Notre Dame football: Final thoughts after falling to Ohio State
It was a game that won’t be forgotten anytime soon by anyone who considers themselves a fan of college football.
Two of the biggest brands in the sport battling for 60 minutes and the game-winning score not coming until 59:59 of those 60 minutes had come off the clock.
It was tense, thrilling, exciting, angering, and exhausting. There are certainly more adjectives that could be used but I’ll keep it short by reserving it to only those mentioned above.
Here we are the day after and as Notre Dame picks up the pieces after what would have been their biggest win in perhaps 30 years, there’s certainly a lot on my mind.
Let’s talk it out…
Al Golden Praise
Last year it was the double safety blitz that Ohio State picked up and scored the go-ahead touchdown on.
This year it was a 3rd-and-19 that Ohio State converted with just seconds remaining to set them up for what was ultimately the game-winning touchdown run.
A lot was said in the heat of the moment Saturday night but let’s make one thing clear – Al Golden is doing a fantastic job as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator.
You can complain about last year’s red zone defense, you can complain about missed tackles, and you can complain about mistakes here or there that especially stand out in a last-second loss.
Quickly though, go look what Ohio State’s offense did in the red zone on Saturday (4 trips – 10 points).
In doing so however don’t forget to note that he heads the defense that held Ohio State’s offense that “has the most talent in the country” to just 17 points.
Feel awful for DJ Brown
The title of this slide kind of says it all but man alive I feel bad for DJ Brown as I type this on Sunday afternoon.
A couple of memories came to my mind after his drop in the fourth quarter last night and both come from 1993.
Jeff Burris dropped probably three should-have-been interceptions against Florida State in the Game of the Century but they’re forgotten because Notre Dame won.
A week later Pete Bercich dropped a sure-fire interception on Boston College’s final drive that would have won it for the Irish.
Brown was a key part of a secondary that showed they are one of the absolute best units in all of college football last night. It sucks what happens but remember that Notre Dame isn’t even in the position they’re in late last night if not for what he did throughout the evening.
Ryan Day is a Weirdo
Listen, Lou Holtz said what he said and anyone who has paid any attention over the last 20 years knows that was a bit to do nothing more than fire up a fanbase.
Ryan Day took it and has made it seem like the entire nation was giving Ohio State no chance on Saturday night, despite the fact they were favored in Vegas and Lee Corso was sporting a Brutus Buckeye head at the end of College Gameday on Saturday.
I don’t think at the end of the day that it was Lou Holtz that Day was solely thinking of. I think it was the collective of a nation full of college football observers that have said something similar. And had Notre Dame simply finished the job Saturday, they’d be saying the same thing.
Ohio versus the world though, right?
I feel oddly well 36 hours later
I don’t believe in moral victories, at least not at this point.
Had what happened last night occurred in Brian Kelly’s first year then sure. Essentially the same thing happening in Charlie Weis’ first season for Bush Push landed Weis a contract extension for getting close.
Marcus Freeman isn’t about that and was clearly ticked last night over how things ended. However…
If you watched last night and don’t feel better about Notre Dame’s abilities to compete with the absolute biggest programs in college football in today’s day and age then I’m not sure what game you watched.
Learn from this, get better as a coaching staff and as players, and the next time you’re in position to win the biggest game in decades, you go ahead and finish the task. I truly believe that will happen.
I still liked the screen pass call
I only like the screen pass call on second down of Notre Dame’s last real possession more.
If Sam Hartman gets that ball not even a foot higher it’s a completed pass that clinches the game. Instead, because he didn’t it was never noted how much room to run there was if the execution was just a little better.
The first down sack of Hartman I hate, though
Right after Audric Estime ripped off one of his patented 12-yard second half runs, the Irish come back by dropping Hartman back to pass.
Feed the beast, man, feed the beast.
Would have really liked to have seen how that sequence would have gone if Notre Dame ran on first down and got held to a simple no gain instead.
Oh well.
Benjamin Morrison is that dude
We spoke earlier about the game DJ Brown played and how it stinks that he’ll be remembered for the drop because he played in otherwise outstanding contest.
Benjamin Morrison is a star corner.
Not just a Notre Dame star, he’s a college football STAR.
I don’t know how many times Todd Blackledge referred to Marvin Harrison, Jr. as the best player in college football last night but Morrison and Notre Dame’s secondary as a whole did an incredible job holding Ohio State’s incredible weapons in check.
If Morrison doesn’t have top-15 pick written all over him the future after last night’s showing then I really don’t know anyone who does.
Still Choked
Last night Marcus Freeman stated that Notre Dame didn’t play to their abilities.
I called it a choke.
I think we’re both right and probably both a bit frustrated.
However, again I truly do feel that based on what we’ve seen from Freeman so far that this will be learned from and that some of the fatal mistakes that presented themselves late won’t show up next time.
I don’t think it was Marcus Freeman’s fault that only 10 guys were on the field the final couple plays but someone in the box who has the eyes in the sky has to alert Freeman, Golden, or literally anyone to that.
It won’t happen again I can promise but it’s also too late to change how things ended.
Props to Notre Dame fans
Friday night the story on social media was that according to one of the ticket sites, 40% of the tickets at least had been purchased by Ohio State fans.
If they actually were then there were a lot of Ohio State supporters decked out in green it seems.
Yes, there was more of an Ohio State presence in the stands than most opponents bring but in no way, shape or form was this anything like 2000 Nebraska, 2017 Georgia, or 2021 Cincinnati.
So if you held onto your tickets last night or if you decided to sell them and made sure they got into the hands of Notre Dame fans, then good on you.
Freshman talent is outstanding
Jaden Greathouse has already put on a show as a true freshman but Saturday night was a coming out party of sorts for a few of the other freshmen.
Notre Dame fans were aware of the talents of Jeremiyah Love and JD Price in the backfield but they put on shows in their touches for the nation.
Rico Flores came up huge late as well. He’ll get remembered for his touchdown to take the lead but his reception on Notre Dame’s final drive and then having the presence of mind to turn in to make sure he didn’t go out of bounds and stop the clock was impressive, too.
Move on Fast
I haven’t had a sip of alcohol in over a year but when my alarm clock went off at half-past 5 this morning I certainly felt hungover. I can only imagine that was the natural feel for some of the players and staff of Notre Dame today as well.
24 hour rule needs to be practiced fully this weekend though because after what was nearly Notre Dame’s biggest win in decades last night, the Irish now get to go be the guest for what is perhaps the biggest Duke home football game in ages, if not ever.
