Brian Kelly talked yesterday about altering their approach to scheduling.

Sounds like he wants to add a few cupcakes to the diet.

The question, of course, is are they interested in just trading a few games for G5 opponents or do they want something more holistic?

Kelly has already spoken in the past about how difficult the travel schedule makes things. And obviously, the stated goal is to make it more likely that you enter the CFP. There are only so many ways to solve these problems effectively.

(12-31-2017 09:42 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  Brian Kelly talked yesterday about altering their approach to scheduling.

Sounds like he wants to add a few cupcakes to the diet.

The question, of course, is are they interested in just trading a few games for G5 opponents or do they want something more holistic?

Kelly has already spoken in the past about how difficult the travel schedule makes things. And obviously, the stated goal is to make it more likely that you enter the CFP. There are only so many ways to solve these problems effectively.

When they signed up for 5 ACC games per year, they probably thought "Wake Forest, Duke, UNC, Virginia... OK!". They failed to consider FSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, Louisville... oh, and Duke beat them in South Bend last year, too. Not the automatic wins they were expecting!

Works for me. Arkansas is supposed to play them in 2020. I'd rather not play them. I'd rather see Arkansas play Houston or any other old SWC member.

(12-31-2017 10:09 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 09:42 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  Brian Kelly talked yesterday about altering their approach to scheduling.

Sounds like he wants to add a few cupcakes to the diet.

The question, of course, is are they interested in just trading a few games for G5 opponents or do they want something more holistic?

Kelly has already spoken in the past about how difficult the travel schedule makes things. And obviously, the stated goal is to make it more likely that you enter the CFP. There are only so many ways to solve these problems effectively.

When they signed up for 5 ACC games per year, they probably thought "Wake Forest, Duke, UNC, Virginia... OK!". They failed to consider FSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, Louisville... oh, and Duke beat them in South Bend last year, too. Not the automatic wins they were expecting!

This says more about what they've become than anything else. Notre Dame no longer can recruit the whole nation as they once did. To be sure they still recruit the whole nation, but their brand has so faded, especially in an increasingly secular world, so that now they no longer get what would be 4 & 5 star recruits in California, Texas and Florida, but rather 3 star and occasional 4 star recruits in those places.

Notre Dame is no longer seen by recruits as a big game school at which to showcase their talents and they no longer have the name to pull them in on down years. Add to it Kelly's rotten PR capabilities and you have what you have.

Notre Dame might as well join the ACC in full because then they would get at least 3 games a year that would be easier than their present schedule. It should also be painfully obvious by now that USC is no longer "the" game that it once was.

Other than the ACC, the Big 10 West would be the best place for them, but with it comes utter obscurity.

There's a few things they could do...

1. The game has changed a little bit with regard to how you gain exposure in front of recruits. They will still have to travel out of their region, but it doesn't have to be as difficult as they've made it.

Do what the other powers do and start scheduling a neutral site game against a name opponent in the early weeks of the season. They'll be a fixture in those games as the networks and sponsors will be happy to put it together.

2. There is no need to play both USC and Stanford every season. Forget tradition, trips to CA are long hauls and you're not going to steal all that many recruits that far from home especially when the entire PAC 12 is descending on the same markets for the bulk of their players.

The USC game is the only one you should consider playing regularly as at least that gives you good exposure in LA. Perhaps kick the season off against them every year at a neutral site?

3. The ACC could help them do a lot of things differently and ensure they wouldn't suffer for it. An 8 or 9 game schedule in which a healthy chunk come in either the Midwest or Northeast would significantly reduce travel and get ND in front of Catholic players. They'll still play the Southern powers here and there, but it won't be that often.

4. It looks like they host Navy every year which makes sense. Keep that tradition going, that's fine. They need another G5 opponent late in the season as a break.

I would suggest this overall:

Notre Dame joins in full on the condition that Cincinnati gets invited as well and the league splits into pods.

North: Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Louisville, Pittsburgh
East: Boston College, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech
Atlantic: North Carolina, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest
South: Florida State, Miami, Georgia Tech, Clemson

9 game schedule...

Notre Dame gets a break late in the season to schedule a G5 opponent...

They continue to host Navy every season...

They play a neutral site game in a hot market every season or occasionally play USC home and home.

(12-31-2017 10:52 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Works for me. Arkansas is supposed to play them in 2020. I'd rather not play them. I'd rather see Arkansas play Houston or any other old SWC member.

Gonna be mad if ND backs out of Arkansas deal just like Michigan did.

(12-31-2017 11:08 PM)murrdcu Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 10:52 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Works for me. Arkansas is supposed to play them in 2020. I'd rather not play them. I'd rather see Arkansas play Houston or any other old SWC member.

Gonna be mad if ND backs out of Arkansas deal just like Michigan did.

Still get paid.

(12-31-2017 10:52 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Works for me. Arkansas is supposed to play them in 2020. I'd rather not play them. I'd rather see Arkansas play Houston or any other old SWC member.

I'd love to see South Carolina do a home and home, but I don't see it happening. We seem married to the idea of playing UNC/NC State in Charlotte anytime we schedule a second P5 OOC game.

This is just Kelly being Kelly. ND is not going to significantly change the way it schedules.

It isn't going to join the ACC in football, either.

As far as not being what it once was, maybe so. But, it won 10 games two of the last three years and just beat an SEC school in a New Year's Day bowl.

(ND played two upper echelon SEC teams this year, losing to Georgia 20-19 and beating LSU. It seemed to match up ok with those teams).

Its recruiting is going pretty well too, despite message board talk. Rivals has this current class at #6 right now.

So, things are not as dire as some make out, not at all.

Kelly doesn't speak for the administration. Listen to Jack Swarbrick, not Kelly.

(01-03-2018 10:56 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 10:52 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Works for me. Arkansas is supposed to play them in 2020. I'd rather not play them. I'd rather see Arkansas play Houston or any other old SWC member.

I'd love to see South Carolina do a home and home, but I don't see it happening. We seem married to the idea of playing UNC/NC State in Charlotte anytime we schedule a second P5 OOC game.

Curious, in that all of those games have been orchestrated by South Carolina.

(01-04-2018 09:48 AM)XLance Wrote:  

(01-03-2018 10:56 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 10:52 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Works for me. Arkansas is supposed to play them in 2020. I'd rather not play them. I'd rather see Arkansas play Houston or any other old SWC member.

I'd love to see South Carolina do a home and home, but I don't see it happening. We seem married to the idea of playing UNC/NC State in Charlotte anytime we schedule a second P5 OOC game.

Curious, in that all of those games have been orchestrated by South Carolina.

No denying that. Personally, I think it's largely the brainchild of Ray Tanner/Steve Spurrier. As far as I know no future matchups have been scheduled since Muschamp took over.

I'm just saying I'm not a huge fan, particularly of scheduling NC State. I think UNC in Charlotte every four years (2015, 2019, 2023) is probably about the perfect amount.

(12-31-2017 10:09 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 09:42 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  Brian Kelly talked yesterday about altering their approach to scheduling.

Sounds like he wants to add a few cupcakes to the diet.

The question, of course, is are they interested in just trading a few games for G5 opponents or do they want something more holistic?

Kelly has already spoken in the past about how difficult the travel schedule makes things. And obviously, the stated goal is to make it more likely that you enter the CFP. There are only so many ways to solve these problems effectively.

When they signed up for 5 ACC games per year, they probably thought "Wake Forest, Duke, UNC, Virginia... OK!". They failed to consider FSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, Louisville... oh, and Duke beat them in South Bend last year, too. Not the automatic wins they were expecting!

ND went 4-1 versus the ACC this season.

(01-04-2018 10:43 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(01-04-2018 09:48 AM)XLance Wrote:  

(01-03-2018 10:56 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 10:52 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Works for me. Arkansas is supposed to play them in 2020. I'd rather not play them. I'd rather see Arkansas play Houston or any other old SWC member.

I'd love to see South Carolina do a home and home, but I don't see it happening. We seem married to the idea of playing UNC/NC State in Charlotte anytime we schedule a second P5 OOC game.

Curious, in that all of those games have been orchestrated by South Carolina.

No denying that. Personally, I think it's largely the brainchild of Ray Tanner/Steve Spurrier. As far as I know no future matchups have been scheduled since Muschamp took over.

I'm just saying I'm not a huge fan, particularly of scheduling NC State. I think UNC in Charlotte every four years (2015, 2019, 2023) is probably about the perfect amount.

State and South Carolina had a great rivalry, actually much more intense than the Carolina/lil' carolina series

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NC_State%E...ll_rivalry

(01-04-2018 12:42 PM)TerryD Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 10:09 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 09:42 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  Brian Kelly talked yesterday about altering their approach to scheduling.

Sounds like he wants to add a few cupcakes to the diet.

The question, of course, is are they interested in just trading a few games for G5 opponents or do they want something more holistic?

Kelly has already spoken in the past about how difficult the travel schedule makes things. And obviously, the stated goal is to make it more likely that you enter the CFP. There are only so many ways to solve these problems effectively.

When they signed up for 5 ACC games per year, they probably thought "Wake Forest, Duke, UNC, Virginia... OK!". They failed to consider FSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, Louisville... oh, and Duke beat them in South Bend last year, too. Not the automatic wins they were expecting!

ND went 4-1 versus the ACC this season.

A considerable improvement over last season.

(01-04-2018 12:55 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(01-04-2018 10:43 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(01-04-2018 09:48 AM)XLance Wrote:  

(01-03-2018 10:56 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 10:52 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Works for me. Arkansas is supposed to play them in 2020. I'd rather not play them. I'd rather see Arkansas play Houston or any other old SWC member.

I'd love to see South Carolina do a home and home, but I don't see it happening. We seem married to the idea of playing UNC/NC State in Charlotte anytime we schedule a second P5 OOC game.

Curious, in that all of those games have been orchestrated by South Carolina.

No denying that. Personally, I think it's largely the brainchild of Ray Tanner/Steve Spurrier. As far as I know no future matchups have been scheduled since Muschamp took over.

I'm just saying I'm not a huge fan, particularly of scheduling NC State. I think UNC in Charlotte every four years (2015, 2019, 2023) is probably about the perfect amount.

State and South Carolina had a great rivalry, actually much more intense than the Carolina/lil' carolina series

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NC_State%E...ll_rivalry

Great series, I would just prefer not to play them (or anyone) in Charlotte more often than once every 4 years.

(01-04-2018 01:00 PM)XLance Wrote:  

(01-04-2018 12:42 PM)TerryD Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 10:09 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 09:42 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  Brian Kelly talked yesterday about altering their approach to scheduling.

Sounds like he wants to add a few cupcakes to the diet.

The question, of course, is are they interested in just trading a few games for G5 opponents or do they want something more holistic?

Kelly has already spoken in the past about how difficult the travel schedule makes things. And obviously, the stated goal is to make it more likely that you enter the CFP. There are only so many ways to solve these problems effectively.

When they signed up for 5 ACC games per year, they probably thought "Wake Forest, Duke, UNC, Virginia... OK!". They failed to consider FSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, Louisville... oh, and Duke beat them in South Bend last year, too. Not the automatic wins they were expecting!

ND went 4-1 versus the ACC this season.

A considerable improvement over last season.

Yeah, I think that ND went 7-3 the two seasons prior to 2016.

(01-04-2018 10:43 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(01-04-2018 09:48 AM)XLance Wrote:  

(01-03-2018 10:56 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 10:52 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Works for me. Arkansas is supposed to play them in 2020. I'd rather not play them. I'd rather see Arkansas play Houston or any other old SWC member.

I'd love to see South Carolina do a home and home, but I don't see it happening. We seem married to the idea of playing UNC/NC State in Charlotte anytime we schedule a second P5 OOC game.

Curious, in that all of those games have been orchestrated by South Carolina.

No denying that. Personally, I think it's largely the brainchild of Ray Tanner/Steve Spurrier. As far as I know no future matchups have been scheduled since Muschamp took over.

I'm just saying I'm not a huge fan, particularly of scheduling NC State. I think UNC in Charlotte every four years (2015, 2019, 2023) is probably about the perfect amount.

Spurrier was never one to be shy about sharing his opinions.
He did voice two bold and interesting statements about CR.
1- that South Carolina should be in the ACC
2-all three Florida schools (Florida, Florida State and Miami) should be in the same conference (he did not specify whether that would be in the SEC or the ACC, just that all three should be in the same league).

(01-05-2018 06:03 AM)XLance Wrote:  

(01-04-2018 10:43 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(01-04-2018 09:48 AM)XLance Wrote:  

(01-03-2018 10:56 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 10:52 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Works for me. Arkansas is supposed to play them in 2020. I'd rather not play them. I'd rather see Arkansas play Houston or any other old SWC member.

I'd love to see South Carolina do a home and home, but I don't see it happening. We seem married to the idea of playing UNC/NC State in Charlotte anytime we schedule a second P5 OOC game.

Curious, in that all of those games have been orchestrated by South Carolina.

No denying that. Personally, I think it's largely the brainchild of Ray Tanner/Steve Spurrier. As far as I know no future matchups have been scheduled since Muschamp took over.

I'm just saying I'm not a huge fan, particularly of scheduling NC State. I think UNC in Charlotte every four years (2015, 2019, 2023) is probably about the perfect amount.

Spurrier was never one to be shy about sharing his opinions.
He did voice two bold and interesting statements about CR.
1- that South Carolina should be in the ACC
2-all three Florida schools (Florida, Florida State and Miami) should be in the same conference (he did not specify whether that would be in the SEC or the ACC, just that all three should be in the same league).

Spurrier was a good coach but said all sorts of ridiculous comments and there was a reason the administration quietly chuckled at most of them.

(01-05-2018 06:03 AM)XLance Wrote:  

(01-04-2018 10:43 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(01-04-2018 09:48 AM)XLance Wrote:  

(01-03-2018 10:56 AM)Gamecock Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 10:52 AM)hawghiggs Wrote:  Works for me. Arkansas is supposed to play them in 2020. I'd rather not play them. I'd rather see Arkansas play Houston or any other old SWC member.

I'd love to see South Carolina do a home and home, but I don't see it happening. We seem married to the idea of playing UNC/NC State in Charlotte anytime we schedule a second P5 OOC game.

Curious, in that all of those games have been orchestrated by South Carolina.

No denying that. Personally, I think it's largely the brainchild of Ray Tanner/Steve Spurrier. As far as I know no future matchups have been scheduled since Muschamp took over.

I'm just saying I'm not a huge fan, particularly of scheduling NC State. I think UNC in Charlotte every four years (2015, 2019, 2023) is probably about the perfect amount.

Spurrier was never one to be shy about sharing his opinions.
He did voice two bold and interesting statements about CR.
1- that South Carolina should be in the ACC
2-all three Florida schools (Florida, Florida State and Miami) should be in the same conference (he did not specify whether that would be in the SEC or the ACC, just that all three should be in the same league).

Spurrier was one of those who was supportive of Clemson to the SEC, but not because he thought Clemson belonged there. I'm sure his reasoning about South Carolina in the ACC was based on his same view of things. He strongly felt that with the growth of conferences that in state rivals should stay together.

He recognized the complexities of keeping these rivalries going when conferences grew to 16 or more and required more conference games to be played.

I don't call that line of thinking crazy, but rather proactive, and not on the behalf of conferences, but rather on behalf of taking the steps necessary to preserve the athletic departments most important money games.

(12-31-2017 12:09 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 10:09 AM)Hokie Mark Wrote:  

(12-31-2017 09:42 AM)AllTideUp Wrote:  Brian Kelly talked yesterday about altering their approach to scheduling.

Sounds like he wants to add a few cupcakes to the diet.

The question, of course, is are they interested in just trading a few games for G5 opponents or do they want something more holistic?

Kelly has already spoken in the past about how difficult the travel schedule makes things. And obviously, the stated goal is to make it more likely that you enter the CFP. There are only so many ways to solve these problems effectively.

When they signed up for 5 ACC games per year, they probably thought "Wake Forest, Duke, UNC, Virginia... OK!". They failed to consider FSU, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Miami, Louisville... oh, and Duke beat them in South Bend last year, too. Not the automatic wins they were expecting!

This says more about what they've become than anything else. Notre Dame no longer can recruit the whole nation as they once did. To be sure they still recruit the whole nation, but their brand has so faded, especially in an increasingly secular world, so that now they no longer get what would be 4 & 5 star recruits in California, Texas and Florida, but rather 3 star and occasional 4 star recruits in those places.

Notre Dame is no longer seen by recruits as a big game school at which to showcase their talents and they no longer have the name to pull them in on down years. Add to it Kelly's rotten PR capabilities and you have what you have.

Notre Dame might as well join the ACC in full because then they would get at least 3 games a year that would be easier than their present schedule. It should also be painfully obvious by now that USC is no longer "the" game that it once was.

Other than the ACC, the Big 10 West would be the best place for them, but with it comes utter obscurity.

They have three 4* signed players from Florida for next year.