SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Eight final thoughts on Notre Dame’s 49-14 blowout of Army and where the Irish are headed.
1. Notre Dame might be playing the best football in the country. Your eyes don’t deceive you.
The Irish lead the nation in scoring margin. They’re No. 2 in scoring defense. They’re No. 6 in scoring offense. Nobody is beating down its schedule with more force than Marcus Freeman’s program. And yes, the schedule plays a part in that. Notre Dame’s schedule has been one of the weakest in recent history with four Group of 5 opponents, plus a down Florida State, Purdue and Stanford. Among the true College Football Playoff contenders, Notre Dame is downstream in schedule strength.
In The Athletic’s mock bracket, including those on the bubble, only Indiana (No. 68), Tulane (No. 85) and Boise State (No. 89) are worse than Notre Dame (No. 65) in the Sagarin schedule strength metric. But it’s not like other top teams haven’t played similarly so-so schedules. Oregon (No. 52), Tennessee (No. 57) Ohio State (No. 58), SMU (No. 59) and Miami (No. 61) aren’t exactly testing themselves every week.
Notre Dame’s schedule may not have been entertaining, but it’s worth acknowledging the Irish helped make it that way … by being really, really good.
Maybe there’s an argument Notre Dame’s schedule won’t prepare it for the CFP. But that applies to just about any team that’s not playing in a conference championship game.
2. New York may be the ideal city for the Shamrock Series.
It’s just that Yankee Stadium doesn’t work as a venue.
From a private production of “Hamilton” to the mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to the marching band playing in Times Square, everything before the game felt pitch-perfect for New York’s local college football team. Even the fonts on the jersey worked. In a lot of ways, it felt like the Navy game in Dublin last year, where Notre Dame’s presence in the city felt like a big deal, even in a place where it’s easy to get lost.
It’s just the stadium that needs to get sorted out. Gates were slow-moving for fans to get in. As for watching a football game in a baseball stadium, well, there’s a reason football games stopped being played in them.
3. Jeremiyah Love has six 30-yard runs this season, including that 68-yard touchdown to open the second half where Army never had a chance.
Georgia has four 30-yard runs this year. Oregon has three.
What’s left to say about the sophomore? Other than he’ll be a junior next season.
SEE YA ☘️
THERE GOES @JeremiyahLove
6️⃣8️⃣ yards to the HOUSE#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/qjPq8rQIMG
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 24, 2024
4. Notre Dame’s defensive staff aced the assignment to shut down Army. The credit for that should be shared, but linebackers coach Max Bullough deserves more than he usually gets on an all-star staff.
It’s hard to remember a more comprehensive performance from a group of linebackers than how the Irish played against the Black Knights, from Jaiden Ausberry’s stop to get it started, to Drayk Bowen beating quarterback Bryson Daily into the turf, to Jack Kiser pulling it all together. Jaylen Sneed had his moments, too. It’s a shame Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa went down with a knee injury, which will sideline him against USC and perhaps for the postseason.
There was a time when getting Notre Dame into sets with three or four linebackers worked to the opponent’s advantage. It did against Northern Illinois. That’s no longer the case.
5. I get it. Fans love night games. But it’s a tough break for NBC this year considering the Irish won their two prime-time kickoffs on the network by a combined 101-17 score. That’s a long way from beating No. 1 Clemson in overtime.
6. Freeman talked about “violence” before the Army kickoff, meaning he wanted to win both lines of scrimmage and pound Daily backward. Job done. But you want to know what playing Notre Dame feels like?
Irish opponents are 0-8 against the spread the week after playing Notre Dame. Florida State and Northern Illinois had bye weeks immediately after playing the Irish, but that would make opponents 0-9-1. In case you missed it, Virginia got blasted 33-7 at home by SMU last weekend. Next up for Army is UTSA. The Black Knights are seven-point favorites. Good luck.
7. Freeman came to Mitch Jeter’s defense after his missed 48-yard field goal attempt dropped short and the 30-yarder got blocked when Notre Dame failed to protect up front. That’s fine. That’s what Freeman should do. But it’s hard to look at Notre Dame’s special teams and not admit there’s a kicking problem heading toward USC. That groin injury suffered against Stanford will be seven weeks in the rearview by Saturday. And it still feels a long way from healing in full. Will Freeman be even more aggressive on fourth down than he’s already been?
8. Notre Dame should be ahead of Penn State in the next College Football Playoff rankings. But it probably won’t be. And that’s fine, considering we’re a week away from this mattering for real. But if Notre Dame goes to USC and wins by blowout, it’s got to be viewed in the context of Penn State needing overtime to finish off the Trojans.
Here’s why this matters, just in case you don’t have CFP formatting rules committed to memory.
If chalk holds, Georgia will win the SEC, likely putting the Dawgs as the No. 2 seed. SMU or Miami are basically locked into playing for the ACC championship, with the winner almost certain to be the No. 3 seed.
Right now, Penn State is the No. 6 seed, which means Miami or SMU in the quarterfinals. And right now, Notre Dame is the No. 7 seed, which means Georgia in the quarterfinals. Which path looks easier to make the semifinals?
(Photo: Danny Wild / Imagn Images)
