While on a speaking tour of mammoth proportions (for him, anyway), Alabama coach Nick Saban dropped something of a bombshell (for the off-season, anyway). He issued what FanHouser Brian Stouffer declared "a WWF-style challenge". He wants to play the Fighting Irish. He did not fail to mention the fact that, while at Michigan State, the Spartans beat the Irish all three times that they played.Fans of both teams seemed to welcome the news of a potential future home-and-home series between two historically dominant teams. Notre Dame Senior Associate Athletics Director John Heisler -- the man in charge of scheduling for the Irish -- heard the cheering and excitement and realized that something had to be done! He quickly set out to disabuse fans of the notion that there could be a series between these two traditional powerhouses.
It turns out that Notre Dame is busy that day. They have to wash their hair.
"It's not for lack of interest," said John Heisler, Notre Dame's senior associate athletics director who is in charge of scheduling. "I just don't know where we'd put them."
Two days after Alabama coach Nick Saban proclaimed his interest in upgrading his out-of-conference schedule by adding the Fighting Irish, Heisler told The Birmingham News that a new agreement with the Big East makes finding room for programs like Alabama nearly impossible.
That certainly takes some of the fun out of the whole thing. This raised a question for Jay at the prolific Notre Dame blog Blue Gray Sky:
I have to wonder, if we can't find room for Alabama -- one of the most storied programs in college football, a school with spirit and character and near-unparalleled tradition; indeed, a true luminary of the sport -- what's the point of calling ourselves "Independent"?
I have to agree. To be clear, this isn't a shot at Notre Dame. Saban and Tide fans can talk big, but until someone convinces Alabama AD Mal Moore that scheduling at least one non-conference team that isn't a push-over is a good thing, nothing like this is going to happen.
Then again, Saban presumably has some pull with Moore. He should be able to hang the "I saved you from a pink slip and a good lynching" over Moore's head for quite some time. Even still, I'll believe it when I see it.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. Alabama doesn't deserve a chance to play Notre Dame yet, they have to prove themselves as a winner first. Actually, Saban has to prove he can win. He doesn't have much in the way of talent. Probably in two or three years you will be worthy of playing Notre Dame or USC. Until then work hard and prove to the world your the coach Bama fans say you are. If you can beat LSU and Auburn then your on your way.
Posted at 9:56PM on Jul 15th 2007 by TJ
2. Let's just take a quick peak at last season. With Shula at the helm, no less.
One common opponent: LSU. The results?
Alabama lost by 14 points.
Notre Dame lost by 27.
Now, what was it you were saying?
Posted at 10:41PM on Jul 15th 2007 by Pete Holiday
3. Bama doesn't deserve to play Notre Dame? Wow! Bama has Florida State this year and Penn St. in the near future so it looks like the scheduling is getting a little better. It would be nice to pick up the Irish so that way there would be the possibilty of beating the 3 teams I hate the most. Auburn, Tennessee and Notre Dame.
Posted at 11:56PM on Jul 15th 2007 by Clay
4. Notre Dame has won what in the past 20 years? So they the ones who gotta prove a winner first..well im sure Navy and Stanford will give ya a good game
Posted at 3:41AM on Jul 16th 2007 by jon
5. $aban's doing the right thing by floating this trial balloon. Bama needs to improve its OOC schedule, but it also needs to get out of the South, so to speak. A home-and-home series with Notre Dame would give both programs positive visibility where they don't have much now. It would also allow Bama to show the nation that it's cleaned up its act.
Posted at 7:46AM on Jul 16th 2007 by Fritz
6. "It would also allow Bama to show the nation that it's cleaned up its act."
How would it do that, exactly?
Posted at 7:51AM on Jul 16th 2007 by Pete Holiday
7. As usual, Bama knows how to talk a good fight. But it would be a change from just taking money games with Sun Belt teams. As an Auburn fan who's had to watch the Tigers stack up to USC a couple of years ago, it's a win-win situation.
Taking on a has-been like Notre Dame would be nothing but a good thing
Posted at 9:04AM on Jul 16th 2007 by Mike
8. Notre Dame is the biggest joke in college football if they had played in the sec last year they might have won 5 or 6 games tops! I'm from south bend, and I can tell you that they are in trouble, this year look for 6 wins against a joke of a schedule except for southern cal and u of m if they ranked schedules at the end of a season instead of the begining you would see how easy n.d. has had it p.s. charlie is on the way out give him 2 more years maybe 3 tops hope the 3.5 mill a year was worth 2 major blowouts in the bcs games they should not have been in!
Posted at 10:58AM on Jul 16th 2007 by Eric Hunsberger
9. i cant see bama playing nd in a bowl game either considering the fact that alabama is terrible and will probably have another losing season.
Posted at 12:01PM on Jul 16th 2007 by Ndfan
10. I would watch Notre Dame / Alabama. The ND/Navy or a host of other ND weak opponents doesn't interest me. Alabama also has some uninteresting non-conference games but at least they have the SEC schedule. And they have added FSU. Alabama was down last year after 10-1 the year before. Hopifully Bama will improve so they will deserve to play a team like ND that has won so many National Championships and Major Bowl games over the last 20 years.
I am not a ND expert I hope someone will blog back all the football glory they'll had over the last 20 years. Thanks for your help.
Posted at 12:31PM on Jul 16th 2007 by Dave
11. Listen, folks, this isn't about who sucks more.
The truth is both programs have deep history that they haven't been living up too in the past decade or so, and that the game itself would be outstanding to watch.
Idiocy like saying that Alabama needs to prove itself (wha?) or that Notre Dame sucks because they play Navy is not really helpful.
The point was that all of these arguments are moot until the respective ADs dispense with the cupcakes.
Posted at 5:25PM on Jul 16th 2007 by Pete Holiday
12. The game would be a great one, but scheduling is becoming more and more restricted these days, and for a team like Bama, there is NO need to prove itself outside its SEC schedule. The SEC is THE best conference in college football, so winning in the SEC is all the 'proof" of being a good team anyone needs. Just ask the folks Ohio State. What has ND "won" in the last 20 years, compared to Bama? A number of invitations to bowl games, where they were blown out by far superior teams. That's all.
Posted at 6:54PM on Jul 16th 2007 by Randal Palm
13. I can not remember the last time Alabama beat ND. ND
has had some ups and downs over the years, but Alabama has not had stellar seasons either. Charlie
did not have a lot of cards to play with the last 2 years. His recruiting has landed a few good recruits
but it will take time. It is also hard to schedule as a independent such as ND. Penn State finally joined a conference, to maintain status. Let the games be played on the field and not on the internet.
We are all fans of our schools and that should be enough said.
Joe T.
Posted at 11:16PM on Jul 16th 2007 by Joe t
14. All the hype and spouting off will not bring the game to pass. Both schools have had rough times and are still fumbling their way through things right now. ND has beaten Alabama the last few times they have met. So they got beat by LSU, take a look where the game was played and on neutrul field things might have been different. The Sec had a couple of good seasons, but USC is still the team to beat and I do not think Florida would have beaten them. Sec teams do not even play up North very often,
look at their out of conference schedule. So please brag somewhere else. Anyone can beat defeated on any given day.
Joe T
Posted at 11:23PM on Jul 16th 2007 by Joe t
15. This is a top secret ....Notre Dame will wear all green uniforms when they play USC and they will confuse USC and win the game,, This is a secret don't tell anyone.
Posted at 11:47AM on Jul 17th 2007 by Joe Yakimow
16. Too all you Notre Dame fans, We can understand why you wouldn't want to play against ALABAMA that green and white you wear should be all yellow, I wouldn't want to play against someone who would stomp me into the ground either! Lets chack out overall school records; Bama's been too more bowl games,Bama's won more bowl games, and finally Alabama has won more natonial championships than any other school!!! So admit it Ya'll are afraid. Once again Bama Rules*** ROLL TIDE ROLL; die hard Bama fan BAMA BIKER777
Posted at 1:30PM on Jul 17th 2007 by Norman
17. We both would love to see this happen, but since Mal Moore wants to play 9 home games a year and Kevin White wants to conquer and Christianize the Mountain West, it's all a bunch of huffing and puffing from both sides.
Well, actually, it's just huffing and puffing from Nick Saban. Kevin White, god bless him, has been very forthcoming with how much of a quivering pansy he is.
Posted at 1:35PM on Jul 17th 2007 by Brian Stouffer
18. watch out USC!!!!! notre dame is going to wear all green uniforms and they will defeat USC by 33 points!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted at 2:06PM on Jul 17th 2007 by Joe Yakimow
19. It really doesn't matter. Saben has no loyalty to teams and Bama has no loyalty to coaches. Saben most likely will not even be there in 3 to 4 years. And besides Bama is one more screw up away from getting the death penalty. So really the real question should be...who goes 1st - Saban or the most corrupt program in the SEC.
Posted at 4:14PM on Jul 17th 2007 by wgatevah
20. Notre Dame...... French name, but they are "Irish?" How does the team get every game on NBC? I hate Notre Dame and every Saturday from August to December I boycott NBC (Notre Dame Broadcasting Channel). ND should join a conference (Big 10) so we would hear no more of you down here in our beloved SOUTH!!
Posted at 7:39PM on Jul 17th 2007 by Joey