So I’ll ask again and share my answer as well. Is an Orange Bowl appearance in Marcus Freeman’s first season acceptable for this 2022 Notre Dame team?
Of course I can’t give you a simple yes or no but instead am more curious how the 10-2 comes to be, as I’m assuming an 11-1 record against Notre Dame’s schedule this fall would be good enough for a College Football Playoff berth.
What I’m essentially asking are who are the two losses against? Are they Ohio State and Clemson? Ohio State and USC? Ohio State and other? Or perhaps after a shocking upset of Ohio State do the Irish still manage two losses on the year?
10-2 with a loss to Ohio State and Clemson would feel very much like more of the same for Notre Dame as not being able to beat elites was the story under Brian Kelly.
10-2 with a loss at Ohio State to start the year before 10-straight wins and a loss at USC to close the regular season would feel like disappointment, regardless of how good the Trojans end up.
10-2 with a loss at Ohio State and to someone other than the big-three would also feel like disappointment.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that a 10-2 season under Marcus Freeman would be a very good year for Notre Dame and that it’d be a huge building block for a program that is seeing their recruiting classes grow in terms of talent in the years to come. However, seemingly anyway you shape it, 10-2 will feel a bit disappointing even if there is plenty of reason to think it’s a damn fine debut season.
Man, I’m happy my day job doesn’t come with that much pressure.
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