<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Notre Dame - Georgia Another Win for Savvy Jack - <a href="http://t.co/bcShkJyLib">http://t.co/bcShkJyLib</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotreDame?src=hash">#NotreDame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UGA?src=hash">#UGA</a></p>— UHND.com (@uhnd) <a href="https://twitter.com/uhnd/statuses/483675312002056192">June 30, 2014</a></blockquote>
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EXACTLY.
You need to go back and read what I wrote, AGAIN.
I KNOW that we have not pulled from those three states (which you clearly defined as the Deep South, despite the fact that you left out over half of the region and tried to retroactively, falsely insinuate that you were including those other four states that you did not even mention). I stated as much.
I also noted that we are trying to get into those areas, hence the game in GA to whet the appetite for more SEC games in the future, in the areas where we do not pull from currently.
It is part of a plan that Jack and BK have. Start in areas where you have pull, get some players from those areas, then move onto the areas where you have not got as much, and by playing SEC schools, you show that you are not afraid of SEC talent; also you show that you can go up against the better teams in the league.
The ACC is NEVER, EVER going to challenge the SEC for football recruits, as a conference. That is just a fact, and just playing FSU every once in a while does not mean we have the same access as we might, if we play an SEC school and can start to beat them consistently.
We may not have to play a FL every year, but trying to get them in a year where we are not playing FSU would be good because we would be down there more often than not. Same goes for AL or AU, or even LSU (which does have a large Catholic population and yet has been closed to ND for a long time, even before Les showed up).
SEC-ND games are ALWAYS good for the Irish and CFB in general. Shying away from that kind of competition is not the way ND built its brand across the nation, and it can only help if we are seen playing an SEC team every so often, preferably in years where we might not have to be playing FSU.
The rest of the league is pretty much mediocre, at best, so I am not afraid that playing an SEC team will hinder our chances against the ACC, overall. Nor will it hinder our chances at getting into a playoff as often as you are thinking, either.
It is one thing to be worried about the future unnecessarily, as you are; and it is another thing to actually plan for the future, which is what Jack and BK are doing.
I trust them to know which way things are blowing in the CFB universe, and not to make moves that hamstring the football team.
In the BCS era, if ND wanted a
title shot, they would
have to be UNDEFEATED, period, because of the conference alignments/tie-ins and conference title games. Now they can schedule a slightly more difficult schedule (in theory!), maybe lose one of those and not be
immediately removed from the national title discussion.
I think that actually removes a little bit of the pressure to win
every single game, now, which may allow the team to be a little looser and play more freely in the huge games and more confidently throughout the year.
The fact that you cannot see all of the positives that come out of this is just mindbogglingly narrow-minded (and that is being kind), silly, reactionary and extremely melodramatic.
