Here is a provocative article which is sure to raise some spirited conversation: What if Notre Dame Played an SEC Schedule?
Ok, but if you ran Alabama against their own schedule but with the computer I imagine their numbers would be even better. The problem is that you will likely run across at least one of them like Texas A @ M where it is the 45% day. Chances are even good that you could run across another one say LSU where the same thing happens. No matter I think come the Championship game we are likely to have a Bama - Irish matchup and we will see where it goes.
not to fuel Dave's jets, but honestly.. I fear no one in the SEC and haven't since I saw us on the field vs Oklahoma. That being said, Florida is the one mathup that worries me. We are very similar teams, at least for this year, and will eventually be headed in different directions (schematically)... but if Driskell gets hot, they have the ability to do to us, what we do to others... bleed the game out and win on defense. I know people will cite A&M, but I think we can keep their defense on the field for a very, very long time. That's not to say ole JFF might not work some magic and get his but he also has been prone to turnovers and some (I said some) mistakes. Against us, those can kill you. We may not score, but you're not going to get the ball back for 6 or 7 minutes either.
I would ask what if the Top Four SEC teams played ND's schedule. Including the travel. Most of these teams have never spent more than an hour on a plane, never played in another time zone or in cold or snow. Try coast to coast and see how that suit you.
Well George I guess one snarky comment deserves another, I will just let the SEC's record in Championship games speak for it's self. And Notre Dame's schedule is one that they want so keep it, on the other hand the SEC does what is best for us and our success speaks well of what we do.
What if Fla. had to travel to Ireland to play a game? And a couple of months later, they'd have to find California. I can't imagine the angst. :lol:
In the first place Gipper Notre Dame did not have to do it, they chose to do it. That's your thing and I think that is fine. However it is not our thing, we have to have a full membership in a conference and are lucky enough for it to be the SEC. So to be in the SEC we have to do things the way we do. It's to bad that you can't just accept that and move on. I can't imagine the angst if Notre Dame had to take a full membership in a conference instead of getting special dispensation. But that's the way it is and I accept it.
Corey, thanks yours is a thoughtful and I think accurate analysis. I might lie to discuss it more in the future. George and gipper, using the percentages of wins in the simulation Sid posted as probabilities for each game I am sure that both you are aware that there is only a 6.1% probability of Notre Dame going undefeated if they played that 8 game SEC schedule in this simulation? I am sure that both you are aware of that little statistic? By the way Sid, I do appreciate this and would like to see the simulation against Alabama, Georgia and Florida. I thought it might be something that would allow me to do that simulation but I couldn't.
I know that we are nowhere near the top 4 in the SEC but do not include Tennessee in teams that will not our cannot travel. There are no requirements for any university to travel anywhere but Tennessee has and will continue to play the 12 PAC. Corey just posted about the Tennessee game in Oregon next year. Things I want for Christmas: 1) A good coach that will do enough to stay until I am forced into retirement 2) Eliminate the FCS teams from our schedule although there have been very few of them. 3) Keep at least one MAJOR non-conference game every year, preferably two. 4) Zero idiots with off the field issues.
Call it whatever you want gip, you were able to find a conference that would accept Notre Dame as partial member, our conference won't allow that and the Gators couldn't prosper with it so we have to do what we think is best. Stange that you would say that Notre Dame is independent because they choose and can. Strange because you use that argument for Notre Dame but don't seem to respect others for taking the same approach. The Gators and the SEC do what they do because that is what they choose and can. Fair for Notre Dame and fair for Florida and the SEC. At least in most peoples minds. And remember the 6.1% number.
Bill, I'm sure that you are aware that there were 120 major college schools this season and that 2 ND and OSU were undefeated. The probibility of doing that was 1.66% Guess it would have been 3 times easier to get through that SEC schedule than NDs schedule this year. Remember the 1.66% number.
Not a bad try gipper but of course comparing those two percentages is a classic case of talking apples and tangerines. According to the numbers Sid published Notre Dame would have a 6.1% probability of winning all 8 games. How many teams finished unbeaten was 1.66%. One has nothing to do with the other. Besides come the first of the year we will find out which team wins won't we? So I think this topic has taken a different turn than Sid intended so I think I will do my part to let it get back on track and drop out of this conversation.
The day may come when the Irish will be forced to take membership in a football conference. But it is not here yet and probably won't be anytime soon. Last Saturday night v. USC was the highest rated Saturday night game.... ever. They will at least double the viewership of any other bowl matchup this year, if not more. Even through our prolonged slump , ND was a major draw. The only way they join a conference will be if they cannot get good teams to schedule them. My travel comment was not snarky; its fact. And ND's margin of error is less than anyone else's. One loss and we are out of the big game.
This is the comment I was referring to George and it has absolutely nothing to do with how well your game drew on tv last week or your margin of error. It does have to do with you putting the SEC in your terms and attempting to put them down. My comment to Sid was being curious as to how the program that calculated the probably of Notre Dame winning would calculate with those four teams. I honestly wondered how that would turn out. However you and gipper chose to start making the lame claims about travel time etc. In my terms it's snarky. And again i will check out of this topic and hope for Sids sake it can turn into something better.
To be honest, this is what I would say the vast majority of SEC fans think of the upcoming National Title game. That being said, and not to be repetitive, in my opinion we stack up well with everyone in that conference. For every one of their strengths, they have a weakness that plays right into one of our strengths. Anyone can go out and sh*t the bed on any given night, so anything is possible. My original response to this thread was about 100 times longer and it explained in great detail our team... but no one wants to read that, so I went with brevity instead. I think George is right. Our margin of error is smaller than any conference members, and the fact the SEC basically is just playing to find a team to play for the title is just a crime. It is what it is though and will soon start going away. All we can do is just live with the system we have right now and make the best of it.
Corey I am sorry I didn't reply more to your post. You are right that Notre Dame should fear no one as you truly belong in this game. Those low 50% numbers for LSU and Texas A & M mean that the games are pretty close to break even. And the two teams that beat the Aggies held their scores down and Notre Dame does have a good defense. I was, and still am, curious as to how the simulation would work out with Florida, Alabama and Georgia. S. Carolina also but to a lessor extent as injuries hurt them badly this year. I am curious about your comment that Notre Dame and Florida are similar this year but headed in different directions. What do you mean by different directions? I see the Gators continuing to have a tough defense under Muschamp so are you talking offensively? What direction do you see the two teams going?