Marcus Freeman has yet to master a crucial aspect of coaching at a premier college football program: consistently defeating the teams you’re expected to beat.
The Notre Dame coach now has a surprising home loss to 28-point underdog Northern Illinois to add to his record, which already includes home defeats to Marshall and a struggling Stanford team in 2022.
Freeman acknowledged the situation, saying, “We’ve been here before,” but this defeat is notably worse.
Entering his third year with the Fighting Irish, Freeman, though still young at 38, can no longer use inexperience as an excuse for himself or his team. “It’s our job as coaches to ensure our players are prepared,” Freeman stated. “Performance reflects preparation.”
Notre Dame started Week 2 ranked fifth, coming off a solid road win over Texas A&M and appearing to have one of the clearest paths to the College Football Playoff, beginning with a home game against a Mid-American Conference team.
The Fighting Irish scored a touchdown on their first possession but managed only one more score for the remainder of the game—a third-quarter rushing touchdown by Jeremiyah Love to briefly lead 14-13. Despite this, the offense, led by new transfer quarterback Riley Leonard, struggled to add more points. Leonard’s poorly thrown interception set up the Huskies with favorable field position, adding to the growing sense of unease at Notre Dame.
Regarding Michigan, No. 3 Texas’ dominant win over No. 10 Michigan seemed determined by the Wolverines’ decision to avoid the transfer portal last December. Michigan, with Jim Harbaugh likely heading back to the NFL, faced challenges reconstructing its roster while dealing with a quarterback situation that’s less than ideal. Davis Warren, a cancer survivor and walk-on, has yet to prove he’s the solution for a playoff contender.
In the broader landscape, the top four AP rankings include three Southeastern Conference teams: No. 1 Georgia, No. 3 Texas, and No. 4 Alabama. No. 14 Tennessee might be better than its ranking suggests after a commanding win over No. 24 NC State. Penn State, ranked eighth, had a shaky first half against Bowling Green but rebounded to win by a single score, demonstrating resilience.
Big 12 contenders No. 16 Oklahoma State and No. 17 Kansas State both secured tough nonconference victories with second-half comebacks. Oklahoma State overcame a high yardage game by Taylen Green and Arkansas, winning in double overtime after exploiting numerous mistakes. Kansas State benefited from a late scoop-and-score and a crucial offensive pass interference penalty to escape New Orleans unbeaten.
A few ranked teams struggled against unranked opponents: Iowa State edged No. 21 Iowa with a late field goal, and Illinois secured its first win over a ranked nonconference team since 2019 by defeating No. 19 Kansas. No. 11 Utah, leading against Baylor, lost sixth-year quarterback Cam Rising to a hand injury but still managed to win, with Rising’s injury reportedly not severe.
In another notable result, UAB, led by former Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer, was defeated by Louisiana-Monroe, which had hired interim coach Bryant Vincent. Lastly, No. 25 Clemson showed they still deserve national attention with a dominant 35-point first quarter against Appalachian State.
