Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Upon Further Review todd D. burlage opponents holds the bitterness or interest of the Michigan series. But in an era of conference realignment, changing allegiances and dying loyalties, Swarbrick and Notre Dame are facing fewer scheduling options and some tough decisions. Michigan is a temporary casualty. As Swarbrick so aptly put it, "the math is pretty simple for us" — the Wolverines don't fit into the scheduling schematic. Nearly every Bowl Championship Series team builds its 12-game regularseason football schedule based on seven home games and five road games. And until now, the Irish schedule included enough flexibility to include Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue most years, while still being able to sprinkle in a home-and-home series with Oklahoma, Air Force and BYU. But as part of Notre Dame's agreement to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in all other sports, while keeping the football program independent, the university agreed to play five ACC schools in football every year beginning in 2014, with three home games and two road games in even-numbered years, and two home games and three road games in odd-numbered years. Add to the scheduling equation that Notre Dame has no intention of dropping Navy, USC and Stanford as annual opponents to protect its national presence, and the five dates on the road begin to fill up very quickly. Navy gives Notre Dame a congenial opponent that is willing to play anywhere, such as FedEx Field near Washington, D.C., Ravens Stadium in Baltimore, MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., or even Dublin, Ireland. And alternating USC and Stanford in the regular-season finale every year protects the West Coast presence Notre Dame should never compromise for its far-reaching fan base, and its recruiting interests. With the five-game pledge to the ACC and a strong commitment to keeping USC, Stanford and Navy as annual opponents, here is the absolute scheduling outline Swarbrick will face for years to come, as he tries to fill the five road games: • ACC road game • ACC road game • ACC road game or at Navy (depending on even- or odd-numbered year) • at USC or at Stanford. • One free date There you have it — one gap to fill with a home-and-home opponent, and an endless list of potential suitors wanting to fill it, including Michigan. On the surface, ditching Michigan is disappointing. It's a great rivalry between the top two teams in college football history in terms of winning percentage. But with a new era and challenges facing Notre Dame in the ACC, something had to give. And at least for the time being, that something is Michigan, like it or not Coach Hoke. ✦ Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com