2020 ND Football Schedule Options

[notredomer23]

Notre Dame’s schedule:

9/12 Duke
9/19 Western Michigan
9/26 at Wake Forest
10/10 FSU
10/17 Louisville
10/24 at Pittsburgh
10/31 at Georgia Tech
11/7 Clemson
11/14 at Boston College
11/27 at UNC (Friday)
12/5 Syracuse

Here it is. I like

 

[GrangerIrish24]

The middle stretch is brutal.

 

[irishff1014]

Notre Dame’s schedule:

9/12 Duke
9/19 Western Michigan
9/26 at Wake Forest
10/10 FSU
10/17 Louisville
10/24 at Pittsburgh
10/31 at Georgia Tech
11/7 Clemson
11/14 at Boston College
11/27 at UNC (Friday)
12/5 Syracuse

Here it is. I like

It is what it is. Not the strongest schedule we have ever had.

 

[IrishLax]

The middle stretch is brutal.

Ehhh... FSU could be good, Louisville and Pitt could be OK. But it is no stretch to say that this is BY FAR our easiest schedule in decades. It's basically Clemson, and then a bunch of teams ND should be moderate-to-large favorites over.

UNC away is probably our second hardest game, and with that one we have a bye beforehand.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Time to Rally! ☘️<br><br>First up? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeatDuke?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeatDuke</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoIrish?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GoIrish</a> <a href="https://t.co/WKefvHUy0u">pic.twitter.com/WKefvHUy0u</a></p>— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/NDFootball/status/1291359699997265921?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[notredomer23]

It is what it is. Not the strongest schedule we have ever had.

Sure, but playing Clemson twice will not be fun. I am very happy we don’t have to prepare for the triple option this year.

 

[irishff1014]

Sure, but playing Clemson twice will not be fun. I am very happy we don’t have to prepare for the triple option this year.

As much as I hate playing Navy it helps the team. It teaches discipline and that helps the younger folks.

 

[NDohio]

Surprised ND couldn't work Navy into the schedule. Sad that won't be happening.

Good schedule though. Glad the Clemson game is still home and in November.

 

[notredomer23]

As much as I hate playing Navy it helps the team. It teaches discipline and that helps the younger folks.

I will stay off the topic of playing Navy itself, but we always have an injury or two against them. In a season where we are likely gonna have some players miss some games because of COVID, I’m glad we’re not taking additional injury risk.

 

[NDohio]

Sure, but playing Clemson twice will not be fun. I am very happy we don’t have to prepare for the triple option this year.

Yes, having GA Tech get rid of the option is a relief. Triple option followed by Clemson would have been rough.

 

[rikkitikki08]

Clemson in south bend in early November is a nice surprise

 

[Ndaccountant]

The middle stretch is brutal.

I wouldn't go that far, but I would rather have that stretch with Kevin Austin being healthy. Timing of the first two / three games with the bye is helpful for that at least.

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A bit shocked the ACC kept the Clemson game on Nov. 7 AND gave the Tigers a game before that trip. Clemson originally had a bye week before the trip to South Bend.</p>— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteSampson_/status/1291361019114196992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A bit shocked: Part 2<br><br>The ACC gave Notre Dame idle weeks before Florida State and North Carolina, perhaps the schedule's two toughest games outside of Clemson.</p>— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteSampson_/status/1291363859509448705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[Some Irish Bloke]

Clemson in south bend in early November is a nice surprise

Agreed, that's the date we originally had it set up and I pleasantly surprised to see the ACC not move it; I hope it's cold as hell on Nov. 7.

 

[Irishize]

On paper, the two toughest opponents after Clemson appear to be FSU & UNC. If that holds true, it’s nice ND gets a bye before both.

Spoiler: Even if it’s cold (it wont be) when Clemson comes to town in November, it won‘t adversely affect the Tigers & give ND some kind of advantage. We always hope this is the case & it never is.

 

[NDdomer2]

On paper, the two toughest opponents after Clemson appear to be FSU & UNC. If that holds true, it’s nice ND gets a bye before both.

Spoiler: Even if it’s cold (it wont be) when Clemson comes to town in November, it won‘t adversely affect the Tigers & give ND some kind of advantage. We always hope this is the case & it never is.

it may not be cold but we can hope its sloppy rainy

 

[Irishize]

it may not be cold but we can hope its sloppy rainy

Agreed. Fair to say that’s what made the 2015 game @ Clemson as close as it was after ND was down by a sizable amount?

 

[IrishLax]

On paper, the two toughest opponents after Clemson appear to be FSU & UNC. If that holds true, it’s nice ND gets a bye before both.

Spoiler: Even if it’s cold (it wont be) when Clemson comes to town in November, it won‘t adversely affect the Tigers & give ND some kind of advantage. We always hope this is the case & it never is.

You miss the Florida State game two years ago?

 

[notredomer23]

You miss the Florida State game two years ago?

Miami in the Sun Bowl comes to mind too. Hard to read too much into that one given it was a bowl, but I've never seen a team come out as flat and slow as they did.

 

[zelezo vlk]

Tbh once I saw the news about Kevin Austin fracturing his foot yesterday, I assumed that the Clemson game had been moved up to like week 2

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

Another take away from the schedule is noting the opponents game prior to ND:
(Maybe over analyzed - see 2019 scUM @ Penn St prior to the unfortunate ND game with Irish coming off a bye)

Duke - opener for both
W Mich - @ Cincinnati
WF - @ NC St
F$U - BYE for both
Louisville - @ GT (Friday 10/9)
Pitt - @ Miami
GT - @ BC
Clemson - BC
BC - @ Syracuse
UNC - BYE for both
Syracuse - NC St

Thoughts:
- Unlike last year when an incredible amount (7!) of the 12 opponents had off weeks prior to ND, only two have their BYEs before ND in updated 2020 schedule, both of these opponents also come after ND off weeks
- besides the opener and 2 teams with BYEs, 6 of the remaining 8 games has the opponent traveling the week before - see the back to back away games in week 7 and 8: @ Pitt and @ GT, who are traveling from Florida and Massachusetts respectively

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

Notre Dame’s schedule:

9/12 Duke
9/19 Western Michigan
9/26 at Wake Forest
10/10 FSU
10/17 Louisville
10/24 at Pittsburgh
10/31 at Georgia Tech
11/7 Clemson
11/14 at Boston College
11/27 at UNC (Friday)
12/5 Syracuse

Here it is. I like

I am still surprised to see no Navy game.

 

[TP81989]

The schedule is much better as an ACC school. It's time to finally join a conference. They way ND schedules an an Independent won't allow them to be a consistent playoff contender.

 

[NewEnglandGuy]

Lastly the OOC opponents for all ACC schools in 2020:

BC - Ohio, MAC, 7-6 in 2019
Clemson - for whatever reason, not official - but likely Citadel, FCS, according to TigerNet.com sources (their other OOC games were Akron and South Carolina)
Duke - Charlotte, USA, 7-6 in 2019
FSU - Samford, FCS, 5-7 in 2019
GT - UCF, American, 10-3 in 2019
Louisville - WKU, USA, 9-4 in 2019
Miami - UAB, USA, 9-5 in 2019
UNC - not official, but likely James Madison, FCS, as the programs signed an amendment as recent as 10/19 to change the date to Sept 19 (their current TBA date) for 600k (their other OOC games were UCF in Orlando, UConn who cancelled football in 2020, and Auburn)
NC St - Liberty, independent, 8-5 in 2019
ND - Western Michigan, MAC, 7-6 in 2019
Pitt - Miami (ohio), MAC, 8-6 in 2019
Syracuse - Liberty, independent, 8-5 in 2019
Virginia - VMI, FCS, 5-7 in 2019
V Tech - Liberty, again as noted above, coach Hugh Freeze (former Ole Miss coach, the recruiting rule bender) has a heavy ACC slate
Wake Forest - Old Dominion, USA, 1-11 in 2019

Thoughts:
- Clemson, FSU, UNC, and Virginia have FCS teams
- Liberty with NC St, Syracuse, V Tech on schedule, and only recently moved up from FCS to FBS in 2018, last year was their first year of bowl game eligibility - where they defeated Georgia Southern, who also moved up from FCS to FBS in 2014, in the Cure Bowl 23-18

 

[Irishize]

You miss the Florida State game two years ago?

Nope. I don’t think that affected their play more than the fact that they weren’t a good team. ND would’ve beaten them at Tallahassee too IMO.

 

[Irishize]

Miami in the Sun Bowl comes to mind too. Hard to read too much into that one given it was a bowl, but I've never seen a team come out as flat and slow as they did.

Miami at the Sun Bowl is an example of when the weather most definitely made a difference. Alas, I don’t recall ND having that advantage at South Bend in recent memory.

 

[Irish#1]

Nope. I don’t think that affected their play more than the fact that they weren’t a good team. ND would’ve beaten them at Tallahassee too IMO.

Agree ND would have won that game if it was at FSU, but I was at that game and I can tell you they checked out very early due to the cold. It was in the 20's. You could tell during warmups they were thinking about staying warm and not playing. They were making fast tracks to the benches when they weren't on the field.

Nice to see Navy off the schedule, but wonder why they got dropped for WM? Maybe Navy didn't want to play at ND since this was their year to host?

Definitely happy to get byes at the right times. Also good to see no bye for Clemson. Average high for November 7 is low 50's so it shouldn't have an effect on the game. Needed to be late November to have a chance at some real cold, but the average high on November 30 is low 40's so not that bad.

Now we light a candle at the grotto and pray the season gets played.

 

[IrishLax]

Nope. I don’t think that affected their play more than the fact that they weren’t a good team. ND would’ve beaten them at Tallahassee too IMO.

I mean they came out of the tunnel dressed like they were in Siberia, had low energy, bad body language, and then got obliterated in the first half while showing no fight. ND easily covered the spread, indicating that they outperformed the expectations.

Similar things happened in the Sun Bowl against Miami years ago, but that's not South Bend.

I do get what you're saying, which is that it's unlikely the weather in South Bend is going to have a tangible impact that benefits ND because it's rare that we ever see that happen against a quality opponent. I think it's hard to make a definitive argument either way... lots of factors contribute to how a game plays out... but I've seen multiple instances throughout CFB of "southern" teams acting like they don't want to be there in cold weather and then getting their doors blown off.

What's undeniable is that bad weather helps the team that is tougher in the trenches and runs the ball better; and good conditions helps the team with superior skill players. This has proven out over decades of results... high winds, wet conditions, and cold all make it harder to get explosive plays because it is harder to execute those plays. Consequently, the game becomes more about executing in the other facets. I think you're likely correct that Clemson, specifically, is unlikely to quit or be seriously affected by weather because of how their team in constructed and coached.

 

[PANDFAN]

it may not be cold but we can hope its sloppy rainy

cuz that has really helped BK teams in recent memory besides (Stanford 2012)

 

[dublinirish]

BYU playing Navy on Labor Day weekend

Dey took urrr jobz