Does Notre Dame play a weak schedule?

Question

A lot of people have voiced their opinion that Notre Dame plays a cupcake schedule. What are your thoughts on the matter? If you agree, please provide evidence, comparing their schedule to your favourite team's schedule. If you disagree, support your claim as you see fit. If you're going to answer, though, be sure to back it up with some form of evidence and not just the typical retarded blather of "I hate the Farting Amish" or "GO IRISH!!!".

Answer 1

They do play some tough games ie USC, and Michigan. To the people talking about Arkansas ducking USC put your team in the SEC where there is no such thing as a cup cake schedule. Why should they put another top ten team on their schedule?? They already have 3 or 4 games against teams in or just outside of the top ten.

Answer 2

The BCS is made up of 3 main areas, USA today Poll, Harris Poll and the computer rankings. Strength of schedule plays a part but if you look at the computer rankings, where it is included, ND is way ahead in percentage points . Strength of schedule is just a component of a component. Notre Dame would be ranked better in other areas. However, before all of that, you have to realize that Arkansas' strength of schedule is actually worse than ND's. According the CBS sportlines, Arkansas is at 58 and ND at 37. Lastly, here are some of the teams Arkansas has played: Mississippi state(3-8), Louisiana-Monroe(2-8) not even sure if it is 1A, Vanderbilt (4-8), Utah State(1-10), Mississippi(3-8). Total 13-42 Army(3-8), Air Force (4-6), Navy (8-3), N.C.(2-8), Stanford (1-10) Totals 18-35 Records aren't everything, but it does show some insight into the soft schedule both have. Arkansas' being worse.

Answer 3

Looking at last year's schedule, they lost 3 games to Michigan, USC and LSU.
But if you look at the results they only beat Georgia Tech by 4 points, Michigan State by 3 points, and UCLA by 3 points.
These game could have easily made them 7-6.
Yes they had some larger margin wins against the rest of the schedule, but what top 25 team doesn't?
Looking at this year's schedule, I don't see how any team with Michigan, Michigan State, UCLA, USC, Penn State, and Georgia Tech on their schedule could be classified in the "cupcake" category.
I get tired of hearing about easy schedules when people talk about top 25 college football teams.
First off, they have to play their conference most of the games. If the teams in their conference are not top 25 teams, how can they help that?
Many schools, like Notre Dame, have been playing these teams for decades, good or bad.
I don't ever remember a year that Notre Dame ducked out of playing USC, no matter how good or bad they were.
Some people just have it in their head that if a team is in the top 25, their whole schedule should have top 25 teams on it.
There is how many Div. I football teams?
Just because most teams are not gong to be in the top 25, doesn't mean they are not worthy opponents.

Answer 4

I don't think Notre Dame plays a particularly weak schedule. Sure, they have some cupcake games in there--Air Force, Duke, Stanford--but overall, their schedule isn't overly easy.

And to the first answerer: I agree that Arkansas doesn't have a weak schedule, but they took USC off their schedule this year just because USC annihilates them every year. That kind of scheduling gets no respect from me. And now that they've admitted that they are too scared to play USC, next they'll probably start complaining out of the other side of their mouths about how USC has an easy road to the BCS bowls because they play in the Pac10.

But to get back on topic, my favorite team is Cal, and I think ND has a slightly tougher schedule than Cal. Both teams play about the same number of good teams, but Cal has a few more cupcake games than ND.

Answer 5

Now keep in mind that I am a USC alum, and really don't like Notre Dame..........

The schedule this year is tough. They play 6 (half the seaon people) pre-season top 25 teams, and three of those are on the road (Penn State, Michigan, and UCLA) Two of the three they get at home are Georgia Tech to open the season and USC, the #1 team in the country. The bad news for the Notre Dame schedule reputation is......Only 5 road games out of 12. That is a lot of home field advantage. The last 4 games of the year are against Navy (#60), Air Force (#90), Duke (#93) and Stanford (#85). Those 4 teams went 14-35 last season, and 9 of those wins were by Navy who played NOBODY last year. So by the end of the season, they will most likely not be looked at favorably.

Projected W-L
Georgia Tech - L (GT lost Johnson, but have a lot of returns)
@Penn St. - L
@ Michigan - L
Michigan St. - W
@Purdue - W
@ UCLA - L
B.C. - L (Game is always interesting to watch, wouldn't surprise me to see ND win this one)
USC - L (Sorry, Defense is WAY to good this year)
Navy - W
Air Force - W
Duke - W
@ Stanford - W

This is going to be a tough season, just because of the losses to ND players. Clausen may be the next coming, but he will be just a true freshman, and how many times has a freshman led his team to BIG wins. And if he does turn out to be the next big thing, he doesn't have anyone to throw to. It may be early, but there is always next year.


Now because you asked for the comparison, we look at USC.

The schedule is backwards of ND's. It starts off rediculous vs. Idaho, but ends up with 4 of the last 6 games on the road.

USC plays 4 pre-season Top 25 teams, 2 on the road, two at home, plus the roadie to ND, and we all remember the HUGE game that happened two years ago at ND, it is THE RIVALRY.

Projected W-L
Idaho - W
@ Nebraska - W
Wa. St. - W
@ Washington - W
Stanford - W
Arizona - W
@ ND - W
@ Oregon - W
Or. St. - W (Last years loss is still troubling)
@ Cal - W
@ Az. St. - W
UCLA - W (Payback from last year is on our minds)

Answer 6

The back end of their schedule is extremely weak this season. Their schedule is rated 13th in the country only because it is front-loaded, with Georgia Tech, Penn State, and Michigan in the first third. The second third is tough with UCLA, Boston College, and USC, but the back third may be the weakest in college football, with Navy (a team that no matter how good it is hasn't beaten Notre Dame in 44 years) and three schools that won a grand total of five games last year - Air Force, Duke, and Stanford.

Oh, and I hate the Farting Amish.

Answer 7

I don't know who said the Irish play a cupcake schedule because thats crazy. The Irish almost every season play the Number one or Number two difficult schedule in the Nation.

Answer 8

Every NCAA team has cupcake games. At least Notre Dame has tradition as an excuse. Yes, Navy and Army are not big football schools anymore. Notre Dame has been scheduling them since what 1892 or something?

USC has Oregon and Cal. Yes they are better than Army and Navy, but we aren't talking LSU and Miami.

Heck, other than the riot, I never heard of Central Florida State or whomever Miami fought with.

Name a big time College program and you've named a team with a weak schedule.

Answer 9

No but they won't do that good Michigan Penn State USC that is 3 losses No BCS game for them

Answer 10

no ND does NOT play a weak schedule...neither does arkansas; i heard someone on radio say the pigs had a weak schedule...playing in the southleastern conference, i highly doubt that the hogs have weak opposition...

fortunately for my Buckeyes, we have a weak schedule up until week nine. then we play some tough opposition.


GO BUCKEYES!!!!