Notre Dame Football: The Quiet Quality in a Huge Season

How the Irish have sneakily put themselves in a position of supreme opportunity headed into December.

Nov 23, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman greets Army Black Knights head coach Jeff Monken after a win at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

You don't hear too much about Notre Dame these days.

Not since Northern Illinois has there been much chatter surrounding the Irish. For Marcus Freeman and company, that is the best possible news. Despite three games against previously undefeated and ranked opponents, Notre Dame has generated no stunning headlines nor provided fodder for any roaming speculations about its future.

Notre Dame routed Purdue and Miami University. They handled Louisville. Embarrassed Stanford, dispatched Georgia Tech, and ended the Navy cinderella story. They plastered Florida State (obligatory comment on the pathetic wreck that is FSU) and had soundly beaten Virginia by half. They hung 49 on upstart Army, and nobody bat an eye.

5️⃣ in the College Football Playoff Rankings#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/ON7Zm4JTYk

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 27, 2024

Good teams win games. Great teams make games boring.

A highly navigable schedule, unprecedentedly consistent offensive execution, resilient defensive effort, and level headed coaching have placed Notre Dame in a position few would have dreamt of following Week 2.

Now, USC alone stands between the Irish and their first CFP berth since 2020. Despite the storied history between the two teams, Notre Dame once again faces an inferior opponent. On paper. Irish fans everywhere better pray Notre Dame's quiet quality prevails on Saturday - everything depends on it.