Any team that schedules Army, Navy, and Air Force in the same year and tries to ride that to the national championship is not being serious.
Compare that to who USC chose as non-conference opponents, for example. Arkansas (SEC west champs) and Nebraska (Big 12 north champs).
Indeed. But these schedules are made tears in advance. Last year, Tech beat Miami. This year, the Canes tanked, as did MSU. Those are the breaks, as is Arkansas - a team that has never gone to an Sec championship game - doing as well as the have done.
4 weeks into the season, the teams ND opened against were 11-1 against teams not named Notre Dame.
Fortunately, ND and USC will settle this on the field and with a Florida loss, the winner of that game should go.