COLLEGE FOOTBALL CORONAVIRUS RANKINGS: Even amidst tepid 2020 performance, Notre Dame "jumped" three places in top-25 rankings after first game, simply by showing up during Covid-19 and not losing
Despite limping into 2020 with decidely weak-looking play, Notre Dame nevertheless still climbed from #10, in the more comprehensive preseason rankings, to #7 in the depleted Covid Rankings. This Irish feat was accomplished mainly by showing up (against an opponent with a 2019 losing record), while multiple conferences are sitting out.
The ACC is one of the biggest beneficiaries of the swiss-cheese season. Out of seven ACC "members" currently in the Coronavirus AP Top-25 (six plus Notre Dame), four of the seven just climbed into the rankings essentially because other conferences are sitting out. The ACC has only six teams in the Coaches Poll Coronavirus Top-25 (Notre Dame plus five), two of whom climbed into the rankings after starting unranked.
(One power conference currently sitting out, of course, the B1G/Big Ten/Big 14, has decided to play after all, starting late October. Apparently the most prominent cold weather Rust Belt/Corn Belt conference has decided to hit the turf just in time for flu season.)
RANKINGS AFTER NOTRE DAME'S FIRST GAME
[Notre Dame green boldface; Notre Dame opponents blue boldface; additional ACC italicized]
[Ranking, Team, First-Place Votes, Record, Poll Points]
AP
1 Clemson (60) 1-0
2 Alabama 0-0
3 Oklahoma 1-0
4 Georgia 0-0
5 Florida 0-0
6 LSU (1) 0-0
7 Notre Dame 1-0
8 Auburn 0-0
9 Texas 1-0
10 Texas A&M 0-0
11 Oklahoma State 0-0
12 North Carolina 1-0
13 Cincinnati 0-0
14 Central Florida 0-0
15 Tennessee 0-0
16 Memphis 1-0
17 Miami (Fla.) 1-0
18 Louisville 1-0
19 Louisiana 1-0
20 Virginia Tech 0-0
21 BYU 1-0
22 Army 2-0
23 [tie] Appalachian State 1-0
23 [tie] Kentucky 0-0
25 Pittsburgh 1-0
Also receiving votes: Baylor 146, West Virginia 81, Georgia Tech 69, TCU 49, Virginia 39, Arkansas State 34, SMU 32, Mississippi State 14, Iowa State 14, South Florida 6, Ole Miss 5, Texas Tech 5, UAB 4, Missouri 3, Florida State 2, Air Force 2, Marshall 2, Houston 1
Coaches Poll
1 Clemson (60) 1-0
2 Alabama 0-0
3 Oklahoma 1-0
4 Georgia 0-0
5 LSU (1) 0-0
6 Florida 0-0
7 Notre Dame 1-0
8 Texas 1-0
9 Auburn 0-0
10 Texas A&M 0-0
11 North Carolina 1-0
12 Oklahoma State 0-0
13 Central Florida 0-0
14 Cincinnati 0-0
15 Memphis 1-0
16 Louisville 1-0
17 Tennessee 0-0
18 Miami (Fla.) 1-0
19 Virginia Tech 0-0
20 Kentucky 0-0
21 Louisiana 1-0
22 BYU 1-0
23 Appalachian State 1-0
24 Baylor 0-0
25 Army 2-0
Also receiving votes: Georgia Tech 97, Pittsburgh 81, West Virginia 59, TCU 57, Virginia 57, SMU 25, Tulane 20, South Carolina 18, Marshall 14, Duke 13, Arkansas State 13, Mississippi State 12, Texas Tech 11, Coastal Carolina 8, Ole Miss 8, Iowa State 6, North Texas 5, South Florida 3
Roughly one-third of the preseason top-25 is simply not around this week, because 40% of the power conferences are sitting out, at least for now, over concerns for public health amidst the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic.
As mentioned above, thus far Notre Dame has played one game, against a team that had a losing record last year.
Truthfully, it was a game that never should have been played, given that the opposing institution offers "abortions," a human rights violation so egregious it brings automatic excommunication from the Catholic Faith. Indeed, prenatal killing is opposed by multiple diverse faiths representing billions of the world's population.
The ACC has multiple abortion institutions. During the pandemic, of course, Notre Dame has expanded their ACC affiliation from their usual status, as Olympic-sport member and football partner, to full football quasi-member, including access to the ACC conference title game and the ACC slot in the Orange Bowl.
Last year, Notre Dame was the second-best team in the ACC constellation, after national title contender Clemson. Yet the Irish were shut out of the Orange Bowl, in favor of a barely-ranked Virginia team that Notre Dame had beaten decisively in the regular season.
At that time, the ACC had appeared to be in jeapordy of having an unranked team appear in the ACC's Orange Bowl slot. Virginia sneaking into the rankings perhaps might have invited speculation over whether the Cavaliers were given a kind of "mercy ranking" to help avoid such an embarrassment for a major conference, and a major bowl.
Key Words: Notre Dame Football, College Football, College Football Rankings, ACC, B1G, Big Ten, Covid-19, Coronavirus, Pandemic, Orange Bowl
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