Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/542018
UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE C onspiracy? Probably not. Payback? Not likely either. Coincidence is the most logical explanation for the disadvantageous schedule Notre Dame will face this season. But be it through c o n s p i r a c y, c o i n c i - dence or simple mis- fortune, one thing is clear: officials from the Atlantic Coast Conference extended no courtesy to the Irish football program when the league con- structed its 2015 com- posite schedule. This season will mark the second year of conference affilia- tion between Notre Dame football and the ACC. Typically, the Irish will play five league opponents in a given season, but preexisting sched- ule commitments allowed for only four games in 2014, meaning there will be six games this year to make up the dif- ference. In other words, half of Notre Dame's 12-game regular-season schedule this season is against ACC teams, and in five of those six games, the Irish will face an opponent that will be well- rested and/or untested from the previ- ous weekend. Three of the six Notre Dame op- ponents from the ACC were granted bye weeks before their game against the Irish, and a fourth team was also provided some extra prep time with a Thursday night game leading up to its date with the Irish. And of the six ACC "confer- ence" games for Notre Dame, only Virginia plays the Irish after facing a Power Five opponent the previous Saturday. Add to the mix that longtime Pac-12 rival USC also plays on a Thursday night 10 days before its game against Notre Dame, and an Irish sched- ule that at first glance looks very manage- able this season becomes noticeably more difficult because of these quirks. Let's take a closer look at the six Notre Dame games against ACC op- ponents this season, keeping in mind that the Irish went only 2-2 in their four ACC games last year. SEPT. 12 AT VIRGINIA The Cavaliers are the lone team on Notre Dame's list of ACC opponents that may be at a disadvantage coming into their game with the Irish, and that Quirky Schedule Could Become A Disadvantage Notre Dame opened its partnership with the ACC last year with a 31-15 win over Syracuse at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. It will play six times against ACC foes this season, including a neutral site match-up at Fenway Park with Boston College. PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA