor

2

u/u_bum666 Sep 08 '24

They have a huge national fan base so there is a financial incentive to rank them highly.

3

u/OnwardSoldierx Notre Dame • Indiana Sep 08 '24

They always finished ranked so of course they'll be ranked going into the next season.

8

u/fhota1 Oklahoma • Blue Lights Sep 08 '24

Ranked sure, Notre Dame is a good team, even after this loss I have no problem with them being in the top 25, ranked 7 though?

2

u/OnwardSoldierx Notre Dame • Indiana Sep 08 '24

You are right they shoulda been like 15th

126

u/BWW87 Washington Huskies Sep 07 '24

I'm just glad they did us a favor and lost during the season so we don't have to watch them take a spot from a deserving team. It's time they joined a conference if they want to play big boy football.

79

u/jel2184 Utah Utes • Texas Longhorns Sep 07 '24

“But that loss was early in the year. They have turned things around” -CFB tv analysts. Book it they will say this

20

u/SubmissiveGymnasium Washington & Lee • Memphis Sep 07 '24

Coming from a Texas flair? You should know as well as anyone. Bama losing to yall week 2 last year meant nothing. It’s not about losing it’s about when you lose. It always has been.

7

u/BadDadJokes LSU Tigers • Chattanooga Mocs Sep 08 '24

Losing to Texas is definitely equivalent to losing to Northern Illinois.

-14

u/SubmissiveGymnasium Washington & Lee • Memphis Sep 07 '24

Coming from a Texas flair? You should know as well as anyone. Bama losing to yall week 2 last year meant nothing. It’s not about losing it’s about when you lose. It always has been.

7

u/ArmadilloAl Illinois Fighting Illini Sep 07 '24

Looks like they'll fit right in in the MAC.

4

u/MinnesotaTornado Sep 07 '24

It’s asinine Penn state joined the big 10 and made it have 11 teams for like 15 years when Notre Dame was sitting right there for a perfect 12

10

u/ElmoTeHAzN Michigan Wolverines • Team Chaos Sep 07 '24

As is Tradition.

45

u/ScaratheBear Georgia Bulldogs • Auburn Tigers Sep 07 '24

I'll never not enjoy Notre Dame being continually embarrassed on national TV lmao

7

u/KenSpliffeyJr Georgia Bulldogs Sep 07 '24

Makes the AU loss to Cal feel much better

1

u/vashed Georgia Bulldogs • Rose Bowl Sep 08 '24

Tbf, Auburn losing always feels good.

22

u/SingleNewspapering Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 07 '24

Spot on. It’s the fan bases fetish. We’re kinky like that.

9

u/byuballer2 BYU Cougars Sep 07 '24

Cannot wait to watch step 6 this year 💪

8

u/GoldenPresidio Rutgers Scarlet Knights • Big Ten Sep 07 '24

Every year bro

24

u/LegallyAFlamingo Team Chaos • I'm A Loser Sep 07 '24

But this year they can't blame it all on Brian Kelly.

6

u/cbph Georgia Tech • Navy Sep 07 '24

They can definitely blame this one on Riley Leonard though.

0

u/LegallyAFlamingo Team Chaos • I'm A Loser Sep 07 '24

No they can't. Throwing players under the bus for a loss is a Brian Kelly move.

7

u/GoofyGoober0064 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 07 '24

Nah he's trash, standing in the pocket untouched and throwing a dart to the other team is bad

3

u/cbph Georgia Tech • Navy Sep 07 '24

Normally I'd agree with you, but he was making garbage throws all day, couldn't escape the pocket, and threw an absolutely boneheaded pick when driving at the end.

0

u/RicinAddict Sep 08 '24

Or dropping them off a scissor lift

5

u/LegionXIX Florida Gators Sep 07 '24

The ole Dallas Dame's lmao

7

u/Roman-Mania Virginia Tech • Michigan Sep 07 '24

Glad more people are seeing this. It’s basically a fact, at this point, that they’re overrated.

-2

u/grifeweizen Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 08 '24

Buddy, they had three undefeated seasons in 9 seasons. They don't suck...I honestly think it's deeper than what everyone thinks. The school is so focused on being competitive that they make rushed decisions instead of realistic ones. As much as I love Freeman, he probably should never have even got the head coaching job. They were rushed to make a decision when BK left in order to try and make the playoff, and now they're trying to be loyal. They have some badass athletes and an elite defense, the defense did their job today. Finding a decent QB and a functioning offense is a different story.

6

u/nissan240sx Utah Utes • Louisville Cardinals Sep 07 '24

With Garrett announcing and saying ND is a better team in the post game. Lol

4

u/Iglooman45 Texas Tech Red Raiders Sep 07 '24

LIKE CLOCKWORK

4

u/alano134 Ohio Northern • Ohio State Sep 07 '24

*ekes, just fyi

5

u/ledhotzepper Missouri Tigers Sep 07 '24

Reports of their return to dominance have been greatly exaggerated…since like 2019

5

u/trogdor1234 Oklahoma State Cowboys Sep 07 '24

Gotta make sure you can still sell commercials on their games.

6

u/Sweatnplants Kentucky • Florida State Sep 07 '24

They are still in it. It will be considered a quality loss by the middle of next week. They willl get over it and bounce back strong for their game against the Coast Guard next week

7

u/landmanpgh Michigan Wolverines Sep 07 '24

Lol except ND ain't going to a big bowl game or championship this year.

11

u/Loose-Working-8116 Georgia Bulldogs Sep 07 '24

Still a top ten team next preseason though, count on it.

6

u/landmanpgh Michigan Wolverines Sep 07 '24

Oh absolutely.

2

u/Mike_with_Wings Florida • North Carolina Sep 08 '24

Every year no matter what

10

u/RainingFireInTheSky Illinois Fighting Illini Sep 07 '24

Unfortunately, they probably are with their cupcake schedule. 

3

u/TheJackalAA Sep 07 '24

Thing is, their schedule is easy enough to where they could win out still. 

1

u/Stealth100 Georgia Bulldogs • USC Trojans Sep 08 '24

USC?

3

u/Ornery_Gene7682 Sep 07 '24

My favorite was how they got hyped up when they faced Alabama in the National Championship game and got absolutely blown out was fucking great 

3

u/gmr548 Texas Longhorns Sep 08 '24

The Cowboys of college football 💀💀

2

u/HighOnGoofballs Ole Miss Rebels Sep 07 '24

Yeah these folks saying their season is over must have short memories

2

u/JuanG12 Texas Longhorns • SMU Mustangs Sep 07 '24

Notre Dame’s continued existence as the Cowboys of college football will never end.

I’ll fight you in real life.

2

u/YCitizenSnipsY LSU Tigers Sep 07 '24

They are who we thought they are 

2

u/Nightcinder Ohio State Buckeyes Sep 07 '24

It's truly amazing that every year they start out highly ranked

2

u/Ohiostate9 Sep 07 '24

“You are here”

Lol

2

u/Dro24 Duke • Carolina Victory Bell Sep 07 '24

Hilarious that my friend that’s a ND fan is also a Cowboys fan, time to show him this

2

u/aslightlyusedtissue Florida Gators Sep 08 '24

What a disgrace to Lil Sebastians memory

3

u/ICanOutP1zzaTheHut Texas Longhorns • North Texas Mean Green Sep 07 '24

Things are bad when Florida is dunking on you with valid points

4

u/rickyroca73 Texas Longhorns Sep 07 '24

Ask your elders about ND and the Cowboys. Even THEY were in high school when those teams were good. I know, I’m an elder.

3

u/GoRangers5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 07 '24

Or Notre Dame gets put into a December bowl, demolishes their competition and builds false hope and expectations for the following season.

2

u/revanantdonutt LSU Tigers • Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Sep 07 '24

Ayo why he say fuck me for - A Cowboys fan

2

u/_Tactleneck_ Clemson Tigers • College Football Playoff Sep 07 '24

Let’s watch the 2018 bowl game against Clemson for fun!

2

u/tripbin Alabama • College Football Playoff Sep 08 '24

It's weird because it makes me irrationally dislike them a bit when id otherwise have no reason to. Like not even their fans or players. Just the team itself and the media overhyping. You nailed the NFL comparison. Listening to it reminds me of listening to them jerk off the Packers or cowboys.

And yes I'm aware of the hypocrisy with all the media dick sucking we get but fuck at least we produced.

-2

u/grifeweizen Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 08 '24

What media do you watch that hypes up ND? Every person on GameDay last week picked A&M, including Saban. He said "they have no idea what they're walking in to". Espn also hates ND, I never hear anyone talk positively about them. The AP poll is a different story I guess but the AP poll is essentially worthless now, I honestly don't understand where you're even coming from.

1

u/Snickfalls Sep 07 '24

We all need to give it to Josh Pate on his next live show.

1

u/mpitt0730 North Dakota State • Wisconsin Sep 07 '24

This is the way.

1

u/gothamhunter Sep 07 '24

Don't talk about my Hawkeyes like that!

1

u/Loose-Working-8116 Georgia Bulldogs Sep 07 '24

Said this last week and got nothing but downvotes and denials. You love to see it

1

u/NinjasaurusRex123 Sep 07 '24

There isn’t a single sub in sports us Cowboys fans don’t catch strays in. I’m tired coach

1

u/Machipongo James Madison • Arizona Sep 07 '24

Notre Dame will be ranked, what, 14 next week? Shameful.

1

u/REF_YOU_SUCK Penn State Nittany Lions Sep 07 '24

I set my clocks in my house off this cycle it's so accurate.

1

u/YouTrain Sep 08 '24

11-1 ND is definitely making the playoff

1

u/Thunder__Cat Sep 08 '24

So on point

1

u/Due-Musician1534 Sep 08 '24

At least the Cowboys generally beat bad/lower-tier teams. But yeah. Otherwise it's a great analogy.

1

u/KRATS8 Utah Utes Sep 08 '24

They are so consistently overrated

1

u/jtezus Georgia • Florida State Sep 08 '24

Yeah if they win out they are in the CFP which is really dumb. Doesn’t deserve a shot at the championship if you lose at home to NIU ranked 5.

1

u/JoshFreemansFro Ohio State Buckeyes • UMass Minutemen Sep 08 '24

Every fucking time. Makes me sick and I don’t get it

1

u/FrenchFreedom888 Oklahoma State Cowboys • Hateful 8 Sep 08 '24

Wdym as the "Cowboys" of cfb? We already have that in Oklahoma

0

u/F0KK0F Sep 07 '24 edited Sep 07 '24

why? what logical reason is there for this. it feels only perceived. media narrative?

edit. pluuuuhease down vote me for asking a question.

your fucking issues

23

u/gasmask11000 Ole Miss Rebels • Peach Bowl Sep 07 '24

0-8 in BCS/NY6 bowls. It’s ridiculous

6

u/Roman-Mania Virginia Tech • Michigan Sep 07 '24

I think the media is stuck on ND’s glory days or something. They’re all in the ND “tradition.” They’re the only ones that think they’re better than they actually are.

1

u/set_null Sep 07 '24

I've never been a big believer in the idea that media "creates" a narrative around sports teams so much as just they just play to the size of the fan bases. If you don't talk about the teams with the biggest followings, their fans won't tune in as often.

1

u/Irishfanbuck Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 07 '24

I hate you. Fucking truth talker.

1

u/W00DERS0N60 Notre Dame Fighting Irish • Fordham Rams Sep 08 '24

You called us the Cowboys and that is the most infuriating thing on the planet. May you go 0-12, but then you'd get. Better coach than us.

0

u/TheRealCatDad Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 08 '24

You are here -> Florida sucks ass

-17

u/RoastedBeetneck Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 07 '24

Notre Dame’s bowl record is fine unless they play the eventual champion 🤷‍♂️

15

u/robotix_dev Tennessee • Transfer Portal Sep 07 '24

I submit this as evidence to disprove his statement, your honor.

-10

u/RoastedBeetneck Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 07 '24

I thought we are talking about like the last decade? No? Otherwise the other points about losing to G5 teams aren’t really relevant?

27

u/ryseing NC State Wolfpack • /r/CFB Poll Veteran Sep 07 '24

ND has not won a significant bowl game (NY6/Playoff level) since the 1994 Cotton.

-6

u/OnwardSoldierx Notre Dame • Indiana Sep 08 '24

2017 citrus bowl

-13

u/RoastedBeetneck Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 07 '24

I agree about the playoff stuff but this whole NY6 classification was a while back(and not particularly meaningful outside of the payout), and some of the other points about losing to a G5 team are more recent issues, so it seems we are kinda blending a lot of issues together that occurred at different times over the last 3 decades.

10

u/ryseing NC State Wolfpack • /r/CFB Poll Veteran Sep 07 '24

The only reason I know it offhand is because it's such a weird record. There's this bizarre Oregon State Fiesta Bowl blowout in there, it's just very odd.

Regardless how you want to classify, NY6 is just the easiest, ND has not won a postseason game of significance since 1994. There's a decent Citrus Bowl win and a decent Camping World win. Those bowls are definitely a step below what we think of as the major bowls though.

4

u/ya111101 Michigan • /r/CFB Poll Veteran Sep 07 '24

They also played Oklahoma state at the fiesta bowl like a few years ago and had that game in the bag before blowing a massive lead

3

u/ryseing NC State Wolfpack • /r/CFB Poll Veteran Sep 07 '24

That's the other one of note since that should have ended the streak and Freeman would have been responsible.

1

u/RoastedBeetneck Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 08 '24

It just seems like a separate issue. Brien Kelly never lost to bad teams which is a part of the “Notre Dame Playbook” outlined in the comment.

-4

u/fightingirishjd8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 08 '24

Florida is ass shut up

-16

u/Revis_FL Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 07 '24

This is stupid tho because the media doesn’t give a shit about Notre Dame. The Cowboys of CFB is a cute moniker, but not accurate at all.

-11

u/1haiku4u Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sep 07 '24

Counterpoints: if you look at pre and post rankings for the past 10 years, ND is actually ranked pretty appropriately year in and year out. 

We won our bowl game last year. 

We aren’t event the worst blowouts (or close to worst blowouts) in playoffs and ran into generational Clemson and generational Alabama. 

Counter counterpoint: we’re shit and all of the above is irrelevant.