PDB26

Yes, it’s just like the units that the NCAA pays out for March Madness. ESPN is plenty culpable for its role in the process appearing to be a mess, but I think the SEC holds more sway over the process than ESPN does.

I think expansion is inevitable, but 12 is the right number with no auto qualifiers.

The only thing I can say is that everyone knows the ACC is dead in five years when Clemson, if Dabo can figure it out, and Florida State, if they can make a good hire, can buy their way out of the league. I’m not sure ESPN is worried about spreading 4 million bucks around a 17 team league that isn’t going to be here in five years.

He’d find a way to have Underwood in a QB rotation week 1.

It would be the most implausible hiring imaginable of this cycle.

He’s there.

Though not a blank check.

Justin Wynn, one hell of a player.

I haven’t seen any reporting on that point, but it would mean they’re going to take the top 12 with no guarantee of access to a G5 champion.

While this new agreement is unfair on its face, there’s nothing stopping a committee from placing a marginal (10-2) Notre Dame at 13 in its final rankings next season.

Yeah we had to do the same his senior year. Probably got the idea from Snider, wouldn’t be the first time Penn tried something on defense after seeing Snider do it.

Wait, wait, btf used to be out here saying Samardzija was taken out of that game by a plucky little Snider corner in single coverage for 48 minutes. Although after this most recent crash out it’s starting to make sense.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it was closer between Mendoza at 1 and Pavia at 2, but I think it’s likely that Mendoza wins going away with the other three grouped closer together.

I believe the arrangement as we knew it, early October/late November, is in doubt. Other reporting on the issue made it seem like there was agreement on where the series goes from here so far as timing and maybe as soon as next season.

For those previously opposed, there are certainly more reasons to consider conference membership after this season. The ACC deal was good for the BK years, mostly, but it gives ND nothing now. I think that conference championship games being no-risk propositions isn’t great for the sport—although totally foreseeable for two leagues.

Wait, are we already closing the book on Jeremy Finch Jr.?

They are a partial member participating in hockey. Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Ohio State played in the same league for thirty some years prior to the Big Ten’s sponsorship of hockey once they had enough teams to win an automatic qualifier to the tournament starting in 2014. On that subject, the hockey tournament is a field of 16 teams comprised of ten at large selected by a computer ranking and six automatic qualifiers.

Bama over Miami because I'd expect them to force Beck to make enough errors to make up for their offensive issues. I don't like them against A&M. Obviously they win all the games ND won. I could see ND at 10-2 against Bama's schedule. This isn't Saban's Bama, and the top of the SEC doesn't have a monopoly on talent anymore. I would have liked to see ND play Georgia again.

lol

However, ND's official account has just said the same, so.

What I said is in bold.

Totally understand your position, I'm just not sure ND didn't have a fair path this season because they were not in a conference. Vandy finished 10-2 in the SEC but lost to the two teams they needed to get one win against, just like Notre Dame lost to the two teams they needed to get one win against. I agree that the administration must re-examine the value of independence. SC's membership in the Big Ten makes joining that conference a better proposition than ever. ND likely keeps its annual game with SC, and can schedule Navy out of conference.

Bash, gotta do a better job consuming information on the internet. Pete NAKOS is a real person, Pete NOKOS is not.

First, Miami is in the ACC and made the playoff. Second, it makes more sense to take the 12 best teams in football. If we want to have a subjective committee or design a computer ranking, that's a stylistic choice, but guaranteeing a G5 team a spot doesn't make a ton of sense, especially in many years when it is likely there will be a well-rested Big Ten or SEC team sitting at number 5. Third, ND has nobody to blame but themselves for losing to Miami and A&M. They also have nobody to blame but themselves for their arrangement with the ACC. I think there are plenty of walkover teams in the middle and bottoms of all conferences, but ND's ACC arrangement has aged poorly, especially with Clemson and Florida State backsliding and no guarantee for the league to give ND teams at the top of the league. The NBC deal is worth to Notre Dame about what each Big Ten team takes from the league's media rights.

Not only do the SEC and Big Ten want four guarantees, but, I’m fairly certain, they want to be able to allocate those births as they see fit.