Notre Dame’s final bowl destination will come down to a lottery drawing. It certainly isn’t the end result that anyone expected when we linked this handy infographic from FIDM, but here we are.
Now, the situation isn’t as simple as the six “Tier 1” bowls all throwing their names into a hat. Nothing ever is when it comes to the bowls. I’ve done a bit of digging around to try and paint the best picture that I can, and this post will detail what I’ve found. To paint an easier picture, I will list all bowl options, even those that Notre Dame will not be eligible for.
Playoffs & New Year’s Six Bowls
Bowls: Rose, Sugar, Orange, Cotton, Fiesta, Peach
How the Irish get in: The college football playoff committee will makes these selections. As a safe rule of thumb, the Irish need to land in the top 10 to get into these games. So, yeah, not happening this season.
Any other special conditions? Yes. If ND is the highest ranked, non-playoff team out of the SEC or B1G, they earn an Orange Bowl bid. However, ND can only appear in the Orange Bowl twice over the current twelve year contract (when it is a non-playoff game).
ACC “Top Tier” Bowls
Bowls: Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl (vs. SEC) & Russell Athletic Bowl (vs. Big XII)
How the Irish get in: The playoff committee doesn’t put ND in a NY6 Bowl and one of the following is true:
- Of all ACC teams, Notre Dame is ranked the highest
- Of all ACC teams, Notre Dame is within one win of the best win/loss records
Any other special conditions? Yes. The Citrus Bowl can only select an ACC team if a B1G team is in the Orange Bowl. That likely won’t happen this season based on projections that I’ve seen thus far. Even if FSU falls to Georgia Tech this likely won’t happen. Of course, chaos can still reign. Even if it does, there are too many 9-win teams in the ACC for ND to crack into these two bowls this season. I would assume there is another maximum limit for ND in these bowls, but I didn’t see any.
ACC Tier 1 Bowls
Bowls: Belk Bowl (vs. SEC), Sun Bowl (vs. Pac 12), Pinstripe Bowl (vs. B1G), Music City Bowl (vs. SEC), TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl (vs. SEC)
How the Irish get in: Notre Dame lands in a pool of the ACC 3-6. If any of the bowls in this tier desire to select Notre Dame, they will enter a drawing. The winner of this lottery will win the right to select Notre Dame for their game.
Based on all projections that I’ve read thus far, the only way ND would’ve landed outside of this pool this season is if they ended 6-6. With 7-5, and the ACC having a down season overall, the Irish can be considered for this pool. The Irish will likely end up somewhere here.
Any other special conditions? Yes and this is where things get messy. The Music City and TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowls aren’t ACC exclusive. They also have a contractual obligation to select a B1G team three times in six years. This means only four ACC teams (Notre Dame included) will end up in four of these bowls every year. Further, it appears that Notre Dame can only be selected by each bowl once, with that count only resetting once all bowls have had the chance to select Notre Dame.
For this reason, I seriously doubt that the Pinstripe Bowl blows their single ND bid for the foreseeable future by taking the chance on inviting the Irish to their game two years in a row. As far as teams that are interested, Irish Illustrated noted the following last night.
Sun Bowl rep told Irish Illustrated that it wants Notre Dame back in El Paso this year, likely against Washington or Utah.
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) December 2, 2014
Also spoke with a Belk Bowl rep who indicated they would likely put in to select ND as well. ACC “Tier 1” bowls have lottery for Irish.
— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) December 2, 2014
They didn’t note comment from the other two bowls which have B1G tie-ins (Music City & Gator), but I wouldn’t be surprised if they decide to throw their names into the ND selection hate, especially with the B1G having very little in desirable options this season.
ACC Tier 2 Bowls
Bowls: Military Bowl (vs. AAC), Independence Bowl (vs. SEC), Quick Lane Bowl (vs. B1G)
How the Irish get in: Finish 6-6 during a season or have the poor fortune of finishing 7-5 when the ACC has a stronger season.
Any special conditions? I’d assume it’s the same as the Tier 1 bowls. I honestly didn’t find a thing on this.
The Last Resort
Bowls: Bitcoin Bowl (vs. AAC/C-USA), Birmingham Bowl (vs. SEC/AAC)
How the Irish get in: Finish 6-6 in such a terrible fashion that even the Tier 2 bowls run for cover and avoid ND like the plague.
Any special conditions? These bowls pretty much hope that Notre Dame doesn’t decide to just forgo a bowl by falling this low.
Ryan Ritter
Texan by birth, Irish by choice.
Born and raised in the great state of Texas, Tex is a first-generation Domer and a former student manager. After graduation, he left the cold winters of South Bend behind and returned back to his home state with a computer engineering degree in tow. Missing the daily grind of working football practices and talking football with fellow Irish fans every day, he took to blogging, a path which eventually led him to Her Loyal Sons. Continuously diving into stats and game film, Tex strives to break down every aspect of Fighting Irish football--even though it's determined to kill him.
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Terribly written article. What conference is BIG? 10 or 12?
B1G is the official abbreviation for the Big Ten. Much like how ACC is the official abbreviation for the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Have a hard time believing that makes this a “terribly written article”, but thanks for the feedback, I guess.
Hear, hear! I’m also not sure why the “writer” would include an infographic from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
Great, thoughtful comment, NDFan. Who shit in your cereal this morning, Graham Greene? Other than your picayune uncertainty as to what “B1G” designates, what else made the article “terribly written”? When you first gazed upon the Declaration of Independence, did you chafe at the penmanship? Was the “W” perchance too florid? When you first watched Amadeus, did you cheer at the Emperor’s critique and cry “there are, in fact, too many notes!”? I’m not comparing Tex’s article to either Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail or to Mr. Jefferson’s little letter, but I am equating your comment to a nasty little hand-grenade of misery. Stop it.
The Big 10 has 14 teams. The Big 12 has 10 teams. I know Tex has a hard time with spelling sometimes, but this one really isn’t his fault…
Huh.
The sky did not fall as hard this season as I thought it did, at least as far as postseason games go.
This is why the deal with the ACC was so important. In the BCS era is was basically BCS or bust due to terrible tie-ins. Now we get the same luxury of not getting buried in a bowl shuffle.
Notre Dame thinks of herself as ‘special’, and never misses a chance to toot her horn.
There is nothing ‘special’ about a team that loses 5 out of its last 6 games while giving up more than 40ppg, and after the last game the coach publicly thanks the opposing coach for not scoring even MORE points.
This team is beaten up, decimated, and spiritless, and the administration should be ashamed of themselves for even thinking of a Bowl game.
Given the tone of this article a Bowl game is already a foregone conclusion, and that’s a farce.
A bowl is a foregone conclusion because that is the way college football is now. Bowls themselves aren’t as “special” unless you hit the absolute upper tier. What they provide is chance for one final game in the season. In fact, teams that fail to even reach a bowl these days are considered laughing stocks and failures (see: Michigan).
Sure, the season has been disappointing, but that disappointment is no reason to do something that is basically the equivalent of quitting. And make no mistake, that would be exactly what declining a bowl would be. It would be no different than Notre Dame refusing to play USC because they lost 4 out of their last 5 games and have been giving up far too many points in those games.
I have never understood this idea of declining a bowl game among our fanbase. It shows a complete lack of comprehension for how the postseason works in college football and is, in my opinion, nothing but a show complete apathy and disrespect to the players that we claim to be fans of.
Disagree. ND has lost 5 out of its last 6 games, giving up 40+ ppg along the way. The team is beat up, the defense is decimated, the team looks to me to have tuned out the coach. The UCLA defense had the SC QB Keesler for lunch, and he looked like Tom Brady against our defense. After the game our coach publicly thanked the SC coach for not making the score higher – SC could have scored in the 60s if they had wanted to. Notre Dame was humiliated.
I realize that according to the way the postseason works in college football I am wrong, but Notre Dame is supposed to hold itself to a higher standard – accusing me of disrespect to and apathy toward the team is just wrong.
The crucial point of our disagreement seems to be your contention that declining a bowl would be the equivalent of quitting. I could not disagree more.
If you disagree, please back up why. At this point, all you have stated is that you think this team has performed so bad that they shouldn’t be allowed to play another game on their schedule. I do not see how this is any different than saying “well, playoffs are done, let’s stop the season” after losing to Northwestern.
I am more than happy to hear your reasoning for why not going to a bowl game isn’t quitting.
As far as my point on disrespect and apathy, how am I not wrong? You are explicitly stating that you are disgusted with the team’s performance and therefore you have decided that a bowl game for the players that have physically and mentally should just stay home because somehow that equates to ND’s “higher standard”.
That “higher standard” makes no sense. I have seen LSU and Georgia as projected opponents. How would turning down a game against a good SEC team a part of any “higher standard”? Are you scared that ND might get beat again? I certainly hope not because then you are requesting for ND to run away from a lost which certainly sounds like the lowest of all low standards to me.
You’re just repeating yourself here.
Question – Do the terms of our ACC ‘membership’ mean that we are contractually compelled to go to a Bowl game once we win 6 games, or can we simply decline without getting into some legal trouble?
Our disagreement aside – is Notre Dame obliged to go to a bowl game?
Not that I’m aware of; however, declining invites could very well have political ramifications beyond what is stated in the contract. There are already enough people in the ACC not overly happy with ND’s partial relationship and want an all-or-nothing agreement.
And just to note, my stance on the bowl game isn’t based on political concerns with the ACC.
If we declined we wouldn’t be breaking any rules, but we would be ruffling some feathers that should be left unruffled.
Correct?
“At this point all you have stated is that you are disgusted with the team’s performance and therefore they shouldn’t be allowed to play another game on their schedule.”
They were scheduled to play 12 games, they played 12 games. A postseason game is the reward for having played well DURING the season. They won their first 6 and then lost 5 out of their next 6. I’m not “disgusted” with the team’s performance, neither do I think they deserve to go to a bowl game.
There are many reasons why they fell apart in the last 6 games and we will spend (more) months going over them here, but the fact is that they were humiliated by Southern California. Humiliated to the extent that the ND coach publicly thanked the SC coach for not making the score any worse.
The name Notre Dame is supposed to mean something special.
You still haven’t answered my questions. All you have done thus far is simply state your displeasure for the losses and the SC blowout.
So let me try again:
Why is ND not worthy of a bowl game as opposed to any other 7 win team?
How does climbing in an ivory tower saying “nope, won’t play, we’re better than that” make ND special?
If, in a college football season, it is a standard practice to be scheduled a 13th game if you win 6, how would ND not going to a bowl be anything other than quitting?
Pay close attention – You seem to have a comprehension problem.
Q: Why is ND not worthy of a bowl game as opposed to any other 7 win team?
1) Notre Dame lost 5 out of its last 6 games, its last 4 in a row while giving up over 45 ppg in the last 4 games – all losses.
2) Notre Dame’s defense gave up more than 40 ppg in its last 6 games
3) Notre Dame lost its last 2 home games – to Northwestern and Louisville
4) Notre Dame was humiliated by SC to the point that the ND coach thanked the SC coach for NOT SCORING MORE POINTS.
5) Notre Dame’s offense and defense – especially the defense – are riddled with injuries.
You don’t think that the above reasons are any big deal in re accepting or rejecting a bowl bid – I do. ‘Standard practice’ be damned. That seems to be where we disagree.
You stated that there is a possibility of our playing either LSU or Georgia in a bowl game – God forbid. We would be lucky to hold them below 60 points, and you can bet that their coach wouldn’t be as nice as the SC coach.
This team is beaten, they need to call it a season, go home to their families, and then go back to school come January and start getting ready for next season. With every rep, with every lap, they need to think about what happened to them this past season, and they have to keep in mind the old saying – revenge is a dish that tastes best served cold.
But for now – retreat and heal. You want to call it quitting, go ahead.
Go soak your head, ya dingus
@Terry: All understand the season went unexpectedly sideways. But players do not stop with a loss. Rather, they shouldn’t. Especially Irish alleged 5 and 4 stars ‘ballers’.. But consider this: A win over a quote ‘SEC Whale’ would “amp” recruiting. Remember the Syracuse game. This kid from Hawaii was present, and was pelted with snowballs while ND lost.
For whatever reasons this team lost 5 out of its last 6 games, giving up more than 40 ppg along the way. In its last regularly scheduled regular season game Notre Dame was HUMILIATED to the extent that the ND coach publicly thanked the SC coach for not scoring more points – it could have easily gotten into the 60s or even worse.
Yada yada yada – I’ve stated these facts numerous times. I am as sick of saying them as you are of hearing them.
But – THEY are the reasons I don’t think Notre Dame should go to a bowl. To me these facts are enough to conclude that Notre Dame should not go to a bowl game, or to be blunt – Notre Dame does not DESERVE to go to a bowl. To you and a lot of others these facts are not enough to warrant refusing a bowl bid – that is the crux of our disagreement and that’s where it stays – I’m not budging and neither are you. Ergo – we agree to disagree.
In support of my point I would refer you to the post-game story by John Vannie “Trojans embarrass hapless Irish” that was posted the day of the game and is still there, and I would ask you to read some of the comments posted there in re a bowl game. There was another story on the site a few days ago by an L.A. Sportswriter agreeing with me.
BUT – because it is Notre Dame the name alone will get her into a bowl game, because the name Notre Dame means money – lots of it.
Your other points:
“A win over a quote ‘SEC Whale’ would “amp” recruiting.” – If we play a decent SEC team I would expect the score to be in the 60s at least – not in our favor.
“Remember the Syracuse game. This kid from Hawaii was present, and was pelted with snowballs while ND lost.” I remember the loss but the kid from Hawaii getting pelted with snowballs is new to me and in any case I fail to see what it has to do with the issue at hand.
Thanks for your reply.
I don’t have a comprehension problem. You’ve repeated those 5 statements over and over again. But let’s not forget this team was a terrible OPI call away from unseating FSU, nearly pulled off an impossible comeback against ASU, and are a kicking unit head case away from scraping past Louisville (and avoiding the N’Western disaster).
Quite frankly, shit happens. But I don’t think those issues should be the reason to pack it up in a game that won’t be played in a month. A lot can happen between now and then.
I’m just floored anyone wants to wait until 2015 to see how this team will respond. I want to see what these players and Kelly will do with their backs firmly against the wall. Adversity can build a team. Fighting back can create momentum. I just don’t understand why previous failures should be the sole reason for throwing in the towel.
Let’s wrap this up – for whatever reasons, ND LOST 5 out of their last 6 games, and that is why I don’t think they should go to a bowl game, why I don’t think they DESERVE to go to a bowl game.
Please read “Trojans Embarrass hapless Irish” which was posted on the day of the SC game on this site. A lot of comments agree with mine.
Terry:
Allow me, if you will, to ask you a few base questions:
1) Do you want the Notre Dame football team to be better than they were this year?
2) Do you believe that practice can help players learn technique, learn plays and improve their game?
3) Do you believe that playing in a game, regardless of the result or the opponent, helps players learn from their mistakes and build on their successes?
4) Do you believe playing in games helps coaches identify talented players and make adjustments based on who is performing and who is not – which ultimately leads to greater success?
5) Do you believe it is important that seniors are rewarded for four years of hard work with a trip to a bowl game, regardless of how this year transpired?
6) Do you believe it could help with recruiting for Notre Dame to play in a locale that it traditionally does not play in against an opponent that it does not traditionally play?
7) I believe that the revenue generated from Notre Dame’s football program subsidizes almost all of the other sports (men’s and women’s). Do you believe is it important for all student athletes, regardless of sport, that ND’s football program take in revenue where it is offered?
8) Would you still be adamant about the team declining a bowl invitation if it had lost 5 out of their FIRST 6 games, gave up more than 40 points per game, and allowed USC to run roughshod on them – but finished the season winning six in a row?
1) yes
2) yes
3) yes
4) yes
5) no
6) yes
7) Notre Dame’s football program subsidizes almost all the other sports – that’s a given and has been for years. But in the context of what we’re talking about my answer is no.
8) Silly question, but my answer is no. (I don’t usually answer ‘if’ questions but I’ll make an exception here, given that it’s pretty obvious that you’re trying to set me up.)
A few questions of my own
1) Did you read the report on the game immediately posted last Saturday entitled “Trojans embarrass hapless Irish” and did you read any of the comments in re a bowl game in there?
2) Did you see the UCLA – USC game the week before? UCLA embarrassed Kessler, ND made him look like Tom Brady.
3) When the Notre Dame coach publicly thanks the Southern Cal Coach for not letting the score get any worse, would you agree with me that this was humiliating for Notre Dame?
To recap:
You want the football team to be better.
You know practice can help them get better.
You know playing in games can help them get better.
You know playing in games helps coaches coach better, which translates into success.
You know that playing in bowl game can help with recruiting.
You know all of these things. You believe all of these things. And yet, you don’t want Notre Dame to go to a bowl. How do you explain this discrepancy between what you know and what you want?
To answer your questions:
1) Yes
2) Yes
3) Yes
I simply do not understand why pride has anything to do with accepting a bowl bid. How many times have you found success in life without setback? I’m guessing the answer is zero.
Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes roughly 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery in a field. If you want the team to be better, why would you purposefully limit those opportunities? If you want the team to run laps for their sins committed during the USC game, why do you want to wait until spring to do that?
You say that Notre Dame should hold itself to a “higher standard.” I’m not sure how declining a bowl invitation will help it become more successful. Can you explain that to me?
I’ll explain how I believe the opposite can be true: While Notre Dame is holding itself a “higher standard,” a prized recruit choosing between the Irish and another school is wondering if he’ll be able to play in a bowl game if he enrolls in South Bend. Declining a bowl can hurt recruiting. You’ve admitted it yourself. (Answer #6).
Again: How do you rectify the incongruence between wanting the team to get better, but not wanting the team to practice or play games that you know will help them get better?
In its last 6 games Notre Dame got worse and worse. Granted they were robbed in the FSU game, but they lost. They barely won against Navy, they lost by 24 points to Arizona State and they lost their last 2 home games to Northwestern and Louisville. After each game there were more injuries and more players who should have stayed on the sidelines for the season were forced into action, with almost predictable results.
Then came the Southern Cal game, in which they were humiliated and embarrassed – one of the worst beatings by either side in the 86 times the game has been played. .
The ‘incongruence’ between wanting the team to get better and not wanting them to play bowl games where they will get better – there is none. This team does not deserve to go to a bowl game – a bowl game is a reward for a good season, and this team did not have a good season.
In closing let me quote you “I simply do not understand why pride has anything to do with accepting a bowl bid.”
You DON’T understand, I do.
Educate me.
What does pride have to do with accepting a bowl bid?
Please also define this nebulous “higher standard” that you’d like Notre Dame to respect.
The higher standard true ND fans speak of is a way to evaluate wins and losses. I’m proud enough to admit that I hold this 2014 team to this higher standard.
At first glance, you may see a 7-5 record (and bowl eligibility!) along with six wins to open the season. But let’s look closer…
Terry mentions we “barely won against Navy” — that’s as good as a loss, so let’s revise the ol’ record to 6-6.
USC was such a horrible showing that it should count as two losses, moving ND sub-.500 to 6-7.
And although the UNC, Stanford, and Syracuse games were wins, there were so many turnovers that one of these game should be counted as a loss, moving the record to 5-8.
I think you can agree that a 5-8 record is historically unprecedented, even in the Brian Kelly “era”. And since it’s well established that teams winning less than 6 games can’t be bowl-eligible…well I guess we’ll just hope for the best in 2015.
Why should ND even bother with football? This is just all terrible. Go full UAB and SHUT IT DOWN!
I blame BK for dialing up too many dangerous pass plays. He set up Golson to fail. Everybody knows championship teams run the ball over 60% of the time. Hopefully Swarbrick has the stones to make a coaching change. Is it just me, or does anyone else think Bo Pellini would win titles at ND?
Bret Bielema is the better hire. Didn’t we almost get him a few years back? I seem to remember rumors that there was interest.
“IT’S GRUDEN!”
Terry (although I know that you’re actually Coach Devine), thanks for reading and commenting. Actually, we had to purchase a second server to handle your comments, and your Tex-directed ire, but let me get to my point: what’s this about “deserving” anything? Didn’t we “deserve” the NC in 1993? Sure we did, but we didn’t win it. That’s all a bowl is about: extra practice. Reserve “deserving” for those gallant bastards at Dien Bien Phu, who deserved to hold it, but didn’t.
I certainly seem to have stirred up a hornet’s nest here, entirely unintentionally I assure you. (I appreciate your civil tone.)
Ryan seems to have gone over the top a little bit and has suggested in response to me that Notre Dame shouldn’t even bother with football. I assume he is being sarcastic, because if that wish should come true he would be out of a blog, or job, or whatever you call it.
(BTW – I’m almost 71 years old which means that when you tell me that you had to purchase a 2nd server to handle my comments, I really have no idea what you’re talking about – if you’re being sarcastic, whatever),
I have directed no ‘ire’ in his direction, or anyone else’s – I merely expressed the OPINION that this Notre Dame team does not deserve to go to a bowl. I gave my reasons for my opinion and nothing anyone has said gives me any cause to change my OPINION.
“That’s all a bowl is about – extra practice.” I disagree on that one too but we’ll just let it go
(BRACE yourself – this is going to piss you off.)
‘Deserving’ implies earning something
We did not ‘deserve’ the NC in 1993. True we beat FSU and took over as #1, but the next week we lost at home to a not very good BC team which was on a payback tear from the year before.
To put it bluntly – If you’re ranked #1 but can’t defend your HOME TURF against a team ranked maybe #19, you don’t deserve to be #1, especially when #2 FSU played top 10 Florida on Florida’s home turf and beat Florida.
But it’s just a game – your equating this silly argument with something that happened in Vietnam, where I lost some friends, is inappropriate to say the least.
TERRY,
You’ve noted that use of the term “deserve” is premised on your opinion, which is fair. I’d say this: Were this 20-30 years ago, I would 100% agree with you. There was a time (not *that* long ago) that a bowl game was a “reward” for a good/great season. I think you have to consider, though, that the climate has changed.
This year, there are 38 different bowl games that will be played (excluding the “Championship Game”). That means 76 of the 128 teams in the FBS will in fact go to a bowl. They’ll receive those 15 extra practices and extra game activity. Whether it’s with something on the line, like those in the CFP, for pride, or just an opportunity to get some younger players action, over HALF of ALL teams in the FBS will be involved.
Notre Dame is currently 1 of 63 teams with 7 or more wins. It’s fair to say that literally EVERY single other team that falls within that bracket will go to a bowl. Bowls no longer serve as a reward for a great season. They’re basically there for all teams that don’t have an objectively terrible season.
I say objectively terrible because I agree with you that this season turned into an unmitigated disaster down the stretch. No question about it. However, the objective reality is Notre Dame, despite that horrid finish, has more wins than over half of all FBS teams. Within the modern bowl structure, they’re “deserving.”
I know you made references to ND holding itself to a higher standard, and fair enough. I just can’t agree with that. When every other team with similar or more success than ND is taking 15 extra practices and an extra game, it would be placing itself at a competitive disadvantage by electing not to go. No, I won’t be traveling for the game. I highly doubt I’ll be buying any bowl merchandise. But I certainly hope a team that NEEDS to improve takes up a chance to play one more game and maybe, just maybe, gives us the fans, the team, and the university something more positive to end the season on.
Cheers.
“Bowls no longer serve as a reward for a great season.”
Agreed – I think they should.
All accounts of the SC game agree on one thing – Notre Dame was embarrassed, they were humiliated and it was one of the worst defeats ever in the 86 game rivalry that goes all the way back to Knute Rockne.
IMO a Notre Dame team that was so thoroughly whipped as this one was does NOT deserve to go to a bowl game. They will, though, because by virtue of having won at least 6 games they are “entitled”.
The crux of your argument comes down to this: “Within the modern bowl structure, they’re deserving.”
Agreed.
But by my standards they are not deserving.
Am I claiming to set higher standards? Yes, but doesn’t Notre Dame claim to do the same thing?
OMT – 15 more practices and the game itself – let’s keep count of how many more players are injured.
Why is sitting and stewing at home “special?”
Your question makes no sense at all. I didn’t even use the word ‘special’.
To repeat – 15 more practices and the game itself. Let’s keep count of how many more players are injured.
I have yet to see any statement by anyone that this team actually deserves to go to a Bowl game.