ssue
That’s why Notre Dame is at a disadvantage.
If a Notre Dame team went 12-0, or 11-1 they’d probably be the 5th seed even if the top four teams had records of 9-4 or even 8-5.
As the season wears on and injuries are more prevalent, getting a bye is a significant advantage.
Why should a team that’s 9-4 or 8-5 or 10-3 be seeded lower than an 12-0 or 11-1 ND team ?
In the sense you're looking at it, I would agree with you. But at the same time, I don't see it as a NEAT BINARY as I believe there are other ways of viewing this.
For instance, a 12-0 or 11-1 ND team could in fact be the best team in the country, and as such it doesn't matter that much if it has to play an extra game, particuarly if it then opens the door to it playing teams with inferior records. As with the undefeated 88 team and the one-loss 77 team, it was clear at a certain point during both seasons that ND was the best team in the country and merely had to hold serve each succeeding week. In other words, some teams simply won't be stopped, extra game or not.
On the other hand, getting to the final rounds against teams with inferior records may not be the advantage that it might appear to be when we're merely positing those final W/L records as abstractions. Because as QuixOte has pointed out, those theoretical 9-4 and/or 8-5 teams may IN REALITY turn out to be just as good -- or even better than -- that 12-0 or 11-1 ND team which has earned its record mainly by virtue of playing weaker competition.
What matters more to me is how ND ACTUALLY PERFORMS against its in-season opponents. If -- in line with GIVEN MEASURABLE POWER DIFFERENTIALS -- it's winning the way it should, then that's where I, personally, would be looking for advantages. Records, though rightfully used as admissions criteria to the playoffs, can, taken alone, be deceiving as respects a team's ACTUAL POWER. What's needed to go all the way is not only a spotless or near spotless record but also the actual physical superiority TO BEAT THE BETTER TEAMS at whatever point along the way you encounter them, while at the same time showing up against EVERY TEAM THAT ON PAPER YOU SHOULD BEAT.
Accordingly, I'm not that concerned with a 12-0 or 11-1 ND team that has also DOMINATED where it should; won the close ones when it should or when the odds weren't in its favor; and prevalied on days it wasn't at its best -- being seeded 5th. Does that seeding look like a disadvantage on paper? Yes. Does it require an extra hurdle? Yes. Is it in fact an ACTUAL LIABILITY? NOT NECESSARILY.
Again, in the end, you have to be capable of beating any team at any time, especially if you don't have to play a conference game to be eligible to make the playoffs in the first place. In fact, that's why this 5th seed arrangement may have been imposed on ND -- i.e. for not having to face THE CONFERENCE GAME HURDLE. And if so, that to me would not seem unfair.
My concern, as stated in my previous post, is not seeding but rather ND ACTUALLY MAKING IT to the playoffs. A&M, FSU and USC could all wind up ranked teams, while Louisville always plays ND tough and Miami can always surprise. One hiccup, ND should be okay. Two? Possibly. Thing is, the ENTIRE SEASON is a one big playoff, and to win an NC you have to have a team that ON PAPER can win every game. Does ND have that kind of team?
I truly don't know.