Chatting with various ND friends over the last week it seems like the consensus opinion on playoff hopes is to avoid at all costs and go for a NY6 game.

Most years with a good-not-great team I'd be on board but I think this season is stacking up differently.

IG makes the point below about how nice it would be to have last year's team this year, and KGB opines that this is a perfect year for a 12-team playoff.

If you agree with those perspectives (and I do) and you think there's only 1 dominant squad and then a group of about 8-10 interchangeables, then why not abandon the "settle for NY6" mentality and go for a playoff spot instead? Maybe we get matched with UGA but maybe not. Maybe we get one of those other matchups instead, and finally win a playoff game.

On a related note, this is why I feel the Navy game was a letdown. If we are gunning for the playoffs -- and I believe we should be -- then this should have been Style Points time. I was expecting (hoping) for a 50-spot and we couldn't get it done.