When you couldn't think the dynamics of College Football couldn't get any more crazy.... (1 Viewer)

[Sailorsaint]

So you're basically saying only SEC schools aren't wannabes ?

Nope, I could've added Miami, Clemson, Oklahoma, USC, Oregon, etc. Doesn't matter. Being independent means they don't have to play the same team every year for a chance to win a conference championship. They are automatically always the champ in their minds. I don't want them in the SEC, makes us weaker. Let them go to the ACC or Pac12 and fight for a championship. The yearly competition they get might actually make them better, who knows. But, they won't, because they don't want to have to compete for that conference championship.

 

[DCSaints_Fan]

Nope, I could've added Miami, Clemson, Oklahoma, USC, Oregon, etc. Doesn't matter. Being independent means they don't have to play the same team every year for a chance to win a conference championship. They are automatically always the champ in their minds. I don't want them in the SEC, makes us weaker. Let them go to the ACC or Pac12 and fight for a championship. The yearly competition they get might actually make them better, who knows. But, they won't, because they don't want to have to compete for that conference championship.

They did exactly that in 2020, playing almost an exclusive ACC schedule and then playing in the conference championship (beating Clemson in the regular season, then losing to them championship). Ironically they did get to the CFP that year anyway. I don't think being in a conference (outside of the B1G or the SEC), would make it any harder for them or change anyone's perception.

And if they played in the ACC or PAC-12, there SOS wouldn't be much better. in fact it might be worse. In 2021, there SOS was ranked 21. Of the ACC teams only Clemson had a tougher schedule (11) https://www.teamrankings.com/college-football/ranking/schedule-strength-by-other?date=2022-01-11 . There were no PAC-12 teams in the top 25, the highest I can see is at Oregon at 30.

2020 was a COVID year, so I'll skip that
2019 Clemson(3), Oregon(12), ND(16), USC(18)
2018 Clemson(2), ND(13), UCLA(26)
2017 Clemson(4), ND(9), Stanford(13), USC(15)
2016 Clemson(3), USC(8), Washington(10), Stanford (17), UCLA(27), ND(28)
2015 Clemson(4), USC(6), ND(8), Stanford(10), Cal(11)

So outside of Clemson, ND's schedule has been harder than every ACC school every year, and on par with PAC-12, except 2016. But they would never join the PAC-12.

I guess the "fair" and reasonable thing for them to do would be to join the B1G, since the geography lines up and they play Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue almost every year anyway, and have frequently been playing Ohio State and Wisconsin as well. Penn State also used to be big rivalry. That would pretty much guarantee they have to play a consistently tough schedule. So I guess they deserve a fair dose of criticism for warming up to the ACC rather than the B1G.