I grew up in South Bend, love Notre Dame. I have witnessed every heart break since 2005 starting with the Bush push. Have yet to see them win a title in my lifetime. And this is the proudest I’ve been of an ND team. Go Irish. ☘️ Also I went to high school with Tony Rice’s sons. In 2011. That’s how long it’s been since they won a championship. 😂
I didn’t think they’d make it this far with all their injuries, but they keep fighting and that run By LOVE kinda symbolized the whole season. Keep fighting go Irish.
It is almost astonishing that ND has persisted despite the shocking amount of injuries they've suffered. Even in the game last night, they lost two starting OLs on for an OL that already lost its starting LT before the season, lost its C in game 3, lost its RG for most of the season ... and then had the LT and an OG go down in game. Are you kidding me? They also lost their #1 and #2 rush ends, lost their best interior DL during the playoffs, lost their best player overall -- CB Benjamin Morrison. Etc., etc., et al. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around it. The resilience of this team is amazing. And for the commentary about "transfer portal guys," let's be honest: ND has many fewer portal guys than other power teams. ND, with few exceptions, is limited to graduate transfers. They've used the portal judiciously. And calling them a "21st century team" is appropriate, I think. But let's not pretend they are a portal-built team. They aren't. And they can't be.
I cant remember if it was the casters during the game or someone in postgame, but someone said, "That might be the greatest 2-yard run i've ever seen" and to myself i said, "you know what, i think thats right!"
It’s refreshing to see a team with not just talent but pure heart and grit crawl there way to this point. Whatever happens I’ll forever be grateful I decided to sit down to watch Notre dame this season. It feels historical.
Listening to Rich talk about his hatred for ND brings back so many memories. It’s forgotten by so many people but the ND v Michigan rivalry was so good. They need to be playing again.
Congratulations 👏👏 to Riley Leonard and fairhope Alabama where he played highschool ball down here where I live. Though I'm a bama fan, I'm always happy to see a kid from down here have great success no matter where its at. Congratulations to Notre Dame and their fans. 🎉
Whatever community raised that kid down there did a great, great job. Exceptional young dude & competitor. 'Bama should be proud of their native son. Go Irish!
@@erikwill2891 yet they were faster than all of the slow dudes of the teams they´ve beaten.....This narrative doesn´t work anymore. if you´re an impartial CFB fan, you know that isn´t true.
This team's changing all of us Rich. I'm a Notre Dame fan for life. And just now gave you a thumbs up. First time ever. The world is a changing. Go Irish🍀🍀🍀
ND fan here. Carter is AMAZING! Good god he’s unbelievable. I would draft that dude #1 overall and not think twice. Warren is a matchup nightmare! Singleton runs his butt off. PSU has dogs all the trenches. That game was cinema!
Yep. And I think the way ND is built should be a model for other teams. They recruit, and they recruit hard. They get players that fit what they are looking for, even in losing out on the "5* players" year-after-year. They build a foundation on recruited players that fit their system, then they go into the portal ... where they are limited ... and they improve around the edges. They get the couple of guys to fill a couple of roles and then otherwise rely on depth. It is kind of an amazing model. I like it. And I hope they win it all. It will be interesting.
i think most are aware and its a point brought up enough, however its mentioned because (not to take anything away from the ND OGs) but each and every transfer, as few as there are, is a crucial part of the team and is a credit to the strategic use of the portal to fill the necessary gaps to create a winning football team. another huge credit to the coaching staff.
@@David-ic4by That's great to hear! Morrisey was one of the "fun" dorms. I lived in Sorin all four yrs. Steve Beuerlein lived in Sorin. Very nice, down-to-earth guy (despite being the starting QB!)
Marcus Freeman is likeable, and from what anyone can tell so are the players. It is a lot like when Jay Wright was going on his run with Villanova. From the coach to the players, they never gave anyone a reason to dislike them. Having a good team with a coach who isn't a crazy person will go a long way with neutrals.
My Dad received Alumni football tickets through the late 80's I went to several games as a a kid, Lou Holtz was the coach back then. I did not appreciate at the time going to a lot of games with him, but I sure do now. Wish I had the chance to tell my Dad Thank you before his passing.
Rich, ND grad here, we actually have tons of Jewish students, even my first religion teacher at ND was Jewish... the tribe (and anyone trying to do good) is always welcome under the Golden Dome 🙂❤
I'm from Pittsburgh my Irish grandmother on Saturday 1in the 1930s would listen to the ND games on the radio and if they lost there would be no supper. (my mom told me), If they lost to Pitt it was Saturday and Sunday .
Coming from a Michigan alum/fan for to talk about Notre dame being on a high horse is hilarious. 😂 Look up the history of why Notre dame was kept out of conference when they tried to join the “big 10” Michigan shut them out.
Have been a Notre Dame fan since I was a kid, my mom (Pat O'Donnell-Korbelik,) was a rabid fan. I'm now 68 and haven't had this much fun since Notre Dame beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl something like 38-10 in 1978. Oe any time "we" beat heathen 'SC. GO IRISH! Bless Jim Murray, the late, great, LA Times writer.
My favorite part of CFB is the family traditions and seeing all the ND fans drop the memories they had here. Good for you. Seriously. This is what fandom is about.
I graduated from ND 25 years ago and went to the BCS championship game in 2012 (where they got smoked by Bama) when my youngest son was 18 months old. On Thursday, I got to experience winning a CFP semi-final win with that same kid, now 14, by my side. Best feeling ever.
As a die hard fan of Norte Dame for 28 years, THANK YOU! I’m a first gen American(immigrant) came to this country as a teenager, raised by an uncle who was ND fan, these are the BEST days to be alive, I swear!
I am not from Southbend or the USA , i am Irish from Dublin Ireland and watched the game into the early hours of the morning, and I went through every emotion watching that game . Great to see ND back where they should be and competing in these type of games . Big congratulations to coach Freeman and the players . ND is more than a football team. There is something magical about them. Go Irish ☘️💚🤍🧡
Notre Dame is independent because Michigan blocked them from joining the Big10 and prevented Big10 teams from playing ND. So ND played national schedule and became successful anyway. Which is why people are so mad they don’t join a conference.
My favorite part is if you do a quick Google search you'll see that Notre Dame enjoyed their independence and did not want to join. Why would the Big 10 turn down a huge brand like Notre Dame to make them more money.
The best part of this clip is that he points out that the ND admin listened to the players in their process of selecting Freeman, and it worked. Very cool.
Thank you Rich! I don't have cable TV or the ability to watch games or your program except for here on RUclips. As a diehard Notre Dame fan I don't know if you realize how much fans like me appreciate your words and compliments toward Notre Dame this year. Imagine if they had not made the playoffs this year due to their early loss and lack of a a conference and what we would have missed!
Brian Kelly could never and will never have this level of success. I'm not a Notre Dame fan at all, but that sad sack walking out the door might be the best thing that's happened to them this century. Poor LSU thinking he would lead them to anything special lol
@blackout07blue 2012 and 2024 seasons are not created equal. I've been a diehard ND fan since 1985 and I can tell you this team would demolish that 2012 ND team. Brian Kelly lost every big game
Due to injuries, whoever they play will have more talent. But neither Texas or OSU is tougher. Of the two, I actually would prefer to play the Buckeyes. An OSU team that can sleep on a game against Michigan at home is ABSOLUTELY a team that could show up sleep walking for the National Championship. So yeah, OSU would be favored and rightly so. I'd still say we have a chance to get them, though. Go Irish!
OS has (15) 5-stars and (45) 4-stars. They threw a pick 6 at Penn State and still held them without an offensive TD and beat them. ND has that magic, but OS is too loaded.
@@blackout07blue Yeah, which is why they won so many games by multiple scores. Famously, teams that consistently outscore their opponents by double digits are bad at scoring.
@@donaldshotts4429 That's certainly what they thought before the Michigan game. If Michigan can beat OSU, so can ND. Again, not saying that they WILL, simply that there is a possibility.
This is reason why the playoffs needed to be expaned. Its no diff than any league, 1st seconds rounds not always good, but we get great games in semis from teams playing the best at the moment.
Abdul Carter is the second coming of TJ Watt Watch Their highlights back to back in college. Both are always around the ball. they don’t miss sacks/plays .. and always making plays
Carter is great. And he'll be great in the NFL. Warren is amazing. He, I think, will be better than Bowers at the next level. And Bowers is tremendous.
Freeman & Al Golden are not leaving ND no matter how much Eisen wants that to happen. As an ND fan, I’m more concerned about our DB or RB coaches leaving for coordinating jobs. Both are the best at what they do. Go Irish ☘️
I wouldn't be surprised if they find a way to win this last game. They have kept games close and gotten late breaks. Their quarterback is special. He should be playing Sundays.
@@mjsabie8517 Actually, he might very well be "praying" on Sundays (as you wrote it). But you're right, he won't be "playing" in the NFL, on Sundays or any other day. 😁
Just a point of order but ND doesn't actually have a ton of transfers, it is just that the ones they get are impactful. This is a program that develops players.
Stop it Rich, under the old format NONE of these teams would've made either the four team playoff or that BS before that. The simple fact is what this 12 team playoff has proven in just one year is that the BCS and the 4 team playoff was nothing but contrived BS and not an actual way to crown a champion. The way I see it having a 12 team playoff is the next best thing to the way it was before the BCS because multiple teams have a legit chance to win.
ND would have been the 3 or 4 seed. Penn State would have dropped below them in the old format because they wouldn't do an Oregon/PSU rematch. It most likely would have been Oregon -1, Georgia -2, ND -3, and Texas -4.
@@krayzy932 No they wouldn't have been. That loss to NIU kept them between 15 & 12 for most of the season and under the old format they wouldn't have even been a consideration because all they did was complain about their schedule so just stop it.
@@krayzy932if the committee was the same, 1 Oregon, 2- Georgia 3- Texas 4- PSU. But you might be right, ND might have replaced PSU. I have no problem leaving Ohio State out. They lost on the field to Michigan. THE REGULAR SEASON HAS TO HAVE MEANING. It always has, and for 100 years it has made college football special.
@@kenyattaclay7666 ND was ranked 4th going into the conference championship games. The lowest ND was ranked in the CFP this year was 10th (in the first rankings in Week 10). The CFP committee had shown in years past that losers of CCG usually get knocked out of the playoffs. The committee would not have wanted to have two rematches of the CCG's in the first round of the playoffs so ND definitely would have jumped over PSU. They would have also wanted to split up the SEC rematch, so ND would have been ranked 3rd with Texas ranked 4th.
That DC is a genius. Vs IU it was a cover 3 robber scheme. Vs UGA it was a house blitz all night. Vs PSU it was a zone blitz with a dedicated ball spy. If you blitz them, they will fold. I'm really liking this guy.
@@hpyht67 indeed. Didn't know Al was there. That actually makes sense. He's a brilliant blitz mind. The blitz is my favorite part of football: They're coming to get you Barbara! 😁
Rich, now you'll hafta go to the Grotto and light a dozen candles, just before you watch UM vs ND in South Bend, stroll past the Golden Dome on the way to the stadium...make sure you sit in the south end, to get a good view of the library!
As a lifelong ND fan, it’s so refreshing to me to have Freeman as HC. Over a decade of tolerating Brian Kelly (arguably one of the most unlikeable guys in football) because he won games, and I didn’t even realize how frustrating it was until Freeman got here. And after every dumbfounding loss (Marshall, Stanford, NIU), I kept holding out hope he could find some way to figure it out because he embodies everything I want in a head coach. Now, ND has finally entered an era where their Big 3 (Football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball) have head coaches that excellently represent the university (and would excellently represent any university, given their character). Two of the three (Freeman and Niele Ivey) have found some success on the field/court as well, and it’s expected that Micah Shrewsberry will get there, too. It’s just an overall refreshing time to be an ND fan because I’m all for people hating us, but I’d rather it be for what happens on the field than because of terrible people running the show. I’m rooting incredibly hard for Freeman and ND against OSU in the championship. I would love to see Freeman be able to hold that trophy after what happened in week 2.
I am almost 70 and Rich had the same mind set as me including hating Lou Holz but from Day 1 there was something special about Marcus Freeman and because of it I am happy to see the team doing well. I think he will stay at ND for many years.
I have said this before you do not get into Notre Dame on athletic talent only! The academic standard is higher than many other schools. Lou Holtz made that abundantly clear announcing the Graduation rating for the football team. Think about how many NFL players go back to school and get their degrees while or after retirement. That is not what happens at Notre Dame.
Rich, I was at the ND-Michigan game two years later at the big house, and my friends and I got tickets outside from a Michigan professor in the middle of the faculty seats. Michigan faculty spent the entire game taunting the four ND students there to watch the game. Just relentless, classless, insulting, drunk, and cruel. And that was their freaking professors. Believe me, Michigan absolutely can play the condescending "we're better than everyone else" game with the Irish or anyone. Top tier competitors in the mean spirited high horse game.
@blackout07blue Maybe, but no one ever said offense wins championships. The saying has always been "Defense wins championships"....and both these teams had outstanding defenses.
Its NOT a team of transfers. Many of the transfers HAVE come up big ironically. But it's a team mostly of HS recruits who have been coached up and an EXCELLENT coaching staff.
I noticed that ND has started putting player names on the jerseys again. Throughout the regular season they put them on for the Army game but no other games, then put them on for all three playoff games.
Not exactly. The game against navy called shamrock series is a special uniform they do once each year with a different theme. Post season it always happens, now there is more post season games.
I hope they invite Joe Montana and Tony Rice to the championship game - both were the qbs for the teams that last won the national championship for Notre Dame (1977 and 1988, respectively). There were other great players there, too.
So refreshing to see and hear a show talk about the greatness of a Coach, a human, and the team instead of making every single thing about race. Its why this show gets 99% of my viewership over anything else. The other 1% goes to FTF. But they test me sometimes 🤣
Marcus Freeman is touchdown Jesus 😂 bringing in all these players from other schools to build a special culture at Notre Dame. From one Michigan fan to another… go Irish ☘️
Reseeding after first round is a must moving forward, award your top seeds with lowest seeds(pretty sure that’s what happened this year anyway but still). Even with that being said, the best team should still win the natty, you beat who’s in front of you
None of these 4 teams were ranked inside the top 4. None of these teams would’ve been in the 4 team format. Thats why the 12 team format was created. Even though the format was done incorrectly, it was still able to show why it was needed. It just took until this point to do so, because how they seeded the teams was dumb as hell.
Your reason for hating/disliking ND is awesome…which I don’t hear from many other talking heads. still totally reasonable as a fan of a team. I have a similar feeling for USC !
@@dashx1103and in the final official cfp committee rankings (you know, the one they actually use to decide who is in and out) had Notre Dame at 5 and OSU at 6 so no, the four remaining teams would not have been those chosen. It would have been Oregon, Georgia, Texas, and PSU
makes you think of all the truly great teams, the real #1's on the outside looking in that were held back from the college football fandom because of a coaches poll or conference bias. the world will never know. but now... this is entertainment! any given team can lose on any given day, but they now get the chance to prove themselves in the final gauntlet every season to show whos the toughest,. im willing to bet the "#1 ranked team" doesnt win it all very often in the years to come.
@@williamtarleton1857 Yeah, but that is based on seeding for a 12 team playoff. If it had simply been a 4 team playoff, I absolutely do not think BSU or ASU is sitting in one of those spots. Got to look at the big picture. If it was the "top 4 teams" in a playoff, I think ND and Texas ... and maybe PSU would be in. It is a different world we're looking at.
Freeman isn't even considering any interviews or the NFL at all. He's got the best college job in the land(thanks to his vision/hard work/culture), gets paid about as much as possible, and he's watching his you t family grow up in South Bend and around the program/campus.
The only way I’m rooting for Notre Dame is if they are playing the Buckeyes. Having said that, they are a good team. And that game was what cemented Notre Dame #2 on my list of most hated teams. Go Blue!!!
To be fair, Brian Kelly took ND to the national championship game against Bama 2012 and lost. So far Marcus Freeman has matched that accomplishment. Let’s see if Freeman can bring a national title to ND since Lou Holtz.
ND administration is the weak point of the program….the priests hired Gerry Faust, Davie, Weiss, Hugh Devore, Willingham, etc. …a miracle that they didn’t botch this hire 😡😡
It's really annoying how Rich keeps harping on the transfers. During the IU game it was mentioned transfers accounted for 13% of the team's regular season snaps.
Drew Allar had a good year, but an awful night in general. No receptions to his wide receivers, and was just off on his throws all night. Notre Dame's pressure needs to take some credit, but it really looked like he had the yips, and the moment was too big for him.
Notre Dame fixed all the depression the Colts gave me.
Same for me but with the Bears, I really needed this run for my football sanity!
Same, Giants
Yeah, the Chiefs have helped me deal with being a Nebraska huskers fan since I’m not old enough to remember Nebraska being a championship team
Cured the depression of Chris Ballard coming back 🙄
Indy needed some kinda W
I grew up in South Bend, love Notre Dame. I have witnessed every heart break since 2005 starting with the Bush push. Have yet to see them win a title in my lifetime. And this is the proudest I’ve been of an ND team. Go Irish. ☘️
Also I went to high school with Tony Rice’s sons. In 2011. That’s how long it’s been since they won a championship. 😂
Don’t get your hopes up. Yall’s offense is awful.
@@blackout07blue says the guy who's team didn't even make the playoffs 🤣
Irish fan from Philly and the bush push still pisses me off haha. Garrett with that along 4th down catch sigh. I need to witness a championship
Enjoy the win ND. You are not beating the OSU/Texas winner.
@@blackout07blue😢😢😢😢
I didn’t think they’d make it this far with all their injuries, but they keep fighting and that run By LOVE kinda symbolized the whole season. Keep fighting go Irish.
It is almost astonishing that ND has persisted despite the shocking amount of injuries they've suffered. Even in the game last night, they lost two starting OLs on for an OL that already lost its starting LT before the season, lost its C in game 3, lost its RG for most of the season ... and then had the LT and an OG go down in game. Are you kidding me? They also lost their #1 and #2 rush ends, lost their best interior DL during the playoffs, lost their best player overall -- CB Benjamin Morrison. Etc., etc., et al. I just have a hard time wrapping my head around it. The resilience of this team is amazing. And for the commentary about "transfer portal guys," let's be honest: ND has many fewer portal guys than other power teams. ND, with few exceptions, is limited to graduate transfers. They've used the portal judiciously. And calling them a "21st century team" is appropriate, I think. But let's not pretend they are a portal-built team. They aren't. And they can't be.
I cant remember if it was the casters during the game or someone in postgame, but someone said, "That might be the greatest 2-yard run i've ever seen" and to myself i said, "you know what, i think thats right!"
@@SwantonBomb43 That was an amazing run by Love. That guy just has something "extra" about him in all facets of the game.
Is there any shot those OL guys are back in time for the championship game?
This will be the same excuse you use if you lose. It's a red herring but you should just be proud that your team made it to the Championship
It’s refreshing to see a team with not just talent but pure heart and grit crawl there way to this point.
Whatever happens I’ll forever be grateful I decided to sit down to watch Notre dame this season.
It feels historical.
Listening to Rich talk about his hatred for ND brings back so many memories. It’s forgotten by so many people but the ND v Michigan rivalry was so good. They need to be playing again.
Congratulations 👏👏 to Riley Leonard and fairhope Alabama where he played highschool ball down here where I live. Though I'm a bama fan, I'm always happy to see a kid from down here have great success no matter where its at. Congratulations to Notre Dame and their fans. 🎉
Whatever community raised that kid down there did a great, great job. Exceptional young dude & competitor. 'Bama should be proud of their native son. Go Irish!
They have like 8 transfers, Rich. ND isn’t a team full of transfers.
Keep hearing this narrative and I am sick of yea.. yea they are contributing and doing their job but yea they are supposed to do that
ND is a team full of slow dudes. They will get wiped out by the speed and the athletes of OSU or Texas
@@erikwill2891 Your comment holds zero weight because they already the top SEC team. Team speed doesn't get any better than a top SEC teams.
@@erikwill2891already physically dominated the team that beat Texas twice this year.
@@erikwill2891 yet they were faster than all of the slow dudes of the teams they´ve beaten.....This narrative doesn´t work anymore. if you´re an impartial CFB fan, you know that isn´t true.
Shouldn't be surprised by a clutch moment from someone named Jeter.
That’s what I kept saying 😂glad he’s my kicker
My brother was saying the same thing.
This team's changing all of us Rich. I'm a Notre Dame fan for life. And just now gave you a thumbs up. First time ever. The world is a changing. Go Irish🍀🍀🍀
Instant classic of a game! Abdul, Warren, and Singleton are grade A+ talents very fun to watch. ND gutted out another W.
GoIrish!☘️
ND fan here.
Carter is AMAZING! Good god he’s unbelievable. I would draft that dude #1 overall and not think twice. Warren is a matchup nightmare! Singleton runs his butt off. PSU has dogs all the trenches. That game was cinema!
@@TheMetal213 If you haven’t before, wait until you see Carter play with a functional left arm.
@@nathanexplosion5478I can only imagine. That dude gives off Von Miller/Derrick Thomas vibes. Scary hours 😨
They are not a team full of transfers. QB, 3 WRs, K, DE, and a DB. That's 7 total. Most teams have way more than that.
Yep. And I think the way ND is built should be a model for other teams. They recruit, and they recruit hard. They get players that fit what they are looking for, even in losing out on the "5* players" year-after-year. They build a foundation on recruited players that fit their system, then they go into the portal ... where they are limited ... and they improve around the edges. They get the couple of guys to fill a couple of roles and then otherwise rely on depth. It is kind of an amazing model. I like it. And I hope they win it all. It will be interesting.
i think most are aware and its a point brought up enough, however its mentioned because (not to take anything away from the ND OGs) but each and every transfer, as few as there are, is a crucial part of the team and is a credit to the strategic use of the portal to fill the necessary gaps to create a winning football team. another huge credit to the coaching staff.
And players don't leave ND for the portal, cause that degree is worth more$ in the long run
And most of them are graduate students. They already graduated from the schools they left.
As an ND ('84) grad I am SO enjoying watching this team play ... just totally awesome. Speechless.
Class of ‘86 here, and ditto. This awesome.
Class of '88 here. Classmate of Tim Brown. I DITTO your ditto!! GO IRISH!!
@@RipJewels My brother was ‘88! Morrisey Hall!
@@David-ic4by That's great to hear! Morrisey was one of the "fun" dorms. I lived in Sorin all four yrs. Steve Beuerlein lived in Sorin. Very nice, down-to-earth guy (despite being the starting QB!)
@ LOVE Sorin! Those turrets, man…I was in Grace Hall, so…yeah. Not a lot of architectural grace in Grace but it’s a cool name!
Rich started whispering low when he admit liking ND n freeman lol
A Notre Dame-Ohio State championship meeting was always going to be Michigan fans' punishment for winning one.
@@Udertheo yes it is my own personal hellscape. I would have to root for ND in that matchup.
Marcus Freeman is likeable, and from what anyone can tell so are the players. It is a lot like when Jay Wright was going on his run with Villanova. From the coach to the players, they never gave anyone a reason to dislike them. Having a good team with a coach who isn't a crazy person will go a long way with neutrals.
My Dad received Alumni football tickets through the late 80's I went to several games as a a kid, Lou Holtz was the coach back then. I did not appreciate at the time going to a lot of games with him, but I sure do now. Wish I had the chance to tell my Dad Thank you before his passing.
Just because he isn't there physically doesn't mean you can't still tell him how you feel. Keep your head up brother! ❤
I have been a Notre Dame fan all of my life. I think this is our year!!!!
to lose by 20+ in the final.
@@blackout07blue haters gonna hate.
@@mikebronicki8264They ain't gonna be haters when ND loses
😂😂
Texas or OSU will beat you by 2 scores pal. Enjoy the win against PSU that never wins a big game.
Rich, ND grad here, we actually have tons of Jewish students, even my first religion teacher at ND was Jewish... the tribe (and anyone trying to do good) is always welcome under the Golden Dome 🙂❤
I love hearing this as an Irish fan
As a Notre Dame fan and Catholic, I find this turn extremely satisfying, lol.
Same brother, same
I'm from Pittsburgh my Irish grandmother on Saturday 1in the 1930s would listen to the ND games on the radio and if they lost there would be no supper. (my mom told me), If they lost to Pitt it was Saturday and Sunday .
Whatever the coach told them at halftime mut have been great because they came out for the second half with some serious attitude ❤
I am a 59 year old nd fan and this is the guttiest ,toughest best coached nd team since the 73,77,88 NCs....extremely impressed .
Coming from a Michigan alum/fan for to talk about Notre dame being on a high horse is hilarious. 😂 Look up the history of why Notre dame was kept out of conference when they tried to join the “big 10” Michigan shut them out.
We always thank Michigan for helping Notre Dame become independent. We’re filthy rich now. Thanks for teaching us football btw.
Have been a Notre Dame fan since I was a kid, my mom (Pat O'Donnell-Korbelik,) was a rabid fan. I'm now 68 and haven't had this much fun since Notre Dame beat Texas in the Cotton Bowl something like 38-10 in 1978. Oe any time "we" beat heathen 'SC. GO IRISH! Bless Jim Murray, the late, great, LA Times writer.
My favorite part of CFB is the family traditions and seeing all the ND fans drop the memories they had here. Good for you. Seriously. This is what fandom is about.
I graduated from ND 25 years ago and went to the BCS championship game in 2012 (where they got smoked by Bama) when my youngest son was 18 months old. On Thursday, I got to experience winning a CFP semi-final win with that same kid, now 14, by my side. Best feeling ever.
As a die hard fan of Norte Dame for 28 years, THANK YOU! I’m a first gen American(immigrant) came to this country as a teenager, raised by an uncle who was ND fan, these are the BEST days to be alive, I swear!
I am not from Southbend or the USA , i am Irish from Dublin Ireland and watched the game into the early hours of the morning, and I went through every emotion watching that game . Great to see ND back where they should be and competing in these type of games . Big congratulations to coach Freeman and the players . ND is more than a football team. There is something magical about them. Go Irish ☘️💚🤍🧡
Notre Dame is independent because Michigan blocked them from joining the Big10 and prevented Big10 teams from playing ND. So ND played national schedule and became successful anyway. Which is why people are so mad they don’t join a conference.
Pretty on brand for Michigan
My favorite part is if you do a quick Google search you'll see that Notre Dame enjoyed their independence and did not want to join. Why would the Big 10 turn down a huge brand like Notre Dame to make them more money.
Bro just Google why is Notre Dame independent and you'll see this is completely false.
The best part of this clip is that he points out that the ND admin listened to the players in their process of selecting Freeman, and it worked. Very cool.
Rocket Ismael! CFL Legend
“I evolve, then I devolve” I love Rich Eisen and this show
Thank you Rich! I don't have cable TV or the ability to watch games or your program except for here on RUclips. As a diehard Notre Dame fan I don't know if you realize how much fans like me appreciate your words and compliments toward Notre Dame this year. Imagine if they had not made the playoffs this year due to their early loss and lack of a a conference and what we would have missed!
Brian Kelly could never and will never have this level of success. I'm not a Notre Dame fan at all, but that sad sack walking out the door might be the best thing that's happened to them this century. Poor LSU thinking he would lead them to anything special lol
lol. Brian Kelly got them to the title game too.
LSU deserves grumpy Kelly for how they did Coach O dirty 💯
@blackout07blue 2012 and 2024 seasons are not created equal. I've been a diehard ND fan since 1985 and I can tell you this team would demolish that 2012 ND team. Brian Kelly lost every big game
Stop lies u dont make 2playoffs with only 4teams make it lose big games smh
Due to injuries, whoever they play will have more talent. But neither Texas or OSU is tougher. Of the two, I actually would prefer to play the Buckeyes. An OSU team that can sleep on a game against Michigan at home is ABSOLUTELY a team that could show up sleep walking for the National Championship.
So yeah, OSU would be favored and rightly so. I'd still say we have a chance to get them, though. Go Irish!
ND sucks at offense.
OS has (15) 5-stars and (45) 4-stars. They threw a pick 6 at Penn State and still held them without an offensive TD and beat them. ND has that magic, but OS is too loaded.
@@blackout07blue Yeah, which is why they won so many games by multiple scores. Famously, teams that consistently outscore their opponents by double digits are bad at scoring.
Not so fast, my friend. The Michigan game may have been OSU's NIU moment.
@@donaldshotts4429 That's certainly what they thought before the Michigan game. If Michigan can beat OSU, so can ND. Again, not saying that they WILL, simply that there is a possibility.
This is reason why the playoffs needed to be expaned. Its no diff than any league, 1st seconds rounds not always good, but we get great games in semis from teams playing the best at the moment.
Rich. We have room for you. ☘️
One 5 star. Great scouting by Notre Dame and even more, great coaching by the entire staff. Especially that defense. 🍀
Abdul Carter is the second coming of TJ Watt
Watch Their highlights back to back in college. Both are always around the ball. they don’t miss sacks/plays .. and always making plays
Carter is great. And he'll be great in the NFL. Warren is amazing. He, I think, will be better than Bowers at the next level. And Bowers is tremendous.
Marcus Freeman is an excellent coach. Extremely impressed with how well coached Notre Dame is. What a job he's done.
Is he Catholic?
@LooseCannon.81he is. He converted.
Freeman & Al Golden are not leaving ND no matter how much Eisen wants that to happen.
As an ND fan, I’m more concerned about our DB or RB coaches leaving for coordinating jobs.
Both are the best at what they do.
Go Irish ☘️
Go Irish ☘️☘️
I wouldn't be surprised if they find a way to win this last game. They have kept games close and gotten late breaks. Their quarterback is special. He should be playing Sundays.
Come on man… I love ND and Riley is a great kid but he will not be praying on Sundays.
QB sucks at passing more than not.
@@mjsabie8517 Actually, he might very well be "praying" on Sundays (as you wrote it). But you're right, he won't be "playing" in the NFL, on Sundays or any other day. 😁
@ LOL. Stupid typo but probably accurate. I think he is a devout Catholic so yes he will most likely be praying on Sundays
He's not flashy. But he wins big games against great defenses. In my eyes, he's playmaker that is worth drafting.
Just a point of order but ND doesn't actually have a ton of transfers, it is just that the ones they get are impactful. This is a program that develops players.
Stop it Rich, under the old format NONE of these teams would've made either the four team playoff or that BS before that. The simple fact is what this 12 team playoff has proven in just one year is that the BCS and the 4 team playoff was nothing but contrived BS and not an actual way to crown a champion. The way I see it having a 12 team playoff is the next best thing to the way it was before the BCS because multiple teams have a legit chance to win.
ND would have been the 3 or 4 seed. Penn State would have dropped below them in the old format because they wouldn't do an Oregon/PSU rematch. It most likely would have been Oregon -1, Georgia -2, ND -3, and Texas -4.
@@krayzy932 No they wouldn't have been. That loss to NIU kept them between 15 & 12 for most of the season and under the old format they wouldn't have even been a consideration because all they did was complain about their schedule so just stop it.
ND would have played Oregon for the national championship per the BCS model, you can google it. They still run the models.
@@krayzy932if the committee was the same, 1 Oregon, 2- Georgia 3- Texas 4- PSU. But you might be right, ND might have replaced PSU. I have no problem leaving Ohio State out. They lost on the field to Michigan. THE REGULAR SEASON HAS TO HAVE MEANING. It always has, and for 100 years it has made college football special.
@@kenyattaclay7666 ND was ranked 4th going into the conference championship games. The lowest ND was ranked in the CFP this year was 10th (in the first rankings in Week 10).
The CFP committee had shown in years past that losers of CCG usually get knocked out of the playoffs. The committee would not have wanted to have two rematches of the CCG's in the first round of the playoffs so ND definitely would have jumped over PSU. They would have also wanted to split up the SEC rematch, so ND would have been ranked 3rd with Texas ranked 4th.
Drew Allar did the same thing in the BIG TEN Championship against Oregon. He threw an interception when they were driving,near the end of the game.
That DC is a genius. Vs IU it was a cover 3 robber scheme. Vs UGA it was a house blitz all night. Vs PSU it was a zone blitz with a dedicated ball spy.
If you blitz them, they will fold. I'm really liking this guy.
Al Golden been around the block
@@hpyht67 indeed. Didn't know Al was there. That actually makes sense. He's a brilliant blitz mind. The blitz is my favorite part of football: They're coming to get you Barbara! 😁
Rich Eisen is the greatest sports analyst in history. I love it all.
Rich, now you'll hafta go to the Grotto and light a dozen candles, just before you watch UM vs ND in South Bend, stroll past the Golden Dome on the way to the stadium...make sure you sit in the south end, to get a good view of the library!
Seriously Rich great take not only have you now confessed to being a fan of ND but I’m a fan of yours now lol
As a lifelong ND fan, it’s so refreshing to me to have Freeman as HC. Over a decade of tolerating Brian Kelly (arguably one of the most unlikeable guys in football) because he won games, and I didn’t even realize how frustrating it was until Freeman got here. And after every dumbfounding loss (Marshall, Stanford, NIU), I kept holding out hope he could find some way to figure it out because he embodies everything I want in a head coach. Now, ND has finally entered an era where their Big 3 (Football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball) have head coaches that excellently represent the university (and would excellently represent any university, given their character). Two of the three (Freeman and Niele Ivey) have found some success on the field/court as well, and it’s expected that Micah Shrewsberry will get there, too. It’s just an overall refreshing time to be an ND fan because I’m all for people hating us, but I’d rather it be for what happens on the field than because of terrible people running the show.
I’m rooting incredibly hard for Freeman and ND against OSU in the championship. I would love to see Freeman be able to hold that trophy after what happened in week 2.
I am almost 70 and Rich had the same mind set as me including hating Lou Holz but from Day 1 there was something special about Marcus Freeman and because of it I am happy to see the team doing well. I think he will stay at ND for many years.
I have said this before you do not get into Notre Dame on athletic talent only! The academic standard is higher than many other schools. Lou Holtz made that abundantly clear announcing the Graduation rating for the football team. Think about how many NFL players go back to school and get their degrees while or after retirement. That is not what happens at Notre Dame.
now you see what us true ND fans have and will always see in this team that we love…Go Irish!!!
Only Notre Dame can get Jesus on the cover of sports illustrated
Go Irish☘️
Hearing the words of my man from that village up north…YES!
And like always he’s right.
Go Irish Go
Rich what will you do next year when the rivalry starts back up.
Now that ND is back among the top 5 Michigan won’t play them till 2060 now.
Rich, I was at the ND-Michigan game two years later at the big house, and my friends and I got tickets outside from a Michigan professor in the middle of the faculty seats.
Michigan faculty spent the entire game taunting the four ND students there to watch the game. Just relentless, classless, insulting, drunk, and cruel. And that was their freaking professors.
Believe me, Michigan absolutely can play the condescending "we're better than everyone else" game with the Irish or anyone. Top tier competitors in the mean spirited high horse game.
Can we just watch Penn State and Notre Dame play every year in the playoff? What a classic!!
2 terrible offenses
@blackout07blue Maybe, but no one ever said offense wins championships. The saying has always been "Defense wins championships"....and both these teams had outstanding defenses.
I heard marcus freeman has some Asian in him, that’s when I became a fan. And married to a white girl. He my inspiration
@@wafflepvp5493 this is the opposite of they had us in the first half. What did you even mean with that second part?
His mother is Korean and he is very proud of her and his Korean ancestry.
This is the cringiest comment I've ever seen 😂😂😂. This generation really is full of losers 😂😂😂
@jumpsurfer I cant troll online anymore?
@@wafflepvp5493 you didn’t make it clear enough that this was a troll.
6:06 I was wondering when Mr. Michigan was going to come out of Rich and there it is.
Its NOT a team of transfers. Many of the transfers HAVE come up big ironically. But it's a team mostly of HS recruits who have been coached up and an EXCELLENT coaching staff.
The Rocket. Legendary college football player
I noticed that ND has started putting player names on the jerseys again. Throughout the regular season they put them on for the Army game but no other games, then put them on for all three playoff games.
Not exactly. The game against navy called shamrock series is a special uniform they do once each year with a different theme. Post season it always happens, now there is more post season games.
They always have their names on the back for bowl games.
Rich needs to do his Lou Holtz more often
I hope they invite Joe Montana and Tony Rice to the championship game - both were the qbs for the teams that last won the national championship for Notre Dame (1977 and 1988, respectively). There were other great players there, too.
“People that never went there root for them” - totally a thing that never happens w any other teams and isn’t the majority of every major fan base
They've already shown that they belong in the playoff, regardless of what happens in the Championship. Let's go Irish!!!
The Hammer cometh...
So refreshing to see and hear a show talk about the greatness of a Coach, a human, and the team instead of making every single thing about race. Its why this show gets 99% of my viewership over anything else. The other 1% goes to FTF. But they test me sometimes 🤣
Marcus Freeman is touchdown Jesus 😂 bringing in all these players from other schools to build a special culture at Notre Dame. From one Michigan fan to another… go Irish ☘️
Bo just Rolled Over
You just know that Rich is the biggest Texas fan on earth tonight.
We’ve definitely got His Mother, she oversees the campus from the top of the Golden Dome. Go Irish☘️
Reseeding after first round is a must moving forward, award your top seeds with lowest seeds(pretty sure that’s what happened this year anyway but still). Even with that being said, the best team should still win the natty, you beat who’s in front of you
Freeman just signed a 6 year extension less than a month ago. He isn't going anywhere for a while.
None of these 4 teams were ranked inside the top 4. None of these teams would’ve been in the 4 team format. Thats why the 12 team format was created. Even though the format was done incorrectly, it was still able to show why it was needed. It just took until this point to do so, because how they seeded the teams was dumb as hell.
I had that exact weird feelingwhen UM had to play OSU late November. it was "go blue! .........WHAT?!!!!!!! What did I just say?!"
Your reason for hating/disliking ND is awesome…which I don’t hear from many other talking heads. still totally reasonable as a fan of a team. I have a similar feeling for USC !
The 4 teams remaining would NOT have made the 4 team playoff.
Almost like letting things play out on the field is a good thing👍🏿. Glad college football finally realises this
What is that based on? In the final AP poll, ND was #3 and Texas was #4.
@@dashx1103and in the final official cfp committee rankings (you know, the one they actually use to decide who is in and out) had Notre Dame at 5 and OSU at 6 so no, the four remaining teams would not have been those chosen. It would have been Oregon, Georgia, Texas, and PSU
makes you think of all the truly great teams, the real #1's on the outside looking in that were held back from the college football fandom because of a coaches poll or conference bias. the world will never know. but now... this is entertainment! any given team can lose on any given day, but they now get the chance to prove themselves in the final gauntlet every season to show whos the toughest,. im willing to bet the "#1 ranked team" doesnt win it all very often in the years to come.
@@williamtarleton1857 Yeah, but that is based on seeding for a 12 team playoff. If it had simply been a 4 team playoff, I absolutely do not think BSU or ASU is sitting in one of those spots. Got to look at the big picture. If it was the "top 4 teams" in a playoff, I think ND and Texas ... and maybe PSU would be in. It is a different world we're looking at.
Freeman isn't even considering any interviews or the NFL at all. He's got the best college job in the land(thanks to his vision/hard work/culture), gets paid about as much as possible, and he's watching his you t family grow up in South Bend and around the program/campus.
Lol stop freeman leave for ohio state if was open
The only way I’m rooting for Notre Dame is if they are playing the Buckeyes.
Having said that, they are a good team.
And that game was what cemented Notre Dame #2 on my list of most hated teams.
Go Blue!!!
If Rich feels this way now imagine if the beat the Buckeyes!
To be fair, Brian Kelly took ND to the national championship game against Bama 2012 and lost. So far Marcus Freeman has matched that accomplishment. Let’s see if Freeman can bring a national title to ND since Lou Holtz.
ND proudly celebrating their Independence! 🎆 🎇 🧨 they have no Owners unlike all the other teams in a conference do! Aah so Liberating 😎
It brings me great joy knowing people hate Lou so much they can’t even watch him on TV. It’s the hatred that will keep ND forever relevant.
BTW, whomever joins ND in the championship game, both starting quarterbacks will be transfers.
Go Irish! ☘️
Marcus Freeman has done the impossible: make Notre Dame likable
ND should just lock Freeman up for a $1 billion contract to stay at ND for life.
ND administration is the weak point of the program….the priests hired Gerry Faust, Davie, Weiss, Hugh Devore, Willingham, etc. …a miracle that they didn’t botch this hire 😡😡
Is he Catholic?
@LooseCannon.81 For $1 billion, he could be.
I think that too this is are year ND
Ha, Ha! Love Lou Holtz!!!!!
Easy one, Rich. It's the Irish.
It's not forgotten by me that after hearing Eisen's rant about who should be in the group of 12, he would have left the Irish out because of the SOS.
It's really annoying how Rich keeps harping on the transfers. During the IU game it was mentioned transfers accounted for 13% of the team's regular season snaps.
LET'S GO IRISH ☘️
In the NIL era notre dame should have a good run with all the money they have
Pretty sure a couple weeks ago ND signed Freeman to the most lucrative deal for a HC who hadn’t been to a natty (at the time) he’s not going anywhere!
He still hates Notre Dame😂😂😂 Even the haters can't deny us
That game had solid tackling from coin toss till the end. Cant say that about any other game thisnyear, college or pro.
Drew Allar had a good year, but an awful night in general. No receptions to his wide receivers, and was just off on his throws all night. Notre Dame's pressure needs to take some credit, but it really looked like he had the yips, and the moment was too big for him.
If you woulda told me Irish would be in Final.
After I saw NIU beat em.
I woulda said your Nuts!