While not every expert is picking Notre Dame this week, a decent amount feel cautiously optimistic about the Fighting Irish over Louisville.
It’s almost certainly not hyperbole to suggest that Notre Dame’s home game against Louisville this weekend could determine the Fighting Irish’s postseason fate.
Even before Notre Dame suffered a shocking loss to Northern Illinois, the matchup against the Cardinals was considered one of the biggest tests for the Irish, along with the season opener at Texas A&M and the tilt with Florida State — at least until the Seminoles fell apart.
Notre Dame Nation is likely nervous about this game, both because it’s the first true test since the NIU debacle and because the Cardinals effectively ended the Irish’s postseason bid last season.
There is one key difference from 2023 — this year’s game is in South Bend. Maybe the green jerseys will help
Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price runs the ball up the field during a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Northern Illinois at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in South Bend.
With that in mind, the experts have their picks in, and it’s a mixed bag, though some pundits are leaning towards the Irish.
Could the disgruntled UNLV signal caller come to Notre Dame?
University of Nevada Las Vegas quarterback Matthew Sluka wants out after an allegedly promised NIL deal seems to have gone sour.
Could he end up in South Bend, playing for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish?
Sluka is sitting out after he says he didn’t receive a potential name, image and likeness (NIL) payment. The whole story is fascinating and provides insight into how NIL and the transfer portal have changed college football.
It’s worth reading about, but it has us wondering — if Sluka were to leave a competitive Running Rebels team, could he play for the Fighting Irish?
To be clear, we’re speculating, not reporting. Sluka has left the team because he believes he was owed money in a promised NIL deal from UNLV coaches. The school claims Sluka’s agent made demands it saw as potential violations of NCAA rules.
There’s no sign yet of Sluka’s future moves and no indication he’s heading to the Irish. Still, it’s fun to think about since current Fighting Irish starting quarterback Riley Leonard is a senior and will be leaving South Bend at season’s end. Leonard, like Sam Hartman before him, came to the Irish via the transfer portal. Sluka has a year of eligibility left now that he’s taken his redshirt year.
If Sluka enters the portal, a lot of teams will want his services. That very well might include the Irish.
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Notre Dame film study shows need for improvement at quarterback.
The Athletic continued its look at life behind the scenes with Miami of Ohio, watching the Redhawks’ coaches break down Notre Dame game film.
The article is illuminating — while some things have likely changed after the Fighting Irish beat the Redhawks 28-3 — there is some insight into what opposing coaches think Notre Dame does and doesn’t do well. Or at least through the first three games.
The biggest concern for Irish fans is that quarterback Riley Leonard came off looking bad. Miami coaches saw a QB who couldn’t get past his first read and was “flustered” by pressure.
Again, the film study occurred before the game, and Leonard did look better late after a sluggish start. And it’s clear through four games that he is a true running threat. Still, given how touted Leonard was coming over from Duke via the transfer portal, it’s not good to have opponents hoping he passes the ball.
Sep 21, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Benjamin Morrison (20) breaks up a pass intended for Miami Redhawks wide receiver Reggie Virgil (0) in the second quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
On the other hand, if he continues to improve, these concerns, as well as the inconsistent passing offense from the first few games, could be a thing of the past.
Another takeaway from the article: Miami coaches pointing out that Notre Dame’s defensive backs are physical, even at risk of being flagged for defensive pass interference. Miami staff also said the offensive line, while inexperienced and lacking a true star, was better than most people think. Finally, the coaching staff was in disagreement over whether Irish linebacker Jaylen Sneed was a disruptive defender or a poor tackler. We’ll remind you one final time to try not to overreact to anything, good or bad, that the Miami coaches saw on film a week ago. But the bit about Leonard is a tad worrisome, even if he improved later in the game against the Redhawks.
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Reggie Bush is suing because he feels entitled to compensation for the use of his image and likeness.
Former USC Trojan star — and Notre Dame antagonist — Reggie Bush is suing the NCAA, the PAC-12, and USC over name, image and likeness money.
The former running back — he of the “Bush Push” fame — claims that USC, the PAC-12, and the NCAA have been earning money off of his likeness without acknowledging or compensating him.
“This case is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush,” Evan Selik, one of Bush’s attorneys, told ESPN. “It’s about setting a precedent for the fair treatment of all college athletes. Our goal is to rectify this injustice and pave the way for a system where athletes are rightfully recognized, compensated and treated fairly for their contributions.”
This follows the forfeiture of Bush’s Heisman trophy and a USC national title due to impermissible benefits. Bush has since had his trophy returned. He also has sued the NCAA for defamation after a spokesperson for the org said Bush was taking part in “pay-for-play arrangements”.
Oct. 15, 2005; South Bend, IN, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Reggie Bush avoids the tackle of Notre Dame Fighting Irish Mike Richardson on his way to a touchdown in the fourth quarter of USC’s 34-31 win over Notre Dame Saturday Oct. 15 at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2005 Matt Cashore
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Going behind the scenes with a Notre Dame opponent is enlightening.
People have wondered how Northern Illinois could beat Notre Dame for over two weeks. A profile of how a different Mid-American Conference team prepared to face the Fighting Irish gave some clues.
The Athleticfollowed the Miami of Ohio coaching staff around during the week of preparation before the game, and Redhawks’ head coach Chuck Martin and his staff noticed that the Irish, especially on offense, showed some weaknesses on tape — and showed some tells.
To be fair to the Irish, Martin and his staff also noticed that there were some things Notre Dame did so well that the Redhawks didn’t even try to attack in those areas. And yes, all teams have weaknesses and tells — part of coaching is scouring tape to see what your opponent might do, and another part of coaching is to self-scout to shore up your weaknesses.
It’s also worth noting that Martin, along with Miami of Ohio quarterbacks coach Gus Ragland and defensive coordinator Bill Brechin, have ties to Notre Dame and the Irish coaching staff, which means that they have unique insights into the tendencies of Fighting Irish staffers like offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock.
So there’s probably no reason to overreact to the piece or to indict Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and his staff — this is a normal part of the game.
Still, the Irish staff might want to read the piece to learn how opponents are scouting them.
This passage is particularly illuminating: “The RedHawks have also picked up a few tendencies in the Irish offense. They notice running back alignments and postures tip run or pass. If the running back is slightly in front of Leonard, it’s probably quarterback run. If the running back’s hands are on his thigh pads, there’s a good chance he’s getting the ball. If the back is more hunched over, he’s blocking. And Notre Dame loves to run on third down in plus territory.”
Reading about the game-within-the-game is always fascinating, and Irish fans may glean some insight from the piece. Hopefully, Notre Dame’s opponents don’t.
“This was a hell of a challenge today, but we could have beat them.”
An all-access week with Miami football, from the start of the game plan to the final whistle at Notre Dame.
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The experts still need to see more from Notre Dame.
Maybe it was the slow start. Maybe there’s still fallout from losing to Northern Illinois. Whatever the reason, neither Danny Kannell or Joel Klatt have the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in their rankings.
Klatt doesn’t have the Irish in his top 10 and Kannell doesn’t have them in his top 12. Klatt doesn’t have the Irish as an honorable mention, either.
Notre Dame is still feeling the effects of losing to NIU, and a slow and sloppy start against Miami of Ohio probably didn’t help. Blowing out Purdue probably means little because Purdue isn’t expected to compete for much this year.
If Notre Dame beats Louisville at home, the Irish might get more love. Especially if they play well or deliver a decisive win instead of squeaking by.
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Notre Dame moves just one spot in the AP Top 25 poll after beating Miami of Ohio.
Notre Dame has moved up one spot in the Associated Press Top 25 poll to No. 16 after beating Miami of Ohio 28-3 on Saturday.
The top five sees very little movement — the first four of Texas, Georgia, Ohio State, and Alabama remains the same. Tennessee moves up one spot to replace Ole Miss.
Notre Dame’s next opponent, Louisville, jumps four spots after beating Georgia Tech 31-19 and is now No. 15. The Fighting Irish will host the Cardinals in South Bend.
Another big mover was Michigan, jumping six spots to No. 12 after coming back against USC. The Trojans dropped two spots to No. 13.
Illinois jumped 5 spots to No. 19 after beating Nebraska 31-24 in overtime while Clemson picked up four spots after beating N.C. State. Big movers in the wrong direction were Oklahoma and Oklahoma State — both dropped six spots after losses.
Boise State enters for the first time, and is now ranked 25. Northern Illinois dropped out of the rankings after losing to Buffalo in overtime at home.
POLL ALERT: Tennessee rises to No. 5 and Boise State enters the AP Top 25 college football poll for the first time since 2020.
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Notre Dame probably would’ve been better off with an NIU win Saturday.
Just two weeks after coming into South Bend and beating Notre Dame in what might be the biggest upset of the 2024 college football season, the No. 23 Northern Illinois Huskies lost to Buffalo, 23-20, in overtime. At home.
This loss could have implications for Notre Dame’s playoff chances, though with just four games played, there’s still much more to figure out.
Almost every pundit and observer thought that not only would Notre Dame beat the Huskies, but the Irish would do it handily. We all know what happened next: Notre Dame lost 16-14.
The questions being asked after that game were these: Is NIU that good? Is Notre Dame overrated? Did Notre Dame simply have a bad day, perhaps by overlooking an underdog opponent?
Those questions remain unanswered. Northern Illinois jumped into the rankings after beating Notre Dame but also had the following week off. It’s too early to tell if a close loss to Buffalo means NIU isn’t as good as people thought. Neither does it help us determine if NIU is a playoff contender or if Notre Dame had a bad day — or both.
The following weeks will bring answers.
Northern Illinois Huskies kicker Kanon Woodill kicks the game winning field goal in the fourth quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
It would probably be good for Notre Dame if the Huskies are a true contender since it makes the loss to NIU look worse in the eye of any playoff decision-makers. Because the Irish are independent, they have no chance at an automatic bid via a conference championship.
While the Irish were considered, at the season’s start, as a possible playoff entrant with 1 or 2 losses, that depended on whom they lost to. Before the season kicked off, most observers would’ve excused an Irish loss to Florida State, USC or maybe Louisville. However, the conventional thinking since the loss to NIU is that Notre Dame will need to run the table to qualify for the College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame, for its part, hasn’t answered questions, either. The 66-7 drubbing of Purdue wasn’t particularly surprising, and the Irish once again started slowly at home against a Mid-American Conference team on Saturday, though this time they pulled away to beat Miami of Ohio.
There are other teams factoring into this equation. Florida State looks bad, so a win against the Seminoles no longer looks impressive. USC fell to Michigan on Saturday. Other upsets could happen, leaving a bunch of top 20 teams with one or two losses at season’s end.
Still, the NIU loss to Buffalo will likely hurt Notre Dame by making its loss to the Huskies look worse — unless NIU has a strong run to the finish line.
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Riley Leonard ends the upset threat with a 50-yard dash.
After struggling in an inconsistent first half, Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard has picked up his game. He has scored a key insurance touchdown for the Fighting Irish with 5:39 left to go in the game.
The 50-yard-scamper on fourth-down-and-1 has put the Notre Dame Fighting Irish up 28-3 over the Miami of Ohio Redhawks in South Bend.
Leonard’s in-game evolution may gave the Irish confidence going forward. Not only did he continue to do damage with his legs, but his passing game improved.
The sprint from midfield should be enough for the Irish to put the game away, earning fans a sigh of relief after a sloppy, slow start.
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Notre Dame fumbled yet again, but this time they kept it — and scored.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has given the Fighting Irish a 21-3 lead over the Miami of Ohio Redhawks with 4:17 remaining in the third quarter in South Bend.
Replays showed that Love fumbled before breaking the plane of the goal line, but Notre Dame right tackle Aamil Wagner fell on the ball in the end zone. Regardless of who gets credit, it’s a huge score for the Irish, who are looking to pull away from the Redhawks following a Christian Gray interception.
The Fighting Irish are also looking to overcome a sloppy start — Notre Dame has shot itself in the foot more than a few times with penalties and turnovers, and the offense looked disjointed in the first half. The Irish have looked smoother in the second half.
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