ND’s schedule is unusually weak this year...
Many of the “name” colleges and universities schedule weak or smaller market teams to “pad” their record to try to get into the CFP or bowl games to bolster their funds.
ND ended up 10-2 on the year and that record according to the polls from the people that determine the playoffs was only good enough for 8th place on the list tied with Oklahoma as there were seven other teams that had a better record and far more TV face time nationally.
But tossing the extra money from the bowl game could be a kiss of death for them in their bid for anything next year as the media gets pissy about being shunned.
wy69
Iowa St and Kansas St. were fined $500K by the Big 12 Conference for declining bowl games after the coaches left. That is not really fair for the fans and the players.