Notre Dame and it's Independence

[MNIrishman]

Bowl spoils? With the irrelevant bowls ND has been going to, I figured they ended up losing money on the trips. 1988...or even 1993...is a long time ago. The Administration is only going to allow ND to be competitive enough to keep the money rolling in knowing that it's loyal fans are suckers for the "wait till next year" mantra (me included). They couldn't give a shit if ND ever wins a NC...just keep the money rolling in for their new buildings & pet projects.

This was true in Monk's administration. It isn't true anymore.

 

[stlnd01]

It'll be an eight team playoff within five years. Jack's savvy enough to see that. When it is, we'll have a clear shot.

Playoff access right now is no reason to make a program-altering decision like that. To me, the only reason that really makes sense is for scheduling, and one message from this year is that scheduling good teams out of conference helps your chances. That's good for us.

 

[IrishinSyria]

Football is the art of overreacting to small sample sizes. This year all the favorites won in the conference championship games. Next year, the favorites could all lose and people would be talking about ND and the Big XII teams have an unfair advantage because they don't have to play an extra hard game at the end of the season.

 

[phork]

8 team playoff is coming. Stay independent.

 

[NDohio]

For those of you talking about the eight team playoff coming, I am curious as to what time frame you are willing to wait for that.

Rumors of a playoff system went on for years as college football continued the BCS system. It seemed as though every other year was the year the college administrators would approve a playoff system. It was a slow process to finally get to this point. I agree that it may not take as long to expand the playoffs as it did to get the playoffs, but I am still concerned about how long it will take.

The current four team playoff system has a 12 year contract - will they throw that out the window and move to eight prior to that contract being up?

 

[T Town Tommy]

For those of you talking about the eight team playoff coming, I am curious as to what time frame you are willing to wait for that.

Rumors of a playoff system went on for years as college football continued the BCS system. It seemed as though every other year was the year the college administrators would approve a playoff system. It was a slow process to finally get to this point. I agree that it may not take as long to expand the playoffs as it did to get the playoffs, but I am still concerned about how long it will take.

The current four team playoff system has a 12 year contract - will they throw that out the window and move to eight prior to that contract being up?

I think we will see an eight team playoff before the end of the 12 year contract. It's not that easy trying to figure out how to get to that however.

ND can stay independent for now and maybe be ok. If the eight team playoff starts gaining traction in the next two to three years, then the move to stay independent would be brilliant. If the four team lives on like the BCS did, then I do feel ND will be at a disadvantage.

 

[Irish#1]

For those of you talking about the eight team playoff coming, I am curious as to what time frame you are willing to wait for that.

Rumors of a playoff system went on for years as college football continued the BCS system. It seemed as though every other year was the year the college administrators would approve a playoff system. It was a slow process to finally get to this point. I agree that it may not take as long to expand the playoffs as it did to get the playoffs, but I am still concerned about how long it will take.

The current four team playoff system has a 12 year contract - will they throw that out the window and move to eight prior to that contract being up?

I think they'll move to eight teams in year three, year four at the most. They see that the current system kind of screwed TCU & Baylor, so they'll give it one more year to see if this happens again. If it does, they'll move to eight quickly. Increased revenue, more interested fans, etc.

 

[Rocket89]

Meh. Not worth it IMO. As others have posted, I don't see this move being the difference between our current state and making the jump to regular playoff contender.

Also, I'd rather let this playoff system play out a bit more before making any rash decisions. Maybe it becomes an 8-team playoff in five years? Maybe the increase in tough OOC scheduling across the country means that 2-loss teams regularly make the playoff?

The ACC will always be there. No reason to rush a move like this.

This is exactly correct. Making a push for conference membership based off one playoff outcome, when we weren't even involved, would be one of the most boneheaded, ill conceived, and panicked moves in Irish football history.

The odds are fairly low that a deserving a 1-loss Notre Dame team gets left out of the playoff before the playoffs expand. That's mostly due to the low odds of getting to 11-1 in the first place.

I also don't understand the posters who so flippantly want to join the ACC right now. Is that supposed to be considered the cool thing now?

 

[EddytoNow]

IMHO the play-off qualifiers will increase to eight sooner than you think. The Big 12 has to be upset that their conference champion(s) didn't get into the play-offs. As long as this continues, at least one conference is going to be on the outside looking in. It's only a matter of time before the grumbling spreads to other conferences being left out. Just imagine the outcry if two or even three SEC teams were in the play-offs with multiple conference champions on the outside.

My recommendation (for what it's worth) is expanding to the eight-team format with each Power 5 Conference Champion qualifying automatically. In short, win your conference and you're in. The remaining three spots could be filled by a top-ranked independent or by second place finishers with the strongest strength-of-schedule. No style points would be awarded for running up the score against inferior competition.

It may be just my own personal bias, but every conference champion should have the opportunity to prove themselves on the field during the play-offs.

 

[NDohio]

I think we will see an eight team playoff before the end of the 12 year contract. It's not that easy trying to figure out how to get to that however.

ND can stay independent for now and maybe be ok. If the eight team playoff starts gaining traction in the next two to three years, then the move to stay independent would be brilliant. If the four team lives on like the BCS did, then I do feel ND will be at a disadvantage.

I think they'll move to eight teams in year three, year four at the most. They see that the current system kind of screwed TCU & Baylor, so they'll give it one more year to see if this happens again. If it does, they'll move to eight quickly. Increased revenue, more interested fans, etc.

I hope you are both correct in that it happens quickly.

Hopefully there will be more controversy next year expediting the change to eight.

 

[50milesSE ND]

IMHO the play-off qualifiers will increase to eight sooner than you think. The Big 12 has to be upset that their conference champion(s) didn't get into the play-offs. As long as this continues, at least one conference is going to be on the outside looking in. It's only a matter of time before the grumbling spreads to other conferences being left out. Just imagine the outcry if two or even three SEC teams were in the play-offs with multiple conference champions on the outside.

My recommendation (for what it's worth) is expanding to the eight-team format with each Power 5 Conference Champion qualifying automatically. In short, win your conference and you're in. The remaining three spots could be filled by a top-ranked independent or by second place finishers with the strongest strength-of-schedule. No style points would be awarded for running up the score against inferior competition.

It may be just my own personal bias, but every conference champion should have the opportunity to prove themselves on the field during the play-offs.

^THIS.....

 

[IRISHDODGER]

This was true in Monk's administration. It isn't true anymore.

They may need to be reminded b/c it's not translating to the program. Kelly will wear the burden of the Frozen Five for awhile. While the rest of CFB stayed closely in tune to Cam Newton & Auburn back in 2010 or Jameis these past few years....NO ONE outside ND fandom or the University gave a flip about the academic scandal (it's not even worth calling a scandal) back in August. ND treated it like the OJ trial while to the rest of the CFB world it was "crickets".

 

[MNIrishman]

They may need to be reminded b/c it's not translating to the program. Kelly will wear the burden of the Frozen Five for awhile. While the rest of CFB stayed closely in tune to Cam Newton & Auburn back in 2010 or Jameis these past few years....NO ONE outside ND fandom or the University gave a flip about the academic scandal (it's not even worth calling a scandal) back in August. ND treated it like the OJ trial while to the rest of the CFB world it was "crickets".

Support for the football program is different from academic integrity. If those guys actually cheated, I'm glad they treated them like regular students. It keeps idiots from cheapening the degree.

You're right---it wasn't a scandal because there was no reason for the university to be embarrassed about levying punishment. However, they definitely should have reconsidered the timeline involved.