3 game series with Temple

[BGIF]

It is funny that people on here bust on Mich, Ohio state and others for scheduling weak teams. However when ND does it all that goes out the window. I just don't quite understand.

Funny, it's been explained quite a few times.

UM, OSU, the SEC, etc are criticized for playing Divison IAA schools like Delaware St, Applachian St, Youngstown St, The Citadel, Chattanoga, Furman, etc.

ND is one of only 4 or 5 Div 1 teams that hasn't played a 1AA/FPS team since those designation were assigned by the NCAA. Actually, Notre Dame hasn't played a Div 1AA caliber school since the 1930's.

The Big 10 has also padded their LEAGUE schedule for decades with the MAC. Western Michigan in '10 was ND's first MAC opponent.

Keep in mind teams used to play 9 games a season. They expanded to 10, then, 11 and now 12 games a year. Go look at some schedules at the various schools and you'll find the Big Dawg conferences NOT adding games with each other but with lower tier schools and 1AA schools.

 

[eNDzone]

Temple received votes in the 2010 preseason AP and USA today polls, which placed them in the top 50. The only information I could dig up on Tulsa's preseason ranking was Lindy's Sports putting them at 85th. If I remember right this same team beat us last year and finished the season near the top 25.

 

[JadeBrecks]

It is funny that people on here bust on Mich, Ohio state and others for scheduling weak teams. However when ND does it all that goes out the window. I just don't quite understand.

I only bust on the teams playing only weak teams or division IAA teams. I bust on OSU for playing a crap schedual because the only non conferance games they tend to play are nobodys ussually from Ohio (Miami of Ohio, Teledo, Ohio, Marshal...etc)

 

[AlbuquerqueIrishFan]

This isn't about playing Temple. It's about getting a victory in the Philadelphia metro area. It's the 5th biggest metro area in the nation. Playing in San Antonio, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia is what a national team does.

OK, I'm convinced. Temple is fine with me. We need a few cupcakes on the schedule. And the comments about Tulsa are right on. They were a cupcake when we scheduled them but that program is getting better and better.

 

[NDinFL]

I'm for this.
I don't care what other schools schedule whoever else, (OSU, UM, LSU, UF) I really don't. I know for a fact that the Gators just a couple years ago opened with Charleston Southern...
All that matters is we focus on our schedule, and yeah it was getting a little tough, so why not Temple?
Not only do we get the chance at showing off for some recruits, (like at Yankee Stadium last year) but last season I don't recall Temple being all that bad...
I know they lost their coach, but has anyone heard ANYTHING about their new one? good? bad? don't write them off as a pushover cream puff, because if I'm not mistaken it's teams like them...(Tulsa, Syracuse, Uconn..) that have beaten us in the last few years.

 

[BGIF]

Temple received votes in the 2010 preseason AP and USA today polls, which placed them in the top 50. The only information I could dig up on Tulsa's preseason ranking was Lindy's Sports putting them at 85th. If I remember right this same team beat us last year and finished the season near the top 25.

Phil Steele's 2010 Preseason Power Poll had Tulsa at #53. For reference he had ND at #27, BC 37, MSU 38, UM 39, Pit 40, Navy 56, PU 67

 

[Old Man Mike]

Terry and others have said it already; this scheduling is about the New Jersey area far more than Temple. Also Swarbrick has stated that he has difficulties recreating the "home heavy" schedules [ex. 7-4-1 or even 7-5] year after year. Temple is the sort of team with whom we can get a two-for-one, and even the one fits the bigger plan.

I might add that Temple goes up and down within any decade. When they were in the old big east [when VTech, BC, and Miami were still there] they had their moments/years when playing them was considered by everyone as a genuine test.

As far as getting a relative breather once in a while during a season, certain fan responses here demanding nothing but murderers row will find no sympathy among the coaches. I've advocated that we play WMU every year. Always two-for-one or better it would be, a consistent win, an opponent who will beat six or seven other teams on the schedule---in short, a near perfect opponent.

 

[BGIF]

How tough was Tulsa 3 years ago? Put ND on your schedule and your recruiting gets a boost.

10-4 in '07
11-3 in '08

In the late 70's and early 80's Tulsa raised its level of play under John Cooper (who later finished 2nd twice in the polls at OSU) and won 10 out of 11 in '82. They probably averaged about 4 wins a season after Cooper left and stayed that way until '03 when Kragthrope was hired. He took a program that was 2-21 the previous two years to 8-5. Tulsa had 9 wins in the 4 years before Kragthorpe was hired and 29 wins during his 4 years. That was an increase of 5 wins/season. After Kragthorpe moved on Graham won 36 games over the next 4 years. That an increase of another 2 games/season.

According to Stassen's Site, for the period of 2003 - 2010 (Kragthorpe/Graham years) Tulsa was 62-39, a .652 Winning Percentage. 28th Winningest Program during that period. Just below Miami and just above Ok St, Clemson, and Michgian. Ahead of FSU, GT, OR St, Pit, ARK, ALA, RU, A&M, PU, UCLA and about 70 other teams including the 52th ranked Notre Dame.

Preseason 2010, Phil Steele ranked Tulsa 52nd ahead of Tennessee, Navy, Rutgers, Syracuse, PU, and the 90th ranked Vandy Commodores who somebody suggested we show play instead of Temple (Steele's 57th ranked team right behind Navy).

The Tulsa game with ND came about because their Athletic Director, Bubba Cummingham has deep ND roots. He's a DoubleDomer, played Golf for ND, and worked in the ND Athletic Dept for 15 years.

 

[OCIrish]

I understand recruiting in the area, but come on, Temple won't be worth a damn in a few years. If you want to schedule in the area and really make a wave-then get a deal done with Rutgers. I don't like them nor do I think their program is really as good as Big East fans like to think.

 

[irishpat183]

Great for recruiting and gives us a "gimmie" (although you never know what can happen) amid a tough schedule.

And for you bashers: We don't play 1AA. And we could, we just don't do it. So get outta here with that argument.

 

[ALA2262]

Does anyone know if the game in Philadelphia is an off site home game or an away game?

 

[BGIF]

Does anyone know if the game in Philadelphia is an off site home game or an away game?

ND away game.

The series is a 2 for 1. 2 ND home games, 1 Temple home game per ND press release.

 

[GowerND11]

I understand recruiting in the area, but come on, Temple won't be worth a damn in a few years. If you want to schedule in the area and really make a wave-then get a deal done with Rutgers. I don't like them nor do I think their program is really as good as Big East fans like to think.

You have to realize the Rutgers is in North Jersey. Temple we get the entire Philly metro and South Jersey even Delaware. Now I am not saying South Jersey and Delaware are recruiting hot beds, but you have to look at the fact that with Temple we get a better foot in recruiting areas than Rutgers. On top of the Philly area are the recruits in the North East of PA that are only a 2 hour drive away. Many come from Irish Catholic, along with Polish, Italian, Lithuania, etc. families where they have grown up in Notre Dame families. There are quite a lot of Notre Dame fans in PA so this is really a great move from that standpoint.

 

[irish1958]

Nobody should fuss at ND for scheduling Temple. It is not always necessary for ND to have the #1 SOS every year, when the NC often is below 25 and some of the contenders are not much higher than 50.
We have no reason to be ashamed of the "easy" teams we have, such as Navy, Tulsa, U Conn, Syracuse, Purdue etc.
Any team we play is OK with me, as long as it is in the BCS devision.
We have always tried to schedule teams in the East, South and West to increase our exposure in these markets. Even so, there is no way the top teams in these areas will schedule us as they have no interest in making their schedule more difficult. They are quite content with having a poor SOS as long as they have sold out stadiums (why isn't the plural of stadium stadii?) and TV contracts.

 

[jonesman]

Folks,
For all those that are busting with anger over scheduling Temple need a reality check. Have you looked at some of the patsies that this past years BCS teams played??? Check out some of this.

National Championship Game:
Auburn played - Arkansas St, Louisiana Monroe, Chattanoga
Oregon played - New Mexico, Portland State

Sugar Bowl:
Ohio St played - Marshall, Ohio U, Eastern Michigan
Arkansas played - Louisiana Monroe, Tennessee Tech, Texas-El Paso

Rose Bowl:
Wisconsin played - UNLV, San Jose St, Austin Peay
TCU - Tennessee Tech

Orange Bowl:
Stanford played - Cal St. Sacramento
Va Tech played - James Madison, Central Michigan

So, as you can see all the top teams schedule that cupcake or two where they can give their kids a built in break in the brutal schedule. Don't give me that crap that ND scheduling the likes of Navy, Air Force or another BCS conference team gives us a break. The weakest opponents on our schedule for the next couple years would give these cupcakes listed above a beat down.

I am completely fine and support one or two of these breathers built into our schedule. Nobody is asking that Swarbick take away the USC's, UM's, Stanford's or the new games with Oklahoma or Miami. We are just in need of some schedule BALANCE. A couple properly scheduled games like Temple are a huge help in between those monster games like Oklahoma and USC during a season. Going week after weeek trying to beat premier talent is tough. Young kids are bound to have a letdown.

Want an example that lives in all our nightmares almost 20 years later. Boston College one week after beating FSU. Our guys struggled all game in that classic battle and a last second FG cost Lou Holtz a National Championship. Just ask the supreme motivator himself, Lou. He has always said that the true mastery of college football is getting 110% from the kids every single week.

If you folks are happy with 3-4 loss seasons, we can continue to schedule monsters every week. I for one say that ND needs to look at what the teams going to the BCS every year are doing. They are scheduling some needed cupcakes.

Living in the midwest, I watch this every year with OSU. The build momentum in September by beating down a few MAC schools. They only schedule ONE decent out of conference opponent. This plan has worked to perfection as they have been in the BCS about the last 7-8 years. Nobody is keeping them out of the big dance for scheduling Akron, EMU, Marshall, Bowling Green, Toledo, Youngstown St.

 

[ALA2262]

ND away game.

The series is a 2 for 1. 2 ND home games, 1 Temple home game per ND press release.

Thanks. The 10-11-2014 date in Philadelphia is/was the date of the off site home game with Army in Orlando.

 

[BGIF]

Thanks. The 10-11-2014 date in Philadelphia is/was the date of the off site home game with Army in Orlando.

From Wiki
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football future schedule - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

On February 17, 2011, Notre Dame and Temple officially announced that a three-game series would begin in 2014, with the first game scheduled for October 11, 2014 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.[22] The game originally scheduled for October 11, 2014 (Notre Dame vs. Army in the Citrus Bowl) will likely be canceled if stadium renovations are not completed in time

I don't believe there is an official ND Schedule out for 2014. Dates (opponents and venues) sometimes change. Army may want to play that game in Yankee Stadium where they've scheduled a number of future games in the past year.