What's the perfect schedule to get ND to an NC?

[GoldenDomer21]

I’ve been discussing in the forum about the Utah deal and we got onto the track of why they didn’t fit a how ND’s schedule needs to be tougher. So, I started to wonder what other people thought about their schedule and wanted to know what teams other people would play and how they think these teams would affect the ND football program. So write down your teams and justify why. Don’t just say, because I live close…

Week 1: PITT A solid, but MANAGABLE team. They are usually rated in the top 35 teams and they would give ND recruiting exposure in the east. Some other good choices would be Georgia Tech, Wash st.
Week 2: PENN ST. They are a solid Big 10 team that is manageable but still represents a good game. They would help ND get ready for the rest of the season. Other teams to play would be Purdue or Boston College.
Week 3: MICHIGAN, great top tier rival team. Usually top rated 15. We have to play them.
Week 4: MSU, Another rival game. Solid team.

Here is where it gets hard, and interesting. Up till now the teams have been manageable helping to boost confidence and gain field experience. The middle of the season represents an exciting time. Every game is make or break and will be hard fought gridiron matches.

Week 5: TEXAS. Top 10 as of recently, and is a great team in a hotbed of football athletes. Gives us great exposure in Texas and helps with recruiting.
Week 6: AUBURN. A top 15 team in a strong conference shows that ND can compete with the best. Also gains us a lot of exposure in the south.
Week 7: Bye
Week 8: OSU! YES! They are a top 10 team. Let’s play OSU in a regular season game. People have been shouting for this forever. Top tier team, great exposure.
Week 9: TENN, A good SEC team, they usually ranked in the top 20. Other god choices for this slot would be other strong SEC teams: Florida, FSU, Georgia, Arkansas, or Bama Week 10: NAVY…rival, classic game, plus we have like a million year contract to play them.
Week 11: Bye
Week 12: USC. They are obviously a top 10 team. I moved them up because winning late kills NC bids. I thought this was early enough to recover with some other solid wins. Plus, they are a heated rival.
Week 13: TEXAS A&M. They are a good solid school back in Texas that will give us some more exposure to the Texas recruiting fields. Other teams that could go here are ASU, OU, and Nebraska.
Week 14: STANFORD, or other middle to lower, but solid team. I like to end on a squishy note. Lets the seniors end with a win. Other teams like Colorado or a Big East team like Syracuse would work, too.

This schedule gives ND 6 top tier ranked teams (5 top 15, and 1 top 20) with the potential for more to be top tier depending on the year they are having. It also provides 4 solid teams to play, and a couple of big easies. All in all. Nobody would complain if we went to the NC 11-1, and nobody would say crap if we got there 12-0.

 

[PADOMERNUT]

im really sorry i love the enthusiasm, but you are delusional

 

[Echo Insanity]

good luck playing Texas, Auburn, OSU, Michigan, and USC all in the same season. im not a fan of soft schedules, but the superman mentality will take you out of the hunt just as quick.

 

[notredomer23]

hahaha

 

[Jason Pham]

Our last championship run, in 1988, we played three top-10 opponents: Michigan (9); Miami (1); and Southern Cal (2), the rest were unranked. The championship before that, in 1977, we also played only three ranked opponents, two top-10, one top-15, the rest were unranked: Pittsburgh (7); Southern Cal (5); and Clemson (15).

Just for a bit of perspective.

 

[IrishinTN]

Well, beating all these teams would certainly get you to an NC game, but the question is would you have enough healthy bodies left to play by the NC game. This schedule would be over the top. The voters and BCS have proven you don't need more then 2 top-10 ranked oppoenents, and maybe 1-2 top 20 ranked opponents on a schedule (provided you beat at least 3 of those 4 and never lose more than 2 games) to get to the NC game. No reason to kick yourself in the nuts this hard (metaphorically speaking).

 

[irishmarine]

irish tenn you have a point. theres no reason to put it to the test everyweek. i mean thats like saying someone hit in the stomach as hard as you can. why? theres no reason for that schedule. yes its impressive but overkill. good excitement but just a little much

 

[IrishFaninTX]

I would like our schedule to change some, just because the same teams year after year get a little boring, especially the soft teams. But, I think we should keep Michigan, MSU, USC, Purdue, and Navy and the teams that we sometimes play but don't every year that I like are GT, UCLA, and Penn State. Then, I would like to add Texas, Oregon, Alabama, and a Florida school. Maybe not every year because that may be too many strong teams to play in one year and stay alive, but maybe rotate them in every other year or so. I enjoyed the ND/TX series from the mid-90's and would love to see that match up now that Mack Brown is coaching. And not just because I live 30 minutes from the TX stadium, either (although, that is a good reason for me!).

 

[GoldenDomer21]

Well, beating all these teams would certainly get you to an NC game, but the question is would you have enough healthy bodies left to play by the NC game. This schedule would be over the top. The voters and BCS have proven you don't need more then 2 top-10 ranked oppoenents, and maybe 1-2 top 20 ranked opponents on a schedule (provided you beat at least 3 of those 4 and never lose more than 2 games) to get to the NC game. No reason to kick yourself in the nuts this hard (metaphorically speaking).

Your right. It is a kick in the nuts, but what I am trying to do is point out some flaws in the system here. There is no playoff to know who the BEST is. And the teams who are winning only play 3 to 4 ranked teams which leaves doubt in the nation and then people bitch about getting left out, or being screwed by the system, blah blah blah. Until we find a way to crown a "no shit, this team is the best team in the nation NC" we have no way to know whose the best unless you play them and show it on the field. So yeah, I'm crazy, but I'm tired of being able to debate whether or not a team should have the title. I want to settle these questions in 13 games like the system calls for. No more discussion beyond that. I think playing these teams will get us to that point.
And schedule strength is kind of an odd thing, it gets calculated a lot. Once in s the BCS formula, once again in the decisions those who make up the AP poll, and then once again in the Harris poll. So playing hard schedules does matter.

And if you all think I'm crazy, come up with your own, lol.

 

[ND22SB]

Even the best teams year in and year out don't play a schedule as tough as that. The schedule could change a little. but this one is off the charts. That sounds like the schedule that I create when I'm playing (this is not a a promotion) NCAA Football for PLaystation 3. The new one comes out soon, I think.....

 

[GoldenDomer21]

Even the best teams year in and year out don't play a schedule as tough as that. The schedule could change a little. but this one is off the charts. That sounds like the schedule that I create when I'm playing (this is not a a promotion) NCAA Football for PLaystation 3. The new one comes out soon, I think.....

EXACTLY!!!! So do I! Thats my point. Ask yourself why you make that schedule. Because its really friggin exciting! Like football should be. You play all the best teams and you shut up the BCS calculators. You shut up the masses. You leave no doubt in anyones mind that we're the best. Every time I sit down with my 6 pack and wings on Saturday mornings, it's mornings out in Hawaii, I think we're going out to play more than just a game. Its a chance to show people who the best is. And if you can compete with one top 10 team then you can probably compete with the rest.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

EXACTLY!!!! So do I! Thats my point. Ask yourself why you make that schedule. Because its really friggin exciting! Like football should be. You play all the best teams and you shut up the BCS calculators. You shut up the masses. You leave no doubt in anyones mind that we're the best. Every time I sit down with my 6 pack and wings on Saturday mornings, it's mornings out in Hawaii, I think we're going out to play more than just a game. Its a chance to show people who the best is. And if you can compete with one top 10 team then you can probably compete with the rest.

And you ensure that ND would never win a National Title ever again.

That I do not like. And if you told the ND fan base that they would NEVER again win a title and you would ENSURE that...I don't think it would go over well.

/just sayin'

 

[GoldenDomer21]

I don't think I am ensuring anything accept that we play the best teams year in and year out. Whether or not we make NCs is up to the coaches and players of the teams that play these schedules.

 

[notredomer23]

And you ensure that ND would never win a National Title ever again.

That I do not like. And if you told the ND fan base that they would NEVER again win a title and you would ENSURE that...I don't think it would go over well.

/just sayin'

Exactly LMI, reps

 

[notredomer23]

point being your schedule cant be vs the top 13 teams in the country even if your the best, because there is no way you will win every week.

 

[GoldenDomer21]

With all the talent everyone is boasting about. I think the teams would be able to handle it. If we expect them to compete for the NC, then they are going to have to beat these teams anyway. Whats two or three more?

 

[GoldenDomer21]

Someone else put up a better schedule, and lets argue about that one!

 

[GoldenDomer21]

Someone else put up a different idea for a schedule. One that you think gets us where we want to be.

 

[notredomer23]

Ok.

1. Syracuse. A big east team with the potential of being decent but we should always win.
2. Georgia Tech. An ACC team that should always produce fairly strong teams, but once again we should always win.
3. Michigan
4. stanford
5. West Virginia or Oklahoma. I would really like to play this team because they are good.
6. Navy
7. Utah- A mid major that can be really good
8. Boston College
9. Air Force
10.MSU
11.Indiana
12 USC

 

[notredomer23]

Thats 3 games that are tough. 5 games taht are intermediate, and 4easy.

i would like something like this

 

[IrishinTN]

Okay, I like ND23's schedule. looks sound and would add good recognition with storied teams. Might be better if we would add an SEC team- Georgia, Alabama, Auburn or South Carolina, and take off maybe Indiana, but then that might be overkill, too. Tough to say because today we look at these teams and say hey are great or they suck, but two or three years from now, if this would be the schedule, this could totally turn around and they could all be great or all suck. It's a crap shoot.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Thats 3 games that are tough. 5 games taht are intermediate, and 4easy.

i would like something like this

Yup...it's a fair schedule. Very similar to what we have today and that would be as hard as anyone in the country...

 

[coachjohnson]

ND23- I like that schedule, I would like to see us play Oklahoma again. I like to see us play teams from around the country and hit as many different conferences as we could along the way.

 

[GoldenDomer21]

Not bad. I as you all know I am afan or tough games. Definately take IU out. they don't bring anything. If you want to play a Big 10 team, take OSU instead. Then take out Air Force, place a mid-major from the SEC in there, or Texas A&M. I'd like to see some exposure in Texas for recruiting. They have a lot of players there and it'd be niceto stop giving them to the Texas teams.

I still like my "suicidal" schedule. I'm a huge fan of shutting peoples mouths on the field by beating tough teams. Plus, I like excitment. Turning on the Navy game, in most years, was pretty boring. I like those last second goalline stands that define players and programs.

I wouldn't mind this schedule, but I'd like it a little tougher to shut me up.

 

[goldandblue]

Okay, I like ND23's schedule. looks sound and would add good recognition with storied teams. Might be better if we would add an SEC team- Georgia, Alabama, Auburn or South Carolina, and take off maybe Indiana, but then that might be overkill, too. Tough to say because today we look at these teams and say hey are great or they suck, but two or three years from now, if this would be the schedule, this could totally turn around and they could all be great or all suck. It's a crap shoot.

I agree about the SEC team. I think we should play one SEC team every year. Or at least every other year. I would take out one of the cupcakes and have 4 tough games 5 mid majors and 3 cupcakes. That's not far off from ND23's schedule.

 

[IrishFaninTX]

I have been thinking about this since yesterday and have revised my earlier schedule a bit. Here is what I think a good season would be, with a solid shot at the NC.

Week 1 - Michigan
Week 2 - Penn State
Week 3 - MSU
Week 4 - Texas
Week 5 - Bye
Week 6 - Alabama
Week 7 - Navy
Week 8 - Purdue
Week 9 - UCLA
Week 10 - Bye
Week 11 - Stanford
Week 12 - Boston College
Week 13 - Syracuse
Week 14 - USC

There are plenty of top 25 teams on the list, but all of them, with the exception of possibly USC, are beatable. As far as playing Alabama, I think switching them out with Tennessee every few years would be good because Tennessee would be a good game, too but possibly too much to add when you have USC, Michigan, Texas, Alabama, and Penn State on the same schedule.

 

[GoldenDomer21]

I have been thinking about this since yesterday and have revised my earlier schedule a bit. Here is what I think a good season would be, with a solid shot at the NC.

Week 1 - Michigan
Week 2 - Penn State
Week 3 - MSU
Week 4 - Texas
Week 5 - Bye
Week 6 - Alabama
Week 7 - Navy
Week 8 - Purdue
Week 9 - UCLA
Week 10 - Bye
Week 11 - Stanford
Week 12 - Boston College
Week 13 - Syracuse
Week 14 - USC

There are plenty of top 25 teams on the list, but all of them, with the exception of possibly USC, are beatable. As far as playing Alabama, I think switching them out with Tennessee every few years would be good because Tennessee would be a good game, too but possibly too much to add when you have USC, Michigan, Texas, Alabama, and Penn State on the same schedule.

I really like this schedule. The only thing I don't like is starting with MU and ending with USC. Switch Penn St and MU, gives us a first game to get our act together, and then move USC up two weeks and end with a solid mid major, BC. I love the idea of switching out Tenn. I have been itching to play them for years. But this schedule would make the BCS calculators happy and put us in the NC game. The only thing we'd have to look out for is two one loss SEC teams beating us out.

 

[irish4ever]

What??? No Navy??? No way!!!

 

[OCIrish]

And you ensure that ND would never win a National Title ever again.

That I do not like. And if you told the ND fan base that they would NEVER again win a title and you would ENSURE that...I don't think it would go over well.

/just sayin'

So, watching half a schedule of crappy teams, that most fans could give 2 shits about, and ensuring we get a NC title shot, you think that goes over well? Do you honestly agree with how tOSU has basically scheduled themselves into the NC game the last 2 years, then got sandblasted by SEC teams? Do you really want to watch that? Hell, I don't know about you, but watching a "dream" schedule that the original poster described would be like watching a NC game every time the Irish played. I for one have no interest in watching games againt any team from the BE, the Mountain West, or the WAC. Throw in games against Duke, Stanford, and Baylor, and I'm sorry, they're just not interesting.

If we've got the talent, what in the hell do we have to be scared of or worried about? Come one, come all.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

So, watching half a schedule of crappy teams, that most fans could give 2 shits about, and ensuring we get a NC title shot, you think that goes over well? Do you honestly agree with how tOSU has basically scheduled themselves into the NC game the last 2 years, then got sandblasted by SEC teams? Do you really want to watch that?

I am not saying we should dumb down the schedule like they did...I am saying that making our schedule an order of magnitude harder than everyone else's will preclude us from ever playing for the title.

Hell, I don't know about you, but watching a "dream" schedule that the original poster described would be like watching a NC game every time the Irish played. I for one have no interest in watching games againt any team from the BE, the Mountain West, or the WAC. Throw in games against Duke, Stanford, and Baylor, and I'm sorry, they're just not interesting.

I understand, but like I said, we would never play for a title again...so it would suck when it all shook out.

If we've got the talent, what in the hell do we have to be scared of or worried about? Come one, come all.

If recruiting goes perfectly we will have the same talent as USC does...maybe. They have won 1 Title with all that talent. THEN we set up a harder schedule? So we are guaranteed to lose at least one more game on top of that?

Screw that. I want to WIN a title. Losing 2-3 games a year will never get us there.