Notre Dame Upset by Northern Illinois: Marcus Freeman's Seat Warms

In his all-important third year as head coach, Marcus Freeman took a huge step back Saturday

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman jogs the field during warm ups before a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Northern Illinois at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend. / Michael Clubb / USA TODAY NETWORK

Here's an article I didn't plan on writing when I woke up Sunday.

Marcus Freeman is officially on the hot seat.

Say whatever you want to downplay it, Notre Dame fans. All you're doing though is running from the truth.

Marcus Freeman's last week feels eerily similar to a certain part of the Gerry Faust era.

Yeah, I said it.

Marcus Freeman's Huge Win Last Week

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts in the fourth quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Marcus Freeman was the sweetheart of the nation last week, leading the Irish to a victory over Texas A&M in one of the nation's most hostile environments.

Notre Dame fans were ready for the College Football Playoff that would certainly be coming to town in December.

Now a week later, Notre Dame has lost at home to Northern Illinois and is left wondering what went wrong.

It'd be easier to ask instead, what went right, as Saturday was a failure on every single level of the Notre Dame football program.

Feels Like Gerry Faust's Fast Fall

Say the name Gerry Faust to Notre Dame fans of a certain age and vomit may quickly shoot out.

Faust took over for Dan Devine in 1981, coming with no collegiate head coaching experience. Instead, the Cincinnati (Moeller) high school coach was supposed to be an X's and O's guru who recruits would want to play for.

In Faust's first game as Notre Dame head coach, the Irish bested LSU 27-9 and rose to No. 1 in the polls. A week later the Irish fell at Michigan, then at Purdue the week after that, and the Faust era was on its way to being over before it ever really got started.

NIU Upset Can't Happen in Freeman's Third Year

If it's a head coach handling success for the first time, that's one thing.

Notre Dame has had big wins under Freeman, but sustaining success hasn't happened.

The Texas A&M victory was as big as any Notre Dame has had under Freeman's direction. It then responded by seemingly not being prepared in any facet of the game against Northern Illinois.

A great opening drive followed by a freak play for Northern Illinois that resulted in a touchdown, took all the wind out of the sails for the Irish.

The offense was pathetic and looked unprepared.

The defense only gave up 16 points but when needed the most, was overpowered up front.

The special teams had two blocked field goals.

Name a phase and Notre Dame lost it Saturday.

You can get away with that when it's your first or second year. In a third year where Notre Dame coaches traditionally compete for national championships though, its inexucsable and makes you wonder how much progress has actually been made since September of 2022.

Marcus Freeman's Next Three Months

The only good news for Notre Dame is that with the College Football Playoff, the season isn't over. There is still a chance at that but if you thought losing at Texas A&M would allow no wiggle room, the Northern Illinois loss certainly makes that true.

The next three months would have to go tremendously south for Notre Dame to actually think about moving on from Freeman this off-season, but by year three you usually know what kind of success the Irish will have under a head coach.

So far from Marcus Freeman those results say a talented team that can beat some of college football's biggest brands, but that is remarkably inconsistent at best.

That falls on nobody but the head coach and that narrative needs to change in a real big way, real soon.

Like it or not Marcus Freeman's seat just saw its temperature rise significant levels. It may not be hot quite yet but but another fall of consistent inconsistency and failure to reach high expectations and his name will be near or atop those hot seat rankings list entering 2025.

Notre Dame on Sports Illustrated


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