Great season for the Irish, and great coverage by you guys. I appreciate your coverage and enjoy your channel. Thanks for your great work covering the Irish
Buckeye fan, notre dame fought hard no matter what very impressive. Have a lot of respect for them. Freeman is a great coach and will have ND in the championship race every year. Great season guys!
Heartbreaking end to a wonderful year! No pressure whatsoever on Howard. Any QB could have success with such a clean pocket. 8-10 seconds every play for receivers to get free. Impossible to cover. Uncharacteristic performance in all phases. Let the CJ era begin! Its been fun... See everyone in 6 months 8 )
Notre Dame MUST recruit better and bigger defensive linemen and be able to stop the run at the line of scrimmage and pressure the QB with 4. What makes now sense is how poorly we ran the ball. With all that being said I love this team and the coaches and I’m excited about the future of this program!
The team with the $20MM roster comprised of adding and retaining future NFL starters was expected to win it all at the beginning of the season and they won it all. Not all that surprising. The Irish were never apart of that conversation but they forced their way into it and over achieved while setting the standard moving forward, back into National prominence. I’m super proud of this team and this coaching staff and I’m very grateful for the incredible season I was able to experience by following along. Looking forward to next season. GO IRISH til I die
ND had an $18 million roster, stop moving the goal post. ND had a very good year but this wasn't some chopped liver team out there. You guys need better QB and receiver play. And before anyone talks about academics, how does Michigan win last year or Duke in hoops?
@@05DonnieB did I say anything that wasn’t true? Lol OSU had a $20MM roster as admitted by the school AD, OSU was picked to win by a majority of pundits before the season even started, Notre Dame wasn’t, but made it all the way to the championship. Sounds like the facts are making you feel as if it wasn’t deserved, which I never said. Just that it was expected, which it was lol
felt like gray was chasing wrs all game. would be wild if no. 20 returns cuz 15 is second only to morrison i mean the guy chased down judkins while being 6'2 we honestly need cj to win the job in the spring and those wrs recruits to emerge for the team to have a genuine shot. it's year 4 im ready for an elite offense. give me '22 LSU mr denbrock it'd be wayyy better than what we've had so far
Hey, that fake punt worked faison just dropped the ball. I mean, yeah everyone knew it was coming and they still pulled it off. He just gotta catch it.
@@ryanbenavidez2983 - nah, we’re a program of pretenders. Have been and always will be until they lower academic standards. I need a future nfl lb vs a mechanical engineer.
The fact that they were nowhere near their best (I wholly agree)… and Ohio State played VERY very well… and EVEN WITH so many critical injuries, they still made it a game… man. Freeman’s going to learn from this. Just like he did from the Marshall/Stanford games, just like he did from the NIU game. He’s going to learn that with his coaching style and his players, they can and will win when they stick to their own game. The entire identity of this team was lost in the middle two quarters, and it looked like a team that was outcoached. I thought going into the game that Howard would need to make mistakes for ND to win, and he just flat out didn’t. The Ohio State offensive line was excellent. Meanwhile, Leonard did make mistakes in the first half (seemingly because he was trying not to…?) Missing those short, open throws read to me like a guy trying to aim the ball and avoid a bad interception or something, which resulted in bad throws. He seemed more focused on not making a mistake instead of making the play. His second half was so much better, when it seemed like they said, “to hell with it, just sling it.” He didn’t have a terrible game, but he didn’t play to his expected standards. All I kept thinking is that I wish he had another season because his limitations as a passer seem to be more mental than anything. He didn’t have games with this type of pressure on him at Duke, and I think that showed in the first half. But again, in the second half when there was nothing to lose, he was almost always ON. I just wish we could see him after experiencing this and growing/learning. And when it comes to the defense, there were multiple instances where the fundamentals fell apart, as did the focus. There was confusion and just so many missed assignments and missed spots. The first Jeremiah Smith touchdown, the Judkins run to start the second half (Bowen was very out of position). Who knows if Golden leaving had anything to do with it, but I don’t think that helped (not sure if it affected anything at all, but the reports coming out in the middle of game week make me angry… just wish they’d let in-season coaches finish their years before reporting that they’re probably going to leave). A lot of people keep harping on the rushing attempts, which I understand, but the rushing stats will always look weird when you have to play from that far behind. What I didn’t like was the insistence on rushing Leonard. Yes, that’s a big weapon, but for him to have 17 rushes compared to a combined 7 for both running backs is frustrating. There’s no way Love was healthy. And no touches for Aneyas Williams (I was admittedly up high in the stands and couldn’t always see how much he played). I thought Williams could be an X-factor. I think Denbrock fell in love with Leonard running a bit too much today, and didn’t force the defense to be ready for anything else. And that absolutely showed on first and goal from the 9 when they ran a QB draw against one of the best red zone defenses in football. Frustrating is the word. But this team accomplished so much. What a year, and to win three playoff games (two NY6 bowls) is a testament to the grit and mentality of the team, and to how Freeman has grown. I’m going to miss Leonard. Same with B-Mo and Mills, but it was helpful to see the team without them (and very clearly showed some gaps). And Watts! An incredible story of trusting the process. This was one of my favorite ND teams of all time. It’s incredibly disappointing that they lost the game the way they did by not looking like themselves (and not just because Ohio State made them look that way… much of it seemed self-inflicted). But wow, what a season. Thank you to the seniors, staff, and whole team for an incredible year. Back to work, but I trust Freeman will be the one to bring us a chip. Love thee ☘️
Mike Denbrock's play calling was horrendous following the first series. Game was lost drive 2,3,4 on O for ND. ND's three running backs had 7 carriers between them. Love is by far their best player and he touched the ball 4 times. Its inexcusable. Zero complementary play calling with what Ohio was doing offensively.
I heard on a podcast that Love was injured on ND's first drive - IDK if that's true but it would explain Leonard rushing so much. Regardless I agree this was not a well-called game by Denbrock.
Did I hear you say will howard wasn’t as efficient on the ground? Didn’t he run for like 8 or 9 first downs against Notre Dame? All while not getting drug to the ground by 300lb d tackles? That’s being efficient on the ground with a quarterback. Give the team a running threat, run if you have to or to move the chains, keep yourself healthy. Leonard ran the ball 2 more times than Howard for less yards yet Riley Leonard looked like he just got done with 12 rounds with Mike Tyson.
The question that remains is can notre dame draw the talent to win a national championship? I'm worried that it just won't happen unless things change at notre dame. You have the coach but do you have the money and the system to put together a true national championship team?
Idk if I can respect this take on notre dames offense. Notre dame never threw the ball enough to even know if they had decent-good receivers. So you’re telling me you have 1 really good WR,TE, and Runningback with space players like faizon & price with a mobile quarterback and that was the best offensive scheme yall could put together???? Be real your OC isn’t up to snuff and ultimately Riley Leonard held this offense back. Leonard should’ve been a gadget taysom hill player for this offense but your coaches didn’t have the courage to do what Nick Saban did in benching Jalen hurts in the natty for tua because that gave them the best chance to win
Yeah it was heartbreaking,kind of hard to beat 2 teams on the field,it was a one sided ref disaster,if tou go back and watch again,OSU's oline held all night,not 1 holding call until the middle of the 3rd quarter,I'm sure OSU wouldve won anyways,but the refs sures the hell didnt help
Lmao crying about the refs when ND got more penalty yards in their favor, and OSU is 134th in terms of opponents penalty yards. Only slappys blame the refs when ND decided to not play football for 2 quarters. Tonight was the first time OSUs defense got a holding call in their favor since mid September. You think every team OSU played committed no holding?
Notre Dame has a lot of heart and is well coached, but Ohio State has too much fire power. ND didn't play its usual game, but they were over matched. Let's be honest Ohio State has a lot more talent.
Great Season for both teams. I will totally disagree with your take on Will H. 80% Comp & 2 TD in this game and a year of 4000yrds, 35TD passing, and 7TD rushing also setting and beating CJ Strod OSU season completion record of 73.1% is more than average QB. Tell me what your standard is?
Terrible podcast episode. Not surprised by professional troll Matt’s negativity but Pete? Shocked and disappointed by his (relentless) negativity. He essentially says that *this* was NDs only/best chance to win a NC. At the same time as Herbstriet (sp) goes on McAfee’s show to say it’s “just getting started at ND.” SMH…
Good year ND, but it really didn't feel that different from title attemps of past. ND just needs to get elite talent, and until they do they will be bridesmaid. I don't want to hear anyone complain about NIL because this was a $18 million roster. I also don't want to hear excuses about academics. Michigan and Duke have very high academics yet they win in football and college hoops.
Give me a break. Losing to that team who had evolved into almost an NFL squad is not “pretender”. The 8 starters out exacerbated a talent gap, but it isn’t significant at full strength. Nerves were also a factor, but this program is in ascension!
Notre Dame will not get this easy of a road in the CFP next year - no guarantee they are back here again. Although their schedule will somehow be easier in the regular season which is laughable.
Laughable you think this year's CFP path for ND was easy. Beat the #10 team, the #2 team (also SEC Champ), then the #4 team. You're delirious. Next year Irish play Miami, A&M, Arkansas, Boise State, USC. We don't care what you think of our schedule.
@ Penn State had the easiest path with SMU and Boise, but don’t act like Indiana and Penn State are great teams. I’ll give them credit for UGA, but they played a backup QB and were still outgained by 100 yards. None of the teams you mention for 2025 are great, should be at most 1 loss.
@@milan.2412 LOL it's never enough for you haters. We can never schedule good enough teams (Miami bailed on us this year) and then we schedule marquee programs 3-4 years out who happen to suck when we play them (like FSU this year), and you'll always gripe about our SOS. Let me take a WILD guess - you're an SEC guy, right?
@@michaeldimario4357you beat an average Indiana team, the a Georgia team without a real QB, you should have lost to Penn state but they chocked it away. It could be another 20 years before ND gets back to the title game 🤷♂️
@@05DonnieB One: We beat 10th-ranked Indiana. Call them whatever you want but they were #10. I make that distinction because you haters love saying we can't beat top-10 teams. Two: We beat the SEC Champ. You conveniently avoid that because everyone says the SEC is better than everybody else. And we beat them while they had the same #2 QB that beat Texas for the SEC title. Same #2 QB that absolutely every Georgia fan on social media said was better than their #1 QB. Three: Penn State didn't choke. Game could've gone to OT but great teams make great plays at the right times. So keep on hating. We don't need your approval. Your hate just speaks to ND being relevant and living rent-free in your head. I'm laughing at you thinking it's 20 years til we're back in the Natty.
Great season for the Irish, and great coverage by you guys. I appreciate your coverage and enjoy your channel. Thanks for your great work covering the Irish
Great game Irish. Your team has guts. You have a great coach and I believe your future is bright! Go Bucks!!!
Thx for the great coverage
Buckeye fan, notre dame fought hard no matter what very impressive. Have a lot of respect for them. Freeman is a great coach and will have ND in the championship race every year. Great season guys!
Heartbreaking end to a wonderful year! No pressure whatsoever on Howard. Any QB could have success with such a clean pocket. 8-10 seconds every play for receivers to get free. Impossible to cover. Uncharacteristic performance in all phases. Let the CJ era begin! Its been fun... See everyone in 6 months 8 )
Will howard had the best qbr in the playoffs. Top 5 during the regular season. He never kept osu down
people made their minds up that was the case before the season even started
@@D4nielPagreed he ended number 1 in fbs.
Love ya Matt . We will get there one day I know it.
This was a special season and a great run. People should take a step back and enjoy it.
Thanks for everything guys. Go Irish!!☘️
Due to the new playoff structure It’s now harder than ever to get to the championship. Our offense has to be diverse.
Notre Dame MUST recruit better and bigger defensive linemen and be able to stop the run at the line of scrimmage and pressure the QB with 4. What makes now sense is how poorly we ran the ball. With all that being said I love this team and the coaches and I’m excited about the future of this program!
Thank you fellas
Most talented team in the country with one of the most experienced OCs out there. Just hard on a basic level to beat that.
The team with the $20MM roster comprised of adding and retaining future NFL starters was expected to win it all at the beginning of the season and they won it all. Not all that surprising. The Irish were never apart of that conversation but they forced their way into it and over achieved while setting the standard moving forward, back into National prominence. I’m super proud of this team and this coaching staff and I’m very grateful for the incredible season I was able to experience by following along. Looking forward to next season. GO IRISH til I die
ND had an $18 million roster, stop moving the goal post. ND had a very good year but this wasn't some chopped liver team out there. You guys need better QB and receiver play. And before anyone talks about academics, how does Michigan win last year or Duke in hoops?
Texas and Oregon paid more and had way more transfers and we crushed them. You paid 0 is that your calls nah nice try
@@05DonnieB did I say anything that wasn’t true? Lol OSU had a $20MM roster as admitted by the school AD, OSU was picked to win by a majority of pundits before the season even started, Notre Dame wasn’t, but made it all the way to the championship. Sounds like the facts are making you feel as if it wasn’t deserved, which I never said. Just that it was expected, which it was lol
@@tracywinters917 English please
OSU‘s receivers were mostly wide-open. I could’ve caught 90% of those passes.
felt like gray was chasing wrs all game. would be wild if no. 20 returns cuz 15 is second only to morrison i mean the guy chased down judkins while being 6'2
we honestly need cj to win the job in the spring and those wrs recruits to emerge for the team to have a genuine shot. it's year 4 im ready for an elite offense. give me '22 LSU mr denbrock it'd be wayyy better than what we've had so far
Hey, that fake punt worked faison just dropped the ball. I mean, yeah everyone knew it was coming and they still pulled it off. He just gotta catch it.
Obvious and correct... But Faison had a great year. EVERYONE contributed to this loss. Ugly end to an exceptional year!
YES YOU ARE YOU SPENT 20.5 MILLION. Your ad just didnt share the number
The Irish need a bigger defensive front if they want to compete.
Spot on!
Notre Dame's injuries finally caught up with them...
Or a better team just exposed their weaknesses.
That’s true, but they are still at least 4-5 guys away from being able to win it, mostly on offense.
@@ryanbenavidez2983 - nah, we’re a program of pretenders. Have been and always will be until they lower academic standards. I need a future nfl lb vs a mechanical engineer.
@@benjaminkim9309 you definitely take the cake with the dumbest comment of the year. Congratulations!! 🎉
@@ryanbenavidez2983 congrats on winning the returd of the year award
ND had 22 injuries that played a team with $20 million spent but ND lose by 11 points
ND had an $18 million team, try another excuse.
@@05DonnieBwhere r u getting that information?
The fact that they were nowhere near their best (I wholly agree)… and Ohio State played VERY very well… and EVEN WITH so many critical injuries, they still made it a game… man.
Freeman’s going to learn from this. Just like he did from the Marshall/Stanford games, just like he did from the NIU game. He’s going to learn that with his coaching style and his players, they can and will win when they stick to their own game. The entire identity of this team was lost in the middle two quarters, and it looked like a team that was outcoached.
I thought going into the game that Howard would need to make mistakes for ND to win, and he just flat out didn’t. The Ohio State offensive line was excellent. Meanwhile, Leonard did make mistakes in the first half (seemingly because he was trying not to…?) Missing those short, open throws read to me like a guy trying to aim the ball and avoid a bad interception or something, which resulted in bad throws. He seemed more focused on not making a mistake instead of making the play. His second half was so much better, when it seemed like they said, “to hell with it, just sling it.” He didn’t have a terrible game, but he didn’t play to his expected standards. All I kept thinking is that I wish he had another season because his limitations as a passer seem to be more mental than anything. He didn’t have games with this type of pressure on him at Duke, and I think that showed in the first half. But again, in the second half when there was nothing to lose, he was almost always ON. I just wish we could see him after experiencing this and growing/learning.
And when it comes to the defense, there were multiple instances where the fundamentals fell apart, as did the focus. There was confusion and just so many missed assignments and missed spots. The first Jeremiah Smith touchdown, the Judkins run to start the second half (Bowen was very out of position). Who knows if Golden leaving had anything to do with it, but I don’t think that helped (not sure if it affected anything at all, but the reports coming out in the middle of game week make me angry… just wish they’d let in-season coaches finish their years before reporting that they’re probably going to leave).
A lot of people keep harping on the rushing attempts, which I understand, but the rushing stats will always look weird when you have to play from that far behind. What I didn’t like was the insistence on rushing Leonard. Yes, that’s a big weapon, but for him to have 17 rushes compared to a combined 7 for both running backs is frustrating. There’s no way Love was healthy. And no touches for Aneyas Williams (I was admittedly up high in the stands and couldn’t always see how much he played). I thought Williams could be an X-factor. I think Denbrock fell in love with Leonard running a bit too much today, and didn’t force the defense to be ready for anything else. And that absolutely showed on first and goal from the 9 when they ran a QB draw against one of the best red zone defenses in football. Frustrating is the word.
But this team accomplished so much. What a year, and to win three playoff games (two NY6 bowls) is a testament to the grit and mentality of the team, and to how Freeman has grown.
I’m going to miss Leonard. Same with B-Mo and Mills, but it was helpful to see the team without them (and very clearly showed some gaps). And Watts! An incredible story of trusting the process.
This was one of my favorite ND teams of all time. It’s incredibly disappointing that they lost the game the way they did by not looking like themselves (and not just because Ohio State made them look that way… much of it seemed self-inflicted). But wow, what a season.
Thank you to the seniors, staff, and whole team for an incredible year. Back to work, but I trust Freeman will be the one to bring us a chip.
Love thee ☘️
The day of players not having to go to school is coming. ND could fold their cards in this whole mess.
Ohio state played near perfect we didn't. Still a good season. We need more size on the DL.
We need more WRs like Greathouse
If ND can find QB that can stretch the field vertically then the other team can’t hammer scrimmage line
Mike Denbrock's play calling was horrendous following the first series. Game was lost drive 2,3,4 on O for ND. ND's three running backs had 7 carriers between them. Love is by far their best player and he touched the ball 4 times. Its inexcusable. Zero complementary play calling with what Ohio was doing offensively.
I heard on a podcast that Love was injured on ND's first drive - IDK if that's true but it would explain Leonard rushing so much. Regardless I agree this was not a well-called game by Denbrock.
@@michaeldimario4357he’s been injured for a month
Did I hear you say will howard wasn’t as efficient on the ground? Didn’t he run for like 8 or 9 first downs against Notre Dame? All while not getting drug to the ground by 300lb d tackles? That’s being efficient on the ground with a quarterback. Give the team a running threat, run if you have to or to move the chains, keep yourself healthy. Leonard ran the ball 2 more times than Howard for less yards yet Riley Leonard looked like he just got done with 12 rounds with Mike Tyson.
The question that remains is can notre dame draw the talent to win a national championship? I'm worried that it just won't happen unless things change at notre dame. You have the coach but do you have the money and the system to put together a true national championship team?
Let’s be honest there was a point there. It could’ve been 50 to 7.
We had to put pressure on Howard in order to win. We did not therefore we lost. Pretty simple...
We will be no where near the championship next yr
OSU is a pro team
ND OC and DC called their worst game all year
And we can't get our 5star reciever on the field unbelievable I would transfer if I was him
He obviously isn’t very good if he can’t get on the field with this WR core. Not all 5* players are created equal.
How about you join a conference you would have a greater chance. They will take a 10 and 2 team from a conference over a 10 and 2 independent
Idk if I can respect this take on notre dames offense. Notre dame never threw the ball enough to even know if they had decent-good receivers. So you’re telling me you have 1 really good WR,TE, and Runningback with space players like faizon & price with a mobile quarterback and that was the best offensive scheme yall could put together???? Be real your OC isn’t up to snuff and ultimately Riley Leonard held this offense back. Leonard should’ve been a gadget taysom hill player for this offense but your coaches didn’t have the courage to do what Nick Saban did in benching Jalen hurts in the natty for tua because that gave them the best chance to win
Yeah it was heartbreaking,kind of hard to beat 2 teams on the field,it was a one sided ref disaster,if tou go back and watch again,OSU's oline held all night,not 1 holding call until the middle of the 3rd quarter,I'm sure OSU wouldve won anyways,but the refs sures the hell didnt help
Lmao crying about the refs when ND got more penalty yards in their favor, and OSU is 134th in terms of opponents penalty yards. Only slappys blame the refs when ND decided to not play football for 2 quarters.
Tonight was the first time OSUs defense got a holding call in their favor since mid September. You think every team OSU played committed no holding?
@VeeDubBeetle nope,just my opinion,I watched the game,did you,guess if you got butthurt,must be true
Then depression set in.
Notre Dame has a lot of heart and is well coached, but Ohio State has too much fire power. ND didn't play its usual game, but they were over matched. Let's be honest Ohio State has a lot more talent.
Devonta Smith is in the NFL you mean Caleb Downs...Saban retired. You all know nothing
Back to having no faith in the coaching
ND worst performance since NIU game
LOVE-4. CARRIES-3 YARDS-PRICE-3 CARRIES-13 YARDS=16 YDS TOTAL OUR RUNNING BACK-PATHETIC….
Great Season for both teams. I will totally disagree with your take on Will H. 80% Comp & 2 TD in this game and a year of 4000yrds, 35TD passing, and 7TD rushing also setting and beating CJ Strod OSU season completion record of 73.1% is more than average QB. Tell me what your standard is?
Bad coaching bad play by the players I should have shut it off after osu first drive
So glad it's over wish it would be over for ever
Please stop talking about $20 million roster, ND spent a ton on their roster, this is not 1990. It’s a lame take
All I can say is ND does not want a championship otherwise they would have won it.
Will Howard has the highest qbr for the whole season. Stuff it with this he isnt good shit
Terrible podcast episode. Not surprised by professional troll Matt’s negativity but Pete? Shocked and disappointed by his (relentless) negativity. He essentially says that *this* was NDs only/best chance to win a NC. At the same time as Herbstriet (sp) goes on McAfee’s show to say it’s “just getting started at ND.” SMH…
Let’s be honest….the only 2 dynamic athletic offenses USC and OSU gave the ND fits!
Good year ND, but it really didn't feel that different from title attemps of past. ND just needs to get elite talent, and until they do they will be bridesmaid. I don't want to hear anyone complain about NIL because this was a $18 million roster. I also don't want to hear excuses about academics. Michigan and Duke have very high academics yet they win in football and college hoops.
So glad I turned it off at half-time
A program of pretenders. Will be a while before I root for this team.
Give me a break. Losing to that team who had evolved into almost an NFL squad is not “pretender”. The 8 starters out exacerbated a talent gap, but it isn’t significant at full strength. Nerves were also a factor, but this program is in ascension!
excuses don’t win nattys
Ohio State is going to build Marcus Freeman a statue in Columbus.
31 unanswered points? First 4 drives = 4 touchdowns? Maybe our defense is not what we thought.....
lol ok
O-H!!!
I RISH
Cause ohio state can't name your price? You are delusional.
Ohio St owns Notre Dame. Always have, always will
Go listen to Ari wasserman and kick rocks
Yes, true.. and Michigan is your daddy
Notre Dame will not get this easy of a road in the CFP next year - no guarantee they are back here again. Although their schedule will somehow be easier in the regular season which is laughable.
Laughable you think this year's CFP path for ND was easy. Beat the #10 team, the #2 team (also SEC Champ), then the #4 team. You're delirious. Next year Irish play Miami, A&M, Arkansas, Boise State, USC. We don't care what you think of our schedule.
@ Penn State had the easiest path with SMU and Boise, but don’t act like Indiana and Penn State are great teams. I’ll give them credit for UGA, but they played a backup QB and were still outgained by 100 yards. None of the teams you mention for 2025 are great, should be at most 1 loss.
@@milan.2412 LOL it's never enough for you haters. We can never schedule good enough teams (Miami bailed on us this year) and then we schedule marquee programs 3-4 years out who happen to suck when we play them (like FSU this year), and you'll always gripe about our SOS. Let me take a WILD guess - you're an SEC guy, right?
@@michaeldimario4357you beat an average Indiana team, the a Georgia team without a real QB, you should have lost to Penn state but they chocked it away. It could be another 20 years before ND gets back to the title game 🤷♂️
@@05DonnieB
One: We beat 10th-ranked Indiana. Call them whatever you want but they were #10. I make that distinction because you haters love saying we can't beat top-10 teams.
Two: We beat the SEC Champ. You conveniently avoid that because everyone says the SEC is better than everybody else.
And we beat them while they had the same #2 QB that beat Texas for the SEC title. Same #2 QB that absolutely every Georgia fan on social media said was better than their #1 QB.
Three: Penn State didn't choke. Game could've gone to OT but great teams make great plays at the right times.
So keep on hating. We don't need your approval.
Your hate just speaks to ND being relevant and living rent-free in your head.
I'm laughing at you thinking it's 20 years til we're back in the Natty.