Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman entered his tenure at the front end of one of the toughest recent stretches of scheduling I can recall. The Irish went from the hardest game of the year being Cincinnati at home (which Kelly couldn’t handle) his last year to a slate that contains 3 top 5 programs 2 years in a row. Welcome to the big leagues Marcus!
Ohio State, USC, and Clemson are the big three. Each present and represent unique challenges for Notre Dame that will have long-lasting consequences both in terms of national perception and recruiting credibility.
Let’s take a look at these three matchups individually to see what’s at stake.