"Notre Dame continues to cling to its independence, and it should because of the freedom it has in creating schedules tailor-made to impress the 13-member selection committee.

Notre Dame isn't stuck playing division cellar-dwellers every year. It's not judged by how good any entire conference is from top to bottom.

Notre Dame's playoff worth is simply determined by who it schedules and who it beats. As long as Notre Dame continues to schedule aggressively, which it intends to, one loss likely won't keep the Irish out of a semifinal unless there are several undefeated conference champs to consider.



'We accept the consequence of playing one fewer game and understand there are years where that could be to our disadvantage," Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said this spring.

'Our obligation as a program is to figure out how to use it to promote the university. Independence allows me to promote the university -- a la the Shamrock Series -- that would be hard to do otherwise. You wind up comparing the two and say, 'Yeah, we're comfortable with that. We understand there may be times it's going to hurt, but that's all right.'

The reaction, though, from fans and media has been vastly different than the hoopla surrounding the Big 12's perceived dilemma.

Silence. Indifference. A big, fat so what?

There seems to be a general acceptance that Notre Dame is and always will be unique in its status as an independent, but even Swarbrick knows it could be a gamble in the CFP.

Then again, so are conference championship games.

Notre Dame doesn't need a 13th game to impress the committee. It needs to beat the opponents it already has on the schedule.

Just like the Irish, it stands alone."



http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...hting-iris



FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH (Swarbrick's comments)

(for green :) )

(06-14-2016 01:53 PM)TerryD Wrote:  (for green :) )

Our goal is to maintain independence. But you never say never. It’s not that we prefer to ever pursue an alternative, but you could imagine further changes down the road
-- Jack Swarbrick

Sept 10 vs Nevada

Nov 12 vs Army

WHAT IF

(06-14-2016 01:53 PM)TerryD Wrote:  "Notre Dame continues to cling to its independence, and it should because of the freedom it has in creating schedules tailor-made to impress the 13-member selection committee.

Notre Dame isn't stuck playing division cellar-dwellers every year. It's not judged by how good any entire conference is from top to bottom.

Notre Dame's playoff worth is simply determined by who it schedules and who it beats. As long as Notre Dame continues to schedule aggressively, which it intends to, one loss likely won't keep the Irish out of a semifinal unless there are several undefeated conference champs to consider.



'We accept the consequence of playing one fewer game and understand there are years where that could be to our disadvantage," Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said this spring.

'Our obligation as a program is to figure out how to use it to promote the university. Independence allows me to promote the university -- a la the Shamrock Series -- that would be hard to do otherwise. You wind up comparing the two and say, 'Yeah, we're comfortable with that. We understand there may be times it's going to hurt, but that's all right.'

The reaction, though, from fans and media has been vastly different than the hoopla surrounding the Big 12's perceived dilemma.

Silence. Indifference. A big, fat so what?

There seems to be a general acceptance that Notre Dame is and always will be unique in its status as an independent, but even Swarbrick knows it could be a gamble in the CFP.

Then again, so are conference championship games.

Notre Dame doesn't need a 13th game to impress the committee. It needs to beat the opponents it already has on the schedule.

Just like the Irish, it stands alone."



http://espn.go.com/college-football/stor...hting-iris



FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH (Swarbrick's comments)

(for green :) )

The poster doth protest too much, methinks-

What 'headaches'? Same ole monitoring the landscape story with them...

I think a lot of people leave out a relevant fact in the analysis of ND making the CFP. The committee is made up of people that by and large have alliances to conferences. ND is alone in that area, what incentive does the CFP committee have to do any favors for ND?

People can dislike that and say that's wrong, but college football's post-season has always been about politics and everyone having an equal chance has never been one of them, and it is a farce to think the CFP committee is trying to get the best 4 IMO. In the past network preferences gave ND a huge advantage, now its the CFP committee made up of conference people making those choices. Its about people voting their self interests in both cases.

(06-14-2016 04:30 PM)Win5002 Wrote:  I think a lot of people leave out a relevant fact in the analysis of ND making the CFP. The committee is made up of people that by and large have alliances to conferences. ND is alone in that area, what incentive does the CFP committee have to do any favors for ND?

People can dislike that and say that's wrong, but college football's post-season has always been about politics and everyone having an equal chance has never been one of them, and it is a farce to think the CFP committee is trying to get the best 4 IMO. In the past network preferences gave ND a huge advantage, now its the CFP committee made up of conference people making those choices. Its about people voting their self interests in both cases.

TRUE.

(06-14-2016 03:42 PM)TIGER-PAUL Wrote:  What 'headaches'? Same ole monitoring the landscape story with them...

My guess is that the point of the article title is that if ND makes the playoffs, two P5 conferences are out in the cold ??

(06-14-2016 07:07 PM)TerryD Wrote:  

(06-14-2016 03:42 PM)TIGER-PAUL Wrote:  What 'headaches'? Same ole monitoring the landscape story with them...

My guess is that the point of the article title is that if ND makes the playoffs, two P5 conferences are out in the cold ??

...or maybe the point is that Notre Dame could get left out of the playoff because they don't play in a conference championship game :)

(06-15-2016 03:11 PM)EvilVodka Wrote:  

(06-14-2016 07:07 PM)TerryD Wrote:  

(06-14-2016 03:42 PM)TIGER-PAUL Wrote:  What 'headaches'? Same ole monitoring the landscape story with them...

My guess is that the point of the article title is that if ND makes the playoffs, two P5 conferences are out in the cold ??

...or maybe the point is that Notre Dame could get left out of the playoff because they don't play in a conference championship game :)

That wasn't what the title or the text of the article said or implied.......

Maybe everyone needs a 13th game?

(06-15-2016 03:58 PM)TerryD Wrote:  

(06-15-2016 03:11 PM)EvilVodka Wrote:  

(06-14-2016 07:07 PM)TerryD Wrote:  

(06-14-2016 03:42 PM)TIGER-PAUL Wrote:  What 'headaches'? Same ole monitoring the landscape story with them...

My guess is that the point of the article title is that if ND makes the playoffs, two P5 conferences are out in the cold ??

...or maybe the point is that Notre Dame could get left out of the playoff because they don't play in a conference championship game :)

That wasn't what the title or the text of the article said or implied.......

& yet both scenarios are possible.

Or maybe the point is that Notre Dame is just a pain?

(06-15-2016 05:47 PM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  Or maybe the point is that Notre Dame is just a pain?

They have been known to cause a few ailments ranging from migraines to sore bottoms.