Rockne's Roundtable

Interesting question Dan. For some reason my sexy pick would be USF. For some obvious reasons. To prove that we are better and certain things are a fluke. But I think it would be great to play Alabama. Especially after they were done beating the crap out of UM. They would be riding high and we would surprise them! To be the best you have to beat the best. Good-bye to Wake Forest. Now before the pile on starts , can't we just have some fun and actually believe again.

I agree that the location of the Navy game is ridiculous, but we should always have Navy on our schedule. I think I would remove BYU for an easier game. BYU is a really tough team. After a stretch of Michigan, Michigan St, Miami and Stanford, we could use a break heading into the Oklahoma game. BYU is a very good team, possibly top 25. We already have 5 games against higher rated teams. BYU will be an easy game to overlook. Team can't be on an emotional high every week and this might be the ultimate trap game.

I would replace Michigan with Northwestern, not because it is a tough game but because Michigan gets way more out of this game than ND does. It is not as if Michigan needs or deserves ND's help.

Northwestern is a very fine private school trying to compete in the Big Ten. That rivalry makes sense.

I have no interest in ND's playing OSU anywhere but a bowl game. But I don't live in Ohio or even the mid-west.

I would like to see ND play Florida rather than Miami or Florida State, and Miami rather than Florida State.

I would like to see ND play Oklahoma and Texas like they do USC and Stanford: one at home the other away every year.

But to answer the question: I would not change who ND plays in this year's this year's schedule, but I would prefer that the Navy game be played in the U.S. Seems like one more example of this ND administration not understanding what they must do to support ND football. For starters, quit using coaches and schedules as a way to promote the university beyond the gridiron. And I want ND to beat Michigan like a drum before dropping them from their schedule.

i would drop off byu, and for a 1 year thing have ole kansas come into town and play dayne and fat charlie that would be a fun game.

Please tell me you're joking.

If not, the word "tradition" has officially jumped the shark.

Cedar i respect your point of view, i really do. I don't see the harm of playing in Ireland though. It's a cool reward for the players and fans

Cool reward for what? Who deserves this reward? You are getting at my point about how needless this game is though.

And, any tradition that began in 1996 should be abolished by the way. The reason why the Program is so bad today is because of the decisions that were made right around that time.

How about a reward for being an athlete and maintaining academic eligibility at one of the hardest places to do so in the country. The work those kids put in is ridiculous. Not even you can dispute that

And to compete at the level most of us want them too, major changes need to be made that will probably never happen. Academic requirements would have to be lowered which isn't going to happen. The field and stadium would have to be modernized. Easier schedule would need to be played, which means putting in a couple of cupcakes every year. So basically ND would need to sell out and be like every other school in the country. I for one don't want that. So I will take the games in Ireland and enjoy them. These aren't the days of old, my friend..

Cedar, you seem to have a burr in your saddle.

Notre Dame is an international school. It is recognized for many things, football being one of them. If the university finds it necessary to play in Ireland, I am willing to think it is acceptable. The fact is, football is a catalyst for many things, and the university uses that to their best advantage.

If you want SEC football, and all that goes with it, choose to root for an SEC program. ND brings much more to the table than just football. You can deny, twist, spin, or do anything you want with that fact, but it is still a fact.

When ND gets the right kids in the program, hopefully they'll play up to your expectations. Until they do, you are going to have to deal with a few losses a year from actual student / athletes. Notice 'student' is first.

I would like to give Manti his game in Hawaii. Remove BYU for an away game on the islands.

I have accepted it for over 20 years now. As have we all, and we're not happy about it but I don't see these changes happening anytime soon