Pete Thamel evaluates what Clemson-Notre Dame series says about future of CFP

Clemson vs. Notre Dame has been a big talking point since the announcement of their scheduling agreement two weeks ago. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was the latest to react to it considering what it specifically means for the program in South Bend.

Thamel discussed the new series between the Tigers and Fighting Irish while on ‘McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning’ last week. He’s thinking of it more from Notre Dame’s side as it allows them a guaranteed, big brand opponent in every season from 2027 through 2038

“I think more of, like, trying to predict ahead. I think my opinion is it’s more of a reactive move to last year,” said Thamel. “When you look at Notre Dame’s 2024 schedule, they obviously opened with (Texas) A&M and then had a very good, ranked Louisville team at home that they played a good game with. Other than that, their ACC schedule didn’t hold a lot of weight. They actually got lucky that Navy was ranked and that they rammed them pretty good.”

With that example, the slate only had so much on it last fall for Notre Dame from October on. After wins over Texas A&M and Louisville while also taking an upset loss to Northern Illinois, the only rated games the Irish played the rest of the way were against mid-majors with Navy and Army out of the American. That’s with Georgia Tech being decent but with down years or losing seasons for Stanford, Florida State, Virginia, and USC.

Not being in a conference sometimes leaves Notre Dame, despite playing quality competition, in a spot where they don’t know what level there opponent will be at in any given season. That makes this a notable agreement as, through their deal with the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Fighting Irish will always play one of the conference’s top brands in the Clemson Tigers.

“I think it was a little bit of looking at the landscape and looking at potentially where the ACC may be going. They obviously have the five guaranteed ACC games, I believe the number is, and saying let’s just make sure, you know, there’s enough meat in the middle of our schedule,” said Thamel. “When you look back with the Northern Illinois loss and then the strength of Notre Dame’s schedule, especially because USC was really down last year, it was a little bit light.”

“I do think one thing I would compliment Notre Dame for is, if you look back at them the last decade, or 15 years, nobody would be like, ah, they’re not playing anybody. Like, they’re always kind of playing somebody. I think the way their schedule has evolved to keep their ACC relationship going, they wanted to make sure that they’re going to have, you know…I think it just sort of gives them another guaranteed tentpole game that, you know,” Thamel continued. “Pretty good betting on Clemson being really strong for, you know, for the immediate future seems like a pretty good bet. That games been one of the highest-rated games if you look at college football in the past series. It may have been, in COVID, the highest-rated game.”

Notre Dame could have scheduled a lot of teams to best set themselves up for the future as far as their record. Pairing with Clemson, though, is a win for many like both teams, the conference, and college football as a whole.

“I just think it’s a good kind of gangbusters game for them to lock in,” said Thamel.