The Optimal Notre Dame Scheduling Model

[Cackalacky2.0]

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

But this shouldn’t be the case. Beating those teams is important but so is winning the games against the Pitts and Wake Forests of the world. Most teams don’t beat every decent team the play, the perception that those are automatic wins that shouldn’t count towards SOS is silly imo

Lucky you, we play both Pitt and Wake Forest in 2023! You got your wish!

 

[Rogue219]

I think its a fine move but in the end we are still playing only 12 games and one of those 12 just got relatively easier compared to a 100 ranked FBS team. Dont think for a second this wont come back and be a talking point for the committee. Somehow ND doing this while playing 12 games will still be considered weaker than Alabama playing Eastern State Penitentiary and Clemson playing Furman or Presbyterian.

What are you basing this on? There's zero precedent here because ND has never played an FCS opponent before. The other opponents need to hold up their end of the bargain. That didn't happen in 2021.

ND is still a draw. The committee loves those ends.

 

[notredomer23]

The schedule in the upcoming years becomes immensely more difficult than it has the last 5. After 2023, newcomers to the schedule include Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida among the usual suspects.

Hopefully more HBCUs and maybe an Ivy Leaguer or two are added throughout the decade.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

What are you basing this on? There's zero precedent here because ND has never played an FCS opponent before. The other opponents need to hold up their end of the bargain. That didn't happen in 2021.

ND is still a draw. The committee loves those ends.

Im basing that on the logic that in every single playoff year NDs lack of a13th game has been considered a detriment by all the talking heads and coaches and pollsters. Im not saying its preventing the ND from getting a spot because clearly that isn't the case in the committee, but if we replace our weakest FBS team with a FCS team by logic.... that only worsens the case whether we win or not. Because the teams that play in a conference with a 13th game, the games against the FCs teams which are glorified scrimmages are over looked for the teams who make it to the championship game of their conference. But again, ND isnt playing a 13th game so this game is harder to overlook or justify.

Is replacing a 100+ ranked FBS team with a FCS team really that different? On paper yes, on the field probably not that much. Its my opinion. I just think everyone will use it as a further needling point against ND in media and and committee. We will have to see. You are right about that.

 

[ACamp1900]

Dropping a complete gimmie on the schedule is not any different than not playing at all,… but that’s not what the media will say and that sadly matters. This idea that the Bamas of the world are playing more legit games than ND every year is BS when at least two of them are of this level. But ND clearly has no friends in the hot take studios on this so time to play ball

 

[Rogue219]

Im basing that on the logic that in every single playoff year NDs lack of a13th game has been considered a detriment by all the talking heads and coaches and pollsters. Im not saying its preventing the ND from getting a spot because clearly that isn't the case in the committee, but if we replace our weakest FBS team with a FCS team by logic.... that only worsens the case whether we win or not. Because the teams that play in a conference with a 13th game, the games against the FCs teams which are glorified scrimmages are over looked for the teams who make it to the championship game of their conference. But again, ND isnt playing a 13th game so this game is harder to overlook or justify.

Is replacing a 100+ ranked FBS team with a FCS team really that different? On paper yes, on the field probably not that much. Its my opinion. I just think everyone will use it as a further needling point against ND in media and and committee. We will have to see. You are right about that.

I'm not vexed about the 13th game and I care even less about what the media says. It's great filler for shows and podcasts. The agreement as it pertains to ND ( I ) is common knowledge. They get 12 games and don't play in a conference. That shows no sign of changing, unless they play Hawaii every year.

Hypocritical talking points are just a part of society. ND playing this game somehow being worse than the SEC playing Citadel, Mercer, etc. in November is swill to fill time for GameDay and Fox. You need to talk about stuff on a 3-4 hour show.

It leaves very little room for error, as was evidenced this year by losing one game to unbeaten UC, but this is the way ND wants it and the rest of pack agreed to the current terms.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

Im basing that on the logic that in every single playoff year NDs lack of a13th game has been considered a detriment by all the talking heads and coaches and pollsters. Im not saying its preventing the ND from getting a spot because clearly that isn't the case in the committee, but if we replace our weakest FBS team with a FCS team by logic.... that only worsens the case whether we win or not. Because the teams that play in a conference with a 13th game, the games against the FCs teams which are glorified scrimmages are over looked for the teams who make it to the championship game of their conference. But again, ND isnt playing a 13th game so this game is harder to overlook or justify.

Is replacing a 100+ ranked FBS team with a FCS team really that different? On paper yes, on the field probably not that much. Its my opinion. I just think everyone will use it as a further needling point against ND in media and and committee. We will have to see. You are right about that.

I do, too. In the recent past, the complaint vs ND was that they didn’t play a conference championship game (13th data point). The rebuttal was that ND played the same number of FBS opponents as the others who play CCG b/c those teams mixed in an FCS opponent.

Then we’d hear how some FCS opponents are better than some FBS opponents. True…and not the point.

FBS: 85 scholarships
FCS: 63 scholarships

difference: one level of depth on both sides of the ball

Now factor the above into when SEC powers schedule an FCS opponent in mid-Nov before their big rivalry game. Do you really believe that FCS opponent still has 63 scholarship athletes at their disposal after factoring in injuries/COVID protocol/suspensions/etc?

Now, as someone correctly noted earlier, ND’s schedule is adding some big name opponents beginning this season. If they take care of business I don’t think that will matter. Beat tOSU, Clemson & SCum in a given year should be enough for anyone.

 

[stpeteirish]

The guarantees paid to FCS teams are usually much lower than those paid to low end FBS teams. Not all "buy games" are alike.

But we probably overpaid. If you're going to play an FCS team an HBCU is the best option. The media frenzy will be muted as they are careful not to trash HBCUs

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

The schedule in the upcoming years becomes immensely more difficult than it has the last 5. After 2023, newcomers to the schedule include Texas A&M, Alabama, Florida among the usual suspects.

Hopefully more HBCUs and maybe an Ivy Leaguer or two are added throughout the decade.

psh, gtfo with that virtue signaling scheduling model. We aren't Bama so why should we schedule like them. We should make it harder on ourselves than the best team in the country, because tradition.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

I dont care...... I hope the drumline comes up to South Bend. #Dont@me

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

 

[ACamp1900]

I would absolutely stay of social media with this one,… lol

 

[BobbyMac]

I think its a fine move but in the end we are still playing only 12 games and one of those 12 just got relatively easier compared to a 100 ranked FBS team. Dont think for a second this wont come back and be a talking point for the committee. Somehow ND doing this while playing 12 games will still be considered weaker than Alabama playing Alcorn and Clemson playing Furman or Presbyterian.

Beat everybody else on the schedule and it won’t be mentioned.

 

[NDohio]

I would absolutely stay of social media with this one,… lol

For sure. When I saw ND Football trending on Twitter last night I assumed someone had committed/decommitted. Nope, just a bunch of folks going ballistic about some false pride "tradition" that ND was breaking.

 

[Cackalacky2.0]

Beat everybody else on the schedule and it won’t be mentioned.

No one is saying if an undefeated ND team is in. They absolutely will. What does an 11-1 with a FCS team on the schedule end up being? Not so easy to dismiss that.

My point is that its still the SAME arguments we have been having about it but now, the last data point is a FCS team and not a lowly ranked FBS team. My contention is that this is a worse situation than playing the FBS team. It only hurts us in the court of public opinion, which spares those teams that paly 13th game.

 

[NorthDakota]

I dont care...... I hope the drumline comes up to South Bend. #Dont@me

Bring the whole band. Give them the whole halftime show.

 

[stlnd01]

Better have a lot of health care professionals at the stadium for the strokes, heart attacks and explosive ass piss that would occur.

That would be tremendous. I'll make the trip just for that.

 

[bobbyok1]

Seriously, Bama will play 2-3 games of this caliber every year and all you hear about is what a brutal schedule they have,… because they win the big games

Exactly. And all everyone wants to parrot is "But. but, but, Bama is in a conference and can play in a conference title game. We can't do that." It doesn't matter. We need a more polarizing schedule in my view. Play more cupcakes AND more big boys. Enough of playing 12 solid teams who can beat you the moment you let your guard down.

THIS is in large part why the SEC has looked so dominate the past 15 years. Do they recruit better players overall, yes, on the whole. But most of the hype comes from them dominating 65-0 FCS and weak FBS teams outside of their conference and then playing the "we beat up on each other in the tough SEC" line.

I think this is evident in their bowl game records. They DON'T dominate opponents as a norm in bowl games.

 

[ACamp1900]

Exactly. And all everyone wants to parrot is "But. but, but, Bama is in a conference and can play in a conference title game. We can't do that." It doesn't matter. We need a more polarizing schedule in my view. Play more cupcakes AND more big boys. Enough of playing 12 solid teams who can beat you the moment you let your guard down.

THIS is in large part why the SEC has looked so dominate the past 15 years. Do they recruit better players overall, yes, on the whole. But most of the hype comes from them dominating 65-0 FCS and weak FBS teams outside of their conference and then playing the "we beat up on each other in the tough SEC" line.

I think this is evident in their bowl game records. They DON'T dominate opponents as a norm in bowl games.

Agreed all around. Been sayin

 

[Rogue219]

That would be tremendous. I'll make the trip just for that.

The smell would be horrible. I'll watch it in HD.

I have always wanted to bring back the ND football series with Iowa Pre Flight, but I'd rather not get death threats and put my family through any hardship, so based off of yesterday's announcement I'm just going to bury that idea in a shoebox in the back of my mind.

 

[Irish#1]

Father Hesburgh is smiling.

 

[Irish du Nord]

Lucky you, we play both Pitt and Wake Forest in 2023! You got your wish!

Hence I used them as examples. My point is that it’s uncommon for teams to win all the games they should, and that they should get credit for beating the decent teams rather than the auto-wins

 

[IRISHDODGER]

The smell would be horrible. I'll watch it in HD.

I have always wanted to bring back the ND football series with Iowa Pre Flight, but I'd rather not get death threats and put my family through any hardship, so based off of yesterday's announcement I'm just going to bury that idea in a shoebox in the back of my mind.

Where is the Hyper Bole being played this year?

 

[Rogue219]

Where is the Hyper Bole being played this year?

Astrodome.

 

[irishfan]

For those opposed to this, how would they feel if this were instead a 13th game and something like the old Eddie Robinson Classic that was more or less a “Week 0” game? I actually think there would be potential for a recruiting benefit if we did a yearly kickoff classic with a HBCU and were able to have it be a 13th game.

For the record I’m not a huge fan of us scheduling a FCS as a 12th game, but I think it’s an acceptable solution to finding a cupcake for us to play coming back from Dublin.

 

[bobbyok1]

Auburn vs FCS Mercer Sept 3, 2022
Texas A&M vs FCS Sam Houston Sept 3, 2022
Vanderbilt vs FCS Elon Sept 3, 2022
Georgia vs FCS Samford Sept 10, 2022
LSU vs FCS Southern Sept 10, 2022
Ole Miss vs FCS Central Arkansas Sept 10, 2022
Missouri vs FCS Abilene Christian Sept 17, 2022
Arkansas vs FCS Missouri State Sept 17, 2022
Kentucky vs FCS Youngstown State Sept 17, 2022
Florida vs FCS Eastern Washington Sept 17, 2022
South Carolina vs FCS SC State Oct 1, 2022
Tennessee vs FCS UT Martin Oct 22, 2022
Mississippi State vs FCS ETSU Nov 19, 2022
Alabama vs FCS Austin Peay Nov 19, 2022

EVERY . . . SEC . . . TEAM . . . PLAYS . . . AN. . . FCS . . . TEAM . . . IN . . . 2022

 

[Rogue219]

Auburn vs FCS Mercer Sept 3, 2022
Texas A&M vs FCS Sam Houston Sept 3, 2022
Vanderbilt vs FCS Elon Sept 3, 2022
Georgia vs FCS Samford Sept 10, 2022
LSU vs FCS Southern Sept 10, 2022
Ole Miss vs FCS Central Arkansas Sept 10, 2022
Missouri vs FCS Abilene Christian Sept 17, 2022
Arkansas vs FCS Missouri State Sept 17, 2022
Kentucky vs FCS Youngstown State Sept 17, 2022
Florida vs FCS Eastern Washington Sept 17, 2022
South Carolina vs FCS SC State Oct 1, 2022
Tennessee vs FCS UT Martin Oct 22, 2022
Mississippi State vs FCS ETSU Nov 19, 2022
Alabama vs FCS Austin Peay Nov 19, 2022

EVERY . . . SEC . . . TEAM . . . PLAYS . . . AN. . . FCS . . . TEAM . . . IN . . . 2022

And they're the best conference EVER. Even when they lose bowl games to Northwestern, it just means more.

 

[dankgesang]

Father Hesburgh is smiling.

Whoo, I'm not sure there's much about the current state of affairs in college football that would have Hesburgh smiling. You can argue Notre Dame had to change, and I see what you're going for here but maybe better not to use that name as a seal of approval for any of this.

 

[ulukinatme]

Not a fan of jumping on the FCS train, especially since we don't have the conference championship to offset it like other potential playoff teams do. I suppose it was just a matter of time before the bridge got burnt, but I don't think it helps us in any way. Lose/lose situation: win and it's considered a glorified BYE, lose and you've got egg on your face. At the very least it's nice that they scheduled an HBCU for the first FCS game.

I suppose if Cinci/G5 teams can finally get in when we were the only game on their schedule, then we should have no problem getting in if we run the table with an FCS. Lose a game with an FCS on the schedule...probably not in over a P5 one loss champ.