Schedule Needs a Boost

During the 2006-07 season, Notre Dame played a very easy non-conference schedule besides two games. The Irish faced Alabama at home and Maryland on the road. Notre Dame played well in both games en route to notching two victories. Despite those two quality wins, the Irish received little respect from the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee which slotted the squad as a six-seed and pitted them against a very tough 11th-seeded Winthrop team. The reason for the poor seed? The committee didn't like that Notre Dame failed to adequately challenge itself out of conference.

Fans and critics complained that the Irish needed to beef up the non-conference slate to help bolster their tournament resume for the 2007-08 campaign. But this year the Irish once again play too many terrible teams and not enough quality opponents. And unlike last year when Notre Dame won its precious couple tough games, the Irish have already dropped two close games to Baylor and Georgia Tech. That's the danger in playing an easy OOC.

Had Notre Dame scheduled several other good teams, the two early-season losses wouldn't be that big of a deal. The team would have plenty more chances to gain those critical "resume wins." But instead, the Irish face just one more good team before Big East play begins -- No. 20 Kansas State on December 4. Lose that game and Notre Dame will head into conference play with an 0-3 record against the only above average talent it faced in November and December.

That will mean the Irish better play lights out in the very difficult Big East if they want to return to the Tournament. Eleven and seven may not be enough. Notre Dame might need 12 wins to give itself a chance. That's asking a lot of any team, let alone a team that is trying to replace its top two scorers from a year ago.

Each year the Selection Committee places more emphasis on playing a difficult non-conference schedule. Losses to good teams aren't weighted as heavily and quality wins gain more significance. Knowing that, Notre Dame needs to start improving the quality of its out of conference opponents, starting next season. By shying away from top competition, Notre Dame has put itself in a difficult position just five games into the season. I hate talking about a tournament resume before February, let alone December, but at this point Notre Dame can't afford a loss at Kansas State or be upset in the Big East. The team's room for error has shrunk.

College basketball is changing. Twenty wins doesn't guarantee a tournament berth anymore. Beating up on inferior opponents in the early season doesn't do much for your resume. Teams must produce victories against good out of conference teams. Fail to build up those wins and you're putting your tournament life at the mercy of the Selection Committee.

Once you're on the bubble, you're vulnerable. And many times, that bubble bursts along with your season-long goal of being part of March Madness.

If the Irish are on the bubble again this season, they will know who to blame. Not the Selection Committee, but whoever scheduled the likes of North Florida, Youngstown State, and Long Island instead of decent competition in November and December.