Embarrassing and unexpectable. Those are the words that best describe what today’s 16-14 loss to Northern Illinois is. This is a game the Irish should’ve had no problem winning. I even said on the Third and Ten podcast that this game should be over at halftime. Notre Dame should’ve been up by multiple scores and buried Northern Illinois.
This is up there with the losses to Marshall and Stanford. However, this loss feels worse considering what had happened the week before. Last week’s win against number 20 Texas A&M in Kyle Field was one of the biggest wins in recent memory. It felt like a turning point for the program. They’d finally won a big game and had so much momentum. Now all of it is gone with this loss not just that there are serious questions about the future of this program, which will be to later in this article. For now here are the major takeaways.
Riley Leonard: Snake Oil Salesman?
The goodwill Riley Leonard had built up with this fanbase is gone. Last week Leonard was praised for his gutsy performance against A&M. Sure his stats weren’t great, but everyone chalked that up to him going against a tough defense in a hostile environment. His stats will improve once he gets more comfortable in the offense and plays in friendly confines.
However, after today’s performance, it’s time to seriously question whether he should be the starter next week. He went 20/32 for 163 yards and two interceptions. A horrific performance considering the expectations everyone had for him. Everyone thought that Leonard was gonna be the quarterback to take this Irish team to the next level. His athleticism and play-making ability were supposed to allow him to be the elite quarterback Notre Dame has been lacking.
But with what Leonard has done these past couple of games, it’s unlikely he can be that elite quarterback. The better question is if Leonard can throw the ball more than ten yards down the field. It’s becoming increasingly obvious that Leonard is another quarterback who won’t live up to the hype. He might be good, but not good enough to get Notre Dame over the hump. Not good enough to make a game-changing play by himself.
Marcus Freeman Got Out Coached
It seemed like Marcus Freeman was finally turning a corner in his reputation as head coach. With a signature win, a positive record against top 25 teams, and strong recruiting classes, it looked like Freeman was the guy to bring the Irish back to the promised land.
However, after today’s game, there are serious questions about Freeman’s future. Notre Dame not only played down to their competition, they played worse. They were extremely underprepared against a team that was supposed to be a tune-up game. The reason why it’s so concerning is because this is becoming a trend for Freeman. Listen bad losses happen. Especially after an emotional win against Texas A&M and you come out flat, that stuff happens. However, it seems like every season there are a few games where Notre Dame looks like they’re playing down to their completion.
That’s a sign of a bad coach. That you’re unable to properly game plan and get your team ready for whatever opponent you’re facing. That’s a major problem and something that’s going to hold this team back. If you can’t gameplan for a MAC team in your stadium. How are you going to gameplan for a road playoff game in a place like Tennessee or Penn State. Plus when you’re in your third season you should know what it takes to get your team prepared. Despite all the good on Freeman’s resume, this is a major problem that might cost him his job. It can be the one thing that holds this Irish team back.
Where Does Notre Dame Go From Here?
As mentioned before this is one of the worst losses in recent memory. But what makes it worse is it feels like this is becoming a trend. What good is a positive record against top 25 teams, if you can’t beat teams you’re favored to beat by multiple scores? These are easy wins. Games where the second and third strings should get a lot of playing time because the game is a blowout by halftime.
This tells the bigger problem Notre Dame has had over the past decade or so. Notre Dame has had great records but there’s a major loss that sticks out. A loss that makes everyone question how good this Irish team is. Then they ultimately lose in a playoff or barely sneak out a victory and people are still trying to figure out how good the team is, and what hope they should have going into the following season.
Listen I understand Notre Dame isn’t the lone team on top of the college football world. Lots of teams around the country have the same national attention and more success than the Irish do. However, just because they’re not the only team, doesn’t mean they still can’t compete with those teams. Notre Dame has the resources and infrastructure to still be one of the best schools in the nation. They just have to stop settling for mediocrity. Like if this Notre Dame team goes 11-1, what does it mean? It’s the same story different year. It’s time for Notre Dame to ask the tough question and get back to the national championship or bust.
Brian Germinaro is a sportswriter for Belly Up Sports. Follow him on Twitter/X for more sports coverage and Belly Up Sports for even more college football content. Feature image credit: Icon Sportswire
