Notre Dame Football’s Underwhelming Performance Under Marcus Freeman

Dan Dakich praised Bear Bachmeier for his performance against Notre Dame. Bachmeier felt his family was disrespected by Notre Dame during recruitment. He vowed not to lose to them and backed it up with his performance.

Coach Marcus Freeman has led Notre Dame to a 49-13 record since taking over in 2021. On the surface, this seems impressive. However, a closer look reveals shortcomings in notable games.

Notre Dame’s best season under Freeman was in 2024, finishing the regular season 11-1. They won 10 consecutive games after a home loss to Northern Illinois but ultimately lost to Ohio State in the national championship. Despite the achievements, questions linger about the regular season’s significance.

Notre Dame faced criticism after losing to BYU in Week 7, their first significant opponent of the season. This added to the notion that they struggle to win meaningful regular-season games.

Chris ‘The Bear’ Fallica from Fox Sports examined Notre Dame’s record under Freeman. Since 2025, Notre Dame won 16 games. Those wins came against teams with a combined 62-91 record against FBS opponents. Against Power Four schools, these teams’ record was 32-78.

The numbers suggest a weak schedule under Freeman. Despite this, expectations remain high. As of now, Notre Dame’s regular season record is 44-11, with only five wins over teams that ended the season ranked. Two were against service academies.

Upcoming games include hosting No. 1 Miami on Nov. 7 and No. 23 SMU two weeks later. Should they finish 10-2, Notre Dame will likely secure a spot in the College Football Playoff. A Top 12 finish in the final rankings guarantees Playoff access.