2024 success creates high expectations & puts a target on the program’s back
2024 was a groundbreaking season for Notre Dame. While it’s undoubtedly true that the ultimate goal of winning a title wasn’t achieved, the Irish’s three playoff wins in a month were three more major postseason wins than the program has collected in the last 30 years combined.
This success has not only raised the expectations for the program internally moving forward, but it also puts a new age target on the program’s back.
Every team always wants to beat Notre Dame, but now that the Irish have post-season CFP skins on the wall, this dynamic is even more intense.
The Irish are on a mission to prove that they will be a playoff mainstay year after year, while every other team is determined not to let independent Notre Dame secure another at-large CFP bid.
The always-present target on Notre Dame’s back just got bigger, and the pressure of expectations coming from the Irish fan base and media has followed suit. The pressure is on the Irish to show they aren’t a “one and done” CFP phenomenon.
Notre Dame’s QB dynamic adds new wrinkle to the drama
In Marcus Freeman’s first year as the head man in South Bend, Tyler Buchner was slated to be the starting QB. That lasted only one full game, as Buchner was unfortunately lost for the year in the second game of the season due to injury.
In the years since then, Freeman has brought in two portal QBs for one year each in Sam Hartman and Riley Leonard. Now, in year four, the program is again looking internally for its next starting signal caller.
The decision between Steve Angeli, CJ Carr, or Minchey is a huge one.
It will not only dictate how 2025 will go, but will also alter the long-term future of the program as well, should one or more players decide to transfer should he not win the starting job this year.
Entering season four at the helm, the Freeman era itself is becoming less new, but the expectations and dynamics surrounding the program have a very modern and new feel to them.
Welcome to the 2025 Notre Dame Football experience.
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