ESPN projection: Notre Dame vs. UNT in HODallas Bowl

[meaniegreenie]

ND would probably prefer to lose against an AQ school than to beat a non-AQ school. I hate saying that but I think it's true.

And would HATE to LOSE to a non-AQ school.

[Mean Green Matt]

ND would probably prefer to lose against an AQ school than to beat a non-AQ school. I hate saying that but I think it's true.

They'd probably rather not go to a bowl at all than play us in the HOD bowl.

[TheWestie]

They'd probably rather not go to a bowl at all than play us in the HOD Heart of Mean Green Country Bowl.

[JesseMartin]

At first look I thought, "Oh, we'd get killed, it's Notre Dame..."

I saw their games against Navy and Michigan on TV. I think if our D played as well as we've been accustomed to seeing them play, they would put the hurt on the Irish and there would be a decent chance of pulling off the win.

Points off of turnovers need to be the next level with them...last week was nice to see one, but with UNT being #2 in turnovers forced, we really haven't capitalized on them. True, we prevent scores from our opponents, but we need to either get a score from the TO or have the offense score on the next drive for it to be an even bigger game-changer.

If this game happens, and our team makes it the crown jewel of their season by playing to the hilt, we could see a tight win over Notre Dame. And that would be ridiculously awesome.

[VideoEagle]

ND would probably prefer to lose against an AQ school than to beat a non-AQ school. I hate saying that but I think it's true.

It's a long, long way till Bowl bids are handed out. We don't know where we will be, much less where anyone else including Notre Dame will be. And at some point, ND moves from an alliance with the Big 10 for bowls into one with the ACC but that might be next year. I'm not sure about that.

As for ND would rather sit at home than play us at the HOD bowl, not necessarily. When ND passed on bowls in the past, they had a 6-6 record and felt that didn't warrant a bowl. Since 1969, they they had a winning record and were invited, they have gone. IN '08 they played a then 7-6 Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl. So just because it's a non-AQ team in a lessor bowl, ND has shown they will play the game.

[CMJ]

Well, to be fair, going to Hawaii is something they could sell their paying customers. A potential blustery "vacation" against a non-AQ is slightly different.

[meangreendork]

And would HATE to LOSE to a non-AQ school.

That would stick in their craw for decades. ND losing to UCLA or USC or Ohio State, the fans will think, "okay, they're ranked/usually ranked/a high profile school." A loss to UNT will probably make them quit football watching.

[BeliefBlazer]

ND has NO automatic bowl tie-in for this season. If they don't go to a BCS game (must win 9 games and finish in the Top 14) then they will have to rely on a conference to not fill a slot. I don't know if they would play a C-USA team but it is a possibility.

[untjim1995]

There is no way this matchup will ever happen--Notre Dame will never play a non-AQ not named Hawaii, Boise State, Houston, SMU, or BYU in a bowl game. There's no way...

Besides, ND will get picked up by another bowl before they would slip down to the HoD bowl.

If we end up in the HoD bowl game, I suspect it will be against Iowa, unless they just fall absolutely apart in the last month of the season. The HoD Bowl game is the big ten 7th team versus CUSA's 4th, but as with any of these non-AQ bowls, the conferences will use travel to their best advantage. iowa, at 5-4, needs one win against this schedule:

@ Purdue (1-7)--highly probable win

Michigan (6-2)--possible win (50/50)

@ Nebraska (6-2) possible win (50/50)

Indiana and illinois are both 3-5, while Northwestern is 4-5. I don't see anyway that Indiana or Illinois get to 6 wins, best I can see for either of them is 5 wins. NW has lost 5 games in a row, including that miraculous loss at Nebraska this past weekend, with games left at home against Michigan and Michigan State, and finishing at Illinois. Again, its hard to see them getting to 6 wins with that schedule, but its more possible than either Indiana or Illinois getting to 6 wins.

I will be the biggest Iowa fan there is over the next few weeks. If we cannot win CUSA outright, then I want to play the Hawkeyes in a bowl game, not Texas freaking State or some other SBC team that manages to get bowl eligible playing the absoulte dregs of college football. There's great history between the coaches, both past and present, and it would be a nice preview to our games up in Iowa City here in a few years.

[untjim1995]

ND has NO automatic bowl tie-in for this season. If they don't go to a BCS game (must win 9 games and finish in the Top 14) then they will have to rely on a conference to not fill a slot. I don't know if they would play a C-USA team but it is a possibility.

I don't see the Big Ten or Big XII filling out their bowl slots. The Big Ten will have 7 teams bowl eligible most likely, while the Big 12 will probably get 6-7 teams that will be bowl eligible. The Big Ten has 8 slots available, with the last being the Little Caesar's Bowl game in Detroit against the Mac Champion. The Big 12's last spot is the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York against the #3 team from the AAC.

The Russel Atlhetic Bowl in Orlando would have the Number 3 ACC team play the #2 team from the AAC. With Notre Dame's tie-in to the ACC, I'm fairly certain they will get to play a team from the ACC (like Miami or Clemson) in this game. There's no way that this bowl game, with the ACC as their main benefactor, will let ND slide so Miami could play Houston...

[BeliefBlazer]

Russell is only able to select Notre Dame once every four years and made that pick just two years ago. They can not choose ND this season.

[untjim1995]

Russell is only able to select Notre Dame once every four years and made that pick just two years ago. They can not choose ND this season.

I stand corrected...thanks for letting us know.

I still cannot see Notre Dame playing a team from anything lower than the top end (as in the top 2 or 3 teams) of the MWC or AAC. And, even then, it better have a strong name attached to it.