Notre Dame's regular schedule included:

• Michigan
• Michigan St.
• Purdue
• Navy
• USC
• Stanford
• 2 or 3 out of Pitt, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Boston College

They usually had 7-9 regular opponents that fans knew well, including proximate rivals. Navy and USC-Stanford gave Notre Dame a "national schedule."

BYU has a national schedule (even moreso than Notre Dame), but only 3 regular opponents. BIG difference. 

Notre Dame did the deal with the ACC because the B1G and ACC were publically discussing 9-game conference schedules. That meant that Notre Dame would have a much more difficult time to get its regular opponents on the schedule each year. So, the ACC deal still gives Notre Dame a frequent dose of Pitt, Syracuse, Georgia Tech and Boston College, plus other opponents in states where the Irish want to play...plus Navy, USC, and Stanford. Boom. 8-game schedule to maintain a nice foundation for independent scheduling.

IMO, we need to add 3 or 4 regulars to the schedule.

1) My first vote would be for Hawaii. We have history, they're beatable, and they give us scheduling flexibility - I'm more interested in the Week 0 opportunities (when BYU could actually schedule more quality opponents) than the 13th game.

2) Arizona. We need another regular P5 opponent and we seem to have played the Wildcats more often than most other PAC schools. I'd even consider a Home-Neutral-Road-Neutral deal, if this game could be played most years - neutral games in Phoenix and Las Vegas. 

3) Stanford and USC. Continue in perpetuity the series that we start next year - we play one of USC or Stanford every year. I actually really like the USC and Stanford road games to end the season. It matches exactly what Notre Dame has done.

4) TCU or Texas. Again, we need more regular P5 opponents and more games in Texas. This could accomplish both. Back-up plan would be Houston or SMU.

BYU's schedule template would be awesome. Regular games against Utah, Utah St., Boise St., Hawaii, Arizona, USC or Stanford, and TCU or Texas. Add a couple more P5 opponents, and 2 or 3 MWC/AAC teams, and finish it off with a payday home game against one of the other independents - UMass, Liberty, NMSU. (no more FCS!!)