Sunday Morning Coffee: Notre Dame's Comeback and the 'What Have You Done for Me Lately?' Effect

At 8-1 with seven straight wins, this Notre Dame football team has shown significant growth throughout the 2024 season

Notre Dame wide receiver Xavier Southall (80) runs off the field after winning a NCAA college football game 52-3 against Florida State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in South Bend. / MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a sport where the mantra "What have you done for me lately?" often reigns supreme, the 2024 Notre Dame football team is putting the loss to Northern Illinois in the rearview mirror and firmly establishing its place in the College Football Playoff conversation.

After Week 2, it was hard to imagine a scenario where the Irish wouldn’t drop another game. While the schedule isn’t particularly daunting this year, it’s still a stretch to find many who believed Notre Dame would recover from a loss to a MAC team (Northern Illinois), which, now, is only 5-4 on the season. That early defeat certainly didn’t inspire much confidence in the fanbase.

Fast forward to today, and Notre Dame is sitting pretty at 8-1 with seven consecutive wins. Looking at the history of the College Football Playoff selection process, the committee has typically been forgiving of early losses, as long as a team shows significant improvement as the season progresses. And right now, that description fits Notre Dame perfectly. The offense that struggled out of the gate has been impressive and adding new wrinkles on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, the defense has continued to show it is of championship caliber even with some significant losses.

ESPN’s computer-generated FPI has updated after Week 11 of College Football📈📉https://t.co/hY5xGkVW3N pic.twitter.com/DSgu8isJAR

— On3 (@On3sports) November 10, 2024

Notre Dame's Seven Game Win Streak

Since the big Week 1 victory in College Station and the frustrating loss the following week to Northern Illinois, the Irish have reeled off seven consecutive wins.

The best stat I came across all weekend was from Irish Breakdown's Bryan Driskell. During this win streak, Notre Dame has handed each of its opponents their worst loss of the season. The victories have come against Purdue, Miami University, Louisville, Stanford, Georgia Tech, Navy, and Florida State.

Some of these teams are strong, while others have struggled, but the point remains clear: The Irish are dominating their opponents more than anyone else has. Style points matter. In two instances—against Louisville and Georgia Tech—both programs went on to defeat other playoff hopefuls (Clemson and Miami) just a few weeks after Notre Dame handed them their worst losses of the year.

Notre Dame has won 7 straight games and in each game they gave their opponent their worst defeat of the season from a margin standpoint. Six outright, tied for the seventh. They aren't just winning they are dominating opponents more than anyone else dominated those teams #GoIrish

— Bryan Driskell (@CoachD178) November 10, 2024

In the case of teams like Purdue, Stanford, and Florida State, while it's clear they’re struggling in 2024, other strong programs have also had their chances to face them. Yet, none have performed better than Notre Dame did in those games. I’ll say it again: Style points matter.

Finishing Strong and Forgetting NIU

The Irish have three more chances in 2024 to prove themselves to the committee. This coming weekend, they face a Virginia team that just knocked off one-loss Pittsburgh. The week after, they’ll take on undefeated, No. 25-ranked Army at Yankee Stadium. To close out the season, they travel cross-country to face their biggest rival, USC, who has lost five games— but only by a combined 19 points.

Win those final three games, and I believe Notre Dame controls its own destiny. When the first College Football Playoff rankings were released this past week, the Irish debuted at No. 10. If they finish 11-1, they should be hosting a first-round game in December at Notre Dame Stadium.

The NIU loss isn’t going away, and because of it, Notre Dame dug itself a hole that requires winning out. That said, they’ve moved past that loss and, more importantly, shown they aren't the same team they were on September 7th.

What have you done for me lately? The proof is in the pudding.

More from Notre Dame on Sports Illustrated

Notre Dame Passes SEC Powerhouse in Latest ESPN FPI Ratings

Key Takeaways as Notre Dame Obliterates Florida State

5 Numbers That Told Story of Notre Dame's Blowout Win over Florida State

Notre Dame Reemerges in Joel Klatt's Top 10 College Football Rankings