re: Teams that lost a playoff game that could've won the title

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ND had a PHENOMENAL defense that year. it just so happened that bama had arguably their best OL in program history, and two RBs who could start for 128+ teams. I think amari cooper also played for bama in 2012. they were one of the VERY few, maybe only team that could make the irish defense appear inept in 2012

BTW, you won't find a bigger ND hater than me. i watch past highlights of them losing big games all the time

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Yeah what's the whole deal of this "rivalry" between ND and Michigan because it seems both sides hate each other? Where'd all that come from?

2011 Saints is the answer

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Getting by UGA would have been no easy task. Those two teams with nearly the same rosters played the following season in what was a great but seemingly forgotten game in Athens.

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2013 game played out MUCH differently than a hypothetical 2012 matchup would have.

The 2012 UGA and LSU teams had defenses. The 2013 UGA and LSU teams did not

2011 Saints is the answer
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Best Saints team ever. The playoff loss at SF was the toughest loss I have ever endured. There is no way we should have lost that game. We win that game then we play NY Giants in the Dome in the NFCCG & we had already beaten them by 20 that year.

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2012

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That was a great year in the SEC, very deep and so many teams (except for Bama) could look back and say they were just a play or two away from a title.
A&M lost two one-score games and won in Tuscaloosa. They were also a failed 2pt attempt from going to OT with LaTech.

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Bama goes on the throttle Notre Dame for the National Title. Georgia would have beaten N.D. badly as well.

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This is one of those few universal acknowledgements. I've never heard of anyone who ever would disagree with this sentiment.

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This is one of those few universal acknowledgements. I've never heard of anyone who ever would disagree with this sentiment.

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Even many ND fans would agree

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Georgia 2012 They lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship game. Bama goes on the throttle Notre Dame for the National Title. Georgia would have beaten N.D. badly as well.

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IIRC there were like 5-6 SEC teams that went 10-2 that year that all could have easily won the Natty.

South Carolina was 10-2, beat UGA and loss to LSU by 2
Florida was 11-1
LSU was 10-2
Texas A&M was 10-2, 3 pt loss to FL, 5 pt loss to LSU
Alabama was 11-1
UGA 11-1


All 6 of those teams could have beaten one another any given Saturday

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Texas A&M was 10-2, 3 pt loss to FL, 5 pt loss to LSU

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But for losing to FL earlier in the season, A&M would've gotten a natty shot, they were the hottest team by year's end, even hotter than Georgia/Alabama, I mean just look at the thumping they put on Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, they were just awesome by that time.

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Yeah what's the whole deal of this "rivalry" between ND and Michigan because it seems both sides hate each other? Where'd all that come from?

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1) Michigan taught ND how to play the game of football in the late 1800s
2) south bend and ann arbor are pretty close, so it was always destined to be a big time regional rivalry
3) they've battled for the same recruits throughout the years
4) UM is considered to be the best public university in the country. ND is obviously private, so it's a battle of public vs. private university
5) the irish allege that some UM coaches in the 1900s refused to play ND due to some of the UM coaches being anti-catholic
6) this was usually the first (if not super early) game of the season, so both teams knew how their team looked early on, rather than waiting for a meaningful game midway thru the season
7) UM fans feel, along with most other CFB fans, that ND gets unfair privilege regarding their exclusive NBC deal, and the fact that the AD of ND gets to sit in meetings with other commissioners of conferences who looks out for the sole interest of the irish
8) bo schembechler said the irish benefit from playing a lot of big 10 teams but not being in the big 10
9) bo also famously said "to hell with ND"
10) a lot of really close games throughout our history
11) a couple of "luck of the irish" calls that pretty much gave the game to the irish
12) ND being able to enter the BCS/CFP with a weaker schedule and media hype and not having a benchmark like winning a conference

and on and on...

this article from an ND perspective is interesting (kinda goes into the alleged anti-catholic sentiment that UM had back in the day)

LINK

ETA:

13) forgot to add another significant reason - ND stadium is based on Michigan stadium. obviously, Michigan stadium is bigger (110K vs 75k), but the architects of ND designed their stadium based off of Michigan stadium. they're both "bowl" shaped, continuous structures