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Did Winning A Title Just Become More Difficult For ND?

  • Now that we know that college football will be going to a four-team playoff in 2014, does this make Notre Dame's road easier or much tougher?

    My first thought is tougher because of the last two national titles. In 1988, after the regular season, instead of just having to play No. 3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl —a game where you knew the Irish were clearly superior — No. 1 ND would have first have to have played No. 4 Florida State (who people always had as the "best team" at the end of the season back then). If ND beat FSU, then it would have had the rematch with Miami (31-30 epic victory), and I would not have liked the chances of beating them a second time.

    In 1977 ... Notre Dame wasn't even among the top 4 (it was 5th) at the end of the regular season, so based on the polls then, it would have been in that four-team playoff. Same in 1970 with Joe Theismann (it was 6th with a 9-1 record).

    In 1993, No. 4 ND would have played No. 1 Nebraska (liked ND's chances back then), and then probably had a rematch with Florida State in the title game.

    Of course ... it would be nice to first of all even to be in the discussion. Thoughts?

    Lou Somogyi ●

  • ND would have to win back-to-back games against Alabama/LSU caliber types of teams. Not happening. ND is fielding a university football team. The top teams today are semi-pro teams.

    This post was edited by Irish Cedar on 4/27/2012 at 7:32 AM

    Irish Cedar ●

  • Well, Lou, it certainly would have made it more difficult in those years you cite. I'm not sure how much more difficult it makes it now. There was already a reasonable probability that they would have had to beat the best, or next best, team in the existing format. One might even argue that the new format would improve their chances, as it doubles their opportunity to get into the play-off, and then it is also possible that the "best" team might get upset if the Irish didn't draw them in the first round. It seems like you can approach it from a number of different angles, though not necessarily leading to anything conclusive.

    signature image

    I may not be pretty, but I'm fast..... POTW 1/31/11 - 2/6/11

    HamOnWry22

  • I've been sitting here scratching my head at all these ND fans screaming for a playoff. As a college football fan I'll agree that it provides a more clear cut champion but as a ND fan I've always thought that this would be the kiss of death.

    Believe it or not, winning a championship just got a whole lot more difficult for Notre Dame and a whole lot easier for the SEC.

    POTW 8.8.11-8.15.11/ Co-Founder Gringo Mafia

    GIGA

  • Lou Somogyi said...

    In 1993, No. 4 ND would have played No. 1 Nebraska (liked ND's chances back then), and then probably had a rematch with Florida State in the title game.

    Given the chance, I think that ND would have won that tourney in '93.

    I would think that it would make it easier in that there is leeway for a 'down game'. In CFB today, the best teams don't have those games, unless they are playing top teams. Notre Dame has those games against USF, Navy, Pitt, Syracuse, etc...

    Let's say, for example, that ND somehow wins the sloppy games against USF and Michigan, and then somehow pulls out wins at Stanford. A one loss ND team does not make the championship game in that scenario, but they might make the 4-team playoff where anything can happen.

    Just my two cents.

    signature image

    Member of the Gringo Mafia - chief infiltrator of the federales --- If life hands you lemons, throw them at an UofM fan

    tommyd44

  • This:

    "Of course ... it would be nice to first of all even to be in the discussion".

    ClutchCargo

  • From what I am seeing with the development of our defensive line and multiple play-makers on offense... bring'em on! It may not be this year but as of 2013, ND will be able to play with any of them, and you'll get a glimpse of that when Golson takes the starting job for good (that IS going to happen).

    ndin12

  • Always appreciate the historical perspective, Lou. I think the playoff format makes it harder to win it all in the sense that you have to win at least one more tough game, but that's true for all teams.

    Emcee77

  • Simple answer. Having to win one more game to win a title makes it tougher for everyone, not just Notre Dame.

    One thing that should also be done is that if you lose your conference championship you lose the chance to play in the final 4. That would make the regular season mean even more. Since they want to fall back on that as the reason from not having an 8/16 team play-off.

    Also move the bowls up one week, play all the bowls then pick a final four, the final four play New Years Day and then the finals one week after. Would make 2 extra games and actually give more teams a chance.

    signature image

    poster of the century status-irishnd966/The Ohiosupergenius has spoken-Norberg/2D6 is always right-floridacarpenter/4/5/04 13,000+

    2daniel6 ●

  • 3 points:

    first let's get back to respectability. after that it should be easier for us to win and NC since we control our own schedule as an Independent and if we schedule and beat the best during the regular season we'll be ranked in the top 4 every year and get a shot.

    there is no reason with the talent we already attract as a mediocre has-been we should be a top 10 team right now....then once we actually start winning we'll attract even more talent which will give us the firepower to play and win the toughest schedule in the country.

    bottom line is BK needs to start winning- he's had 3 years to get his system in place and with the talent already on board and assistant coaches i could coach the team to between 8-9 wins.....he's getting paid millions to figure out how to win those 3 games i couldn't.

    NDHoss ●

  • GIGA said...

    I've been sitting here scratching my head at all these ND fans screaming for a playoff. As a college football fan I'll agree that it provides a more clear cut champion but as a ND fan I've always thought that this would be the kiss of death.

    Believe it or not, winning a championship just got a whole lot more difficult for Notre Dame and a whole lot easier for the SEC.

    How much easier can it get? They've won the last six championship games by an average margin of fifteen points. The biggest challenge an SEC team has is winning the SEC.

    signature image

    I may not be pretty, but I'm fast..... POTW 1/31/11 - 2/6/11

    HamOnWry22

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    Irish legend CMC Quote Master and Director of Football Related Discussions 5 Time POTW & 2 Time WPOTW Winner Joined 09/17/05

    Hodges

  • The development of the Mega-Conferences makes it difficult for any team not from the SEC et al to be a top 4 team with one loss. The voting cartels of those conferences will protect their own and you will see more of what we had last year, LSU v Alabama. There should be a seeding process that mandates any same conference teams to meet in round 1.

    This post was edited by psdo51 on 4/27/2012 at 8:42 AM

    psdo51

  • I hope ND makes and wins a BCS game this season otherwise our storied program will forever be linked as never having won a BCS game. As for playoff anything can happen in a playoff and to be the best you have to beat the best. Last years team with an inept QB could have hung with any team in the countryso I welcome a playoff. However they should join a conference so that the schedule could lighten up a bit. If you dont make the Final 4 at least every 3-5 years our fan base may implode.

    itwillnotrain

  • What it does is make it more likely that the best team will win. Given ND's tough schedule it will always be difficult to get into a two team playoff. They could get into the playoff with one or even two losses if there schedule is like this year's. Once in,you have a shot. Of course they have to get a lot better to even discuss this, but in my opinion they are heading in the right direction interms of talent to compee with the big boys. I think schedule might be a more relevant factor fora championship then the new tournament.

    tomporraz

  • It's the same for everyone. No matter who is in the football "Final Four", you're going to have to win 2 games to win the title. Where ND still has it easier than most is they won't have to win a conference championship game, like 90+% of all BCS champs have had to do.

    Now, what needs to happen to level the playing field is have the semi finals at campus sites or neutral sites, one of which needs to be in the midwest like Chicago or Cleveland or Green Bay. The southern schools have had the post season home field advantage since the dawn of the bowls and that needs to change. For instance, Florida hasn't played an OOC game outside the state of Florida in over 20 years! I would love to see them (or any other southern school) play ND or any other midwest power in a cold weather climate in late December.

    This post was edited by simm on 4/27/2012 at 9:23 AM

    My luck w/the Irish 18-6...GO IRISH!!!

    simm ●

  • HamOnWry22 said...

    How much easier can it get? They've won the last six championship games by an average margin of fifteen points. The biggest challenge an SEC team has is winning the SEC.

    I think you just answered your own question

    POTW 8.8.11-8.15.11/ Co-Founder Gringo Mafia

    GIGA

  • First, it depends upon how the four teams are selected---coaches polls (and to some extent
    media polls) will favor teams belonging to the respective conferences since, as psdo51 said,
    the conferences do protect themselves. If done by some sort of selection committee, our chances
    should increase if we play a competitive schedule and win the lion share of our games.

    Second, there is the tendency to see the SEC, PAC-12, ACC, etc. as monoliths. Yes, under
    present circumtances, one or more SEC teams will be in the top four but which one. Notre
    Dame is a single institution yet it is always compared to an entire conference: to wit--- are
    ND's chances as against the entire SEC improved? Probably not. However, how about ND's chances
    versus a given team from the SEC, say Georgia? I think so. Especially if Georgia has to
    win the SEC championship game first before being considered for a playoff spot. Talk about
    a gauntlet!

    I do concur with you, Lou, that it would be nice to even be in the discussion--to some extent,
    this is why the ESPN, CNN and SI types are able to get away with the "Is ND relevant" routine:
    come November, come national championship or even top bowl qualification, we are not
    even talked about and haven't been on a consistent basis for some time.

    For years and years, ND benefited from being almost automatically a top team because
    we rarely lost, won "signature" games and pulled off incredible upsets and were associated
    in journalists' eyes with the perceived best conference in football during the '30s, '40s, '50s
    and '60s--the Big Ten. We got a lot of votes from Big Ten country journalists. That is no
    longer the case and hasn't been for a while.

    Not directly on point, but one of the most frustrating things about our recent malaise is
    our failure to win at home---how many games since 1990 have we lost at South Bend?
    We can seem to make the place intimidating at all. We have a set of very sophisticated
    and polite season ticket holders whose passion for the game is virtually non existent.
    And, in garnering votes for a playoff, losing is one thing, but losing at home can be
    a real killer. Just ask the 1993 team.

    This post was edited by hemy on 4/27/2012 at 10:25 AM

    hemy

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    vin4irish

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    First time POTW for 4/18/2011-4/24/2011.

    edd1066 ●

  • Gotta beat the best to be the best... lets consistetly break the top ten and then worry about a championship ey!!

    dpoore12

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    jiggafini19

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    Tshea

  • Irish Cedar said...

    ND would have to win back-to-back games against Alabama/LSU caliber types of teams. Not happening. ND is fielding a university football team. The top teams today are semi-pro teams.

    "The top teams today are semi-pro teams."
    Hit the nail on the head Cedar.

    simscj2001

  • I don't know about how much more difficult it might be to win a title under a four team playoff and right now and I don't care. I'm to busy wondering how difficult it is for us to be a top 10 team and will we ever get there before I die? Current age is 52. Sorry, it's been a real crapfest for 19 years.

    simscj2001

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