FanPost

13 Game Regular Season?

The selection of the field for the first College Football Playoff has come and gone. Although the sample size is small, the committee was pretty consistent with what it valued throughout the process: quality wins and conference championships. Learning from the first year process, the Big 12 will certainly change something to better set the conference up for a playoff berth. Would Notre Dame be wise to do the same?

Three things stood out after Selection Sunday: 1) quality wins mean more than losses, 2) having a 13th game against a quality opponent is an advantage, and 3) a conference championship is a trump card. This is problematic for a team that neither belongs to a conference nor plays 13 games.

If nothing changes, the Irish put themselves at risk of being a playoff afterthought down the road. Knowing how rare playoff-worthy seasons have been in South Bend, the Irish cannot wait to get burned to change. They must be proactive.

The good news for Notre Dame? Making this change is (fairly) easy.

In order to make room for a 13th opponent, the Irish would need move their annual bout with Navy to conference championship weekend. Navy would surely push back, as they prefer a bye the week before the Army game. Notre Dame can afford to be bullish, however. Ultimately, Navy would have no choice but to agree.

Moving the game does three key things. First, it establishes a permanent date for the annual rivalry that has moved throughout the schedule over the years. Second, it opens up a Saturday for the Irish to schedule an extra Power 5 opponent. Third, it guarantees the Irish will never play a game the week following the Navy game. Call it what you want, but the Navy "Body Blow" theory is real (just ask Ohio State). Ending the season with the Midshipmen would be a welcome change for coaches and players alike.

The question then becomes: what are the scheduling priorities for the 13th game? One thing is for certain, it cannot be a home game. Due to the current scheduling imbalance (6-5-1), Notre Dame is forced into annually playing one team that does not require a home-and-home. This is why teams like Rice, UMass, and Miami (OH) will continue to show up. Adding a 7th home game only ensures an extra Group of 5 opponent, which is counterproductive.

Instead, Notre Dame would have two options. Option 1: add a 6th true road game. This would balance the current schedule, allowing the Irish to eliminate the Group of 5 contest mentioned above. Option 2: schedule a true neutral site game (for lack of a better term, let's call it the "Bracket Buster" game). It is important to note that this would not be a second Shamrock Series game. For all intents and purposes, the Shamrock Series is an annual home game played in an NFL stadium. Notre Dame makes all the money. The Bracket Buster game would be a true neutral-site game where all revenue is divided evenly.

The Bracket Buster game appears to be the most logical addition. It allows Notre Dame to keep their only "easy" win on the schedule by keeping their Group of 5 home game. It also creates the most flexibility for big-name match ups in different parts of the country. Plus, you (potentially) give NBC access to broadcasting the game (which keeps your broadcast partner happy).

Above all else, the 13th game allows Notre Dame to earn its own trump card. An extra game gives the Irish the opportunity to schedule one game a year against an opponent from every Power 5 conference in College Football. It would be unprecedented. Plus, it would give the committee common opponents to consider.

A 13 game regular season - 5 ACC opponents, Navy, USC, Stanford, B1G opponent, Big 12 opponent, SEC opponent, Group of 5 opponent, wild-card Power 5 opponent.

That is a schedule no one could ignore.

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