Other than "avenging" the 2011 loss...
by Irisharab (2020-09-18 13:34:53)
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...I see no value to scheduling USF as the non-conference opponent this year.

If I were the AD, I would choose do one of the following with regard to scheduling the non-conference game:

1. Choose a better quality opponent from the American Conference. In the pre-season AP poll, Cincinnati was 20th, and UCF was 21st. Both of those teams are ranked higher than any teams on our schedule except for Clemson and UNC (which was 18th in the pre-season poll). Even if ND beat Cincinnati or UCF by single digits, it would still be a win against a ranked opponent.

2. Help out a fellow Independent school, and schedule either BYU or Army. They are both hurting for games, so help one of them out.

3. If the goal is a "tune up" game that is a borderline scrimmage, then schedule a Conference USA or Sun Belt team.

Not much benefit to playing USF. USF is not as good as UCF or Cincinnati, so a win against USF won't help ND much when it comes to bowl placement or rankings.

But USF is formidable enough that it probably won't be a tune up game with the opportunity to get meaningful playing time for the second or third stringers.

Methinks "value" now means selling contact w/ the PLAC sign,
by cmhirish  (2020-09-18 19:24:10)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

not so much strategic schedule-building.
I'd like to give benefit of the doubt in light of the challenges that manifest due to COVID, but that'd belie recent history.

'tain't my father's ND.

Thought after 93 we would kill BC every time we played them *
by inigomontoya  (2020-09-18 18:03:05)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

How pathetic that we have books to balance with USF *
by captaineclectic  (2020-09-18 16:25:42)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Not to mention Tulsa, UConn, and Oregon State x2 *
by 01momanor  (2020-09-18 18:31:46)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Cincy or UCF would help as much as Navy did last year.
by rockmcd  (2020-09-18 15:54:36)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Navy was #21 when we played them last year and we beat the tar out of them. The CFP committee was so impressed by that statement win over a ranked team that they moved us from #16 to #16 (no that's not a typo), and the previously #12 Auburn remained ahead of us despite losing their 3rd game.

I'm struggling to paint a realistic scenario in which the difference between USF and UC/UCF would tip the scales in anyone's evaluation of whether ND deserves an invitation to a major bowl game or the CFP.

I think it's really this simple:
If ND wins the ACC title game (with 1 or fewer regular season losses), then they go to the CFP. If ND is the 2nd highest ranked ACC team then we go to the Orange Bowl.

Of the teams you listed, only UCF or Army were eligible
by StetsonDan  (2020-09-18 15:19:35)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

We couldn't play BYU or Cincinnati because the ACC rules said that we could only play a non-conference team from an ACC member's state. That means we couldn't play Cincinnati or BYU (no ACC school in Ohio or Utah).

We could have played UCF or Army (Florida State/Miami and Syracuse). UCF was already scheduled against Georgia Tech. As foolish as this may seem, I assume they wouldn't have wanted to favor Army when they couldn't play Navy.
Game had to be in ACC state, opponent didn't have to be
by gordonbombay  (2020-09-20 22:33:56)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Although given that most of the league just played a nearby tomato can or FCS school, it didn't much matter.
Army was scheduled for BYU this week - postponed because
by dickiebeev  (2020-09-18 15:35:21)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

they feared playing an academy that actually practiced football during football practice over the summer.
UCF and UC already had games scheduled.
by G.K.Chesterton  (2020-09-18 15:09:32)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

They would have been quality opponents (ESPN has UCF in their top 10). BYU and Army are playing each other this weekend.
It's a job interview to determine our next head coach.
by akaRonMexico  (2020-09-18 14:53:00)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Jack can't just hand the job to Tommy, he needs to show he's better than Charlie Jr to truly earn the job!
It was revealed in Pete Sampson's first paragraph today
by miamioh_irishfan  (2020-09-18 14:26:58)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

that this was an open ended 3 game series when first scheduled (Home-Away-Home). This is game 1, so we have that to look forward to some time down the line.
We aren't giving them an appearance fee
by fontoknow  (2020-09-18 13:55:44)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

Instead, we are giving them a to be scheduled home and home.

That might have been a cheaper deal than the other options you mention.

Remember, we were supposed to play WMU before the MAC cancelled #maction2020
Maybe someone assumed that...
by Revue Party  (2020-09-18 13:40:12)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

playing a Jeff Scott coached team might offer some Clemson insight.

Probably a stretch. Who knows? As a USF grad (masters), I don't mind. Given this year, I don't know what options we had or even if filling the date was necessary. Probably better to have at least one non-conference game, though.

I'm still of the mind that Navy could have been negotiated
by Paddy O'Furniture  (2020-09-18 14:29:12)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

if a modicum of effort had been asserted.

They played BYU on the date we were supposed
by 01momanor  (2020-09-18 18:37:07)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Reply to Post

to play them as was announced after the Ireland game was canceled. I don’t see why we couldn’t have kept that game and had this week be a bye. But then NBC would be out a game. Which they care about so much they stuck it on a network I haven’t watched since I was 10 years old watching cartoons at my grandma’s house (which was a treat because we didn’t have cable back then).