Notre Dame Football At A Critical Juncture Of Marcus Freeman Era

Will the Irish save their CFP hopes and get revenge on Louisville?

Sep 21, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman prepares to lead his players onto the field for the game against the Miami Redhawks at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images / Matt Cashore / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Notre Dame sits in a dangerous position due to Northern Illinois loss

I sat down with fellow Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI writer Nick Shepkowksi to discuss the position Notre Dame is in currently heading into the critical Louisville matchup in South Bend this weekend.

Due to the Northern Illinois loss, it's likely that each game from now until the completion of the regular season will be a CFP elimination game.

This dynamic creates program stress. Stress you can feel. Stress that is unfortunate. But stress that was earned by the Irish not taking care of business at home. As a result, Notre Dame has no leeway for the rest of the season. Next up? Revenge against the Cardinals.

Hope and anxiety both in high supply entering this week's game

Notre Dame did not play well against Louisville last year and lost the game in ugly fashion. Notre Dame has also not started games well this year in Notre Dame Stadium. These facts are both cause for concern and have Irish fans on edge this week.

On the flip side though, under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has tended to play their best football in "big game" moments and against better teams on the schedule. That gives the fan base hope that the Irish will rise up and defend their home in a way they couldn't against Northern Illinois.

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