Notre Dame in the Sugar - Done Deal?

[Irish Envy]

To play the winner of the Florida/Arkansas conference championship. I've heard rumors that Notre Dame has already signed the contract to play in the game.

What do you guys think?

 

[scooper]

That would be my choice.

 

[njuneardave]

i'd love to play in the sugar against an SEC team. i think we match up well against Arkansas's run-first gimmick machine offense. the gators are potentially dangerous with the big passing plays, but they shoot themselves in the foot constantly on good drives. i'd like our chances against both teams...


i would prefer to play florida (even though i believe it would be a harder game) so we could steal some floridian recruits if we win.

 

[NDAlumSon]

The Big Easy is gonna love us. Florida is gonna hate us.
Laissez les bon temps roulez !

 

[HoffVir]

Whether winning or losing the first time, I hate rematches. The Sugar Bowl vs UF or YourKansas would be a nice challenge.

 

[FleaFlicker]

I would only prefer to play Arkansas because of how their offense is so run oriented. Zibby could play up and make a big difference against McFadden. Although almost no one has stopped McFadden yet, so it would be no small task. But our run D is clearly better than our Pass D.

But in terms of us in the sugar bowl. I think it is a done deal, no way we rematch UM, nobody really wants to see that game. Maybe if we would have beaten USC, or kept it really close, but definitely not now.

 

[tommy]

beat the gators by the way they just convicted the guys that beat a florida gator fan from my area to death at the florida georgia game i dont know why i brought it up just amazes me how the world has become.

 

[scooper]

I don't think our defense could stop McFadden. Nobody really has. However, to keep up with the Irish scoring, I think Arkansas would have to put the ball in the air. That's where the advantage would be with the Irish. Our troubles are against high power passing offenses, which Arkansas is not.

Florida really isn't either.

 

[marv81s]

i thought thats where we would end up all year long, except I thought against Louisville.

I like our chances with either team, I would prefer Florida though. McFadden would give us fits.

 

[FleaFlicker]

Florida really isn't either.

But they have a lot more potential in that area, than Arkansas does. I still think they can put together a solid passing game. And even decent passing games haven't been kind to us this year.

 

[Pete]

I read on someboard, (I think it was either the rivals/scout Michigan) that ND and LSU to the Rose and Mich to the Sugar. Their reasoning was that the Rose has had Michigan out there the last couple of years and they want a change, fearing that some UM fans wouldn't travel. I will try and find were I read that.

 

[tedwick]

Well, I don't think they could sign a contract until the Rose Bowl is sorted out. The Rose Bowl won't know if they've got 1 or 2 compensatory picks until after this weekend with USC UCLA, and the Rose Bowl picks before the Sugar. Now, if the Rose folks told the Sugar that they wouldn't pick ND, then I could understand that, but I'd be surprised if the Rose would shut that door this early on. The Rose Bowl has the potential to be a real quality matchup, and they're probably taking their time and waiting to see how this weekend unfolds. They don't want to take a team that's worse than ND to play Michigan, so if someone they're looking could lose this weekend in championship games or the like, they're not going to lock into that team in lieu of ND.

That being said, I think ND matches up best with Arkansas of all the big-name BCS teams. So I wouldn't mind seeing that.

 

[Aerosmith777]

I've heard rumors that Notre Dame has already signed the contract to play in the game.

Is this even possible? I wouldn't think they'd be allowed to sign a contract before selection Sunday, since the Sugar Bowl won't even be the first team to get a crack at them (not that I think the Rose Bowl is gonna take them, but it is still their right if they so choose).

Also, I'm not sure its a done deal that ND goes to the BCS at all. Lets see what Rutgers does against WVU first. If Rutgers wins that game (and I don't think they will, but if they do), then that would mean that the BCS would have to take ND over Louisville or LSU/Florida-Arkansas loser. That would really create a sh*t storm I'm not sure they'd want to deal with.

 

[NDAlumSon]

I cringe when I imagine our secondary trying to bring down McFadden with so many "Flying Ndukwes". I see him swatting them away like so many annoying flys.
Now, if we could learn to hit, wrap and drive before January, we might be OK.

 

[Irish Envy]

Well, I don't think they could sign a contract until the Rose Bowl is sorted out. The Rose Bowl won't know if they've got 1 or 2 compensatory picks until after this weekend with USC UCLA, and the Rose Bowl picks before the Sugar. Now, if the Rose folks told the Sugar that they wouldn't pick ND, then I could understand that, but I'd be surprised if the Rose would shut that door this early on. The Rose Bowl has the potential to be a real quality matchup, and they're probably taking their time and waiting to see how this weekend unfolds. They don't want to take a team that's worse than ND to play Michigan, so if someone they're looking could lose this weekend in championship games or the like, they're not going to lock into that team in lieu of ND.

That being said, I think ND matches up best with Arkansas of all the big-name BCS teams. So I wouldn't mind seeing that.

There is a provision in the BCS rules that allow you to deny any bowl that would cause a rematch.

 

[jiggafini19]

I cringe when I imagine our secondary trying to bring down McFadden with so many "Flying Ndukwes". I see him swatting them away like so many annoying flys.
Now, if we could learn to hit, wrap and drive before January, we might be OK.

That Felix Jones fellow is pretty good too.

 

[Aerosmith777]

Honestly, I don't think going up against Arkansas would be like going up against USC or Michigan. Big recievers have killed this defense all year long, not big runningbacks. In case no one's noticed, the only think Tom Zibikowski has proven he can do consistently this season is play the run. Stack 8 or 9 in the box and force Dick/Mustain/Whoever's starting at QB this week for the Razorbacks to beat them.

In fact, I think I'd worry more about Florida & that spread offense. I know it hasn't worked too well so far in the SEC, but if you haven't noticed, ND's secondary is not exactly SEC-calibur this season.

 

[tedwick]

I read on someboard, (I think it was either the rivals/scout Michigan) that ND and LSU to the Rose and Mich to the Sugar. Their reasoning was that the Rose has had Michigan out there the last couple of years and they want a change, fearing that some UM fans wouldn't travel. I will try and find were I read that.

The reason the Rose has had UM the last couple of years is because the Rose Bowl is HUGE on tradition, probably the most so of any bowl. They REALLY LIKE their Big10/Pac10 match up. Thats why the Texas - Michigan matchup of a couple years ago was so weird, because Texas just kind of came out of nowhere. It's weird to see the Rose Bowl forgo either the Pac10 or the Big10. For the Rose Bowl to forgo both in the same year and have an SEC/Ind. matchup would be sacreligious!

 

[FleaFlicker]

Honestly, I don't think going up against Arkansas would be like going up against USC or Michigan. Big recievers have killed this defense all year long, not big runningbacks. In case no one's noticed, the only think Tom Zibikowski has proven he can do consistently this season is play the run. Stack 8 or 9 in the box and force Dick/Mustain/Whoever's starting at QB this week for the Razorbacks to beat them.

In fact, I think I'd worry more about Florida & that spread offense. I know it hasn't worked too well so far in the SEC, but if you haven't noticed, ND's secondary is not exactly SEC-calibur this season.

In the game against LSU, Casey Dick looked absolutely horrible. He wasn't even close to his receivers. It got to the point where I think he was like 4/16 and those 4 were amazing catches, and the 12 incompletes weren't even in the same time zone.

But I think Arkansas would start Dick anyway, because of the experience factor.

 

[tedwick]

There is a provision in the BCS rules that allow you to deny any bowl that would cause a rematch.

Well, it's not really a rule so much as it is a guideline. I posted it around here somewhere...

5. After completion of the selection process as described in Paragraph Nos. 1-4, the Conferences and Notre Dame may, but are not required to, adjust the pairings taking into consideration the following: A. whether the same team will be playing in the same bowl game for two consecutive years;
B. whether two teams that played against one another in the regular season will be paired against one another in a bowl game;
C. whether the same two teams will play against each other in a bowl game for two consecutive years; and
D. whether alternative pairings may have greater or lesser appeal to college football fans as measured by expected ticket sales for the bowls and by expected television interest, and the consequent financial impact on Fox and the bowls.

It's not a rule against it, per se, but it can be taken into account. It doesn't seem like it's absolute veto power, but it's there in a reduced form. However, you can also take into account ticket sales and television interests, so that kind of nullifies any argument against having notre dame in a bowl.

 

[Pete]

In the game against LSU, Casey Dick looked absolutely horrible. He wasn't even close to his receivers. It got to the point where I think he was like 4/16 and those 4 were amazing catches, and the 12 incompletes weren't even in the same time zone.

But I think Arkansas would start Dick anyway, because of the experience factor.

And yet he probably would look like the second coming of Dan Marino against ND.

 

[NDAlumSon]

In fact, I think I'd worry more about Florida & that spread offense. I know it hasn't worked too well so far in the SEC, but if you haven't noticed, ND's secondary is not exactly SEC-calibur this season.

Chris Leak does not impress me in the least.
Tebow runs off left tackle (duh !). I can't get over the fact that nobody can stop this.

 

[FleaFlicker]

And yet he probably would look like the second coming of Dan Marino against ND.

I don't think so. He had some really open receivers, he just flat out missed them by 5-10 yards. But I guess everyone can have a bad game. Look at his numbers though, very less than impressive. Although Mustain started for most of the season.

46/89 51.7%
8TD 3INT

Just found out he was 3/17 in the LSU game. But had a decent game against Tennessee at 10/15.

 

[brownkj002]

I think the SEC teams give ND the best chance to win in a BCS game. Both teams are good but not great.

 

[Indydomer]

Bring it!

 

[Aerosmith777]

Chris Leak does not impress me in the least.
Tebow runs off left tackle (duh !). I can't get over the fact that nobody can stop this.

I do agree w/ you on both those points, and against a good pass defense I could never see that offense really lighting it up the way its currently constructed. But Notre Dame does not have a good pass defense.

Any offense that passes more than it runs, however ineffectively, worries me at least a little.

 

[jerseyborn1971]

Any of the Florida posters will want UF because we're sick of the constant barrage of UF is getting screwed out of the National Championship talk on every radio station and every newspaper.

 

[njuneardave]

Any of the Florida posters will want UF because we're sick of the constant barrage of UF is getting screwed out of the National Championship talk on every radio station and every newspaper.

touche. hometown love is annoying.

 

[dudexcore]

give me florida!

 

[scooper]

There are conflicting reports everywhere. Some have us playing LSU in the Rose Bowl. Figure that one out.