Kevin White continues to dumb down future schedules

[NDSMC78]

From today's Chicago Tribune, I have linked an article about ND's future schedules. It's more of the same from Kevin White. He is apparently talking about scheduling future games against such powers as Army, Baylor, UConn and Rutgers. There is also mention of home games against Wake Forest, Missouri, and Arizona St., but no return away games.
This, of course, is after White has said there is no room on future schedules for Texas, LSU, Bama and UGA. Absolutely disagraceful.




http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...schedfeb10,1,2822926.story?ctrack=2&cset=true

 

[ND_Ownz!]

Can you copy/paste it? I'm not signing up just to read 1 article =\

 

[Epitome]

That's not a disgrace! Every other team in the country has weaken their schedules as much as they possible can. This is the change in college football that occured 15 years ago. We're just finally catching up. Good for ND!!!

 

[notredomer23]

From today's Chicago Tribune, I have linked an article about ND's future schedules. It's more of the same from Kevin White. He is apparently talking about scheduling future games against such powers as Army, Baylor, UConn and Rutgers. There is also mention of home games against Wake Forest, Missouri, and Arizona St., but no return away games.
This, of course, is after White has said there is no room on future schedules for Texas, LSU, Bama and UGA. Absolutely disagraceful.




http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...schedfeb10,1,2822926.story?ctrack=2&cset=true

whats wrong with the teams i bolded. AZ state had a 10 win season, Wake went to the orange bowl in 06, UConn had 9 or 10 wins last year, Missou destroyed in the Cotton Bowl and Rutgers as much as i hate to say it isnt terrible. You fail to mention how we have oklahoma on our schedule too.

 

[Junkhead]

Honestly, I'm tired of service academies and the same basic teams every year. I welcome the change.

 

[mizzouirish]

Did you know Notre Dame was 3-9 last year?

 

[notredomer23]

Did you know Notre Dame was 3-9 last year?

whats your point

 

[NDSMC78]

whats wrong with the teams i bolded. AZ state had a 10 win season, Wake went to the orange bowl in 06, UConn had 9 or 10 wins last year, Missou destroyed in the Cotton Bowl and Rutgers as much as i hate to say it isnt terrible. You fail to mention how we have oklahoma on our schedule too.

Rutgers and UConn are not good programs. Rutgers has been terrible for years. The fact that Rutgers went to a couple minor bowls the past couple years does not change that. UConn? Are you kidding me?
As for Wake Forest, Mizzou, and ASU, I've got no problem playing them, but why not a home and home? And why does White continue to duck playing the traditional powers?

 

[notredomer23]

Rutgers and UConn are not good programs. Rutgers has been terrible for years. The fact that Rutgers went to a couple minor bowls the past couple years does not change that. UConn? Are you kidding me?
As for Wake Forest, Mizzou, and ASU, I've got no problem playing them, but why not a home and home? And why does White continue to duck playing the traditional powers?

ok now understand your point about the last 3 teams. UConn is on the rise. I agree with you on Rutgers. Can you paste the article because i am not a member

 

[mizzouirish]

whats your point

Notre Dame was 3-9 with something like the 2nd toughest schedule in college football. Maybe its time to make the schedule a tad easier. Ask any expert to name 3 reasons why notre dame failed last year and most of them will tell you that scheduling was one of the reasons. Besides, how the hell do you know what these teams are going to be like in the future?

 

[notredomer23]

Notre Dame was 3-9 with something like the 2nd toughest schedule in college football. Maybe its time to make the schedule a tad easier. Ask any expert to name 3 reasons why notre dame failed last year and most of them will tell you that scheduling was one of the reasons. Besides, how the hell do you know what these teams are going to be like in the future?

I can give you 3 reasons why we failed last year and scheduling isnt the first thing.
1. Oline
2. Youth and Inexperience
3. Ill give you the schedule wasnt the best, but if we had it in 05 or 06 we still would have won 10-11 games.

 

[MirageSmack]

That's not a disgrace! Every other team in the country has weaken their schedules as much as they possible can. This is the change in college football that occured 15 years ago. We're just finally catching up. Good for ND!!!

The SEC schools all have tough schedules built in, since they have the best league. I would like ND to be on par with the SEC SOS. This past season was the season we needed a weaker schedule, not the next 5 years. (hopefully)

I had more pride in my team in the past knowing they played all comers, although I realize the trend is toward weaker scheduls, specially with the 12th game added.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

whats wrong with the teams i bolded. AZ state had a 10 win season, Wake went to the orange bowl in 06, UConn had 9 or 10 wins last year, Missou destroyed in the Cotton Bowl and Rutgers as much as i hate to say it isnt terrible. You fail to mention how we have oklahoma on our schedule too.

ASU with Erikson is NOTHING to sneeze at. Mizzou was pretty damn amazing...but I don't expect that to hold up in the long-term. Wake has massively improved too... I agree, these are some nice additions to the schedule.

 

[Win4Gipper]

Baylor is the only one in there that I dont like.... ND has a huge history with Army and I am a traditionalist...this may not be good for our SOS but I like tradition.. I would not degrade UConn and Rutgers..yeah neither are LSU or Texas but they are solid teams.. I dont want a 12 game schedule filled with LSUs or Texas's. I want 2-3 top tier schools a year a bunch of solid top program schools and if necessary a school like Army if there is tradition there with that school.

 

[NDSMC78]

ok now understand your point about the last 3 teams. UConn is on the rise. I agree with you on Rutgers. Can you paste the article because i am not a member

Sorry. Here you go.


Irish may be at home in Chicago
Brian Hamilton
February 10, 2008
Article tools
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Digg Del.icio.us Facebook Fark Google Newsvine Reddit Yahoo Print Reprints Post comment Text size: Notre Dame versus Army in Chicago in 2010?

The Irish facing Baylor in New Orleans in 2012?

Or Connecticut at Foxboro Stadium in 2013?




Or Rutgers at Giants Stadium in 2014?

Possibly, according to a scheduling memo that leaked out of Notre Dame and included some intriguing potential "off-site" future games for the Irish. The memo is not final but rather a "working document" subject to change on almost a daily basis.

"If these were done, we'd announce them," said John Heisler, a senior associate athletic director.

"Will all those come to fruition? Maybe. Then again, maybe they won't."

Every game included on the memo, which runs through the 2020 season, is in "varying stages" of negotiation, Heisler said.

The possible game against Army at Soldier Field bubbled up in discussions about home games the Irish will move off campus around the country, with Notre Dame realizing "we shouldn't exclude that market" given the alumni base and relatively new facility, Heisler said.

It's interesting to digest the possibilities. Potential future home-game opponents apparently also include Wake Forest (2012), Missouri (2015) and Arizona State (2017).

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

Navy and ND go way back.....and we will play them as long as they will have us. Period
Rutgers is a very good team, so I don't get how that is dumbing things down.
If you want to win the NC, having a softer schedule like tOSU did is a smart move. We already play UM and USC every year.
I like it, myself.

 

[BDIrish4ever]

I have to agree with Stoney on this one, but I can understand the reluctance to accept a "dumbing down" of the schedule. It would great if Mr. White could get the schedule into an average difficulty range of 20 - 40th nationally every year (instead of top 10 every year). We have always taken great pride in the difficulty of our schedule but, it is time to think how this affects the program every year. The schedule needs to have some more forgiving games mixed in to allow for injuries, emotional rest, ect...I am not calling for an OSU schedule, but a schedule that keeps us in the range I mentioned above would be OK.

 

[NDSMC78]

Navy and ND go way back.....and we will play them as long as they will have us. Period
Rutgers is a very good team, so I don't get how that is dumbing things down.
If you want to win the NC, having a softer schedule like tOSU did is a smart move. We already play UM and USC every year.
I like it, myself.

Sorry, I don't agree that Rutgers is a "very good team." Rutgers has historically been terrible. The fact that Rutgers has had a few decent (but not great) years recently does not change that.
Yeah, we already play Michigan and southern cal every year. And Ohio St. plays Michigan and Penn St. every year, including 2007. And Ohio St's 2007 schedule was horrible.
In fact, if not for a couple upests on the last weekend of the season (Oklahoma over Missouri and Pitt over WVU), OSU would not have been in the BCSCG, as a result of their weak schedule, even though they were 11-1. I can see an 11-1 ND team being left out of the BCSCG in the future, if we schedule like this.

 

[Win4Gipper]

I am just not seeing it..we still have strong teams on the schedule... even if rutgers is not playing for a BCS bowl there are still becoming a stronger program.. they have had decent recruiting classes and have played well in a decent conference... I think it is a nice balanced schedule.. they are playing what should be powerhouses like michigan and USC and then still have a set of teams that can compete on a yearly basis and then at the bottom of the schedule some softer teams that either have history with us or are put into the schedule to kill.... until we start putting in Akron's, appalachian states, Middle TN, Louisiana Monroe's I just cant complain with what we are doing

 

[NDSMC78]

I am just not seeing it..we still have strong teams on the schedule... even if rutgers is not playing for a BCS bowl there are still becoming a stronger program.. they have had decent recruiting classes and have played well in a decent conference... I think it is a nice balanced schedule.. they are playing what should be powerhouses like michigan and USC and then still have a set of teams that can compete on a yearly basis and then at the bottom of the schedule some softer teams that either have history with us or are put into the schedule to kill.... until we start putting in Akron's, appalachian states, Middle TN, Louisiana Monroe's I just cant complain with what we are doing

OK, here's the 2009 schedule. Note who we play after 10/24. So while everyone else is playing the meat of their schedules, and their big rivalry games, we are beating up on a bunch of patsies.


2009
Sept. 5 NEVADA
Sept. 12 at Michigan
Sept. 19 MICHIGAN STATE
Sept. 26 at Purdue
Oct. 3 WASHINGTON
Oct. 17 USC
Oct. 24 BOSTON COLLEGE
Oct. 31 Washington State (at San Antonio, TX)
Nov. 7 NAVY
Nov. 14 at Pittsburgh
Nov. 21 CONNECTICUT
Nov. 28 at Stanford

 

[Win4Gipper]

4 BCS conference schools and a traditional game.... with the early part of our schedule who do you want to throw in here..... and also we have to remember what top tier program is going to want to schedule ND into the middle of their confernce schedule.... also I look at this schedule and see that we have two games against non BCS schools and only one is that really needed to be scheduled as we play navy every year(as we should)

 

[Epitome]

In comparison to Tennesee who is in the SEC, I don't see any different. I think you should go look at other teams schedules and compare. This was the first SEC team that I googled. 2009 SCHEDULE

Sept. 12 UCLA
Sept. 19 at Florida
Sept. 26 Ohio
Oct. 3 Auburn
Oct. 10 Georgia
Oct. 24 at Alabama
Oct. 31 South Carolina
Nov. 7 Memphis
Nov. 14 at Mississippi
Nov. 21 Vanderbilt
Nov. 28 at Kentucky
Dec. 5 SEC Championship (Atlanta)
One game still TBD

Here's another VT next season
Aug. 30 East Carolina (Charlotte)
Sept. 6 FurmanSept. 13 Georgia Tech
Sept. 20 at North Carolina
Sept. 27 at Nebraska
Oct. 4 Western Kentucky
Oct. 18 at Boston College
Oct. 25 at Florida State
Nov. 6 Maryland (Thu.)
Nov. 13 at Miami (Thu.)
Nov. 22 Duke
Nov. 29 Virginia

 

[NDSMC78]

In comparison to Tennesee who is in the SEC, I don't see any different. I think you should go look at other teams schedules and compare. This was the first SEC team that I googled. 2009 SCHEDULE

Sept. 12 UCLA
Sept. 19 at Florida
Sept. 26 Ohio
Oct. 3 Auburn
Oct. 10 Georgia
Oct. 24 at Alabama
Oct. 31 South Carolina
Nov. 7 Memphis
Nov. 14 at Mississippi
Nov. 21 Vanderbilt
Nov. 28 at Kentucky
Dec. 5 SEC Championship (Atlanta)
One game still TBD

Here's another VT next season
Aug. 30 East Carolina (Charlotte)
Sept. 6 FurmanSept. 13 Georgia Tech
Sept. 20 at North Carolina
Sept. 27 at Nebraska
Oct. 4 Western Kentucky
Oct. 18 at Boston College
Oct. 25 at Florida State
Nov. 6 Maryland (Thu.)
Nov. 13 at Miami (Thu.)
Nov. 22 Duke
Nov. 29 Virginia

I agree with you about VaTech. Their schedules are terrible, and this is nothing new for them. As for Tennessee, you pointed out the mediocre and lousy teams on their schedule, but they also play UCLA, Florida, Auburn, Georgia and Alabama. That's five quality opponents, as opposed to our 2 or 3 (if you want to include BC on that list).

 

[Epitome]

I know but they are also playing cupcakes at the end of the season. The thing is no one remembers a schedule years down the road. Most fans couldn't tell you 5 teams that were on the 1988 schedule without looking it up...so why should we get penalized for playing the best teams in the country when we don't have to.

 

[Win4Gipper]

UCLA could be a quality oponent yet they may not be in the same way... you never know if a Mich State or Purdue or Pitt could become stronger by then.... I get what your saying but I just dont think we are at the point where it is bothersome... when we start scheduling the 1AA or NAIA schools I think there should be alarm...as long as our core sticks with BCS conference schools I will be happy..

also I just saw that Florida has Appalachian state in 2010... I would love a repeat of the Michigan game...

 

[NDSMC78]

UCLA could be a quality oponent yet they may not be in the same way... you never know if a Mich State or Purdue or Pitt could become stronger by then.... I get what your saying but I just dont think we are at the point where it is bothersome... when we start scheduling the 1AA or NAIA schools I think there should be alarm...as long as our core sticks with BCS conference schools I will be happy..

also I just saw that Florida has Appalachian state in 2010... I would love a repeat of the Michigan game...

Actually, Appalachian St. opens up at LSU in 2008.
Just so I am clear, I am not opposed to a game against Army, or a game against UConn, or a game against Rutgers. My concern is that all we are doing is scheduling people like Army, UConn and Rutgers. We are not adding any quality opponents to future schedules. And those teams which are fairly decent, Missouri, Arizona St. and Wake Forest, are apparently just one game to be played at ND, with no return away game. I think that is going to come back and bite us, just like it almost bit Ohio St. this year.

 

[ACamp1900]

That's not a disgrace! Every other team in the country has weaken their schedules as much as they possible can. This is the change in college football that occured 15 years ago. We're just finally catching up. Good for ND!!!

Actually according to ESPN ONLY ND does that... and USC plays ANYONE willing like such friece powers as Idaho, Hawaii and Fresno State

 

[stonebreakerwasgod]

Sorry, I don't agree that Rutgers is a "very good team." Rutgers has historically been terrible. The fact that Rutgers has had a few decent (but not great) years recently does not change that.
Yeah, we already play Michigan and southern cal every year. And Ohio St. plays Michigan and Penn St. every year, including 2007. And Ohio St's 2007 schedule was horrible.
In fact, if not for a couple upests on the last weekend of the season (Oklahoma over Missouri and Pitt over WVU), OSU would not have been in the BCSCG, as a result of their weak schedule, even though they were 11-1. I can see an 11-1 ND team being left out of the BCSCG in the future, if we schedule like this.

Apparently, you missed the game at Cincinnati two years ago when the Bearcats stormed the field. Rutgers is a tough opponent, as is every top echelon team in the Big East.

 

[bbrennan]

You have to remember other aspects of putting ND's schedule together. It is difficult finding teams given the lack of conference affiliation. More importantly, think of the schedule in terms of the ND traveling show. If ND wants to recruit more in Chicago, put a game there that will attract fans and alum in the area and will showcase the team. If ND wants to recruit in the Northeast, put a game there that will attract fans and the alum and will showcase the team.

Too much emphasis is put simply on the quality of the opponent. A schedule in the top 40 of SOS is plenty good enough. I like that White seems to be thinking about recruiting and alumni as he puts the schedule together. Move outside of the Big Ten region to help with the recruiting we are doing in these regions. This gives recruits a less expensive chance to see the team in person. Give the throngs of alumni in the NE a chance to see the Irish. It isn't just about the opponent and that years' team - it is about the school and the program in a bigger context. Look at the ND games on the west coast when the Irish play at USC or Stanford.

Finally, I believe ND football has an obligation to the Big East conference. I have heard in the past that part of our deal with the Big East is to get the football team to play more Big East schools. This is not a bad thing, especially since we are taking the top tier teams in the Big East.

 

[KamaraPolice]

Honestly, I'm tired of service academies and the same basic teams every year. I welcome the change.

same here. i always said "Well, we have to play Navy because during World War..." but the only reason I enjoyed the game was to prolong the streak. The streak is over and Air Force beats us anyway.