Now that’s what you call a topsy-turvy! When the 2024 season had kicked off, Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes entered the season with the HC almost on the verge of losing his job. On the flip side, fans did not have much hope for Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish. And look at them now. They have moved past all the heavy-weight programs to face off against each other for the College Football Playoff title. However, things are a bit jittery on Freeman’s end. Looks like right before the D-Day, Notre Dame attracted some bad juju. Already this season has been marred with injuries. Even in the end, Freeman could not be in peace as they now will be dealing with another injury. On that note, the national analyst predicted their fate.
When you say 2024 season, Notre Dame fans would remember it as the season filled with injuries. To start with, Freeman’s offensive lineman Charles Jagusah had torn a pectoral muscle early in training camp. In Week 2, their 66-7 victory against Purdue came with a cost. Their starting center Ashton Craig tore his left ACL while Fighting Irish’s starter at the defensive end spot, Jordan Botelho suffered a right knee injury. However, the biggest injury loss came with cornerback Benjamin Morrison who sustained a hip injury against Stanford. That was not the end. Now it’s Freeman’s wide receiver Beaux Collins who is now questionable to play in the Championship Game as he is dealing with a calf injury. Now will this stop Notre Dame from chasing the title and ending it with a sweet note?
Definitely not. At least national analyst Pete Thamel does not feel so. He could empathize with Freeman’s journey this far. “This playoff has become a war of attrition and the injuries have not been kind to Notre Dame,” stated Thamel. But the boys have risen like a phoenix from the ashes. “Things we’ve learned about this 12 team playoff is that you have to win games in different ways and Notre Dame has figured out ways to win games in different ways,” the analyst sounded all confident.
He then talked about the highlights of Notre Dame’s 2024 season to prove his point further. Well, how could we forget the 998-yard touchdown run from Jeremiyah Love? On the other hand, Freeman’s special teams coordinator Marty Biagi is spreading magic on the gridiron. To top that, Mitch Jeter’s 41-yard field goal after “a good old-fashioned wait 59 minutes and 35 seconds for the other team to mess up.” All these factors do prove a point.
As Thamel stated, “I just really feel like there’s there’s no reason why Notre Dame can’t find another way to win.” However, Freeman’s boys should stay humble as the Notre Dame legend had some advice for his alma mater.
Last-minute tips for Marcus Freeman’s squad
The last time that Notre Dame won the National Championship was back in 1988 under their former HC Lou Holtz. The Orange Bowl victory now gave Freeman a chance to write his name in the Fighting Irish history and end the 37-year-long national title drought. So, that they do not have to undergo the same fate as their 2013 loss to Alabama in the National Championship, Fighting Irish legend Brady Quinn addressed the elephant in the room.
So what’s the need of the hour for the program? On ESPN’s Aways College Football with Greg McElroy podcast, Quinn stated, “I think the hardest thing for Notre Dame in this game is going to be stopping the run. Because I go back and I watch the tape of Penn State, they were running the football at will at times against Notre Dame.”
Leave a Reply