I know this is not going to happen, but just humor me here.
If you were being objective and would rate each conference top to bottom, it would probably look something like SEC / B1G / Big 12 / Pac 12 / ACC. You can argue to flip ACC / Pac 12 but that's another debate.
Now look at ND schedule. 5 ACC teams (Syracuse/FSU/Pitt/Va Tech/Wake combined 33-27), 2 B1G (UM/NU 18-6), 2 Pac 12 (USC/Stan 12-11), 1 SEC (Vandy 6-6), 1 Mac (Ball St 4-8), 1 Independent (Navy 3-9). The obvious argument is overall strength of schedule (77-67), but look at what I feel is even more egregious. This is essentially the ACC getting 2 teams into the CFP without having them face off in a championship game.
Take 3 games (NU, USC, Stan) and replace them with (Ga Tech, Miami, UVA) and give ND the benefit of the doubt and say they win all 3, guess what happens. They have a showdown tonite with Clemson for 1 playoff spot, not have 2 by default.
ND plays ACC for all other sports, so they are certainly tied to the conference. I think it is insanely unfair to literally every other team that is tied to a conference and has to run the gauntlet plus risk having to win a championship game, and 1 team doesn't have to do anything but rest players and wait patiently.
I would think that it would be beneficial to the Power 5 conferences to make sure something like this doesn't happen again and force ND to at least join the ACC in an official capacity.
I know, wishful thinking.
Rant over.
If you were being objective and would rate each conference top to bottom, it would probably look something like SEC / B1G / Big 12 / Pac 12 / ACC. You can argue to flip ACC / Pac 12 but that's another debate.
Now look at ND schedule. 5 ACC teams (Syracuse/FSU/Pitt/Va Tech/Wake combined 33-27), 2 B1G (UM/NU 18-6), 2 Pac 12 (USC/Stan 12-11), 1 SEC (Vandy 6-6), 1 Mac (Ball St 4-8), 1 Independent (Navy 3-9). The obvious argument is overall strength of schedule (77-67), but look at what I feel is even more egregious. This is essentially the ACC getting 2 teams into the CFP without having them face off in a championship game.
Take 3 games (NU, USC, Stan) and replace them with (Ga Tech, Miami, UVA) and give ND the benefit of the doubt and say they win all 3, guess what happens. They have a showdown tonite with Clemson for 1 playoff spot, not have 2 by default.
ND plays ACC for all other sports, so they are certainly tied to the conference. I think it is insanely unfair to literally every other team that is tied to a conference and has to run the gauntlet plus risk having to win a championship game, and 1 team doesn't have to do anything but rest players and wait patiently.
I would think that it would be beneficial to the Power 5 conferences to make sure something like this doesn't happen again and force ND to at least join the ACC in an official capacity.
I know, wishful thinking.
Rant over.
