[CTcard]

If you think we will ever be in the national playoff picture, you don't want the Notre Dame game. If you think it is unrealistic that Stanford will be competing with Alabama and Clemson, then it is a great traditional game to have on the schedule.

This is a hard truth, but a truth nonetheless.

Depending upon exactly what you mean, Stanford has already been in the national playoff picture, if not in the national playoff. And in the years this was so, beating und helped Stanford's profile (but other losses doomed us).

In 2015 Stanford was talked about for the playoff. They were the highest regarded two loss team, sixth in the final CFP ranking. I think there is good reason to think Stanford would have been third had they managed to beat either Northwestern or Oregon (the game where they fumbled, and lost, the snap twice late and still came within a missed 2 pt conversion).
Stanford was also in the picture, though not the playoff, in 2010 (4th), 2011 (4th), and 2013 (5th), in each year beating und helped our position.

It's true that playing und means a loss is more likely, and a loss that would take us out of the playoff. However, beating und is the kind of win that could potentially get Stanford in over a rival with the same number of losses.

[CTcard]

If you think we will ever be in the national playoff picture, you don't want the Notre Dame game. If you think it is unrealistic that Stanford will be competing with Alabama and Clemson, then it is a great traditional game to have on the schedule.

This is a hard truth, but a truth nonetheless.

Depending upon exactly what you mean, Stanford has already been in the national playoff picture, if not in the national playoff. And in the years this was so, beating und helped Stanford's profile (but other losses doomed us).

In 2015 Stanford was talked about for the playoff. They were the highest regarded two loss team, sixth in the final CFP ranking. I think there is good reason to think Stanford would have been third had they managed to beat either Northwestern or Oregon (the game where they fumbled, and lost, the snap twice late and still came within a missed 2 pt conversion).
Stanford was also in the picture, though not the playoff, in 2010 (4th), 2011 (4th), and 2013 (5th), in each year beating und helped our position.

It's true that playing und means a loss is more likely, and a loss that would take us out of the playoff. However, beating und is the kind of win that could potentially get Stanford in over a rival with the same number of losses.