While people championing this argument believe they do so in hopes to boost their favorite team’s resume, somewhere, deep down, like a splinter in their mind, they know the truth: Notre Dame’s independence is tailor-made for playoff success and everyone else is at a disadvantage.

Ohio State finding their way into the playoffs last season, despite failing to win their conference, should have made this abundantly clear. Their mere membership in the B1G, for whatever reason, made this acceptable for probably everyone that wasn’t a Penn State fan. Throw Notre Dame into the mix, however, and everyone loses their minds.

So, in honor of Notre Dame holding on to their #3 rank for another week, allow me to detail three reasons why independence creates an easier path to the playoff than conference membership.

#1 – Conference Championships Are Meaningless, Actually

Oh, hail the mighty “13th data” point that a conference championship game can provide! Bow down to the golden calf of the conference title!

Then realize you’ve praised a false god and despair as your playoff dreams burn around you.

In 2014, the Big 12 had not one, but two conference champions. Their reasoning for trying to cut that baby in half was a narrative that the playoff committee would value a conference title in the final deliberations. With both Baylor and TCU as strong contenders, yet no title game, the Big 12 gave them a share of the title in hopes it would help one of them crack the top 4. It had the opposite effect and the committee, almost spitefully, put them 5 and 6, allowing Wisconsin, on the heels of a strong B1G Championship performance, to leapfrog them.

From that leapfrog, the narrative of the 13th datapoint in the form of a championship game was born. Yes, the committee denying two co-champions started this whole thing. Then the committee got a gift from the college football heavens in 2015 and got the perfect, clean conference championship scenario. With the Pac 12 having no one-loss teams, it was easy to open the door to the other four Power Five conference champs. Thus, the narrative continued.

But then, 2016 happened and, in the face of another tough decision, the committee put Ohio State into the playoff despite the fact that they lacked a 13th game and had no conference title. While the narrative seemed to break among many writers, the message hasn’t resonated with college football fans as a whole.

This season, we are not only looking down a barrel of a potential Irish playoff berth, but also a very realistic scenario in which two SEC teams find their way into the playoffs. The B1G and Pac 12 are all but eliminated from the discussion in early November. Oklahoma and TCU may have a chance to allow the Big 12 to sneak in; however, they may find themselves playing yet again and potentially knocking each other out thanks to the Big 12 stupidly deciding they needed a title game after their round robin schedule.

How in the world is anyone seriously giving conference championships and their title games the time of day at this point? Conference championships will not bail any of these teams out. The committee has proven over and over again they look for quality wins and, while a conference championship and championship game serve may certainly qualify as such a win, simply being the title holder is a tie-breaker at best. Further, said tie-breaker has only been used once in playoff considerations thus far.

#2 – Scheduling Flexibility Leads to Scheduling Strength

With the committee making it clear that strong out-of-conference scheduling is rewarded (more than conference titles!), teams have pushed for trying to boost their scheduling efforts. Just take a look at the first two weeks of the pas couple of seasons. They are jam-packed with marquee matchups for just this reason.

However, there’s a reason why those big-time games are crammed into the first two weeks: conference scheduling. Not only are teams required to play eight or nine conference games, but conferences typically don’t leave many open weeks once conference play starts.

This is part of the reason why previous B1G mainstays on the Notre Dame schedule like Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue are no longer annual opponents. For those schools, you have three weeks to fit them in before conference play kicks off. Meanwhile, Notre Dame is looking to get other schools on their schedule like Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Georgia. Those schools also face the issue of having precious few available weeks and something has to give.

Thankfully, Notre Dame’s relationship with Southern Cal and Stanford bucks this scheduling issue as their October and late November games are protected. Further, Notre Dame’s relationship with the ACC helps fill the remainder of the schedule as they can insert themselves into ACC conference play, benefiting both themselves and the ACC member they face.

Other teams have to rely on their conference’s perceived strength and reputation to bolster the majority of their resume, using one or two other big out-of-conference matchups to help catapult it further. Notre Dame, on the other hand, gets to scatter shoot across multiple conferences ever season. This year, Notre Dame plays four of the five power conferences. Further, Notre Dame could hit a jackpot as three four opponents have a path to their respective title games (Georgia, Miami, Michigan State [note: forgot Sparty here, my bad!] and Southern Cal).

That’s simply something that no team can match, even when they try to purposefully schedule to it. Just ask Alabama who has seen their “biggest week one game ever” opponent, Florida State, faceplant. That, combined with a down year for the SEC, gives the Tide zero room for error this season.

Granted, it’s never a guarantee that ND will have this level of luck with their scheduling; however, their chances are monumentally better by operating as an independent. If a conference hits any level of parity, much like what the Big 12 and Pac 12 have seen this season, they bring you down with them. Ask Wisconsin how many favors their conference schedule is doing for them right now, despite the fact that they are undefeated.

#3 – Quality Wins Are the Only Thing That Matters

As I’ve said on the podcast, the one thing the playoff committee has shown over and over again is the high value they place on quality wins. Quality has many forms: top 25, over .500, and power five teams.

Now, while I talked quite a bit in the previous point about scheduling, the other truth of the matter is that, as long as college football continues to maintain a very exclusive championship structure, there is an absurd amount of luck that goes into everything. It’s almost a total crap shoot or, in non-degenerate metaphors, more like the stock market.

Let’s go back to Alabama again. It’s not their fault that FSU went to hell. That’s generally a blue-chip stock that will get you the return that you expect. So when Alabama invests heavily into Seminole stock as their lone out-of-conference power five and it tanks, they don’t find themselves completely broke–yet. Their own stock is still worth quite a bit as they are undefeated and the SEC should perform well as a whole. But should they suffer a loss this season, they have very little to grab on to and are desperately searching for quality wins in a down year for the SEC to compete with other one-loss teams.

Notre Dame, on the other hand, diversifies. If Southern Cal has a down year, there’s a decent chance Stanford will still be solid. They won’t play every blue-blood in the ACC annually, but the chances of running into at least one good team are pretty good. Add on their own major investment or two early in the season, like Georgia and Michigan State this season, and the Irish have themselves a rather strong portfolio of potential quality wins that can survive the worst bear markets of parity.

Of course, we all know there are no guarantees. Despite ND’s best efforts, everything can go to hell in an entire season schedule-wise. Still, I would easily take Notre Dame’s method of scheduling rather than being locked in to a conference schedule any day of the week.

As long as the committee allows quality wins to rule the day, independent scheduling will remain king. All Notre Dame has to do is take care of business on their end. Before the bottom fell out in 2014, there was, believe it or not, a potential path to try to bust into the playoff discussion. In 2015, Notre Dame went down to the wire from wrecking everyone’s playoff dreams. In 2016, [data not found].

And now, in 2017, the Irish appear to control their playoff destiny once again. Should they win out, they will have put together a resume that no team in college football will be able to match.

The post Three Reasons Why Independence Is King in the Playoff Era appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Notre Dame Athletic Director, Jack Swarbrick, working his magic on future schedules, probably. (Photo Credit: Shane DeLeon aka SupermanTDJesus)

Now, I understand that, even in this barren desert of Irish football news, you may find it hard to get excited for games that are three and eight years away. To be fair, I’m right there with you; however, my excitement lies not with future dates with another SEC opponent, but rather how well ND and Jack Swarbrick have crafted their future schedules in the college football playoff era.

I’ve long hoped that the four-team playoff would force teams to see the value in scheduling tougher opponents, leading to more Power Five vs. Power Five matchups. With Notre Dame naturally having greater flexibility in their schedule as an independent, my personal hope was that the Irish would have a far better selection of willing opponents to agree to home-and-homes than they seemed to have in the BCS era.

That hope appears to have turned into reality with the SEC serving as the most willing dance partner. For all the hell I’ve personally given the majority of that conference for rarely travelling north of the Mason-Dixon line, take a look at what the Irish have put together starting this year through the time that the College Football Playoff contract expires in 2025:

2017: vs. Georgia

2018: vs. Vanderbilt

2019: @ Georgia

2020: vs. Arkansas

2024: @ Texas A&M

2025: vs. Texas A&M and @ Arkansas

And what of the (current) SEC-less gap from 2021-2023? A home-and-home with Ohio State in 2022 and 2023 will more than make up for it . In 2021, the Irish kick off the season in Tallahassee to avenge a certain bullshit offensive pass interference call. Still, consider that we are talking about games that are five-plus years away and it would be premature to say with certainty that the Irish won’t find a willing SEC opponent for those open dates, further adding greatness to these schedules.

But let’s look even further than the SEC additions to the schedule. With a certain Domino’s executive no longer in Ann Arbor, ND has put Michigan back on the schedule for the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Purdue has also found their way back on the Irish schedule for 2020-2021 and 2024-2026.

Yes, yes, I know it’s just Purdue, but step back, and look big picture here.

The Irish have a regional, Power Five (hey, stop laughing about Purdue being Power Five) opponent from 2018-2026, one full year past the CFP contract. Should the Irish continue this practice of scheduling SEC opponents or even dipping back into the Big 12 pool (see: Texas and Oklahoma as previous examples) with their current ACC scheduling agreement and current contracts with Stanford through 2019 and Southern Cal through 2023 (and I’m sure those will find extensions to at least 2025), you find a true, coast-to-coast, north-to-south schedule with a regional twist.

Feel free to show me another Power Five team in college football that can pull that off consistently. And that’s not a dig at the rest of college football either. It’s simply the reality of conference membership and the lack of flexibility that those schedules offer their members. Plus, even when most Power Five teams find their way into these non-conference matchups, they often find themselves going to an opening weekend neutral site game instead of the home-and-homes that the Irish are able to pull off.

It’s Rockne’s Ramblers for the modern college football era. If you want to stay independent and truly have a seat at the table in a four-team playoff, these true national schedules, pitting ND against three or even four of the Power Five conferences in a single season, are what the Irish must continue to play.

From a scheduling perspective, the path to the playoff has been paved. It will be up to the Irish to finally walk it.

The post Making the Most of Independence: Notre Dame’s Future Schedules appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Notre Dame should absolutely remain independent until it no longer makes sense. That is, until the college football playoff decides conference membership and/or a conference title is a requirement.

NOPE

But to be fair to Jimmy, talking about full ACC membership is indeed a conversation worth having. Let’s face it, every offseason this dead horse has its carcass drug out by some reporter or blogger and continues the annual assault with rumors that this time ND is super-serious about conference membership or with some hot-take about how Notre Dame is in their ivory tower with their independence. Quite frankly, the debate itself is tiring, but completely ignoring the possibility doesn’t seem wise either.

Look, we all know the history behind ND’s independence by now and the alternate timeline that has Notre Dame as a part of what is now the Big Ten leaves a lot to be desired. That, however, isn’t the landscape that the Irish see before them today. As Jimmy pointed out, the Big Ten ship fully set sail in 1999. Further, the Big Ten as it existed then and as it exists now is a completely different animal, as are the rest of the Power Five (a term that didn’t even exist until a few years ago) conferences in college football. I’m only a decade removed from my college days and, back then, the Big East still played football. We actually have a college football playoff now, something unthinkable due to the money tied and contracts that allowed the BCS to keep a choke-hold on this sport.

College football is a completely different beast now. We mainly have money to thank for that. The TV, bowl, and even playoff contracts are absolutely ridiculous these days, but have been a driving force in the conference realignment pictures. Jim Delany didn’t plop Rutgers into the Big Ten because they were the birthplace of college football, but because he saw dollar signs and the New York market for the Big Ten Network (logic of this: highly questionable, but still a thing).

Jimmy rightly points out that money is really no factor here for Notre Dame. A successful ND season leads to quite a boon for ND’s bottom line; however, Jimmy missed one crucial factor in this discussion: cord cutting. The money train looks to be on a collision course with this financial bubble and cord cutting is the extra coal being thrown into the firebox (I’ve been watching a lot of Thomas the Tank Engine with my toddler–forgive me for this metaphor). Look no further than ESPN laying off loads of incredible talent and citing cord cutting as the main reason for it.

Why focus on the cord cutters in a discussion of conference membership? Because the contract for the College Football Playoff expires after the 2025 season, a mere 8 years away. As we edge closer to the contract expiration, we will see likely see some serious shuffling much like we did near the end of the BCS era, especially because many of the Power Five’s TV contracts will be expiring around that time. Fox Sports sees this period not as a time of super-conference expansion, but as a contraction and consolidation of power into a single 24-team conference, which includes Notre Dame. As crazy as it sounds, it actually makes quite a bit of sense as the only teams that will truly be able to maintain this current level of cash flow will be those that have the star power to pull it off.

Simply put, aligning yourself to a conference right now doesn’t make a whole lot of sense when you might have to jump off the Titanic barreling toward the iceberg in under two recruiting cycles.

And that brings us another potential boat anchor: conference championships. Jimmy actually has some sound logic here. Sure, as Notre Dame fans, caring about a conference title seems ridiculous to us, but then again, we’re used to it. High school kids live and breath district and division titles as the games that matter in their seasons. Conferences as an extension of that is more of a natural fit than you might think, especially when it appears that the Playoff Committee puts a ridiculously high value on said titles.

And that’s really the true rub in this “title or nothing” situation. It’s not just Notre Dame’s recent struggles of “Returning to Glory” that have been the issue, but now teams in the driver’s seat of their conferences can point out their path to the playoff is much easier than ND’s. While we can all take some solace in Ohio State making this past playoff without said conference title (and conference talking heads pulling a full 180 on the issue), let’s not forget the exact dominoes that had to fall into place for Penn State to benefit from a hilarious conference head-to-head tie-breaker: Ohio State had a game-winning, chip-shot field goal blocked, Jim Harbaugh can’t win a game outside of the state of Michigan. In fact, as soon as the Irish have dropped a game these past few seasons, we already are looking ahead for the potential chaos needed to push the Irish into the top four.

But while that road isn’t easy, trying to figure out the logic of the Playoff Committee is even harder. Remember every talking point from 2014? Gone in 2015 and those new talking points are gone in 2016. I can’t wait to hear the mental gymnastics floated out in 2017 (I’m lying about this–never watch that stupid reveal show for anything but the rankings reveal). And what’s the committee going to do when a “clear” top four team drops the conference title game everyone expected them to win? Simply put, we never have any real idea of what they will do year in and year out, much less every week they trot someone out in front of ESPN cameras with their circular logic spin.

To be quite frank, I’m not sure if Notre Dame is truly in the best position in the world as an independent when it comes to the whims of the Playoff Committee. What I am sure of is that Jack Swarbrick has placed Notre Dame in the best possible position for the foreseeable future as ND is free to move in any direction they see fit should the previously sound foundation of the ACC crumble around them. This is a game of chess, not checkers. We can’t be lured by the siren song of conference titles and supposed easier paths to the playoffs when the whole thing can be up-ended soon after Notre Dame’s current recruiting target are schedule to graduate college.

We can keep having this conversation, but we, and the ACC, must recognize that there is no reason for either party to move at this point.

The post Continuing the Conversation: Notre Dame Should Remain Independent appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Anyways, after yet another week full of hot takes on why Notre Dame’s independence is the worst thing ever and should bar them from the college football playoffs, I felt it was time to devote a whole episode of the Friday Roundup to the topic. If you want a singular thing to pass on to someone that wonders why ND thinks it’s so special and is independent, share this episode. If you want to show someone that a strong conference is likely nothing more than a narrative, share this episode.

I go start the episode with a history lesson that many Irish fans are quite familiar with: Fielding Yost and the Western Conference membership that never was. From there, I talk about how Notre Dame went from struggling to survival to a powerful national brand in the modern era and why they manage to stand alone as the sole independent in the Power Five. Finally, I concluded with an in-depth discussion and analysis of the Power Five and their scheduling habits.

FCS scheduling, out-of-conference cowardice, and inflated numbers of top 25 opponents are all discussed in detail. Even better, you can find the proof in the pudding below as I have a huge spreadsheet with all the data linked.

As always, spread the word about the show. Subscribe on iTunes (and leave a review) or head over to Podbean and get your fellow Irish and college football fans to do the same. I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the growth of the show thus far. Many thanks for that and let’s keep it going!

The Roundup

In this episode:

• The Big 2015 Schedule Spreadsheet
• The sports-reference.com scheduling resource used
• And FBSchedules.com to fill in the blanks
• Your moment of Nix

The Booze

Lots of work went into this episode. My Excel-fu and ranting was fueled by a lot of hot take rage. As I said in the show, it’s time to mellow out this weekend and get more Dude-like via a multiple White Russians.

The post Friday Roundup: The “Declaration of iNDependence” Episode appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

1. In his 2005 inaugural address, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., president of the University of Notre Dame, challenged our community: “We at Notre Dame must have the courage to be who we are. If we are afraid to be different from the world, how can we make a difference in the world?” When you leave Notre Dame, what is one way you will bravely face the world, stay true to your values, and make a difference large or small?

1. In his 1908 Victory March, John F. Shea, alumnus and Massachusetts State Senator, challenged our community: “We will fight in every game, strong of heart and true to Her name.  We will never forget Her, and will cheer Her ever, loyal to Notre Dame.”  When you enter Notre Dame Stadium for a game, how do you understand being strong of heart, despite the opponent’s ranking and the sports writers’ nay-saying; even with the peacock-worshipers’ interminable timeouts, do you appreciate what it means to cheer Her forever (or at least for the whole game including overtimes); and despite your feelings about a particular player, coach, or athletic director, and despite your deep-seated opinions about changes at the University (and changes to the Stadium in particular) have you really and truly learned the virtue of loyalty and do you properly practice it?

2. What is your proudest accomplishment that doesn’t appear on your résumé — an act for which you did not receive a trophy, grade, or other type of outward recognition?

2. What is the single greatest thing you’ve ever done for the Fighting Irish – complete loss of voice and headache for a week, painful leg and buttock cramps after hours of standing, scorching sunburn or pernicious chest cold due to exposure for half a day, smuggling in enough liquor to ‘light up’ your whole section, actually eating a Stadium hotdog and liking it – an act for which you received no outward recognition, but which you know, in your heart, absolutely contributed to an Irish victory that day?

3. Tell us about a time you fell in love… with an academic concept. What excited you about this idea, project, or lesson?

3. We know you fell in love with the Fighting Irish…but what first caused you to experience the phenomenon we call ‘tears of joy’?  Was it when you first watched the Band play the Victory March in the Stadium, or when the gold helmets first poured out of the tunnel, or the first time you charged the field after a last-second victory?  When did those salty trails of pure happiness first stain your face?

4. Why are you interested in attending the University of Notre Dame?

(Seriously…we ask a question like this?  I don’t know if it’s self-serving or obtuse.  Anyway…)

4. Why do you want to attend a Notre Dame home football game?

(The only acceptable answers are “Because I want to witness magic in my life,” or “Because  it’s where Heaven and Earth meet,” or “Because, as a mortal, I know I will die someday, and if God is good, He will take me late in the fourth quarter with the Irish up by two touchdowns.”)

5. By the end of the college application process, you will have probably written dozens of essays and responded to a multitude of questions. Use this opportunity to try something new.

5. By now you are well aware that Notre Dame has been playing football for 126 years, is the last great independent team in the entire sport, has won 13 National Championships, has produced the most Heisman winners and the most All Americans, has been led by six hall-of-fame coaches, went undefeated in the regular season last year while being the first team ever ranked #1 on the field and #1 in graduation rate simultaneously, and with two classic feature films and countless legends is undeniably the most storied team in the country.  Use this opportunity to tell us how you, personally, as a fan in the Stadium, are going to make this litany of success just a little bit better this year by your efforts.

EFS CSC

The post Good Fridays w/Padre: ND SA appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

I like a good motto.  So, for me, one of the few bright spots of our July 1 union with our new Conference (as I am inherently suspicious of all conferences), is that it comes with a catchy motto: The Journey Begins.  Every place, every event should have a motto with a nice ring to it.  We have several.  There’s Vita, Dulcedo, Spes for the University, and Ave Crux Spes Unica for us CSCs.  They are poetic; and for those troglodytes who don’t read God’s Language, translations appear at the bottom.  Our publicity department has even taken the liberty of riffling through my personal correspondence to come up with a zinger of my own – A Powerful Means for Doing Good.  Had I known someone would one day boost that phrase and print it on everything including cocktail napkins, I would have made it more pithy.

You see, a good motto should be concise, stirring, and evocative.  Take, for example, the many beautiful, motto-worthy phrases which the Shea lad wrote into our Victory March: Wake Up the Echoes and also Shake Down the Thunder, and…well…Her Loyal Sons.  Or the equally inspiring, though more sentimental phrases that Charlie O’Donnell (my fellow CSC) composed for the Alma Mater: Tender, Strong, and True as well as Golden is Thy Fame, and the one that seems to get the most traction these days, Love Thee Notre Dame.  We are motto people, and poetry is our language.  Which immediately begs the question, what the hell happened with the wording on this year’s Shirt?  That phrase looks more like a logical entailment than a motto.  You shouldn’t have to parse a sentence in order to achieve inspiration.  I blame the English Department.

Even our football coaches, over the past century and a quarter, have generated some universally famous mottos.  Rockne gave us Win One for the Gipper, and Holtz first posted Play Like a Champion Today for all to see and be motivated.  Thus, the Athletic Department got it right with The Journey Begins.  And they have has inspired me – to come up with a few choice phrases…er…mottos of my own for this momentous event in our University’s sporting history.

Mottos for Notre Dame Joining the Atlantic Coast Conference

Michigan Shall Weep

Let Fourteen Rivalries Bloom

Erin Go BrACC (I must give credit to HLS author Bayou Irish for creating this one; though I fear it will only cause randy Florida State frat boys to seek out whoever this Erin is…for lascivious purposes.)

We’re Rowing This Boat Ashore

Keeping Miami Honest

We Don’t Need No Coast

Carpe Congressionem (Seize the Conference)

Beware the Leprechaun

Tighten Your Bible Belts

Twelve Universities, Two Institutes, and the Jesuits

Mottos for the Big East, Now That Notre Dame is Joining the Atlantic Coast Conference

Someone’s Crying, Lord, Kumbaya

Non Sum Dignus (I am Not Worthy)

Where’s the Corned Beef

Keep Calm and Carry On

Lama Sabachthani (Why Have You Forsaken Me)

Trying to Live Long and Prosper

Let’s Get Ready to Grumble

And the Hits Just Keep on Coming

What You See is What Your Get…For Now

At Least We’re Not the Big Ten

Mottos for the Football Team Which is NOT (exactly) Joining the Atlantic Coast Conference

Noli Me Tangere (Don’t Touch Me)

Ireland is an Island, and so are We

Non Nobis (Not for Us)

We Come in to Your House and Push You Around

Blue and Gold Meets Black and Blue

You’ll Be Shaken, Not Stirred

Greensboro, You Have a Problem

This Force Will Be With You

You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Stadium

We Come, We See, We Conquer

Those are just a few humble suggestions.  Of course, the Athletic Department didn’t ask for my input.  Yet, they still came up with a fine motto: The Journey Begins.  But if you would permit me to embellish that just a bit, I might say: A Journey of a Thousand Victories Begins with a Single Win.

EFS CSC

Vita, Dulcedo, Spes – Life, Sweetness, Hope

Ave Crux Spes Unica – Hail The Cross, Our Only Hope

The post Good Fridays w/Padre: You Got a Motto appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

I’m pretty sure that old Charles Dickens didn’t pen those words with Notre Dame in mind, but here in the waning days of 2012, he certainly could have.

Man, I thought I had issues trying to write post introductions.

You know you’re in for a great ride when the second sentence contains “pretty sure he didn’t do this, but he probably totally did, just go with it.”

That’s because, on one hand, the Fighting Irish are flying as high as ever with a No. 1 ranking and a chance to win their first national championship in a quarter century when they face Alabama on Jan. 7 in the BCS Championship Game. But on the other hand, the future of Notre Dame’s athletic programs – despite the football team’s current success – has never been less stable, or clear.

On Monday, Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick acknowledged that the implosion of the Big East has left the Irish in an oh-so-precarious position. Notre Dame announced in September that its sports teams – except for the fiercely independent football program – are leaving the Big East for the ACC but that the school is contractually obligated to play in the league for two more years.

OK, maybe we should give this guy a chance. This actually could make some sense and present an article worthy of debate.

Let’s see where this goes…

However, with the Big East’s seven Catholic basketball schools declaring last week that they’re departing the conference, the Big East may not exist at all by next fall. And, as a result, Notre Dame could be without a conference in which to play basketball and other sports next season.

…right into a brick wall.

So let me get this straight. Notre Dame needs to join the Big Ten because the Big East fell apart (something that our departure accelerated, by the way) and Notre Dame might not have a conference in 2013. So despite the fact that we have an agreement in place with the ACC in 2014, Notre Dame should jump ship to the Big Ten now to solve this issue.

You’re kidding right, Dave?

However this drama plays out, it appears the Irish will eventually bolt one train wreck of a league (the Big East) for another one (the ACC) that’s resembled a sputtering jalopy ever since charter member Maryland announced last month that it’s bolting the conference for the sanctuary of the Big Ten.

Guess not.

The ACC is destined to be a train wreck because Maryland, that’s right, MARYLAND decided to jump ship.

Now, of course, if Notre Dame itself had joined the Big Ten – that deep-pocketed, powerful and highly stable league right in its own backyard – none of these annoying headaches involved with crumbling conferences would exist.

Yeah, we’d just have to deal with the headache of dealing with a conference that can’t even figure out division alignment without an internet survey. Oh, and the small fact that Delany has seemed to lose his damn mind by watering down his conference with Rutgers and Maryland.

Don’t cite TV markets as the reason either. If you think that the entire New York/New Jersey market actually cares about watching Rutgers do anything, you are as foolish as Delany. Maryland also isn’t exactly cornering any desirable TV markets either.

Maybe Delany really loves crab cakes?

Don’t give the “in ND’s own backyard” reason either. For 125 years Notre Dame football has played a national schedule for football. Why would we ever sacrifice that kind of national presence? Regional scheduling is small-time thinking. ND operates on a national scale and limiting ourselves to “our own backyard” completely screws that up.

Finally, money? You’re joking right? Notre Dame was the eighth most profitable football program last season and that was during a mediocre year without magical conference money. You seriously think money is a concern for ND?

But those headaches aren’t likely to cease soon. And considering how drastically the college sports landscape has changed over the past few years – and surely will continue to do so for several more – here’s my advice for Notre Dame:

Just join the Big Ten already.

Things will continue to change, but the Big Ten won’t, promise!

As I’ve written before, here in this age of emerging “superconferences,” a situation is almost certain to arise where Notre Dame is going to have to join a league – all the way – or find its football team left out of the evolving power structure.

You mean that “evolving power structure” that created a new playoff system which included Notre Dame?

Come on now, where you asleep this past offseason, Dave?

And when that does happens, Notre Dame football would be a much better fit in the Big Ten than the ACC, which (if it even survives) will always be more of a basketball conference than it ever will be a football one.

Good thing the goal is to remain independent in football!

Also, wasn’t the whole initial issue all of Notre Dame’s “other sports” not having a home?

And as we all know, football is what Notre Dame is really about. Today, tomorrow and forever.

OK, I guess this post is about football now.

However, in spite of pigskin being such a priority, a few years ago a friend of mine who is a Notre Dame alum said that despite the school’s powerful desire to maintain its football independence, it wouldn’t cling to that if it ended up hurting the school’s other sports programs.

Or not. Seriously, pick an argument and stick with it.

Also, bonus hilarity for citing “a friend of mine”. You would’ve been better off saying “a source familiar with the Notre Dame athletic program” if you really wanted to properly spoon-feed us this crap.

Does this friend actually have knowledge of the inner-workings of ND? I’m assuming not, otherwise you would’ve used it to strengthen your argument that is now completely coming off the rails.

To top it all off, you are citing an opinion from “a few years ago” back when the conference landscape looked nothing like it does now. What does your friend think now with the new ACC deal in place? Shame that we’ll never know.

Actually, you know what, I’m a Notre Dame alum. My opinion should hold weight to this argument! Guess what I think? You’re full of crap. Boom. Roasted.

Right now, it looks like the Irish’s other sports programs could indeed be hurting badly if they don’t have a conference home next year. A few years down the line, Notre Dame football could end up hurting too […]

It’s other sports! It’s football!

Rabbit season! Duck season!

[…]if it’s ultimately forced into a weakened ACC that’s lost marquee members and is instead dominated by lackluster ones.

So now you’re just going to stick with the assumptions and start making crap up?

Fine, I’ll bite. All the ACC schools will jump ship. Who? To where? When? And what makes you so certain the Big Ten won’t budge?

I’m sure the next paragraph will shed some light on these burning questions.

While I still consider it unlikely to happen, what I’d like to see is for Notre Dame to get off its high horse and politely knock on Jim Delany’s door. If Notre Dame asked, I’d be willing to bet that the Irish basketball team and its other sports programs could be fit into the Big Ten schedule next season. And then the Notre Dame football team could join the Big Ten along with Maryland, Rutgers and a 16^th member TBD when the 2013-14 season rolls around.

Or we’ll just completely ignore it and move on to more assumptions!

Not only will Delany take in the Irish, but he’ll find a 16th team as well (Cincinnati must be licking their chops!). Oh and the scheduling will be fine! Don’t mind the details, just carry on with this logic! We’re on a roll here!

Alright, I’m probably being too mean. Dave still has plenty of time to clear all of this up.

Now, would it be simple to pull all that off? Of course not.

Translation: “Remember all of that crap I just made up? You know, all those reasons that will save Notre Dame from all those “headaches” I mentioned earlier? Yeah, moving to the Big Ten will create more headaches.”

Superb.

Notre Dame’s entanglements with the Big East, ACC, NBC and future football opponents would all have to be sorted out and appeasements would certainly have to be made. But nothing in college sports is impossible – especially with Notre Dame’s and the Big Ten’s money.

You’re right nothing is impossible…including Notre Dame staying independent and finding another dance partner that isn’t the Big Ten should the ACC falter. If you don’t think that’s possible, you are conviently forgetting DeLoss Dodds and Jack Swarbrick have a great relationship.

Oh hell, let’s get really crazy and start making crap up since you are.

Let’s say Notre Dame sees the ACC fall apart and says “OK, forget this independence thing. We’re starting our own national conference and will invite eleven other schools. We will use the NBC family of networks to promote our conference and televise all of our conference games just like the Olympics.” The line would for invitations would form to the left and include approximately 119 schools (rough estimate) hoping for an invitation.

Improbable and unlikely? Definitely. Then again so is your scenario, and mine actually makes more sense than joining the Big Ten.

This week, for example, rumors are swirling that Butler – which is in its first year in the Atlantic 10 – may leave already and instead link up with the “Catholic 7” from the Big East in forming a new hoops-centric league.

“Our administrators, our coaches, our trustees and our team will continue to do what is right for Butler and its students,” Butler president James Danko said in a statement Monday, not committing the school one way or another while showing that changes can always be made.

Can someone connect the dots for me?

How does talking about Butler follow anything resembling a continuous line of thought after “nothing in college sports is impossible – especially with Notre Dame’s and the Big Ten’s money”?

What are you even trying to say here? Butler is keeping its options open so therefore so should Notre Dame? And even if that’s the point, do you think Swarbrick, the same guy that kept his options open this year to make the move to the ACC is all of a sudden closed-minded?

Actually let’s back up even further. Are you comparing Notre Dame to Butler?!

My head hurts.

If Notre Dame was truly honest with itself, I think it would see that the Big Ten is still the conference that’s best for the Irish athletic programs and students-athletes. Just like it always has been.

Notre Dame is honest with itself. Notre Dame is a national presence and brand. Joining the Big Ten isolates us to the Midwest region. That alone is enough reason to reject this idea.

But even ignoring that, what other benefits have you actually presented in this article, Dave? The only other two are money (which ND needs no help with) and stability (which you can’t guarantee).

So why should ND join the Big Ten again?

I suspect that even Charles Dickens would agree with that.

Even the corpse of Charles Dickens would see the light! How can I possibly argue with that?

Message to anyone thinking about writing a Notre Dame to Big Ten article: don’t. There is no logic behind it. It will never happen. Just do yourself a favor and stop.

As for Dave? Here is your prize.

The post Just Stop Writing Dumb “Join B1G” Columns Already, Everyone appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

As a collective, the SEC seems particularly arrogant and loathsome.  Educationally, they do not teach such big words as those.  In short, there’s not much to like and quite a bit to hate – especially since they will shortly pit two of their hulking, spittle-flecked football gangs against each other in order to determine which wounded creature will have the privilege of fighting the Irish.  Quite sure of themselves, these Southern cult-vehicles believe that either of them will rumble over a hapless Notre Dame.  Please note, 12 other teams have already labored under that same misapprehension this year.

A preliminary blow was struck in this new battle last evening, when the basketball lads soundly defeated a heavily-favored SEC squad on the hardwood.  Much of the ferocity that the Leprechaun Legion ginned-up last night was born of the burgeoning abhorrence for the SEC writ large (though I do not think many in the SEC can write).

This is not appropriate.  We are preparing for Christmas, when we celebrate the birth of hope and light in the world.  We should not be summoning all the dark forces of hatred at this time of joy.  And so I propose that we find a way to love our enemies.  Since I know this is impossible with the Irish race, whose members will forget everything but their grudges, I instead propose something simpler and more concrete: Good Works.

Holy Mother Church has long provided a simple check-off list of Good Works that everyone should do.  As with so many things Holy Mother Church teaches, these don’t exactly work well in the context of college.  Hence I have taken the liberty of presenting a reinterpreted list of Good Works that all Irish students, alumni, and fans can undertake with a special emphasis on helping – not hating – the philistines folks of the SEC.

The Spiritual Works of Mercy, Collegiate Edition

Instruct the Ignorant: No, this is not a slight against SEC education (but really, your team’s score at the end of a game should not be higher than its graduation rate).  This means that we should spread the good news about the Fighting Irish, talented college students who take time out from attending class and studying to defeat teams from Dublin to Los Angeles.  These lads have worked hard and earned every victory; they have not preyed upon a roster of weak opponents or waited for lucky breaks.  Certainly fortune has favored them, just as it smiled upon Wellington at Waterloo.  For SEC fans: Wellington was the general who defeated Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo; Napoleon was the bad guy because…where to begin…  This isn’t the point.  The point is we have an inspiring story to tell about our team; let’s proclaim that instead of defaming the no-books club that we will face in the final game.

Counsel the Doubtful: Who didn’t doubt the Irish this season?  Aside from those of simple, unshakable faith, those with faith enough to make multiple mountainous goal-line stands, it was almost fashionable to have deep doubts about Notre Dame straight up to the latter minutes of the last game.  And that doubt persists, especially within the SEC where they seem to believe they play a longer, harder, more brutal version of American college football.  In the South games last days, touchdowns only count for 4 points and a team must score at least 112 to win while simultaneously preventing the opponent from gaining even one yard, and large blunt weapons are issued to all players.  They play 53 games a season (which would account for their graduation “success” rates).  Of course, this is a canard – as is the notion that all SEC teams are, by their nature, superior to teams in Oklahoma, California, Michigan, and Indiana.  Let there be no doubt that the Irish can meet, match, and supersede any SEC team on the field (and already have in the classroom).

Admonish Sinners: What a gift we have given to Rick Reilly.  No, not the VIP behind-the-scenes tour loyal fans would sacrifice a limb to enjoy; not the free publicity; and not the chance to make new friends and look magnanimous doing so.  We gave Reilly the opportunity to expiate his sins with hard work – frankly, the only hard work or honest job he’s done in decades.  We told him in no uncertain terms that he had unjustly slandered Notre Dame.  Then our lads proved it.  Then we let him lift the burden of his sins from his shoulders with a little elbow grease.  Across the country many who had been sternly advised that their words about the Irish were unfair have now been shown the error of their ways.  Do not fall into the trap, SEC fans, of ridiculing Notre Dame.  Consider yourselves warned.

Bear Wrongs Patiently: We did.  All season.  From everyone.  Patience is 12-0.  Just hold on for one more.

Forgive Offenses Willingly: Let us look to Lou Holtz as the paradigm of this virtue.  While most of the Irish faithful faced a general skepticism and a vague mockery, Professor Emeritus Holtz was scorned, derided, and taunted by his own co-workers, repeatedly and prominently.  He did not cower, nor carp, nor lash out.  The noble Holtz was given terrible offense, but he stayed true.  He even forgave gave that loutish May knave; and he gave him an opportunity to dress properly for once.

Comfort the Afflicted: Once again, we feel very sorry for the Big 10.  It will be all right.  You’ll pull through somehow.  Chin up and give us a smile – you just picked up two new mediocre-to-poor football teams.  Courage!

Pray for the Living and the Dead:  That’s what Sacred Heart and the Grotto are for, and every chapel in every dorm.  We pray for the lads on the team who are very much living a dream right now.  And we pray for those no longer with us.  Even whichever SEC team is left crumpled in a heap on the field in Miami come January 7.

EFS CSC

The post Good Fridays w/Padre: Mercy appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

However, the question shouldn’t be whether or not Irish football will be able to remain independent because that answer is a resounding “yes”. Despite our struggles on the field, the Big East standing on shaky ground, and certain parts of college football fandom proclaiming our “irrelevance”, Notre Dame can remain independent should they so choose. Even with the conferences currently trying to assert their dominance, Texas AD, DeLoss Dodds admitted he wanted the Irish as a part of the Big XII, but still retain their football independence. The Big East also stated they want to push for a playoff that includes an at-large bid, leading one to read between the lines as a play to keep Notre Dame’s other sports in their conference.

The real question at hand: How much is Notre Dame willing to pay for their football independence?

I’m not talking about money either. Notre Dame was the sixth most profitable athletic program amongst BCS schools last year on the back of a television deal that they were able to secure on their own.

No, the price to pay comes in the form of postseason tie-ins and scheduling.

While there has been zero talk of Notre Dame being completely shut out of the playoff picture in 2014, the issue will come with the lesser bowls. As the current bowl contracts expire, the Irish find themselves with few good bowls to land in if they miss the BCS this season. The Champs Sports Bowl (vs ACC #3) could only select ND once in the four year deal, meaning remaining options are the Belk Bowl (vs ACC #5), Pinstripe Bowl (Big XII #7), Compass Bowl (SEC #9), Liberty Bowl (vs C-USA Champ), and the Beef O’ Brady’s Bowl (C-USA #5).

To put it bluntly, the non-BCS bowl options for ND suck. Only once in four years could ND land a decent non-BCS bowl game as the rest are against the lower half of all conferences or freakin’ Conference USA, a non-BCS conference.

Notre Dame will have to negotiate far better bowl tie-ins in the next round of contract negotiations. The BCS, playoffs, or whatever top-tier postseason game we get, is obviously the goal, but if the Irish fall just short, the reward should be far better than the mess listed above.

Of course, ND could align themselves with another conference, having a similar relationship as the current one with the Big East. As mentioned earlier, the Big XII kicked the tires for such a deal and the ACC has long been rumored as another ND possibility as well. The obvious concession that ND will have to make will be to schedule said conferences teams in their schedule much like they have done with the Big East.

However, if you take a look at the schedule, you will see only one Big East team for 2012, Pitt, who will be ACC bound in 2014. The 2013 schedule has only Pitt and Temple as Big East foes. 2014 again sees only two Big East opponents with Temple and UCONN. In 2015, Navy becomes a Big East school, but yet again the schedule hovers around the same number of Big East opponents.

Considering that there is no way ND would cancel the Southern Cal and Navy series, the problem then becomes which games to cannibalize in order to give their new-found conference buddies some games. The ACC would be the easiest to accommodate for most years, but a move to the Big XII would be highly disruptive as there is currently no more than a single Big XII team on future schedules.

Would the yearly Pac-12 west coast trip turn into an every other year affair with USC? Would we start having to sacrifice some B1G games, including the possibility of seeing series staples such as Purude, Michigan State, and Michigan disappear? And even if ND were to juggle around the schedule to adjust their needs, would it make one of the toughest schedules in the nation even tougher?

Jack Swarbrick has a very delicate dance to preform while the future of college football’s postseason and the seemingly annual conference realignment is discussed. Simply staying independent is easy, but positioning that independence to ensure Notre Dame doesn’t pay too high a cost isn’t.

Just how much would you sacrifice for football independence?

The post The Real Independence Question appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

This was the seventh week of the season, and at least one Southeastern Conference team has lost in each one. Now, after a deafening night in the Loveliest Little Village on The Plains, the body count is complete in the Bloody South.

Twelve teams. No unbeatens. Nobody left standing tall in the national championship chase.

Let the lesser leagues, where the athletes are less swift and the hitting is less violent, rejoice.

…

We’re barely past the halfway point in 2006, and the league that considers itself without peer must pursue the crystal football from the outside once again.

And of coure, Tommy Potatoville didn’t let 3 seconds tick past after Aubrun defeated Florida until he started to cry bloody murder about the unfairness of it all…

“That’s why we need a playoff,” said Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville. “It’s just so unfair to this conference. To go undefeated, it’s got to be a miracle. You’ve got to be lucky, and then everyone’s going to start politicking.

“That’s the way it is, and probably the way it’s going to be every year. It’s just so tough.”

Tommy, you’re dumber than ass spittle if you believe that. You big, stupid pansy. Why didn’t God do you a favor and ensure you were beaten by bigger kids on a daily basis for no reason back in highschool? It’s unfair!? You’re gonna coach big-time college football and then bitch about how it’s all just so unfair? How sheltered were you while growing up? I can’t believe you have time to cry this much whilst still breast feeding.
Still, Pat Forde, like all whores must, as they are still people too, possesses a few elements of worth. This time he’s made a some good points, but I’m not sure he meant to do it. I list them and add my own viewpoints here…

1. Officiating in College Football is a joke. Way before the NCAA should move to a playoff system (something I’m not actually against), the NCAA needs to eliminate conference-based officiating teams. There should be a single national pool of officials. They should also be paid well enough to make it a full-time job.
2. Urban Meyer has taken one of the best QBs in the land (Leak) and destroyed him in order to put his own Pop Warner ripoff genius system in play. This guy must have an ego that rivals Terrel Owens without the side of practicallity. When Leak’s a 3rd round pick this spring, he’ll have The Turtle to thank. Meanwhile, which organ do you think will fail first in the body of Tim Tebow? I’m betting kidney. That disease that ruined Rocky’s career after he defeated the Russian is gonna rear it’s ugly head for Timmy!. Hey future NFL Star QBs currently playing in highschool, you really want to play in this offense? Hell, even Gator fans don’t recognize you afterwards.

Remember the Conference, Schmonference Theorems…

• Conference, Schmonference Theorem #1: Conference Affiliation Doesnâ€t Make a Team Good.
• Conference, Schmonference Theorem #2: Conference Teams That Tear Eachother Apart In Conference Play Might Belong To An Excellent Conference, But Theyâ€re Just As Likely To Belong To A Mediocre Conference.

The post Pat Forde Feeling Sticky. SEC Feeling Great, Might Call Him Next Week. appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.