Notre Dame 1 “Quality Win” Away from Being Iowa

Dateline: South Bend

Tired of the ridiculous bias toward Notre Dame in college football polls as well as bowl pairings, I decided to take a walk down memory lane. Surely historical evidence over the last three years supports the 5 poll spots they get boosted each week and the absurd fact that they continue to be mentioned in BCS bowl conversations. Wins over quality opponents must justify the favoritism they receive so let’s start piling those babies up.

2003 was a rough year- Notre Dame finished 5-7 but still managed a win over a quality opponent in 10-3 Washington State. 2004 saw the Irish finishing with a 6-6 record but two quality wins on the record- an 8-point win over 9-3 Michigan and a 4-point win over 10-3 Tennessee. 2005 was Charlie Weis’ first year at the helm and a great rebound for ND (as was widely reported), they must have taken down some very strong opponents… Nope. Not a single win over a team from a BCS conference that finished with 3 or fewer losses. Surely 2006 is different, right? Not much. The only quality win this year is over Georgia Tech who at the moment is 9-3. In case you didn’t graduate from Notre Dame, that adds up to four “quality” wins over the last four seasons.

Even with only the four quality wins, they’re still Notre Dame. They’re still deserving of the leniency they’re granted in the polls and the massive $$’s that come their way from BCS Bowls. Not quite. A quick look at the records shows they’re almost there. With just one more quality win, they’ll be . Iowa has scored wins over 9-3 Minnesota (2003), 9-3 Michigan (2003), 9-3 LSU (2004), 9-3 Wisconsin (2004) and 10-3 Wisconsin (2005). That’s one more than ND.

Don’t fret golden Domers, you’re only two quality wins away from being Virginia Tech. The Hokies have put together quality wins over 11-2 U. of Miami (2003), 9-3 U. of Miami (2004), 9-3 Louisville (2005), 9-3 Boston College (2005), 11-1 West Virginia (2005), and 10-2 Wake Forest (2006). In likely two more seasons, Notre Dame can scale the massive heights the Va. Tech program has.

Maybe it’s just the way the schedule has worked out. Maybe Notre Dame’s schedule hasn’t afforded them the opportunity to pick up any more quality wins. Try again. In that same time frame (2003-2006), Notre Dame lost to 8 quality opponents. I’ve already established I didn’t go to Notre Dame, but I’m pretty sure that’s a 4-8 record against quality opponents over the last four years. I’m also pretty sure that sucks.

But bowl games is where they’ve shined, right? Sure they get preferential treatment come bowl selections, but they show up and dominate whomever they play.

Wrong again.

Notre Dame has lost four bowl games in a row by an average score of 35-15.

So please, I beg you Mr.Mrs. BCS Selection Committee person, keep Notre Dame out of the BCS so they can win the Life Cereal Bowl and focus on becoming Iowa, or better still, Virginia Tech.