This time of year, nothing tastes better than whiney Alabama Crimson Tide fans’ tears. Especially when things are going as well as they are for the Notre Dame football program.
For those needing a palate cleanser after the rather horribly officiated game against the Virginia Cavaliers, one Tide fan named Austin Randolph provided those tasty tears over on Twitter. Randolph, it appears is quite crusty about the Fighting Irish, despite being 9-1 having a real chance at hosting a playoff game.
“Notre Dame should be forced to join a conference now,” Randolph wrote. “This isn’t 1940 anymore, their tradition doesn’t matter in this new age. They have an advantage over many teams not playing in conf champ week. If they don’t join a league they should be treated as a G5 team just like Boise.”
Notre Dame football is making Alabama fans a little crazy
Notre Dame should be forced to join a conference now. This isn’t 1940 anymore, their tradition doesn’t matter in this new age. They have an advantage over many teams not playing in conf champ week. If they don’t join a league they should be treated as a G5 team just like Boise.
— Austin Randolph (@austinsrandolph) November 13, 2024
It would be nice to say that Randolph doesn’t represent the majority of Alabama fans with a take that doesn’t make a ton of sense like that. But it appears there’s a decent part of that fan base that believes he has a point about Notre Dame Football. Despite one rather large logical fallacy.
In terms of both making the playoffs and seeding, the Blue and Gold are treated worse than Boise State and other G5 programs. Those programs, should they win their conference and get ranked high enough, can earn a first round bye.
Notre Dame, meanwhile, cannot. The best seed the Fighting Irish can get is No. 5 and that’s even if they finish a season ranked No. 1 in both the AP and Coach’s poll. Just to underline the point, should Boise State ever find itself ranked that high, they would also be the No. 1 seed in the college football playoffs.
The tweet got 20,000 likes. 20,000 people don’t seem to understand that Notre Dame being an independent is an hindrance. Because while Randolph pointed out that the Irish could be set up for a No. 5 seed most years, that’s not a guarantee.
ND lost to Northern Illinois this season. They have several other Top 25 opponents on the schedule. The idea that the Blue and Gold somehow have the easiest schedule around doesn’t prove out considering ESPN has their strength of resume ranked 13th in the country. That’s hardly the best of the playoff contenders but it’s not the worst.
It is, by the way ahead of Boise State, Tulane and Arizona State, who could all be a No. 4 seed should they win their conference.
As long as Notre Dame football is an independent there will be fans of other schools that love to pretend the Irish have the easiest schedule on the planet. Their deal with the ACC puts a big dent in that argument, even if people don’t want to admit it. So let Alabama fans cry and just get ready for the playoffs.