I would not consider VT or Southern Cal in their present conditions to be marquee wins nor would I have put Virginia in the mix, however, if 3 is all you can really point to out of 32 victories then the point seems clear. More importantly those 6 L's most likely represent a substantial portion of the best teams they have played in those 38 games. My thesis is quite simple ND's on field performance is no where near their peak, their performance against the top tier teams has not been strong in recent times and their access to the current national playoff discussion hinges far more on a fading mystique of glory days past than current performance. In my opinion, ND is much more likely to get a playoff bid(absent a further playoff expansion) as a conference champion than as an independent given their current on field performances. If you are assuming ND is just going "to get curb stomped by Clemson every year" then the likelihood of them being a playoff participant as an independent, even in an expanded format, will ultimately lie far more on past mystique and NCAA/TV politics than their actual merit. I contend, possibly erroneously, that ardent ND fans not content with a coastal title, will be even less content and question the value of independent schedule if it does not produce a realistic shot at a championship.