Notre Dame vs Miami University: What Could Go Wrong for the Irish?

How could the Irish lose to the RedHawks? The question has a very obvious answer to it

Northern Illinois offensive lineman Abiathar Curry jumps in the air in celebration after winning a NCAA college football game 16-14 against Notre Dame at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend. / Michael Clubb / USA TODAY NETWORK

Notre Dame vs Miami University

Notre Dame returns home under very similar circumstances to the Northern Illinois Game

Notre Dame returns to the scene of their Week 2 nightmare this week to square off with Miami University. Has Notre Dame learned from their loss to the Huskies or are Irish fans in for a long, hot stressful afternoon in beautiful Notre Dame Stadium? That remains to be seen.

The Irish will be welcoming an opponent that isn't a P4 team, who has almost no "brand name" recognition and has significantly less roster talent than Notre Dame. The same could be said of Northern Illinois and that didn't stop them from leaving South Bend with a win.

Not only did #5 Notre Dame have to pay NIU $1.4 million to lose 16-14, they also lost to a team that doesn't have a single former 4 or 5 star recruit on their roster according to the 247 team talent composite. pic.twitter.com/4HIBvHLyej

— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) September 7, 2024

Will the ghosts of games past creep into Notre Dame Stadium?

As the resident worrier among the Notre Dame writers here at SI, one of my weekly article topics is always about what can go wrong for the Irish in the next game.

This week my task is a fairly easy one. The worst case scenario for the Irish this week is a repeat of the Northern Illinois game play and stadium vibe.

Should Notre Dame get off to another slow start at home against an allegedly inferior opponent, the crowd will notice it first. You will be able to hear a pin drop amongst some moans and groans and a feeling of "here we go again."

Will this energy permeate to the team directly?

This is a vibe Notre Dame needs to avoid. How? Get off to a great start similar to the Purdue game where the Irish jumped ahead early and by a lot so that the outcome was never in doubt.

The Irish are more than capable of this, but will they enter this game more focused and execute better?

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