Nice article. I personally wouldn't mind a watered-down schedule if by "watering down" we only added one easy game to our already existing 11. I think USC demonstrated that you can still reach the national championship game (and, at the very least, the BCS) by playing about 3-4 tough games each year and 7-8 easier ones.

Of course, I would be wholeheartedly against a schedule that was similar to BYU's mid-90's "we're gonna play 14 teams in the Rocky Mountains" tour.
Andrew | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 10:51 am | #

Whoa, wait a minute...just who would these four tough teams be that USC played?


I count Notre Dame, and UCLA. Maybe Oregon.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 11:07 am | #

The fourth was Arizona State. IIRC, they went toe to toe with USC for a half or so.
DJ | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 11:33 am | #

Brad, I guess I would count Oregon and Fresno St. as two more tough teams. Add those to ND and UCLA, and it makes 4 tough games.
Scott | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 11:35 am | #

Yeah, I don't know. Fresno St. is typically pretty tough, but they were kinda weak this year. As for Arizona St., while they can put up 9,000 passing yards in a season they still fell apart midway through the season (though I suppose they did lose their starting QB, even though the backup may be even better). I get your points though.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 11:54 am | #

Then again, who did THOSE teams play? Oh man, my thinkin' is hurtin' myself again.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 11:55 am | #

During the regular season, the only team that played SC tougher than Freson St. was ND. IIRC, the Bulldogs had a lead on SC in the 4th quarter before SC finally opened it up on them, as Reggie Bush clinched the Heisman.

As for playing UGa, I love the idea. Don't know if they'd buy it, though. They haven't played an OOC game outside of the Southeast in something like 40 years (yeah, I know, Louisiana is in the Southeast, but my point remains the same).
Anonymous | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 12:24 pm | #

I had forgotten about the USC-Fresno State game. Another good one.
DJ | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 1:25 pm | #

I see that we're playing in high-profile/high-talent states. But I can't imagine that's why we're there. If anything, Charlie's recruiting seems to have been focused on the upper midwest -- Chicago, Ohio, etc. -- thus far.

On the other hand, this might explain why places like Arrowhead, Soldier Field, or the Meadowlands aren't included.
Matt | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 2:09 pm | #

UGA has a new AD after Vince Dooley was forced out. Damon Evans is (slightly) more amenable to expanding the scheduling geographically. They're already signed up for a home-and-home against Colorado. I think there might be someone else on their future schedule I'm forgetting. Being from Atlanta, and having tons of friends and relatives who are UGA fans (including both parents), I know the fans would love the game. As a whole, they really don't like Notre Dame--any time an ND score is announced at Sanford Stadium, the fans boo if the Irish are winning and cheer if we're losing (not my family, though, they love ND--I think my mom would even cheer for the Irish if they played UGA). You should have heard the local talk radio's venom after Ty got axed--misinformation galore that would have made ESPN ashamed. As to whether the athletic department would want a tough game, well, that's anyone's guess.
irishdevil | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 2:46 pm | #

Texas Tech in Dallas in 2011.

Cant help but to think that it will be a Texas-based team there.

I would love to see Notre Dame - LSU for New Orleans, but why would they move it out of Baton Rouge? I smell a service academy or something.
heath | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 3:20 pm | #

There's an obvious neutral site game for 2013...Army. 100th anniversary of the Dorais - Rockne game.
Vic | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 4:08 pm | #

Playing in Dallas? Why not SMU? It'll probably be the 30th anniversary year (or so--math is not my strong suit) of the Pony Express, so you could have Craig James & Eric Dickerson parachute with the game ball into the next Cowboys stadium that's being built in Arlington, have Bill Parcells toss the coin then genuflect before his pupil (ahem, that would be Coach Weis) who has surpassed him in football coaching greatness, Jessica Simpson sings the national anthem. Bob Davie can do color commentary in the one state he experienced any modicum of football success. Color me there.
Andrew | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 4:52 pm | #

I doubt we'd do a series with LSU, seeing as we just finished one a few years back. Damn, though, those games 'tween the Irish and LSU were great games. I was at the game where Jarious tore his knee downing the ball in the endzone. I swear the 6 turnovers in the final 4 minutes gave me just as many heart attacks. No real point here, just rambling.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 6:31 pm | #

I'm not sure about the 2010 Orlando game with Navy, nobody within our fan community or the "insiders" has reported anything as of yet on such a game, and to my knowledge our schedule has only been planned through 2009, although the 2012 Ireland game is on and should be great.
Mr. A | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 6:40 pm | #

All solid picks I think, though I agree with Andrew that the Dallas game should be a Texas team, like TTech--hopefully we'll develop a pass defense by then.

As for Georgia in NO, I think that's a big winner--send a shout out to T.Kyle King and Paul Westerdawg and get them to start a campaign on their side like the one they've got going for a UGA-UM game.
Nate | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 7:27 pm | #

Correction. Davie tore Jarious' knee on one of the worst play calling games I have ever seen...until Ty came along. Anyone remember the home gaem against MSU two years ago. Jez, one of the most boring games ever. I was hoping the band would come on the field in the 3rd quarter.
Yago | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 7:29 pm | #

I was actually referring to his time at the helm of the vaunted Wrecking Crew defense at A&M. Davie's greatest (only?) success at ND was being named coach. I attribute that to his ability to blend into the beige-colored walls at the football offices to the point that, for lack of any perceptible up- or downside, he was named football coach.
andrew | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 9:30 pm | #

Seems so strange that the 1rish played one of their all-time games under Davie - a complete dismantling of the Bayou Bengals. I expected LSU to break out any minute, yet was stunned to hear silence the entirety of the 2nd half of that one. Payback for the travesty of '72 (at least a rich interest payment).

Let's not get too apologetic about adding less-than-Top-20 teams to our future schedules. As long as we continue scheduling Div 1 teams, any Div 1 teams, we'll continue playing the two top schedules in the nation year in, century out.
Bill | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 10:42 pm | #

...and somehow all my Michigan-fan friends will continue to contend that ND plays an easy schedule every year because they're not in a conference. Can anyone explain to me the reasoning behind such thoughts?
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.11.06 - 11:14 pm | #

Brad:

No.
Nate | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 12:21 am | #

Wasn't that the 1981 Sugar Bowl? January 1, 1981...Coach Devine's last game.
Joe | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 1:06 am | #

It was Joe. 1980 season. 1981 bowl game. I probably should have clarified.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 8:31 am | #

Tough schedule? You mean like how no one would give ND any credit for their schedule last year. Yet somehow Ohio State's win over Michigan was a big win...
SeanH | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 9:05 am | #

Dallas game will be with SMU. Steve Orsini is the new A.D. at SMU.
JC | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 9:31 am | #

Oh, Catholics versus Protestants. I like it.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 10:32 am | #

Good point JC. Although personally I still hope that White beat the bushes a little and work for a more marquee matchup.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 11:09 am | #

Never apologize for our schedule, even if it seems a little weak one year or another. Year-in-year out we consistently play one of the tougher schedules and your can not tell in advance which of your opponents will be sucking wind...

And why aren't we in a conference? Just let them know we find Navy, Army and Air Force more challenging than Indiana, Illinois and Northwestern...
Yago | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 11:44 am | #

Pat, great work here, as always. I'd be interested in your argument in favor of continuing to play MSU. I wouldn't mind dropping them from the schedule. Seems like there is little to gain, too much to lose by playing them. Plus, having one less connection to Ty if fine with me.
Gipper | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 12:33 pm | #

Are we actually talking about losing Michigan State? We have a long rivalry with them. More importantly, they've been whuppin' us for damn near a decade and I'd like to see Charlie start taking them to the whipping post over the next few years.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 1:05 pm | #

Also, we owe MSU like we owe Navy. Despite the BS shenanigans last year. MSU played us when Fritz up at UofM was black balling us to the Big 10. Do they need to be on every year? No. But we should at least play 6 times a decade.
SeanH | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 2:47 pm | #

My thoughts exactly SeanH.
Pat | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 3:39 pm | #

That Michigan thinking may play well in Ann Arbor ("ND can't play a tough schedule until they play in a conference") but gets no play elsewhere. First of all, who is saying that the Big 11 is a tough conference? The past decade has certainly shown a marked move away from their historical "Big 2" to parity among members, but please do note that only in the nadir of our recent past has that conference caused us any notable problems (as did the service academies: ref., Rossum-to-the-rescue). It's obvious to our glee that the cycle has again turned, and history shows that the Kuharich/Devore time prior to the 'Era of Ara' has repeated with the Davie-Willingham walk in the desert now being followed by the Weis-Guy Awefense.

Before I get toooooo off track: the UM argument is totally irrelevant, for none other than one scheduling truism which is unique to Notre Dame: Notre Dame is the top opponent of every team it plays.Bar none. Whereas a weak team will cave quickly ( 3-4 games a year)to the 1rish, most will exhibit their best effort. And why apologize for those other 3-4 game? Does that translate to the 1rish playing a bowl game each week? No, but that doesn't mean the same is true for that week's opponent.

Ergo, Notre Dame has played CFB's toughest schedule since the 1920's and, even if the future scheduling lined us up againt "down-year" teams, we would still play, far and away, the toughest schedule in the nation. The Yankees remain America's top pro team, and will most likely hold that spot for quite awhile. Because of the time, personalities, and history, the same holds true for Notre Dame. It never ceases to amaze me how, here in South Florida, college football fans can all quote chapter and verse, the "negatives" of our program. That doesn't hold true for their team's conference rivals, and makes being a Domer, and 1rish fan, all the more rewarding. When you are the 'Team of All Time,'as the Miami Herald calls us, you've got to get used to the barbs that are, in reality, compliments.

Final thought on UM: they are ticked that they've never had (excepting early 20th century) the acclaim that Notre Dame lives with. And, you keep pointing fingers at something that relates to you: the all-time record between us includes those initial 3 UM "wins" when we invited them to put on a clinic for us as to how to play the game. A hundred-plus years of guilt on counting those "wins" isn't easy to erase from their collective psyche. While having fans spread across the nation in dribs and drabs (most notable: "Mikey" of American Chopper: Mondays, 10pm ET, Discovery Channel), UM has now even lost its primary initial (UM) recognition to a johnny-come-lately program located about 75 minutes south of me, in a place called Coral Gables. So let them gripe and complain all they want.

If they'd like to really prove that conference theory of theirs, I'm sure that the SEC would devise some creative geographical realignment and welcome the little wolves with welcome arms. I don't believe, though, that the UM(-ichigan)faithful would feel too comfortable with the 7-5 and 6-6 season records that would become their norm.
Bill | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 4:14 pm | #

Georgia would never play ND in New Orleans or anywhere else neutral other than possibly Atlanta. It wouldn't make sense.

We would be very receptive to a home and home.

Damon Evans has gotten much more aggressive scheduling outside the region than Dooley did.

We have home and home series with:
Colorado - '06/'10
Arizona State - '08/'09
Louisville - '11/'12
Clemson - '13/'14

We've got an open date in '07 to start the season. We'd consider a split series for '07 and '11 with a powerhouse, but more than likely we're going to book our next non-GT out of conference foe in '15/'16.

Damon has tried to get the Big10 guys on the phone since he took over, but most don't want any part of our speed given that we've won our last 6 big 10 bowl matchups. And they don't want any part of the Georgia Heat/humidity in Week 1, 3 or 4 (our usual non-conference weeks).

I doubt you guys would come to Athens in September. You usually play FSU and UT in October or early November don't you?


pwd
paulwesterdawg | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 5:13 pm | #

Paulwesterdawg,

Seriously, man. Heat? I am not at all trying to be rude, because you gave quite a concise and interesting answer...but WE OPEN in Georgia this year, playing Tech. Also, we typically schedule people whom we play from nicer climates in situations favorable to them. For instance, we play USC late in the year only if its in LA, otherwise we play them early on so they don't have to deal with our weather.

As for Bill...nadir? Great word.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 6:40 pm | #

PWD--

See Brad's comment--I don't think Athens is any hotter than Atlanta. And it's hard to even believe you'd use the weather as an argument, since would you come to South Bend in November? I'd gladly trade a game in September in 90 deg/90% humidity for a chance to see UGA or UF in the snow. That'd be awesome, and show that neither team is afraid of traveling to different weather. (And South Bend isn't exactly lacking in humidity in September either, which surprised this Fla boy when he stepped on campus the first time).
Nate | Email | Homepage | 04.12.06 - 8:45 pm | #

For a neutral site, how about Navy v ND in San Diego's 70,000 seat Qualcom stadium. I Irish would get to show there stuff in talent rich San Diego County and the game would be a quick sellout with the large Navy and Irish contingents in SoCal.
Also, don't take San Diego State lightly in '08. They played both Michigan and Ohio State tough in recent years. New coach, Chuck Long, the former Sooner O-coordinator appears to be a good one and has assembled an excellent staff.
JJH | Email | Homepage | 04.13.06 - 12:04 am | #

Yeah, San St. actually does look to be on the rise.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.13.06 - 12:20 am | #

I live in Athens, Georgia right now...If the thermometer drops to 30 and they forecast snow, the entire student body gets an e-mail about "severe weather" procedures. The thought of the Bulldogs and their fans in South Bend in November is positively tantalizing.
Danny | Email | Homepage | 04.13.06 - 2:48 am | #

I would laugh so very, very hard. I don't think any of those SEC teams would be able to handle it. I still remember the look of the FSU players when they came into the stadium in '93. Sheer terror from the weather.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.13.06 - 8:07 am | #

And it was really pretty mild that day, if memory serves.

I was hoping for a blizzard.
SeanH | Email | Homepage | 04.13.06 - 8:39 am | #

FSU-ND, November 13, 1993 - It was overcast and hazy that day until ND was announced and came onto the field. Then, out of no where, the skies cleared and the sun came beaming out of the sky. Fighter jets flew overhead, and the game was on.

I don't know if God spends a lot of time watching football, but He was definitely watching that game.
Domer97 | Email | Homepage | 04.13.06 - 2:19 pm | #

Ofcourse God watches a lot of football. He's an Irish fan. No one can dispute that. I mean, heck, his son is there for every game and has one of the best seats ever.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.13.06 - 3:39 pm | #

vs. Navy, Tokyo Dome. I've been begging for this for years now. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! I hereby offer on behalf of the ND club of Tokyo to host each and every one of you! (I can make impressive offers like that, since the chances of it happening are minimal)
Nate | Email | Homepage | 04.13.06 - 7:12 pm | #

One thing Andrew did not mention about an SMU match-up in Dallas is that their new AD is Steve Orsini from the ND 1977 National Championship team. I am sure Mr. Orsini would be very pumped to schedule the Irish.
JG | Email | Homepage | 04.13.06 - 11:47 pm | #

Hey fellas, It wasn't meant as a shot at Notre Dame about not playing in the south during September. I was just trying to recall the last time I remembered you guys coming down south early in the year.

Excellent point about opening the season in Atlanta this year. I had just forgotten about that one. Here's hoping you beat Tech into the middle of next month.

It'll be one of the few times I pull for the Irish. The other being the '94 (or whatever) Sugar Bowl vs. UF and the last 2 matchups with UT.

pwd
paulwesterdawg | Email | Homepage | 04.14.06 - 5:01 pm | #

Ah, yes, the Sugar Bowl. Jerome Bettis OWNING the ball coach's D. Awesomeness.
Brad | Email | Homepage | 04.14.06 - 5:58 pm | #

A little late and off topic, But I was at that game vs LSU in 98 and I will ALWAYS defend Davie for having Jarius take a knee in the end zone...Maybe its the "anti-Jets fan" in me, but if that punt had gotten blocked in the endzone/returned for a TD and they lost that game, ppl would have be complaining today about Davie NOT taking a knee there, even if Jarius had beaten USC the next weekend...
Bryan ND '02 | Email | Homepage | 04.18.06 - 1:16 pm | #