USC out, BYU in

[greyhammer90]

If the game doesn’t count (auto bids/16/24 team CFP), I want to play:

It's incredibly annoying that I can't even fully enjoy them being bad because it just means we won't get the opportunity to kill them in the playoffs.

 

[SWirishfan]

This ends up being on their alum base.
Hold checks - NIL, general donations, endowments - until the idiocy is reversed. The wallet moves all.

Or they are down for it and should own it.
No ND on the sked is the path of least resistance to the playoffs. After a few years of failure on that Odyssey, they can get rid of LR and try again with another soft Incrediboy OC type.

Just quit it with the "we would play them except they won't meet all of our silly conditions" BS.

 

[pumpdog20]

Kinda funny how a lot of pundits predict them to make the playoffs now that ND is off the schedule. Because the Big Ten is tougher or something.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

Remind me of USC’s requests? Because honestly, I’d love to concede to every single one of them and then run up the score when the game takes place.

 

[tirishman505]

Remind me of USC’s requests? Because honestly, I’d love to concede to every single one of them and then run up the score when the game takes place.

I think the big sticking points were Week 0 games and a lot more neutral site games (i believe they are fine with playing in LA).

 

[allenm5333]

I think the big sticking points were Week 0 games and a lot more neutral site games (i believe they are fine with playing in LA).

Timing of game was an issue too I believe. They didn’t want to play at ND in the heart of the big ten schedule

 

[GATTACA!]

They want to take their L early.

 

[Dale]

Remind me of USC’s requests? Because honestly, I’d love to concede to every single one of them and then run up the score when the game takes place.

They had no legitimate requests of Notre Dame. They retroactively fitted an argument about Week 0. Their actual request is the game not to matter ex. A 24 team playoff where Big Ten 5th place is auto bid into the CFP.

 

[zelezo vlk]

To expand on the Week 0 thing, USC was offering Week 0 in part because the only exemption that would allow it would be an international game. They were hoping to use this as a way to not share the tv money with the Big Ten.

 

[Irish du Nord]

To expand on the Week 0 thing, USC was offering Week 0 in part because the only exemption that would allow it would be an international game. They were hoping to use this as a way to not share the tv money with the Big Ten.

Conferences are for the poors, apparently.

 

[stlnd01]

Kinda funny how a lot of pundits predict them to make the playoffs now that ND is off the schedule. Because the Big Ten is tougher or something.

They play Oregon, Ohio State, @Indiana and @Penn State. USC is pussies but I'll grant that is a legitimately challenging conference schedule.
They probably need to win two of those four, and not lose somewhere else (like to Washington the week after Oregon, or @Wisconsin in late October), to make the CFP. I'd be surprised if they do.

But also, this is where ending the season with us - if they could actually beat us - would help their playoff case at 10-2 or 9-3. Instead they'll end with UCLA and no one will care.

 

[ACamp1900]

ND accommodated these pricks for decades with their ‘we won’t play if it’s below 65 degrees’ bullshit and now they quadrupled down on a list of more one sided accommodations as an excuse to say ‘see, THEY don’t want to play anymore!’ I would never play these guys again and let the world know why,… hell, replace them with ucla and let their cross town rival get the payday

 

[GATTACA!]

ND accommodated these pricks for decades with their ‘we won’t play if it’s below 65 degrees’ bullshit and now they quadrupled down on a list of more one sided accommodations as an excuse to say ‘see, THEY don’t want to play anymore!’ I would never play these guys again and let the world know why,… he’ll replace them with ucla and let their cross town rival get the payday

Imagine the thought even crossing your mind to want to cancel the series back when Pete Carroll was kicking our ass. Just so pathetic.

 

[bpob55]

That’s funny because he never once committed to wanting to play the game until he got his way and it was off the schedule.

He is right that MF said he would play anytime anywhere, but that was said under the assumption that a university who had been a great partner for 100 years would not negotiate in bad faith. He was wrong.

Find me one game in the country that is the biggest rivalry for both sides that is played in September, let alone August…

 

[Sea Turtle]

Please don't pine for this series like Indiana basketball does for Kentucky. It's lame. If they don't want to play then forget them.

 

[Irishcop]

I hope we met USC in the playoffs and end their season!

 

[Dale]

I hope we met USC in the playoffs and end their season!

I hope they go 0 - 12

 

[Irish du Nord]

They play Oregon, Ohio State, @Indiana and @Penn State. USC is pussies but I'll grant that is a legitimately challenging conference schedule.
They probably need to win two of those four, and not lose somewhere else (like to Washington the week after Oregon, or @Wisconsin in late October), to make the CFP. I'd be surprised if they do.

But also, this is where ending the season with us - if they could actually beat us - would help their playoff case at 10-2 or 9-3. Instead they'll end with UCLA and no one will care.

Broke, Broke, Purdue Jr., Iowa State Redux.

 

[pumpdog20]

That’s funny because he never once committed to wanting to play the game until he got his way and it was off the schedule.

He is right that MF said he would play anytime anywhere, but that was said under the assumption that a university who had been a great partner for 100 years would not negotiate in bad faith. He was wrong.

Find me one game in the country that is the biggest rivalry for both sides that is played in September, let alone August…

Iowa won't admit it, but they play their biggest rival in September.

 

[jerseyborn1971]

They are going to lose to Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana for sure and they know it. Having to play ND would be the 4th loss and they are 100% out of the playoff. Maybe they though they could sneak in at 9-3 or get lucky and knock off one of those 3 and get in.

 

[BleedBlueGold]

They had no legitimate requests of Notre Dame. They retroactively fitted an argument about Week 0. Their actual request is the game not to matter ex. A 24 team playoff where Big Ten 5th place is auto bid into the CFP.

This is how I remember it too, just wasn't sure if memory served correctly.

Bottom line, I'm being somewhat sarcastic, obviously, but the idea of the series ending because USC is scared of another loss and then publicly blaming ND rubs me the wrong way. I would've loved for ND to say, "Okay, fine. Name your terms, and we'll still kick your ass anyways." (The playoff expansion request is out of ND's hands clearly, but you get my point.)

I seriously hope USC ends up 6-6 this year.

 

[NotKoon]

Has Lincoln spewing this bullshit actually done anything to change the narrative either among the SC fans who were beyond pissed off or nationally?

 

[stlnd01]

They are going to lose to Oregon, Ohio State and Indiana for sure and they know it. Having to play ND would be the 4th loss and they are 100% out of the playoff. Maybe they though they could sneak in at 9-3 or get lucky and knock off one of those 3 and get in.

I think they'd have to beat one of those three to have any chance.
9-3 with your best win being Penn State isn't going to cut it. That's basically what they did last year (swap Michigan for Penn State) and they finished 16th.
9-3 with a win over Ohio State or @Indiana (or Notre Dame) maybe just might.

 

[tirishman505]

I think they'd have to beat one of those three to have any chance.
9-3 with your best win being Penn State isn't going to cut it. That's basically what they did last year (swap Michigan for Penn State) and they finished 16th.
9-3 with a win over Ohio State or @Indiana (or Notre Dame) maybe just might.

They’re going to need one of those just to offset the random road loss they’ll have. And I’ll cheer for that random road loss to be to Wisconsin.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Going to be fun when they lose to UCLA

 

[IrishTusker]

I believe NCAA rules limit schools to one international game every four years, and ND would have to apply for a waiver to play one this year because we played Navy in Ireland in 2023. I don't know why we would play a game that requires getting a waiver, as opposed to one that does not (i.e., basically every other possible game).

USC joined the Big 10 mostly for money. Fine. But they presumably knew that most Big 10 schools are in the midwest (presenting travel issues) and that the league is stronger than the old Pac 12 was (and their move would itself precipitate moves of stronger programs into the league). We didn't make them go to the Big 10. I understand why they don't want to play us but to blame us for that is absurd.

 

[calvegas04]

Going to be fun when they lose to UCLA

Will have to run from that rivalry too

 

[Notre Dame Joe]

Timing of game was an issue too I believe. They didn’t want to play at ND in the heart of the big ten schedule

They play Oregon, Ohio State, @Indiana and @Penn State. USC is pussies but I'll grant that is a legitimately challenging conference schedule.
They probably need to win two of those four, and not lose somewhere else (like to Washington the week after Oregon, or @Wisconsin in late October), to make the CFP. I'd be surprised if they do.

But also, this is where ending the season with us - if they could actually beat us - would help their playoff case at 10-2 or 9-3. Instead they'll end with UCLA and no one will care.

Simple, we agree to play them everything Thanksgiving.

 

[stlnd01]

Simple, we agree to play them everything Thanksgiving.

Would prefer to play them on Thanksgiving Saturday, vs. Thanksgiving Day itself. But, sure. That'd be fine.

I'm guessing the reason it hasn't always been thus is that we don't want to host a game on Thanksgiving Weekend - and I understand why - but, like having the football team eat in the dining hall with regular meal plans, that may be a custom we should see our way to changing. And it would minimize USC's travel concerns, assuming they keep playing UCLA the week before.

But I'm sure if we offered (and maybe we have), USC would find some reason that is not acceptable.

 

[greyhammer90]

My boss just sent me an email and ended it with "Let me know if you need anything at all."

I'm considering pulling a Lincoln Riley and asking for his corner office. If my boss says no, I'll call him a liar.