Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/998819
6 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2018 FOOTBALL PREVIEW UNDER THE DOME With its 52‑17 victory over Miami (Ohio) on Sept. 30, 2017, Notre Dame quietly celebrated the 900th all‑time win in its football his‑ tory. The only other program to reach that milestone had been the University of Michigan. Unfortunately, the elephant in the room that day regarding "900" loomed: The NCAA decision on Notre Dame vacating 21 wins from the 2012 (12) and 2013 (nine) seasons because of academic miscon‑ duct that resulted in the use of ineligible players during those years was pending. On Feb. 13, 2018, the NCAA made it official by denying the uni‑ versity's appeal, and the 21 wins were officially vacated. The issue first came to light in August 2014 when five Notre Dame players — wide receiver DaVaris Daniels, cornerback KeiVarae Russell, defensive end Ishaq Williams, linebacker Kendall Moore and safety Eilar Hardy — were held out of practice and competition during an ongoing academic probe self‑reported by the university regarding its honor code policy. The internal investigation and findings by the school for the mis‑ conduct that involved a student athletic trainer ultimately resulted in a November 2016 verdict by the NCAA that included stripping Notre Dame of the 21 victories, fining the school $5,000 and placing it on a one‑year probation. At the end of the 2017 regular season that saw Notre Dame finish 10‑3 and Michigan 8‑5, the Fighting Irish were barely behind the Wolverines on the all‑time winning percentage chart — and could have passed them with a victory in this year's Sept. 1 opener. Now, with the rejection, the Irish record drops to 885‑324‑42 (it had been listed with 906 wins) for a revised winning percentage of .7242 that puts it in fourth place. In NCAA parlance, "vacating" a victory is not the same as "for‑ feiting" one. It affects only the victor, not the loser of the game. For example, USC had to vacate its last two wins in 2004 (and thereby the national title) and all 12 wins from the 2005 season. However, that did not mean that its epic 34‑31 win at Notre Dame in 2005 was now a "victory" for Notre Dame. The Irish remained 9‑3 that year despite the loss to the Trojans. It counted neither as a win nor a "non‑loss" for the Irish. The losing team retains the defeat. Likewise, when USC was stripped of the 2004 national title, un‑ beaten Auburn was not named the national champion even though USC no longer was recognized as the champion. Neither was Okla‑ homa, which lost to the Trojans 55‑19 in the title game. Hence, the word "vacated." A vacated win affects only the penalized team's season records, all‑time records and the head coach's record. Thus, a team that was 9‑4 during a season in which it fielded ineli‑ gible players — a la Notre Dame in 2013 — would have its record revised to 0‑4. Instead of his current 69‑34 record, Brian Kelly's mark at Notre Dame now would be listed at 48‑34. With the vacating of those 21 wins in 2012‑13, Notre Dame dropped from second to fourth in the country based on winning per‑ centage and sixth in total wins. Ohio State benefitted from both Notre Dame drops, moving up to third and a tie for second, respectively. Amazingly, No. 1 Michigan and No. 6 Oklahoma are separated by only .00652 percentage points. — Lou Somogyi MICHIGAN MAINTAINS LEAD IN ALL-TIME WINNING PERCENTAGE Division I Football Bowl Subdivision All-Time Leaders In Winning Percentage Rk. School Games Pct. W L T Change 1. Michigan 1,318 .72914 943 339 36 — 2. Boise State 605 .72727 439 164 2 Up 1 3. Ohio State 1,275 .72510 898 324 53 Up 1 4. Notre Dame 1,251 .72422 885 324 42 Down 2 5. Alabama 1,262 .72306 891 328 43 Up 1 6. Oklahoma 1,260 .72262 884 323 53 Down 1 7. Texas 1,296 .70563 898 366 33 — 8. USC 1,227 .70171 834 339 54 — 9. Nebraska 1,313 .69535 893 380 40 — 10. Penn State 1,307 .68783 878 387 42 — Notes: Florida State (.67928) and Tennessee (.67730) are not far apart for the next two spots … Ohio State had 12 victories vacated by the NCAA from the 2010 season … Alabama had eight victories and one tie forfeited by the NCAA from the 1993 season, plus 21 victories vacated by the NCAA from the 2005-07 seasons … USC had 14 victories vacated by the NCAA from the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Division I Football Bowl Subdivision All-Time Leaders In Victories School Years W L T Change 1. Michigan 138 943 339 36 — 2. Texas 125 898 366 33 Up 1 2. Ohio State 128 898 324 53 Up 3 4. Nebraska 128 893 380 40 — 5. Alabama 123 891 328 43 Up 1 6. Notre Dame 129 885 324 42 Down 4 7. Oklahoma 123 884 323 53 — 8. Penn State 131 878 387 41 — 9. USC 124 834 339 54 Up 1 10. Tennessee 121 833 383 53 Down 1 Note: Georgia is the only other team with more than 800 victories (808), with LSU (787) next in line for the milestone. Because the NCAA stripped Notre Dame of its 21 victories during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, the Irish will not be able to surpass Michigan in all-time win percentage with a victory in the team's matchup Sept. 1 in South Bend like it otherwise would have been able to do. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL