Notre Dame hasn’t been here before under Marcus Freeman.
They’ve been in similar situations — Freeman’s initial campaign was far from flawless, particularly early on, but the Irish have yet to absorb a gut punch quite like the one they took this week.
Notre Dame left the Ohio State loss in 2022 with a note of hope. The team lost, but they also held their own on the road against what was, realistically, an opponent that had them overmatched. Defeats to Marshall and Stanford each triggered a week of soul searching that — while agonizing — didn’t quite match Saturday’s frustrations.
That's because Marshall and Stanford were both 60-minute disasters. Train wreck performances against teams Notre Dame had no business battling with. What made last Saturday so brutal — and unique — is the fact that so many things went right for the Irish under the lights at Notre Dame Stadium. For most of the game, Al Golden’s defense successfully limited Ohio State’s arsenal of weapons. An Irish offense that had sputtered in key moments in the first half found a second-half groove. With just a few moments left in the contest, a signature victory for Notre Dame, in a game where all the elements seemed just right for a statement, was more than within grasp.
We all know what happened next. Gerad Parker called for a second-down screen pass, with a subsequent incompletion allowing the Buckeyes to pocket a spare timeout. Kyle McCord and Co. would then engineer a game-winning drive, capped off by a back-breaking third and 19 conversion and a touchdown against a ten-man Irish defense with just seconds to play.
It was all but certainly the most heartbreaking loss Notre Dame has seen in at least a half-decade. In a game with playoff implications that could haunt the Irish in December.
But it’s also now in the past. Notre Dame has recovered from difficult defeats before with mixed results. A common thread, though, has been an ugly first half leading to a slow-burn win that leans on the ground game.
This Saturday should tell us a lot about how the Irish respond to adversity under Marcus Freeman. If they bounce back well and are at their best, expect Sam Hartman to be a major reason why. Notre Dame brought in Hartman for games like the Ohio State contest, a top-10 showdown with playoff implications. But they also brought him in to be at the forefront in moments like this. When you’re down, you look to your veterans to lead from the front and engineer a strong response.
Hartman has been playing college football since 2018. He’s quarterbacked on good teams and he’s quarterbacked on bad teams. There aren’t many situations, on the field or off, that are new to him. He was named a captain before the season for a reason — he’s someone the team believes they can turn to at the most crucial times.
The run game should also play a major role in Notre Dame’s response in Durham. Though perhaps not reflected on the scoreboard, the Irish rushing attack had an effective outing against the Buckeyes. It wasn’t Audric Estime’s most dominant performance, but the bruising junior running back still posted 70 yards. Sophomore Jadarian Price and freshman Jeremiyah Love each mixed in effectively. Sophomore Gi’Bran Payne continues to impress as a third-down and short-yardage option.
The best way for the Irish to control their own destiny against the Blue Devils will be to dictate the tempo of the match. And running the ball with efficiency is perhaps the most critical element of dictating tempo. Expect Notre Dame to try to take control on the ground early on.
Duke, currently undefeated and coming off a nine-win season last fall, won’t be a pushover. But how Notre Dame attacks the Blue Devils could be a bellwether for the rest of the season. If the Irish look uninspired and disappointed, warning bells could go off for future matchups against the likes of USC and Clemson. But if Notre Dame is assertive, it will be as clear of a sign as any that this Irish team, led by perhaps the most battle-tested quarterback in college football, is not ready to give up on its College Football Playoff dreams.
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Post: Notre Dame's season isn't over yet. But Saturday's game should tell us where it stands.
Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman motions to his team during the game between Notre Dame and Clemson at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022. Credit: Max Petrosky/The Observer
