Notre Dame’s margin for error is gone, but the season is not.
After the Irish’s first loss in 16 games, the conversation around this team has shifted fast, and not in a flattering direction. The offense looked stuck.
The defense showed cracks. And now the pressure lands squarely on Marcus Freeman and his staff to make real changes before a huge test against top-ranked Miami on November 1.
On offense, the frustration is centered on creativity, or the lack of it. Notre Dame needs more from quarterback CJ Carr, and offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has to open things up, especially in the red zone.
The Irish also need more personnel involvement from week to week. Freeman, too, has to take a different philosophical approach and let the unit lean into what it does best.
The issues on defense are just as glaring. Notre Dame needs to get back to the level it showed in the first four games of the season.
While the BYU loss drew the most attention, the problems did not begin there. They started against North Carolina.
The fix, as laid out this week, is straightforward in concept: find more creative ways to pressure the quarterback, simplify the responsibilities of the back seven, and let the athletes play fast.
Even with all that, the bigger picture has not changed. Notre Dame still controls its path to the playoff. The loss to BYU was infuriating, and the Irish did not meet their standard, but they remain the No. 4 team in the country with a chance to make things right against the No. 1 team in the country.
An 11-1 Notre Dame team still gets into the playoff, and gets in comfortably. Freeman’s record in Top 10 games outside of the 2024 playoff run is part of the conversation, but it is not the whole story. Beat Miami, take care of the rest of the regular season, and the Irish can put themselves back in position for another playoff run.
That path is not simple. If Notre Dame cannot make the needed adjustments, it gets much tougher.
Still, the roster gives the Irish a real shot. They remain one of the most talented teams in the country, with one of the best signal callers under center and one of the most athletic, talented and experienced defenses in college football.
This is familiar territory for Notre Dame. The Irish have faced this kind of pressure before, and in past seasons they answered with a Top 5 home win in 2022 or a playoff run in 2024.
Nothing will come easy now. Everything has to be earned.
The national narrative has already turned once. Notre Dame’s challenge now is to turn it back by making the right adjustments and taking care of business the rest of the way.
In Other News...
BYU Faces A Complicated Ranking Drop After Costly Upset
Miami stayed put at No. 1 in the AP poll after handling Pittsburgh, and the top of the rankings now looks primed for another shuffle after a wild weekend. For Notre Dame fans keeping one eye on the playoff picture, the real intrigue sits just beneath the top spot, where BYU entered the week at No. 2 before taking an upset loss to UCF in double overtime.
Ohio State is expected to climb into the No. 2 position, but the rest of the top six is less straightforward, with BYU, Notre Dame, Indiana and Georgia all in play as pollsters sort through the damage. For the Irish, the result in Orlando could open the door to a better place in the rankings, but the exact order remains unsettled for now. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Bye Week Brought Playoff Help And Fresh Offensive Frustration
The bye week still delivered a meaningful shift for Notre Dame, even without the Irish taking the field. BYUs loss to UCF and Wisconsins win over USC both shaped the broader College Football Playoff picture, with the Badgers result helping strengthen the Big Tens case while BYU took a hit to its own postseason resume.
At the same time, the week offered a fresh reminder of where Notre Dame still has work to do on offense. Last weeks game plan under coordinator Mike Denbrock drew criticism for how it was constructed, leaving questions hanging over an attack that did not look fully settled before the break. Elsewhere in the league, Tommy Carrs difficult first start as Michigans quarterback only added to the sense that several key CFP contenders are still trying to find their footing. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames AP Poll Drop Just Created A New Resume Debate
Notre Dame stayed put on the field this week, but not in the Associated Press poll. The Irish landed at No. 5 in the latest Top 25 despite not playing, while Georgia and Indiana both jumped ahead of them after their most recent performances. It was a reminder that even when a team is idle, its rsum can still be judged against the weekend results around it.
BYUs placement at No. 8 only adds another layer to the conversation, especially because the Cougars own wins over ranked opponents, including Notre Dame. So the debate around the Irish is less about a single number than the logic behind it, with strength of schedule and head-to-head value once again front and center in a crowded College Football Playoff discussion. [Read more 🡒]