STs can impact outcomes. Nobody questions that. The discussion is about whether ND should devote more time and focus to STs, understanding that there are limited time and resources, and more emphasis on STs necessarily means less on something else. I think it is telling that, as you yourself pointed out in this thread, Bama is currently worse than ND in ST efficiency — and yet is a prohibitive favorite to win a National Championship. STs effect outcomes. So does short-yardage offense, two-minute drills, red zone defense, etc., etc., etc. Cheeks and Neil have raised really good points. It isn’t as simple as saying “ND needs to be better at STs so they need to put more emphasis on it.” Bama and ND are a combined 18-0 with middling STs. Clemson also isn’t great at STs and they are also 9-0. STs aren’t meaningless, but I think there is a reasonable argument that more emphasis on STs isn’t the no-brainer it seemed.