The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are just two victories away from securing a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time under head coach Marcus Freeman.
Freeman has had an up-and-down tenure in South Bend. As great of a job as he’s done this season, fans still can’t believe the Irish lost at home to Northern Illinois.
Making matters more concerning is the fact that Freeman is good for at least one of those inexplicable losses each and every year.
Having said that, he’s continued to grow as a coach and has done an excellent job in recruiting. Simply put, players love him and certainly love playing for him.
The future looks bright for Freeman. However, there is question over where that future might take him.
The 38-year-old took over the helm at Notre Dame in December 2021 after Brian Kelly shockingly left for LSU.
In the three seasons since, Freeman has consistently improved the Irish, steadily raising their performance each year.
In his debut season, Freeman guided Notre Dame to a 9-4 record. The following year, the team won 10 games and capped off the season with a dominant bowl victory.
This year, Freeman has led the Irish to nine wins so far and is on track to not only surpass last season’s win total but also, more importantly, secure Notre Dame’s first College Football Playoff appearance under his leadership.
Much like Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Freeman’s success at the college level has reportedly attracted interest from NFL teams.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler recently wrote: “Do I think Lanning, who is in his third year with the Ducks and has a massive buyout, is leaving for the pros right now? No. … But the point is that a relatively thin pool of candidates leaguewide could create a lane for top college coaches if they choose to pivot. Another name that is on the radar of the league office is Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman. Neither Lanning nor Freeman have any NFL experience, but if there’s a year to think creatively, this might be it.”
Freeman’s rise in the college football coaching world has indeed made him an intriguing candidate for a possible NFL job.
Since taking over as head coach, Freeman has compiled a 28-9 record, and this season, his team is playing some of their best football yet.
It shouldn’t shock anyone if Notre Dame is able to win a game or two in the CFB Playoff.
The Irish have already defeated three AP top-25 teams, and they will most likely add another to that list this weekend when they face No. 19 Army, one of only three undefeated teams remaining in the country.
If Notre Dame can secure a win against Army at Yankee Stadium and close out the regular season with a victory over rival USC, the Irish, currently ranked No. 6 by the committee, would almost certainly lock in a berth in the expanded 12-team playoff.
There is also a strong possibility that Notre Dame could host a first-round playoff game. (What a scene that would be.)
Since the College Football Playoff’s inception in 2014, Notre Dame has made two appearances, in 2018 and 2020, but both times, the Irish were defeated in the semifinals by margins of three touchdowns or more.
This year, however, the team is hoping to change that narrative and make a deeper run under Freeman’s leadership.
For what it’s worth, Freeman addressed the speculation that he could soon be heading to the NFL.
“I think it’s just an example of what I tell our players every day,” he began. “With team glory and team success comes individual recognition and individual glory. I know and hopefully everybody in this program understands that without everybody in this program accomplishing their roles, we’re not going to achieve the success that we want on the football field on Saturdays.
“So, when you do do your job and everybody gets their job done and you have success there are going to be certain individuals each week, certain parts of the year, that have individual recognition and individual glory. But I know and we know that, listen, I mean it takes us all to achieve the success that we aspire to have.
“So, that to me is a reflection, you know your name’s floating out there and it’s a reflection of how this program is playing and performing every day and on Saturdays.
“As for me, I never even … I try not to waste time thinking about an uncertain future. I tell our players all the time ‘Your future’s uncertain’. I try not to waste time thinking about things that aren’t in the moment. I haven’t spent any time really thinking about what the future will provide.
“Do I ever want to coach in the NFL? I have no clue. I don’t even know what that entails, really, right now, because I’ve never done it. But I’m just focused on staying here in the present and getting this team ready to have a great practice and hopefully putting in the work to achieve the outcome that we want on Saturday.”
Hmmm… Interesting word salad by Freeman there. He certainly didn’t deny being possibly interested in taking off for the NFL.
Having said that, we all know the statement he was trying to make. However, his choice of wording has certainly raised some eyebrows.
What are your thoughts on the rumors that Freeman could soon be heading to the NFL???
