Dabo Swinney: Notre Dame needs to join conference or play 13 games to be in playoff
Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney joined Missouri's Gary Pinkel in calling for Notre Dame to play a schedule similar to that of other Power Five schools if it hopes to qualify for the College Football Playoff.
Last week, Pinkel said the Irish should have to "join a league," and Swinney furthered those comments while in Bristol, Conn., on Monday as part of ESPN's Car Wash series, saying he'd like to see Notre Dame play a 13th game if it remains just a partial membership in the ACC.
Dabo Swinney agrees w/Gary Pinkel: “Absolutely Notre Dame needs to be in conference or play 13 games to be in @CFBPlayoff"
— Brett McMurphy (@McMurphyESPN) July 27, 2015
Given all the controversy surrounding the exclusion of 11-1 TCU and Baylor teams, adding a 12-0 or 11-1 Notre Dame team to the mix would be a nightmare for the College Football Playoff committee.
The Irish currently have a scheduling agreement with the ACC through 2025.