Which Notre Dame Team Is Real? The Northern Illinois or Texas A&M Version?

Notre Dame went from hero to zero in just one week. Will the real Fighting Irish please emerge?

Sep 7, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; The Northern Illinois Huskies pose for photos after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 16-14 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images / Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Notre Dame was the toast of college football Week 1

It's quite amazing to think of the difference a week makes.

One week ago, Notre Dame was being praised for earning one of the most impressive Week 1 wins in the country and for executing their gameplan so well over Texas A&M.

Marcus Freeman had earned his signature win. National praise was given. Things were looking up.

And now? Notre Dame finds itself on the bitter losing end of what many would argue is the worst loss in school history, at home, against Northern Illinois in which the Huskies looked and played like the better team all day. Notre Dame earned this loss.

“They believed. And we came here and got it done.”

Thomas Hammock played at Northern Illinois.

Hammock has been the head coach at his alma mater since 2019.

The emotion simply pours out after NIU upsets Notre Dame.

College football is the best. pic.twitter.com/Wp00FYpuxc

— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) September 7, 2024

Which Notre Dame team is the teal Notre Dame team?

It's hard to imagine two games in which the same team played more differently with one on the high end and one on the low end than Notre Dame's first couple of games this season. Now, nobody knows what to expect from this team. How could you?

Through just two games they'd displayed a huge range of possibilities in their play from truly competitive to truly embarrassing.

Which Notre Dame team is the real one? Not knowing the answer to this in year 3 of the Freeman era is not a good place to be. There's just no way around the fact that with this loss there is no stable foundation underpinning the program right now.

There's no reliable stability. This was a loss that simply couldn't be. For now, Notre Dame is a frustrating enigma.

What version will show up to face Purdue next week?

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