A New-Look Notre Dame Takes on SEC Power Georgia in a Must-See Clash

Notre Dame’s revamped roster faces a formidable challenge against Georgia. The Irish have a better edge now.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates a touchdown scored during the first round of the College Football Playoff between Notre Dame and Indiana at Notre Dame Stadium on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Marcus Freeman will have the Irish properly prepared for this moment

Marcus Freeman has had an interesting journey in his short tenure as the head man at Notre Dame. There have been some really terrific and encouraging bright spots, but also many letdowns and head-scratching moments as well.

This is all a natural part of the development of a first-time head coach. And when you are learning on the fly in the bright lights of Notre Dame Stadium, everything that happens both good and bad is national news.

While nobody will forget the pain of the Marshall or Stanford games in Freeman's first year, or the frustration of the Northern Illinois game this season, for the mega matchups. the team has physically and mentally prepared for battle. This is something that has not always been the case for many recent Irish head coaches and their teams.

"I'm gonna say the quiet part out loud... Notre Dame is gonna beat Georgia."

-@FBallGameplan pic.twitter.com/rjsus5FSm6

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 21, 2024

Notre Dame will not play scared football against Georgia

Other than final scores and stats, I don't have an exact way to measure the timid way recent Irish teams, particularly under Brian Kelly, looked in big game moments. Much too often it felt like these Notre Dame teams were playing big games not to lose, or to not lose by a lot, rather than to go all out for a big win.

Marcus Freeman's team does not play like this. This group plays with confidence and hasn't been afraid of anybody.

It feels like the bigger the moment, the better this team plays. Notre Dame will fully embrace an underdog role against the Bulldogs and play with the kind of resilience and confidence Irish fans have been begging for.

This is a huge moment for the Notre Dame program. Marcus Freeman seems to know it and so does his team. While there's no guarantee of an Irish victory, Notre Dame will be mentally and physically ready to compete, a great sign for where this program is headed under Freeman's direction ...

If Notre Dame beats Georgia.

For more Irish news & notes follow John on Twitter @alwaysirishINC, Always Irish on Youtube and or your preferred audio podcast provider.

Notre Dame Steps Up for Heavyweight Clash Against Georgia in the CFP

Marcus Freeman Earned Notre Dame's First CFP Victory The Hard Way

Marcus Freeman Adds His Name To Notre Dame History Books

Notre Dame's Defense Dominates as Garbage Time Points Prove Irrelevant