Chip On The Shoulder? Indiana, Notre Dame Take Contrasting Approaches

Indiana has a roster full of overlooked players who have spent much of the season trying to prove themselves. Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman doesn’t put the same emphasis on it.

Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds (5) makes an interception and returns it for a touchdown during the Indiana versus Washington football game at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 26, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – If Indiana’s football team had a mantra it would undoubtedly be some variation on having a chip on their shoulder.

The players have spoken about it all season and so has coach Curt Cignetti. This is a roster full of FCS stars who weren’t given the chance to play at blueblood schools straight out of high school. They have something to prove.

Notre Dame, being a traditional power, is where many of the most sought-after recruits end up. Fighting Irish players may find their own chip to put on their own shoulder, but it’s rarely out of any sense of being overlooked.

The different places these programs are coming from was evident in the comments that were made by the relevant parties.

Indiana’s players? The chip on the shoulder ethos was alive and well.

“I think it's just something that's just there, right. I think it's something that we've all had because we've always been underdogs and now to come in this situation and still be looked at as an underdog that chip continues to grow to be honest with you,” Indiana defensive end Mikail Kamara said.

“I definitely had a chip on my shoulder since the beginning of the season,” Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds said.

“I definitely had a chip on my shoulder the whole season and felt like I had something to prove. I knew I could do it but a lot of people said I couldn't. I definitely have a chip on my shoulder and played with a chip on my shoulder all the time,” Ponds continued.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts after a Fighting Irish touchdown against the Florida State Seminoles in the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman wouldn’t go down the same road. The measured Freeman said there’s nothing unique about having a chip on the shoulder in a win or go home situation.

“You're talking about a college football playoff game, and every college football team that's in the playoffs is going to have a chip on their shoulder, and there isn't going to be a lack of motivation for anybody,” Freeman said on Wednesday.

Freeman has steered clear of the motivational talk throughout the week. He favors a different approach.

“It's still going to be about preparation and performance, and that's what matters the most. Every game we play, you have to control your emotions, right?” Freeman said. “This is a big game. We all know that, but it's still ultimately going to come down to execution and preparation is going to help you execute at a high level."

Having a chip on one’s shoulder and good preparation are not mutually exclusive. When Indiana players talk about having a chip on their shoulder, it’s about the whole package. Preparing well, executing right and attention to detail have to be part of the deal if you want to prove the world wrong – as so many of Indiana’s players say they want to do.

“No matter how many sacks I get, no matter how many plays Ponds makes, (quarterback Kurtis) Rourke makes, Fish (Aiden Fisher) makes, the chip just gets bigger and bigger every single time because you know if you have one good game -- but one bad game they are going to trip you so every single game,” Kamara said.

Could Notre Dame put a chip on its shoulder given that the in-state team wants to springboard to national prominence at the expense of the Fighting Irish? Notre Dame could go down that road, but Freeman isn’t having it.

For Indiana, this is a historic moment given where the program was and how far its come. But from Notre Dame’s view, they have respect for Indiana for what its done in 2024 and previous seasons are irrelevant to the way they prepare.

"I'm sure hstory might tell you that IU is playing the best they ever had, but what we evaluate is what they're currently doing, and they're playing at one of the top levels of any college football team right now,” Freeman said.

“So, we don't need to have any false motivation. You just watch the film and you understand the challenge that this football program presents in all three phases of the game,” Freeman concluded.

Related stories on Indiana football

• HOW TO WATCH: How to watch Friday's Indiana-Notre Dame College Football Playoff game as well as ESPN GameDay on Friday afternoon. CLICK HERE.

• PREDICTIONS, KEYS FOR THE GAME: Hoosiers On SI's predictions and three keys for the Indiana-Notre Dame College Football Playoff game. CLICK HERE.

• CFP WEATHER FORECAST: Get up to date on the weather both for the drive up to South Bend and for kickoff. CLICK HERE.

• JOY OF JAILIN: Indiana linebacker Jailin Walker brings joy to his job and it's infectious for the Hoosiers. CLICK HERE.

• BRAND NAME BIAS: Despite being a close game on-paper, Todd Golden writes about the benefit of the doubt Notre Dame gets for being a national brand. CLICK HERE.

• KAMARA CONFIDENCE: Indiana defensive end Mikail Kamara embodies the confidence and hunger the Hoosiers have had throughout the 2024 season. CLICK HERE.

• TURNOVER BATTLE WON'T BE EASY TO WIN ... OR LOSE: Indiana and Notre Dame both excel at forcing turnovers and avoiding them. CLICK HERE.