Notre Dame to play UMass in 2015

[Sam Minuteman]

Not saying I agree ND should or should not schedule UMass but here are some thoughts from the UMass side:

FWIW I tried posting a few more details but one reason for the game may be to thank our AD for helping ND get into Hockey East.

This idea is brought up by a local reporter:
Report: UMass football team to play Notre Dame in 2015 | masslive.com

The combination of our AD helping with entry to HE, coach Molnar, possibly "sticking it to UConn" (not sure why but if you all say so...), the Catholics in New England, a 1 time home date and the $$ it brings, all together might be the reason ND decided that if they were going to take a slightly lesser opponent UMass would be it.

Must say that I am very excited about this regardless of why it is happening.

For UMass fans perspective: UMassHoops.com Message Board

FWIW our OOC schedules have been shaping up to be very good so it may not hurt your SOS computer rankings as much as you would think depending on exactly how all those calculations are made.

 

[BGIF]

Not saying I agree ND should or should not schedule UMass but here are some thoughts from the UMass side:

FWIW I tried posting a few more details but one reason for the game may be to thank our AD for helping ND get into Hockey East.

This idea is brought up by a local reporter:
Report: UMass football team to play Notre Dame in 2015 | masslive.com

The combination of our AD helping with entry to HE, coach Molnar, possibly "sticking it to UConn" (not sure why but if you all say so...), the Catholics in New England, a 1 time home date and the $$ it brings, all together might be the reason ND decided that if they were going to take a slightly lesser opponent UMass would be it.

Must say that I am very excited about this regardless of why it is happening.

For UMass fans perspective: UMassHoops.com Message Board

FWIW our OOC schedules have been shaping up to be very good so it may not hurt your SOS computer rankings as much as you would think depending on exactly how all those calculations are made.

Welcome to Div 1A Football Sam! Playing with the big dawgs now.

Your link about Hockey might well have been the juice that got things moving along.

Your strength of schedule now ('11 season) would hurt us a little bit if ND was in the BCS mix. But let's be real ND winning only 8 games ('11 seasib) is a hell of lot more significant than your strength of schedule. And say ND runs the table in '15, ND won't be denied with wins over Texas, Michigan, Southern Cal, Stanford, et al.

Alabama got to the big game despite playing Div 1AA Georgia Southern and Kent State which Sagarin ranks as less than a TD stronger than UMass. LSU got to the big game despite playing Div 1AA Northwestern St who Sagarin ranked 4 points weaker than UMass.

Arkansas finished 5th in the Final Poll with mighty wins over Troy St and Div 1AA Missouri St. Sagarain ranked Troy a 1/4 point better than UMass while Missouri St was ranked a FG weaker.

Despite the weeping and gnashing of teeth by some here, UMass is not going to hurt ND's schedule. ND needs to take care of their own business and things will take care of themselves. I don't know how people could possibly worry about who's on the schedule in Week 7 or 8 when opens with Texas and Michigan back to back. IF ND gets through those games they should get the NC Trophy right then.


By the way let Innervision know he's welcome here as well if he wants to talk football. Good natured ribbing is fine, smack talk will get him tossed.

Good luck in '12.

 

[ACamp1900]

It will be nice to know UMass for something other than Marcus Camby in terms of athletics...

never know, they could come up quite quickly and not be the typical "tune up"...

though on average these are the games ND needs to schedule early on.

 

[stlnd01]

It will be nice to know UMass for something other than Marcus Camby in terms of athletics...

never know, they could come up quite quickly and not be the typical "tune up"...

They have been one of the better teams in 1-AA for some time. Didn't one of our guys transfer there a few years ago? Still, not exactly a recruiting hotbed (and I say that as a proud son of the Commonwealth), and they're already looking up at BC and UConn.

The hockey connection + Molnar makes sense. I wouldn't count out a UMass assist on a Gillette Field game some time down the road, either.

 

[irishff1014]

This a joke for ND football

 

[gkIrish]

BTW, Michigan is playing UMass next season. It's not like we are the only ones

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

So you guys would rather lose to Tennessee than beat UMass? how does that make sense? Every single team in the nation has "warmup games". UMass will be in the MAC so they are low level D1, whats the problem? It's not like we are scheduling the Citadel or a FCS team. And plus, our 2015 schedule if I am reading it correctly, we would not play UMass until October 24th. We open the season with Texas then Michigan.

The only problem I have with this game is that it is not the first game of the season.

future schedule

And I apologize if I sound rude or if I am being critical of you guys. I just have a hard time understanding why you would rather a loss to a good team

I love the 2014 schedule. Easy enough for that to be an undefeated season. Let's do it.

 

[gkIrish]

I love the 2014 schedule. Easy enough for that to be an undefeated season. Let's do it.

I've been thinking that for a long time now. That's the year we should all circle on our decade calendars

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

I've been thinking that for a long time now. That's the year we should all circle on our decade calendars

It explains my user name.

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

Not saying I agree ND should or should not schedule UMass but here are some thoughts from the UMass side:

FWIW I tried posting a few more details but one reason for the game may be to thank our AD for helping ND get into Hockey East.

This idea is brought up by a local reporter:
Report: UMass football team to play Notre Dame in 2015 | masslive.com

The combination of our AD helping with entry to HE, coach Molnar, possibly "sticking it to UConn" (not sure why but if you all say so...), the Catholics in New England, a 1 time home date and the $$ it brings, all together might be the reason ND decided that if they were going to take a slightly lesser opponent UMass would be it.

Must say that I am very excited about this regardless of why it is happening.

For UMass fans perspective: UMassHoops.com Message Board

FWIW our OOC schedules have been shaping up to be very good so it may not hurt your SOS computer rankings as much as you would think depending on exactly how all those calculations are made.

Dickie Dunn
Junior
Joined: 13 Sep 2008
Posts: 532
Reading that ND board, I'm not sure what's funnier ... the posters who assume UMass won't be a significantly better program by 2015, or the Domers who still are stuck in 1988 and think college football begins and ends in South Bend, Ind.

InnervisionsUMASS
Hall of Fame
That is a fun thread to read! I'm going to stir the pot a bit...
Also, some of them seem to think this game might be played at Gillette...

ShotPutNC
Sophomore
^ I can only assume that is u as IV33 stirring the pot there at the end. I like it. Get them worried. I think by year 4 we should be in a good position to challenge ND. Molnar recruited a good group of guys in weeks. Imagine what he can get when he has years to build up rapport with athletes.

Oh boy, watch out............. Here comes InnervisionsUMASS to stir it up

 

[OCIrish]

I dont see Alabama, LSU, USC, Michigan, and VT fans complaining about cupcake teams when they start off 6-0 with all kinds of national buzz and in the top 5.

Then go and root for one of those Shitholes that you just mentioned.....I've got no interest in watching ND play UMASS, or any MAC school for that matter. It's beneath us, plain and simple. I don't give two shits about Molnar or his coaching career, he chose to be the HC there, BK didn't give him that job and owes him nothing, least of all a game in South Bend. Hell, we should just do away with any and all of our traditional rivals and play a schedule of WAC, Big South, CUSA, and a few more 1 AA schools, holy crap what an absolute embarassment.....

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Dickie Dunn is 100% correct. You need some soft games to win a championship. Stop thinking of every change as "selling your soul" or something like that.

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

It seems since 2007 , outside of our regular rivalries, we've scheduled a noticeably unusual (expectedly weaker) opponent..

2007 - Duke (1-11) W 28-7

2008 - San Diego State (2-10) W 21-13

2009 - Nevada (8-5) W 35-0
& Connecticut (8-5) L 30-33

2010 - Western Michigan (6-6) W 44-20

2011 - South Florida (5-7) L 20- 23

Notre Dame Historical Scores

 

[gkIrish]

We beat the stalwart Rice Owls in our 1988 championship year. They were 0-11 that year. Does anyone have anything else to say?

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

I honestly hope we don't join a conference before 2014 (doubt that's feasible anyway) because that schedule is so beautiful.

 

[STLDomer]

Purdue W
Michigan TBD
Syracuse W
Temple W
AZ St W
Pitt W
Northwestern W
USC TBD
Stanford TBD
Navy W
Rice W

This is list of opponents for 2014 from Wiki excluding UCONN which could be cancelled

Wiki says we could play UW instead of UCONN? Anyone know anything about that? If that was a home game I would be totally in favor as it is a winnable that would boost are rankings probably

Where's MSU?

 

[OCIrish]

I honestly hope we don't join a conference before 2014 (doubt that's feasible anyway) because that schedule is so beautiful.

Let me guess, you're a huge fan of Kevin White, aren't you? If you think its better for ND to "schedule" its way to a BCS game, then by all means, keep thinking that way, some of us would prefer to win it on the field.

 

[phork]

Dickie Dunn is 100% correct. You need some soft games to win a championship. Stop thinking of every change as "selling your soul" or something like that.

We beat the stalwart Rice Owls in our 1988 championship year. They were 0-11 that year. Does anyone have anything else to say?

Say about scheduling teams like that? I never said don't, I said the risk vs reward is too great. What if we had pulled a boner and lost to Rice on a last second FG (AppSt.) After some of these upsets, most recently VTech and James Madison... Hell even Alabama lost to Louisana Monroe, no?

 

[gkIrish]

Let me guess, you're a huge fan of Kevin White, aren't you? If you think its better for ND to "schedule" its way to a BCS game, then by all means, keep thinking that way, some of us would prefer to win it on the field.

Did the 1988 team win it on the field?

Rice. 0-11. Championship.

 

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

Say about scheduling teams like that? I never said don't, I said the risk vs reward is too great. What if we had pulled a boner and lost to Rice on a last second FG (AppSt.) After some of these upsets, most recently VTech and James Madison... Hell even Alabama lost to Louisana Monroe, no?

Then who should we schedule instead?

This isn't just about scheduling a win. It's also scheduling a single home game and not getting tied up into a home-and-home. You can't be tied up in home-and-homes because it'll end up being an equal amount of road games as home & neutral games, and I don't think that's a winnable schedule.

 

[gkIrish]

Say about scheduling teams like that? I never said don't, I said the risk vs reward is too great. What if we had pulled a boner and lost to Rice on a last second FG (AppSt.) After some of these upsets, most recently VTech and James Madison... Hell even Alabama lost to Louisana Monroe, no?

The risk of losing to Tennessee or Indiana or Iowa St. is much higher than UMass

The reward in beating those teams instead of UMass is only marginally higher.

Michigan, Virginia Tech, and Alabama made BCS bowls this year. I think their programs have recovered well enough from "devastating" losses

 

[phork]

The risk of losing to Tennessee or Indiana or Iowa St. is much higher than UMass

The reward in beating those teams instead of UMass is only marginally higher.

Michigan, Virginia Tech, and Alabama made BCS bowls this year. I think their programs have recovered well enough from "devastating" losses

I never said it launched your program into disarray, but the stain is still there. Much like how we all felt losing to Navy for the first time in 44 years. Who thought that was even a possibility? There is no upside to scheduling these teams other than being a filler.

 

[IrishLion]

Let me guess, you're a huge fan of Kevin White, aren't you? If you think its better for ND to "schedule" its way to a BCS game, then by all means, keep thinking that way, some of us would prefer to win it on the field.

You can't win it on the field playing top 25 teams every week of the season. I don't understand how people are so opposed to a true tune-up game. Also, the "this game is beneath us" attitude is a huge problem in my opinion. ND is better than no one right now. They pull in more money because of the fan base, but having the most fans hasn't helped with winning. So quit saying that certain opponents are "beneath" ND. The only way I agree with that is if they start scheduling a 1-AA school every season.

 

[ACamp1900]

Let me guess, you're a huge fan of Kevin White, aren't you? If you think its better for ND to "schedule" its way to a BCS game, then by all means, keep thinking that way, some of us would prefer to win it on the field.

I really disagree with this in the context of scheduling UMass... what team in the past 25 years has played a schedule made of nothing but BCS conference teams then gone on to win the championship???? In fact, what team OTHER than ND does that at all?????? ever?

Our program is way behind the times here... I don't believe anyone wants us to play a sub division team or drop USC, BC and Michigan for Alcorn, The Citadel and taxidermy tech... but there is no reason why ND shouldn't have one or two games to start the year off that are considered 'tune ups'... just like every other school in the country does 9 years out of 10...

In fact, i would be fine with keeping the schedule basically as is, so long as it is not front loaded like it has been in the past 20 years... that has proven a major problem for the program. What school opens with an average schedule of solid BCS conference teams like GT, Michigan, MSU, Purdue and USC and then expects to come out of that smelling fine every given year??? Unless you are where SC was five years back or Bama is now... then you don't... no matter what uniform you wear...

and we wonder why the program hasn't come out of the first half undefeated in over ten years... and only twice in the last 20 or so.

 

[OCIrish]

The basic problem is that "we aren't in a conferance". We don't have the liberty of scheduling patsies, especially when we already play the Armed Forces......btw, Southern Cal hasn't, and I'm fairly certain won't dumb down their schedule for the sake of playing patsies. If I'm so behind the times, then so is the administration for not letting in less than qualified kids for the sake of winning a BCS championship.....

 

[ACamp1900]

The basic problem is that "we aren't in a conferance". We don't have the liberty of scheduling patsies, especially when we already play the Armed Forces......btw, Southern Cal hasn't, and I'm fairly certain won't dumb down their schedule for the sake of playing patsies. If I'm so behind the times, then so is the administration for not letting in less than qualified kids for the sake of winning a BCS championship.....

agree with most of this... especially the beginning, still doesn't change one ounce of my thoughts in my first post...

and the Armed Forces are NOT patsies... they give numerous teams headaches yearly... including us... the only fan bases that claim they are patsies are those that don't play them... period. USC has opened with Hawaii, Minnesota and Idaho recently but yeah, they have played heavy early most years... again five years ago, they were in the rare air to do that.

 

[NDinFL]

Then go and root for one of those Shitholes that you just mentioned.....I've got no interest in watching ND play UMASS, or any MAC school for that matter. It's beneath us, plain and simple. I don't give two shits about Molnar or his coaching career, he chose to be the HC there, BK didn't give him that job and owes him nothing, least of all a game in South Bend. Hell, we should just do away with any and all of our traditional rivals and play a schedule of WAC, Big South, CUSA, and a few more 1 AA schools, holy crap what an absolute embarassment.....

This is exactly the kind of pompous entitled thinking that needs to be removed from our fan base.

Not trying to single you out, but you kinda made it easy.

 

[NDinL.A.]

The basic problem is that "we aren't in a conferance". We don't have the liberty of scheduling patsies, especially when we already play the Armed Forces......btw, Southern Cal hasn't, and I'm fairly certain won't dumb down their schedule for the sake of playing patsies. If I'm so behind the times, then so is the administration for not letting in less than qualified kids for the sake of winning a BCS championship.....

What's the difference between UMASS and San Jose State? Not much, I guarantee you that. In fact, I bet UMASS would beat San Jose St. And USC played San Jose State twice this past decade, both at home (San Jose St was 2-10 the last time USC beat them 56-3 in 2009). How about Idaho? USC played them as well, and Idaho went 1-11 the year that the #1 Trogans played them (at home). U$C plays Utah State next year. When they scheduled that game, Utah State was coming off a 3-9 pathetic season. (Who knows what Umass will be like in 3 years?)

So yes, USC has definitely dumbed down their schedule for the sake of playing patsies. But like us, they won't play FCS teams...

 

[notredomer23]

We beat the stalwart Rice Owls in our 1988 championship year. They were 0-11 that year. Does anyone have anything else to say?

Stop using facts!

 

[OCIrish]

This is exactly the kind of pompous entitled thinking that needs to be removed from our fan base.

Not trying to single you out, but you kinda made it easy.

Call it pompous, call it arrogant, hell, call it whatever you want.....as a fan, I've got no interest in watching ND play UMASS, Akron, Tulsa, Western Michigan, or any other no name directional state school that's out there. It used to **** me off to no end when Nebraska started doing this in the 90's and beating schools 72-3....its just not good for college football, and we can agree to disagree on that.