Marcus Freeman Era? Yeah, it’s still Notre Dame

It was the end of the 2021 season, and Notre Dame was preparing to take on Oklahoma State in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl. It was a pretty up-and-down season–Notre Dame started the year with multiple less than stellar games, including a loss to eventual playoff team Cincinnati–but eventually put it all together on the road to a New Year’s Six bowl game. The season went as usual, highlighted by tight contests against group of five schools and blowout wins over power five schools. However, right before the biggest game of the season, Notre Dame was faced with a massive storyline.

Brian Kelly was gone. He had taken a job with LSU and wouldn’t be Notre Dame’s coach any longer. To many Notre Dame fans, this was a sign of better times to come. Brian Kelly’s Notre Dame was notorious for playing to the level of their competition before getting blown out in big games. With him gone, surely that trend would change, right? That unfortunately hasn’t been the case. Through four games of the 2022 season, nothing appears to have changed under Marcus Freeman.

Notre Dame’s Fatal Flaw

This is not an article on betting, but if I had to give any betting advice, it would be to always bet on Notre Dame’s opponent covering the spread. That’s just how the team goes–they will always play to the level of their competition. Especially in early season games, Notre Dame plays everyone close, whether it’s Georgia (see 2017 and 2019) or Florida State (see 2020 and 2021). The team struggles to separate itself from the mediocre, a trend which has gone on for most of the 21st century.

Then comes the second part of the problem: Notre Dame sucks in big games. As a Notre Dame fan, it’s an infuriating reality. Notre Dame puts together a great record, makes the playoffs, and then… gets blown out. It’s a tale as old as time.

Irish fans are still waiting for a breakthrough. We got a taste of what could be in 2020 when Notre Dame beat #1 Clemson. However, that game was immediately discredited by an ACC championship loss to the same team, this time with healthy Trevor Lawrence. When things are looking up, Notre Dame always finds a way to embarrass themselves.

The Marcus Freeman Era has started off with a dud

As was heavily publicized, Marcus Freeman is the first Notre Dame head coach to ever start their tenure 0-3. Now the first two losses can be forgiven–playing a good Oklahoma State team on short notice is tough, and Notre Dame looked very competitive against a top ranked Ohio State team. However, since those games, Notre Dame has just looked flat. The team lost in embarrassing fashion to Marshall before scraping out a victory against Cal. These two games shouldn’t have been close, and yet, in typical Notre Dame fashion, they were.

As I’m writing this. Notre Dame has just defeated UNC, 45-32. It was a step in the right direction for a struggling team, and yet, it feels typical. It’s a movie I’ve seen a thousand times–Notre Dame loses a tough game close, plays a bad game against an inferior team, and wins big against a solid opponent. Every season follows this formula, and every season ends in heartbreaking fashion.

Notre Dame: The Sisyphus of College Football

I like to try to keep a positive mindset. Notre Dame played well today which was a step in the right direction. I should be much happier than I am. But unfortunately, it’s Notre Dame, so I know what’s coming next.

I’ll end today’s article with some Greek mythology. I know, random, but please, hear me out. According to Greek mythology, there was a king named Sisyphus who was punished for “cheating death” by the God Hades. Now I’ll spare you the boring details, but basically, he was punished to roll a boulder up a hill, but every time he reached the top of the hill, the boulder would roll back down, and he’d have to start over. This would continue for eternity.

In this case, Notre Dame fans are Sisyphus. Each season is tough, messes with your emotions, but eventually, Notre Dame finds a way to make a big game… and then the boulder rolls back down the hill. Everyone hoped it would change after Brian Kelly. Unfortunately, the Marcus Freeman era is starting off on the exact same foot.

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