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ND schedule and this CFP favoritism...
Posted on 1/24/26 at 1:57 pm
Posted on 1/24/26 at 1:57 pm
So ND is now guaranteed a spot in the CFP if they finish in the top12 standings in the last rankings before conference championships. What kind of horseshite...?!
I don't understand how a group of P4 conferences would agree to give ND an advantage over, say, a Miami or another P4 team who goes 10-2 or 9-3 with a real schedule.
Let's take a look at their 2026 schedule:
I don't understand how a group of P4 conferences would agree to give ND an advantage over, say, a Miami or another P4 team who goes 10-2 or 9-3 with a real schedule.
Let's take a look at their 2026 schedule:
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Posted on 1/24/26 at 2:03 pm to clamdip
The favoritism shown ND is, and always has been, infuriating. For me it dates back to 1966 when we were undefeated and were going for our third natty in a row, but it went to ND after they TIED Michigan State and refused to go to a bowl. I have despised them and the positive bias they get ever since. Screw ND and the horse they rode in on.
Posted on 1/24/26 at 2:03 pm to clamdip
That schedule is so boring. How does NBC keep paying for that home schedule
Posted on 1/24/26 at 2:08 pm to clamdip
Who is on the voting committee? Big 4 conference connections? Why would they purposely vote ND in top 12?
Posted on 1/24/26 at 2:10 pm to clamdip
That schedule is a complete fricking joke.
Posted on 1/24/26 at 2:12 pm to Tideroller
Posted on 1/24/26 at 2:17 pm to GreyReb
quote:
That schedule is so boring. How does NBC keep paying for that home schedule
It’s only about 50 million per year, it’s not a huge price to pay considering ND basically owns the Chicago market.
It’s a pretty good deal for NBC because they can focus on one School and not have to pay absolutely huge numbers to a Conference for a lot of inventory that basically draws nothing for ratings once you get outside of the 3-4 top programs in the conference.
This post was edited on 1/24/26 at 2:19 pm
Posted on 1/24/26 at 2:20 pm to clamdip
Two G5 teams with objectively worse schedules than Notre Dame’s last year got in over them. What do you prefer? Add three more SEC teams so one can finally make the championship?
This post was edited on 1/24/26 at 2:22 pm
Posted on 1/24/26 at 2:25 pm to Jrv2damac
Doesn't mahe it right. ND cherry oicje the worse historical teams in conferences to play and basically has an auto bid now to the playoffs while avoiding any slip up in a conference title game.
College football is corrupt but nothing has ever been so coldly corrupt than making special post season rules for ONE team only
College football is corrupt but nothing has ever been so coldly corrupt than making special post season rules for ONE team only
Posted on 1/24/26 at 3:16 pm to clamdip
Eh who cares? They can't compete with the likes of teams like Indiana and LSU. 
Posted on 1/24/26 at 3:30 pm to GreyReb
quote:
That schedule is so boring. How does NBC keep paying for that home schedul
My understanding is that ratings and viewership are down but I guess NBC needs to fill air time. If they didn't do it, some streaming service would.
Notre Dame will always be included. How could they not with such a Charmin soft schedule. That's where the BCS like system would be superior to the CFP committee.
Three or four computer models based on different and shared metrics plus a human component of the CFP committee as a 10-15% component would help. Both the coaches poll and the AP poll are biased and highly subjective.
It is absurd that ND gets any favoritism. No titles since 1988. Since then, they had a couple of good years under Holtz, one or two under Weiss and the Kelly years of playing soft schedules, continued by Freeman.
Posted on 1/24/26 at 3:44 pm to clamdip
I don’t understand why this is allowed to happen. Can you imagine the uproar if this advantage had been given to Georgia, Florida, Bama, etc? Why aren’t the other head coaches and ADs yelling at the top of their lungs about this favoritism? ND is always overrated and given advantages other better teams don’t get. It’s time this nonsense stopped.
And take a look at that schedule! It’s ridiculous, If my team was playing that schedule I’d already be buying tickets and booking my hotel room for the natty
And take a look at that schedule! It’s ridiculous, If my team was playing that schedule I’d already be buying tickets and booking my hotel room for the natty
This post was edited on 1/24/26 at 3:51 pm
Posted on 1/24/26 at 3:45 pm to theballguy
Indiana is headed for a big face plant next year. And it’s going to be glorious to see
Posted on 1/24/26 at 3:48 pm to Jrv2damac
At last those 3 SEC teams would have played a competitive schedule. Not that ridiculous thing ND is playing .
Posted on 1/24/26 at 3:52 pm to Eldodroptop
quote:
It’s only about 50 million per year, it’s not a huge price to pay considering ND basically owns the Chicago market.
Their rating continues to drop so the brand value is not what it once was.
Also watch as the P4 conferences insist they join a conference or will not be scheduled to play ND. That was already going around in the last month when the playoffs were selected, and this came. ADs and HC were already talking about not scheduling ND going forward.
Eventually NBC will have to make a decision. Either keep paying for ND to play G6 teams or look to break off.
Posted on 1/24/26 at 4:13 pm to clamdip
Miami is the only meaningful team they play. They've playing the absolute middle of the Big10. Pathetic.
Posted on 1/24/26 at 4:23 pm to JohnnyU
quote:
Notre Dame will always be included. How could they not with such a Charmin soft schedule. That's where the BCS like system would be superior to the CFP committee. Three or four computer models based on different and shared metrics plus a human component of the CFP committee as a 10-15% component would help.
Do you not realize that ND would’ve been in the field this past season under this criteria? ND was top-5 in essentially every computer metric (SP+, Sagarin, FEI, FPI…).
“ND will always be included due to their schedule”… what about this past year? That’s precisely the reason ND was left out by the committee, even though they would’ve been a touchdown favorite on a neutral field over Bama and Oklahoma. It was Bama’s / OU’s SOS/SOR (if you don’t think conflict of interest played a role), aka they were “more deserving” than ND, even though they weren’t “better” than ND.
ND will have to go 11-1. They’ll be left out at 10-2. Which is fair for next year’s schedule.
This post was edited on 1/24/26 at 4:26 pm
Posted on 1/24/26 at 4:31 pm to Tideroller
quote:
The favoritism shown ND is, and always has been, infuriating. For me it dates back to 1966 when we were undefeated and were going for our third natty in a row, but it went to ND after they TIED Michigan State and refused to go to a bowl. I have despised them and the positive bias they get ever since. Screw ND and the horse they rode in on.
To be completely accurate... Notre Dame didn't go to a bowl that year because they were still in their "no bowl" policy years. They had only gone to one bowl (the Rose after the 1924 season) before they decided they were too good for bowl games. They didn't return to bowls until the 1970 Cotton Bowl.
So it really didn't have anything to do with Alabama per se'.... and Michigan State didn't play in the Rose Bowl because of the Big 10's stupid "no repreat rule" for the Rose Bowl.
Posted on 1/24/26 at 4:40 pm to Tideroller
quote:
For me it dates back to 1966 when we were undefeated and were going for our third natty in a row, but it went to ND after they TIED Michigan State and refused to go to a bowl. I have despised them and the positive bias they get ever since. Screw ND and the horse they rode in on.
This is extremely, extremely ironic since ND beat you in the 1973 Sugar Bowl, yet you still claim the 1973 national championship, because the coaches poll didn’t come out with a new ranking after the game back then.
This post was edited on 1/24/26 at 4:41 pm
Posted on 1/24/26 at 4:44 pm to clamdip
Hopefully it’s to give them enough rope to hang themselves with. A few trips to the postseason with catastrophic losses would be all the ammo needed to prove why they shouldn’t get an autobid.
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