Notre Dame vs. Purdue: How Did the Irish Get in this Must Win Position?

Why can't the Irish seem to put it all together? How did they get here?

Notre Dame wide receiver Jaden Greathouse, right, drops a catch with Northern Illinois defensive back Jashon Prophete chasing during 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

What causes repeated collapses against "inferior" opponents?

After Notre Dame's epic Week 1 victory over Texas A&M, the Irish laid a complete egg and suffered an embarrassing loss at the hands of Northern Illinois in their return back to South Bend. This loss was so surprising and catastrophic, that it begs the question. How does this happen?

If this had been a one-off situation, the scenario would have been looked at much differently. But given the Marshall and Stanford games of 2022 and no-shows against Louisville and Clemson last year, this seems to be a disturbing trend for Notre Dame teams.

After a historic win over fifth-ranked Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana Saturday, the Northern Illinois University Huskies were named the Cheez-It National Team of the Week.https://t.co/smHWTGb5jV

— 13 WREX (@13WREX) September 9, 2024

Is this more of a physical problem or a mentality problem?

When confronted with this type of situation, it's natural to ask. Is it a physical issue or a mentality issue that sets Notre Dame up for failure against lesser-talented opponents?

It seems clear to me that the Irish have not taken these kinds of opponents seriously, and Notre Dame is a target who will get every team's best shot. The Irish must find a way to rise to these occasions and respect their opponents more.

Period.

Physically speaking, you'd be hard-pressed to suggest that teams like Northern Illinois and Marshall have better rosters than Notre Dame. They don't.

But what they do is execute very well and play to their strengths. Things the Irish, even with more talent, have not been doing nearly well enough consistently enough to "turn the corner" as a contending program.

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