Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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4 SEPT. 23, 2023 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED W e all remember what happened to Notre Dame when it was dumped by Alabama 42-14 in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game. Or, what happened to the Irish in their two College Football Playoff semifinal appearances, the first when Clemson won 30-3 in 2018 and the other when Alabama rolled to a 31-14 rout in 2020. The Irish didn't belong on the same field in those three games and were badly outclassed. Confidence in the program had de- teriorated to the point where there was little reason to believe that Notre Dame could ever legitimately compete for a national championship again. Well, guess what. For a variety of reasons, 2023 finally does feel like the year that Notre Dame could make a real push for a national title. And Saturday night against Ohio State provides a perfect chance to prove it. So, what's it take to win a title? It requires elite quarterback play, a balanced offense, a stingy defense and competent coaching. Check, check, check and check. Factor in greater parity in the college ranks this year, and the stars are lined up nicely for Notre Dame to make a title run. That run starts in this defining game that with a win could someday be con- sidered the true launch point of the Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame. "What's the ceiling for this team?" the Irish head coach asked rhetorically. "I think it's high." It's hard to argue because at least through the early going, not many teams — if any — have played as well as Notre Dame. That includes the mighty SEC teams, which won only three of their nine Power Five matchups through the first two weeks. The often maligned ACC — the league the Fighting Irish play six games against this season — went 4-1 versus the SEC through the first two weeks, and won those four games by 21, 14, 16 and 15 points. Then-No. 3 Alabama and then-No. 5 LSU were among the high-profile SEC casualties through Week 2 of this season. The point is, be it through the trans- fer portal, quarterback play or some other driving forces, the gap between the haves and the have-nots of college football has closed some this year. And the Irish already passed their first tough test of the season when they traveled to Raleigh, N.C., and beat a tal- ented NC State team 45-24 Sept. 9. Prior to the loss, the Wolfpack had won 23 straight home games against non-conference opponents, making it a terrific win for Notre Dame. "Facing adversity and to be able to re- spond," Freeman said of the tough road win that included a disruptive two-hour weather delay. "That's a part of a cham- pionship team." It's often said that college players make their biggest improvement jump between Year 1 and Year 2, and perhaps the same could be said for Freeman and his coaching staff. This is a complete team that plays to its strengths and is being led by coaches who stick to the plan and don't over- think the room. Expect to see that on display again when the Buckeyes — a team that Notre Dame has lost five straight games to — comes to town. We've spent the last several years wondering out loud when and if Notre Dame could ever "close the gap" with the likes of Ohio State. And more than any of the other previous opportuni- ties to do it over the last couple of de- cades, this year's game provides the best chance to make it happen. Before the season began, I didn't give Notre Dame much of a chance in this matchup with the Buckeyes. Ohio State actually was listed as about an eight- point favorite over the Irish in the pre- season. My perception has changed be- cause Notre Dame is good enough to beat any team in the country. "They're playing hard, and they're playing fast," Freeman said when asked about his team's improvement from this time last year. "It's because there's clar- ity. They know what they're doing, they know why they're doing it, they know how they're doing it." The matchup with the Buckeyes pro- vides Freeman an opportunity to lift this program to a place that former Irish head coach Brian Kelly never could. Win it, and this could finally become the year that we've all been waiting for to see Notre Dame win its first national title since 1988. ✦ A win over the Buckeyes could serve as the true launch point of the Marcus Freeman era at Notre Dame. PHOTO BY CHAD WEAVER A Chance To Reach New Heights UPON FURTHER REVIEW TODD D. BURLAGE Todd D. Burlage has been a writer for Blue & Gold Illustrated since July 2005. He can be reached at tburlage@blueandgold.com