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ND’s “Final Fours” Revisited

  • http://notredame.247sports.com/Article/Notre-Dames-past-football-in-todays-four-team-playoff-format-78868

    How would the newly incorporated four-team playoff worked for some of Notre Dame’s past great Notre Dame football teams?

    Lou Somogyi ●

  • While we wouldn't have won the title in 1977 and probably not in 1988 as Miami would've beaten us the second game in the playoffs. I do believe ND would've fared better in 1989 and would have been the odds on favorite to win it all in a 4 team playoff in 1992 and 1993.

    So, looking back for ND, if might have all balanced out with the same number of titles.

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

    simm

  • Good stuff Lou, thanks for the recap.

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

    edd1066

  • simm,

    I agree with 1992 and 1993. All respect to the '92 Alabama team, but I just don't think Jay Barker and Co. would have fared well against an ND defense that was peaking at the end of the year. However, the problem is ND was No. 5 at the end of the regular season, so I'm not sure it would have even been in the 4-team playoff.

    Lou Somogyi ●

  • Lou,

    Good article. I, for one, would welcome the day when the kind of controversies, discussion you describe is once again a feature of an ND football season. Yes,
    the playoff format may have not favored us in some years as opposed to other years but at least there was discussion--in November no less--that ND was "in the hunt", a "team to consider" a team to argue about. It would be super if at the end of the season, we were in the "top four." It would still be great if we were arguing that an 11-1 ND team "should have been there." The sad thing is, with the records we have had over the years since Lou Holtz moved on, we are lucky to be arguing as to whether we should be in the top 25, a far cry from the Everest of the final four.

    So, yes we can fret about this scenario or that scenario. But, first, let's win some and even more, let's win them all at South Bend. To that point, I noticed that there was a comment that the to be decided committee may look at "where you lost." I gulped since many of our most embarassing moments have been on our home turf.
    So, as we can all agree, there's work to be done on the field to match Jack's successes in negotiations.

    hemy

  • hemy,

    I'm in lockstep with you regarding this topic.

    Baby Step 1 in my 6-Step outline of regaining credibility on the football field is not finishing with five losses for the sixth consecutive year — which would break the tie of the previous record of five set from 1959-63, before Ara led the Resurrection.

    The next step is to finish in the top 25 for the first time since 2006, otherwise you tie 1981-86 for the longest futility at the school in that department.

    Right now we're just the average nerd in high school trying to ask out the smoking hot head cheerleader.

    Lou Somogyi ●

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