Elephant in the CFP Committee Room

[BeecherVol]

I agree with the first part - the biggest irritant with ND is their lack of a conference title game. The conference title game can also be an aid though as well, depending on your position. If the SEC had no conference title game, Alabama would just have gone into the playoff. Instead they had to play Georgia, and if Georgia won that game they likely would have gotten in. Georgia had no path to the playoff without the conference title game, the "extra" game. If you're the team with nothing to lose, you love that game.

ND plays a P5 schedule despite not being in a conference. If they go undefeated in any given year, it is really difficult to argue they shouldn't be in. Their SoS ebbs and flows just like conference strengths ebb and flow. It isn't like they are playing a UCF-type schedule. Clemson is clearly worlds better than ND, but if we're looking at just SoS, Clemson didn't exactly run a gauntlet.

Playing Bama legitimized how good UGA was. But unless they beat the best team it didn't matter.

At some point you have to look competent tho. And as I said before, Im not a fan attaching previous failures or triumphs to current teams but when you continually get your ass kicked when put in the spot you re allowing the argument to live, regardless of your record.

OU has missed the championship game the last 2 years but they at least proved they deserved the chance.

 

[Zues1]

The economics of it still work, so in that sense they are "special." NBC doesn't continue to sign that deal with them as a favor to ND.

The moment it becomes more lucrative for ND to join a conference than to stay independent, they will.

Fair enough, I stand by my statement. To qualify for the playoffs teams should play for a conference championship.