The connection is flimsy at best.
It’s a shared interest in TV dollars, no?
Who wants to join a 20 team conglomerate?
Just my 2 cents, what do I know 🤷🏼♂️
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It had much more to do with the fact that Larry Coker wasn't very good at recruiting and developing talent the way that Butch Davis was.
Davis had really built up a loaded roster full of future NFL draft picks, and especially towards his last few years despite having inherited a messed up situation loaded with sanctions. He actually cleaned up the program that had the foul stench of Howard Schnellenbarger, Jimmy Johnson, and Dennis Erickson, and really elevated it to top tier status.
It was easy to see that Coker thrived with those rosters for the first three years. All he had to do was not screw up, since he was handed the keys to a customized Porsche. Unfortunately, he didn't know how to properly maintain that well-oiled machine when maintenance was due.
By the time they joined the ACC, most all of Butch Davis' players (who were primarily developed under Davis) were gone (two 9-3 seasons during the first two years), and they were all gone when Coker had the 7-6 season that got him fired.
In all fairness, that 2005 team that went 7-6 wasn't quite as bad as the record showed, since 5 of those 6 losses were very close, and they did get screwed on a few referee calls that could have swung at least two of those losses.
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They were nothing more than a blip on the radar in the big picture.
After they took us to the woodshed in their stadium, constantly showing off the "Turnover Chain" every few minutes, they went on to beat a pretty weak Virginia team, and get to the #2 ranking. That was as close as they've been to even sniffing essences of their glory days.
Of course, it all came crumbling down when they lost to a really bad Pitt team (one that had to claw their way to a narrow victory against a FCS team). I didn't know whether to laugh at them for losing to that terrible of a team, or to have that sickly feeling in the gut for making our loss to them look even worse.
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But it is pretty dissatisfying for the fans who want to see hard fought football games.
Michigan had an "easy" 2023 schedule but in 2024 they will play Texas, USC,
Washington, Oregon and Ohio State. And only 2 non-Power teams.
I'd rather see ND schedule likewise and let the competitive chips fall where they may.
In a rare (theoretically) easy ND schedule in years THIS YEAR: Texas A&M, Florida State, USC, and Louisville. the schedule is still twice as good at Michigan tip toed through LAST YEAR by their own intentional design (PSU - who proved to be far weaker than Louisville, and OSU).
UM fans always state "We can't control our conference schedule"...but they certainly did control their nonconference schedule, didn't they? Well, ND can't control it's ACC schedule either.
Our schedule is well above average in most years. Instead of scheduling all difficult games, ND has begun scheduling several breather games as well which is only fair since all other teams are doing that with their nonconference schedules. That is only fair, and ND's schedule is still more difficult that of most other teams because their conferences are full of cupcakes (B10, B12, ACC).
You cannot make changes to a plan based on one exception year - where (again theoretically at this point) there appears to be a favorable schedule for ND.
PS - UM and Harbaugh didn't invent the scheduling strategy. Barry Switzer used to say that championships are scheduled. He was mostly correct.
Also. Michigan cheated like crazy as well. ND will not sell its soul like that.
it only matters if its ND who is expected to beat 12 Alabamas
there's nothing wrong with 24 schedule
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The ND loyalty to the chump Navy game is played. Playing 4 non-Power conference
games is bogus. Michigan Derangement Syndrome (MDS) does not change that.
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outs. 4 good teams (ND 24) to 2 good teams (UM 23)....or if you want to exclude Louisville, the 3 good teams (ND24) to 2 good teams (UM 23)...but REALLY, it's 3 good teams (ND 24) to 1 good team (UM 23)..
No matter how you slice it, ND comes out with a better schedule...and they didn't pay anyone off to intentionally receive it.
It's funny how you UM folks suddenly preach the gospel of the difficult schedule when you have avoided it for years....and haven't played the schedule that you are trying to gain credit for ahead of time.
Calling Michigan out for their cheating is a matter of fact, as is calling them out for intentionally watering down their schedule to just one game. Had Michigan won by the rules, I would have conceded them their victory...they simply did not. Funny thing is, that the UM fans around my part of Michigan seem to know it. It's a hollow feeling, isn't it? Even their president got involved with the cheating and rationalizations. It's why they hate Notre Dame so much - because they know that we really are better, and it goes far beyond the field.
And likely would have killed us. Who gives a crap about all the other hyperbole. You hate Michigan. Hard to take you seriously .
When college football goes to a Super Conference... none of its teams will even schedule an exhibition with an independent ND.