Guest Post by the ND Squirrel
Domers:
Undoubtedly, we’re all frustrated with the perception of Notre Dame and the biases that work against us. Either directly or indirectly. With the playoff rankings. We want to cry “foul” and “unfair”. I still maintain that a 2-loss or 1-loss SEC team and every 1 loss non-SEC power 5 conference team will beat us out for the top 4 … assuming of course that we win out. Wins only matter if they’re the right wins and you’re better off wailing on a non-competitive FCS opponent than beating a generally competitive FBS opponent. Close wins against UNC and Navy hurt us while big wins over powerhouses like Presbyterian, UTM and Florida Atlantic aren’t even part of the discussion.
But, to that, I offer this. So what? We’re Notre Dame. We’re supposed to be the underdog. The team that wins what though the odds. To that, in developing a “screw it” attitude. If the field is unlevel enough such that the only way we get in is to beat all comers and go undefeated, so be it. Let’s do it and do it the Notre Dame way.
Sure, we could schedule some “glorified bye” opponents and play Appalachian State … heaven knows it would be a dream come true for them to have a shot at us. Or, we could give Kelly 3 or 4 “immunity challenges” that he could use for rules violations or to override Admissions. We could allow him to over offer scholarships and reusing scholarships taken from upper classmen who aren’t living up to expectations. Sure, maybe our graduation rate drops to a paltry 80-85% … and we’re still in the top 5/10 and a full 20%+ better than our Power 5 and playoff selected “peers”. We could fully join the ACC so we have a conference championship opportunity to eek us in with a single loss.
But that’s not ND. We have and will schedule the most competitive slate we can against teams that have peer or better resources and hope the other teams don’t implode. We will recruit kids who not only will graduate on time or early, will use a 5th year to get a graduate degree not finish an easier schedule bachelors degree. We will retain and grow young men who spend their summers not stealing crab legs and demeaning (or worse) women but rather helping an autistic kid feel comfortable at a sports camp, or a wheelchair bound make-a-wish kid feel like the king of the world getting equipment ready. We will honor our military not with lip service, but by joining them in their alma mater – win or lose. We will call “pass right” because we promised a cancer patient we would. We will suspend student athletes who fail to live up to behavior standards because we care more about their development as men and women than we care about how important they might be to us winning on the field. And we will expect that the “next man in” will rise to levels higher than even they thought they could so that developing character in those suspended or allowing to heal those injured can happen.
If we have to win out every freaking year to have a shot, if the powers that be want to minimize us or be biased because we don’t fit their world-view of sport, I’m good with that because we are Notre Dame.
We’re different.
We’re the underdog.
What though the odds … On the field or off …
To ESPN, playoff committee, SEC, Big 10 and anyone else who fits … Bring it!
We’re Notre Dame.
Her Loyal ... Daughter
Lisa Kelly is a multidimensional marketing professional. She has over two decades of marketing experience and earned a bachelor of business administration and marketing from the University of Notre Dame (Class of 1993 ... Siegfried Hall!). She is a Digital Publishing Manager by day and by night is writing her third book, a continuation of "Echoes From the End Zone: The Men We Became" and its sequel "The Men We Became: MORE Echoes From the End Zone." In 2012, Lisa was crowned the "Biggest Fan of the Big East" in a blogging and social media contest, representing Notre Dame.
Read all posts by Lisa
- Breaking Discoveries in CTE Research? - March 12, 2018
- A Football Player’s Lucky Charm? - February 22, 2018
- Part II: From Football to Coffee Beans? - January 31, 2018
Thanks for saying what needs to be said.
The playoff committe has an interesting take on what “strength of schedule” means. It does not really mean strength of schedule; it means strength of part of your schedule. Having 2 or 3 high quality wins along with a lot of low quality wins over bottom of the conference teams (or FBS schools that are glorified byes), apparently counts more than having 1 or 2 high quality wins and the rest of the schedule full of draining, week after week mid-quality wins. Having a quality schedule over all apparently is not important.
But, as you say, so be it. Go Irish! Beat Devils!
If strength of schedule even means that one quality win…. Explain Alabama? Their best win is against a 3 loss WVU…..
So be it! I totally agree. They may not want to raise their standards to meet ours, but it sure doesn’t mean we should lower ours to meet theirs.
Love this!! This is what we are all about – ’tis true! Thanks for capturing what makes us unique. Glad we have each other to commiserate with also.
Are there still squirrels on campus? Last year at reunion I only saw chipmunks.
Glad to see intelligent conversation. Only our fan base I guess.