Mailbag! Big Ten Scheduling, Notre Dame’s Win Total & MORE! | College Football

In this interactive mailbag episode of the Cover 3 College Football podcast, hosts Tom Franelli and Chip Patterson dive deep into fan-submitted questions about the upcoming college football season, with a major focus on Notre Dame's projected 11.5-win total and playoff expectations. They analyze the implications of Notre Dame’s top-three preseason ranking, the team’s schedule, and the pressure to not just win games but win the College Football Playoff. The hosts debate whether a 10-2 record would be acceptable if the Fighting Irish miss the playoff, emphasizing that the true measure of success lies in playoff participation and performance, not just the win total. They also explore the broader implications of scheduling changes, particularly the Big Ten’s decision to play only nine conference games, and whether this could hurt at-large bids despite strong strength of schedule metrics. The episode also covers new College Football Playoff Selection Committee members, mock draft trends, and fan-driven topics like the Arkansas hunting season’s impact on attendance and the debate over whether UConn should receive the same playoff access as Notre Dame. The hosts maintain a lighthearted tone while delivering sharp, data-driven insights on the evolving landscape of college football.