Marcus Freeman using unique method to remind Notre Dame players what's at stake
Notre Dame football’s head coach Marcus Freeman knows what’s at stake on Saturday. A win over USC and the Irish are almost certainly hosting a playoff game. Lose, and there’s a very real chance all the people complaining about the Irish getting in will get their wish.
If the Blue and Gold let up like they did against Northern Illinois, plenty of pundits will make the claim Freeman’s squad shouldn’t make the big dance. And they wouldn’t be totally wrong. So Freeman isn’t leaving anything to chance. He’s not leaving any stone unturned when looking for a way to motivate his players.
Count playing video of Notre Dame football’s 2022 loss to USC over and over in the meeting rooms and the rest of The Gug as one of those stones unturned.
Notre Dame Football looking for ways to stay focused
Marcus Freeman is playing the 2022 Notre Dame-USC game on all the TVs in The Gug this week to ensure everyone in the program doesn't forget that loss. pic.twitter.com/xE6PePcHaV
— Matt Freeman (@mattfreemanISD) November 26, 2024
That loss was to a then No. 6 USC team that only had one loss on the season. Meanwhile, the Irish finished the season with a 9-4 record in Marcus Freeman’s first season in South Bend.
It was the start of people wondering whether he was the right hire. Now just two years later, there’s more than one reason he’s sending the message of still paying attention to that game.
The Notre Dame football team has come a long way since 2022. They’re one of the best teams in the country. Marcus Freeman wants to keep it that way. Keep the focus on being incredibly good rather than returning to the mediocrity of that season. And he’s pulling out all the stops to try and make sure the team is staying out of its own way.