The question is it the opposite for ND assuming another loss or 2 and missed playoffs?Most definitely a job security win for Coach Ham. He works hard and deserved it.
Or interest from major programsI don’t think the “Jordan Lynch to Coach NIU” rumors will fly this year! This will buy Hammock some more years! Great W
Their schedule is soft. They face Texas AM, Florida St, and USC. That's really it. People want ND to join a conference, Big10, SEC or ACC but join one. In the new college football world, with 12 teams in the playoffs, there shouldn't be any cupcakes on any schedule within the power 4. I hate it when Bama plays these cupcake teams and I'm sure most of ya do as well.The question is it the opposite for ND assuming another loss or 2 and missed playoffs?
Pretty sure the ND players/coaches were looking at NIU as part of that soft schedule too. Freemans gotta be looking over his shoulder if they lose another one of those cupcake games.Their schedule is soft. They face Texas AM, Florida St, and USC. That's really it. People want ND to join a conference, Big10, SEC or ACC but join one. In the new college football world, with 12 teams in the playoffs, there shouldn't be any cupcakes on any schedule within the power 4. I hate it when Bama plays these cupcake teams and I'm sure most of ya do as well.
I agree but, for Notre Dame to be in the light they presently stand in, they need to schedule top 30 teams each and every year. I looked at Bear Bryant's years at Bama... Who Bama played from 1958-82. For most of his time Bama, along with everyone else, Bear schedule and played against regional teams such as Georgia Tech, Miami, FSU, Southern Miss, Furman, Va Tech, South Carolina, NC State, etc., so I get that teams didn't seek out other regions teams. With the bump from 8/9 games a year to 11 games a year forced a school to schedule teams. Back in the day Tulane was a member of the SEC but was removed or left causing a team to be added. Notre Dame did travel out West in the 1950s and continues to do so today. Being held on a pedestal, Notre Dame should be pushed into a difficult schedule or get kicked off the pedestal altogether. Playing Army, Navy, Marshall, or bottom feeders from the power conferences should never happen. Its not a difficult task, with the expanded playoffs, for these elite teams to play each other. I liked that fact that Northern Illinois beat ND but that loss should cost a playoff slot for ND whereas had they played Ohio St and lost it wouldn't cost them. I look at Michigan St basketball coach Izzo and how he schedules his non-con season. Its usually a nut busting gauntlet but he can absorb some loses to these elite teams, testing your team and grow, while still making the Dance. I hope Im saying this logically lol. The fans would love having blue bloods playing each other AND betting would be off the chart. Also rematches would be awesome in the playoffs (unlike ending ending divisions in conferences and maybe playing a team you already beat the horsepiss out of again for the "championship" of their conference)!I don’t mind a cupcake a two on a 12 game schedule. They usually pay a cupcake school to come over and get their butt kicked. It helps the cupcake school with some money. Gives em some exposure. And gives the cupcakes a taste of what it is really like in a D1 school. A lot of these cupcakes get better. Appalachian st. And the likes have now become D1 schools because they realized they do have what it takes to play with the big boys. Maybe not week in and week out. But as NIU proved yesterday, you don’t have to be great every week. You just have to be great on one day.
10 really tough in conference games is good enough for me.
Love it! Huge win for the Huskies. The fact it was ND is even better.I like NDs history but Im not a fan of how they are catered to by college football. Good win for NIU and goodbye college playoffs to ND (I hope)!
I’ve been watching these things for about 50 years and every poll is a joke. Wheather its sports or politics or Dancing With the Stars it’s all BS. Realize the fact that it’s BS, put your waders on cuz the BS gets waist deep. The waders will keep you from getting soiled.AP Polls
ND 18
NIU 25
Total joke. NIU went to their house and won
Those cupcake games especially against smaller schools help those programsTheir schedule is soft. They face Texas AM, Florida St, and USC. That's really it. People want ND to join a conference, Big10, SEC or ACC but join one. In the new college football world, with 12 teams in the playoffs, there shouldn't be any cupcakes on any schedule within the power 4. I hate it when Bama plays these cupcake teams and I'm sure most of ya do as well.
I agree but, for Notre Dame to be in the light they presently stand in, they need to schedule top 30 teams each and every year. I looked at Bear Bryant's years at Bama... Who Bama played from 1958-82. For most of his time Bama, along with everyone else, Bear schedule and played against regional teams such as Georgia Tech, Miami, FSU, Southern Miss, Furman, Va Tech, South Carolina, NC State, etc., so I get that teams didn't seek out other regions teams. With the bump from 8/9 games a year to 11 games a year forced a school to schedule teams. Back in the day Tulane was a member of the SEC but was removed or left causing a team to be added. Notre Dame did travel out West in the 1950s and continues to do so today. Being held on a pedestal, Notre Dame should be pushed into a difficult schedule or get kicked off the pedestal altogether. Playing Army, Navy, Marshall, or bottom feeders from the power conferences should never happen. Its not a difficult task, with the expanded playoffs, for these elite teams to play each other. I liked that fact that Northern Illinois beat ND but that loss should cost a playoff slot for ND whereas had they played Ohio St and lost it wouldn't cost them. I look at Michigan St basketball coach Izzo and how he schedules his non-con season. Its usually a nut busting gauntlet but he can absorb some loses to these elite teams, testing your team and grow, while still making the Dance. I hope Im saying this logically lol. The fans would love having blue bloods playing each other AND betting would be off the chart. Also rematches would be awesome in the playoffs (unlike ending ending divisions in conferences and maybe playing a team you already beat the horsepiss out of again for the "championship" of their conference)!
The ND radio guys said that NIU's game Saturday was its first ever on a major network.
Was that Orange Bowl on channel 9?
He named his kid after an NIU dorm lolOr interest from major programs
I get both sides of it. ND beating A&M at College Station helps the argument to rank them ahead, and so does ND probably winning 9 out of 10 times against NIU. I'm sure most NIU players couldn't care less because they took that win.AP Polls
ND 18
NIU 25
Total joke. NIU went to their house and won
Mountain West looking to add NIU for football only starting in 2026. I think Toledo as well.