By this statement, I would think you haven't watched them at all this season Gid... What would your background be to make such a bold post?
Lol, ignorance is bliss. They beat another current playoff team...the only one to do so, in Michigan. You can only play the teams put in front of you. When the schedule was out to start the season, many said it will be very difficult to run the table...no one knows which direction a football team will go in any given year. Stanford-worse than expected, Florida State-worse than expected, Michigan-a helluva lot better than expected. The Irish are one of only, what 4 teams remaining undefeated? These playoff teams aren't as dominant as some of the past. Obviously Alabama is very good, but I don't think this Bama team beats any of the previous 5 Bama teams. Says a lot for the program, but still...this year...it will be anyone's chance, once they get in.
Michigan, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Stanford and now at USC... that's hardly a cupcake schedule, in my opinion.
Green = Marquee win, Red = ridiculous to even schedule this team Alabama Schedule: (1) Marquee win, (3) cheese opponents. They are scheduling teams from the Sun Belt Conference, of which the only team with respect is Appalachian State Louisville 2-9 Arkansas State 7-4 Ole Miss 5-6 Texas A&M 7-4 Louisiana 6-5 Arkansas 2-9 Missouri 7-4 Tennessee 5-6 LSU 9-2 Mississippi State 7-4 The Citadel 4-6 Clemson Schedule: (1) Marquee win, (2) cheese opponents Furman 6-4 In the Southern Conference Texas A&M 7-4 Georgia Southern 8-3 in the Sun Belt Conference Georgia Tech 7-4 Syracuse 8-3 (Two losses to undefeated current playoff teams) Wake Forest 5-6 NC State 7-3 Florida State 5-6 Louisville 2-9 Boston College 7-4 Duke 7-4 Notre Dame Schedule: (2) Marquee wins, 1 cheese opponent Michigan 10-1 (A Current playoff team) Ball State 4-8 Vanderbilt 5-6 Wake Forest 5-6 Stanford 6-4 Virginia Tech 4-6 Pittsburgh 7-4 Navy 3-8 (I put this as a cheese team on their schedule, but it is a LONG standing tradition, not a pick up game to keep the team fresh) Northwestern 7-4 Florida State 5-6 Syracuse 8-3 (Two losses to undefeated current playoff teams) Michigan Schedule: NO Marquee wins, No cheese teams Notre Dame 11-0 (Their only loss) Western Michigan 7-5 SMU 5-6 Nebraska 4-7 Northwestern 7-4 Maryland 5-6 Wisconsin 7-4 Michigan State 6-5 Penn State 8-3 Rutgers 1-10 (This should be a cheese team, but they are in the Big10) Indiana 5-6 Maybe you should re-evaluate who had an easy schedule
Aside from Michigan, ACC or PAC12 teams would just call that a conference schedule... Notre Dame hasn't played a cupcake schedule. But it's certainly not a differentiator between them and anyone else.
The point was, Gidion made a statement that Notre Dame would get their asses handed to them in the playoffs BASED on their schedule. When in reality, of the current projected 4 playoff teams, they have played the more challenging schedule of the 4.
so would everyone else Gid. Clemson has an outside chance to beat Bama. No one else in the nation does, so don't make it like ND would get their asses handed to them. everyone would get their asses handed to them.
And Gid this schedule was made years ago. who could predict Stanford, USC and FSU wouldn't be good when they are always good? Look at Northwestern and Syracuse being ranked this year? ND beat them too. Northwestern is the Big 10 Division Champs. Syracuse was ranked as high as 12th. Who should they play if not for these teams ? In recent years they swapped teams for Texas, Georgia, Clemson and Michigan State. Who do you want them to play ?
Why couldn’t anyone know those teams would suck this season? They have sucked for a few seasons now. Bama, Georgia and Clemson would all man handle the fighting Irish
that's not a bold prediction on 2/3. Bama is Bama and has beaten everyone for 2 years. Clemson is stacked as usual. Georgia only beat ND by a FG last year when ND wasn't as good. I think that game is a toss up.
Georgia has improved a lot since they changed coaches before the 2017 season. I don’t know his name but he was a coordinator at Bama and seems to have learned a lot from his time with them.
