Should Notre Dame Open With Texas A&M or a Tune-Up? ND on SI Noon Question

Is it better for Notre Dame to start the season with a cupcake or a marquee matchup? It's the daily ND on SI Noon Question

Sep 17, 2022; College Station, Texas, USA; A view of the stands and the fans and the 12th Man logo during the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Miami Hurricanes at Kyle Field. / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

ND on SI Noon Question: Texas A&M or a tune-up? Whats the better way to open the Notre Dame football season?

What is the best way to open the season for Notre Dame football?

Sure, it's easy to respond with "by winning," but as we all know, not all wins are created equally.

Notre Dame opens what could be a memorable 2024 college football season on Aug. 31 in one of the toughest venues to play in, Kyle Field at Texas A&M.

Roughly 103,000 of their closest friends will be there to greet them with anything other than traditional Southern Hospitality in what is certain to be one of the biggest matchups of college football's opening weekend.

Is that good for business or should Notre Dame open at home against Navy, Temple, Rice, or Nevada like they've done in the last 15-years and find what should be an easy victory?

The team here at Notre Dame on Sports Illustrated discusses exactly that in today's ND on SI Noon Question.

Rich Cirminiello
@RichCirminiello

ALWAYS start the season with an inferior opponent. It’s Momentum 101 in a sport without a preseason.

The Irish at Kyle Field is amazing for fans. Not so much when you’re breaking in a new OC (Mike Denbrock), a new QB (Riley Leonard) who hasn’t played in 10 months, and a bunch of skill guys in new roles or returning from injuries.

Facing Navy is exactly the Week 1 boost this offense needs, just like it was last August. Instead, ND must work out kinks against a really good Aggie D-line in front of 102,000 fired up fans. Far from ideal for kicking off a new year.

It is worth noting that tough openers aren’t the potential season-killers they used to be. Drop the opener and there’s plenty of time to regroup and make the expanded field of 12.    

Pete Fiutak
@PeteFiutak

When I become the Tsar of College Football, I’m mandating a Week 0 FBS home date vs an FCS team. Everyone gets a warm-up, and then that’s it - no more FBS vs FCS games after that.

With that said …Playing Texas A&M on the road is the dumbest thing Notre Dame can do. A college football team playing ANYONE good to start the season is the dumbest thing it can do. This isn’t the NFL - there’s no preseason.

Play Navy. Play Cupcake Tech or Cream Puff State to tune everything up, and THEN play Texas A&M.

Nick Shepkowski
@NickShepkowski

Scared money don't make money.

Notre Dame going big in week one doesn’t always lend itself to great outcomes (see Ohio State 2022, Texas 2016) but the marketing behind it is undeniable. 
It’s the one week a year college football doesn’t go against the NFL.  Win one of the biggest games of that weekend (like against Michigan in 2018 or Texas in 2015) and barring massive collapse you’re by default towards the front of much of the nation’s mind for the year.

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