So let's do this: 1. BC, Cuse, Rutgers, Notre Dame 2. Pitt, VT, Maryland, UVa 3. UNC, NC State, Duke, Clemson 4. Wake, GT, Miami, FSU.

That allows the Irish to win their pod almost every year, and the VT pod is chock full of local rivalries. Every pod is competitively balanced to some degree, and travel would only be really bad for the extreme northern and southern pods.

I can't for the life of me believe Notre Dame would commit nine games with so many stinkers on their schedule though. That's one reason I think the Irish are not a realistic option. Hope I'm wrong.