ND vs ASU ON for 2014

[irish1958]

Why do we need to drop anyone? Isn't 11 games the norm now?
As to a weak schedule: most top 10 teams have at most three tough games, usually spread out with one per month. If we really want to contend on a national level, we need to do this also. Look carefully at the schedules of the top ten BCS teams for the last few years (or decades).
I would like to make our selection among Duke, Wake or Virginia. We have Michigan, Stanford, USC and Northwestern. That's enough.

 

[Black Irish]

Things will change, but right now that schedule looks like dry white toast.

2nd that. We need a schedule that looks more like 4 whole fried chickens and a Coke.

 

[Old Man Mike]

I'm fine with this. Beat everybody and we're in. Beat everybody but one and we're still in the big playoff. Win the playoff game and everyone knows you're great because you just beat a playoff team. Win the NC game and everybody knows that you're the best because you just beat the other guy.

ND has needed a somewhat softer schedule for years now. There are still no zeros on that schedule nor will their be. "Average" strength of schedule doesn't stop you from getting into a Top Four situation if you win. If you DIDN'T win, did you deserve to sneak in the back door? This type of schedule might leave us fresher for the more powerful opponents, and allow the staff to expand offenses with less risk.

Saying that one would not like to watch Notre Dame win some games where they completely dominated is each person's "taste", but is a borderline crazy mental state to me. And, with the exception of our plan for a Texas Presence, that schedule keeps us in all the big recruiting markets.


Now, on a different issue [I'm having comprehension problems today which you guys can help with]:

a]. there are ten teams listed above. Our schedule asks for twelve. If this pattern is still true, there would be no need to drop anyone to add two more ACC schools. Therefore [and here my memory slips], are we obligated to play five ACC schools in 2014? If so, then some one of the previous list must go.

b]. Michigan State does not appear on the list. I missed this. When was it decided to drop MSU?

c]. We have seriously flirted with home-and-home's with Texas. If Temple and Michigan ultimately go, and if MSU stays off, or Northwestern, [talking post-2014 now], ND could add a Texas series to the California duo, the ACC opponents [five of them will surely include some of their best in any given year of the rotation], and one soft opening game, and perhaps two B1G area games, and that would be plenty good. We'd get our "restful games" from the opener, Navy, a couple of the ACC games. This sort of schedule doesn't stop FSU from being mentioned in NC terms and is in fact much solider than a typical FSU schedule.

 

[IrishLax]

I don't know why anyone wants "big games".... it's the surest way to kill your season.

Look at Alabama... they only signed up for 3 regular season "big games" against LSU, Arkansas, and Michigan... the rest of their schedule was super easy. Then Texas A&M caught fire and Michigan/Arkansas imploded. The result? They went 1-1 against the only two ranked teams they played and still had an opportunity for a championship. They played 3 straight up "gimme" games against Western Carolina, FAU, and Western Kentucky as well to pad their schedule.

Wanting to schedule a bunch of heavyweights for the sake of "big games" that will draw big ratings is silly. We should be trying to play at minimum 3 "gimmies" each year (Rice, Temple, Navy) as that's what every other team does... some even play 4.

Then we should keep 2 "big" games against USC/Stanford. Our slate of 5 ACC teams will almost inevitably include 1-2 of Clemson, FSU, and Miami so that's a third team. Leaving us two more games to be flexible with.

Purdue, Northwestern, etc. is who we should be targeting to play with those games... middling teams. NOT Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Alabama, etc.

This is how you win 10 games a season. 3 tough games, 3 easy games, 6 middling games that can be good or bad. 5 tough games, 5 middling games, 2 easy games is how you end up 8-4 every year.

 

[gkIrish]

I don't know why anyone wants "big games".... it's the surest way to kill your season.

Look at Alabama... they only signed up for 3 regular season "big games" against LSU, Arkansas, and Michigan... the rest of their schedule was super easy. Then Texas A&M caught fire and Michigan/Arkansas imploded. The result? They went 1-1 against the only two ranked teams they played and still had an opportunity for a championship. They played 3 straight up "gimme" games against Western Carolina, FAU, and Western Kentucky as well to pad their schedule.

Wanting to schedule a bunch of heavyweights for the sake of "big games" that will draw big ratings is silly. We should be trying to play at minimum 3 "gimmies" each year (Rice, Temple, Navy) as that's what every other team does... some even play 4.

Then we should keep 2 "big" games against USC/Stanford. Our slate of 5 ACC teams will almost inevitably include 1-2 of Clemson, FSU, and Miami so that's a third team. Leaving us two more games to be flexible with.

Purdue, Northwestern, etc. is who we should be targeting to play with those games... middling teams. NOT Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, Alabama, etc.

This is how you win 10 games a season. 3 tough games, 3 easy games, 6 middling games that can be good or bad. 5 tough games, 5 middling games, 2 easy games is how you end up 8-4 every year.

Don't waste your time making sense. I can't tell you how many arguments I've gotten into on this topic with members here.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

2nd that. We need a schedule that looks more like 4 whole fried chickens and a Coke.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qdbrIrFxas0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Plain dry white toast and fried chicken and coke . . .

 

[wesjunior]

You're right, by that schedule we still have to drop 1 more. Won't be SC, Stanford, Navy, or Purdue. Probably not Rice... have to have a warm up game, right? So either NW, Michigan, or Temple will get cut. Please god let it be Michigan. Will probably be Temple though.

I am pretty sure that scheduling Temple was to get in the Philadelphia market for recruiting purposes. I would doubt they cancel that game if that is the case.

 

[calvegas04]

Hope they make this game up for the people on the West Coast

 

[FLDomer]

I would be there.

I'm there! First case on me!

 

[PLACforever]

Don't we still need to drop one more to add another ACC school?
8-30 Rice
9-6 Michigan
9-13 Purdue
9-27 vs. Syracuse @East Rutherford, NJ
10-4 Stanford
10-11 @ Temple
11-1 vs. Navy @Landover, MD
11-8 Pittsburgh
11-15 Northwestern
11-29 @ Southern California

This is bull$hit. There are 7 teams in the ACC that reside in states that I travel to for work, and we're not playing 1 of them. Bull$hit.