Kirk Herbstreit Analyzes Notre Dame's Staying Power After Championship Game Loss

Herbstreit doesn't think Notre Dame will be going away as long as one person remains in South Bend

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts after a play against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Notre Dame's storybook 2024 season came to a screeching halt Monday night when it fell 34-23 to Ohio State in the national championship game.

It was Notre Dame's most successful season in decades but still leaves the Fighting Irish faithful wanting to end what now turns into a 37-year national championship drought.

Was this a one-off for Notre Dame or will the Irish be back, knocking on the championship door?

Kirk Herbstreit Doesn't See Notre Dame Going Away Under Marcus Freeman

Kirk Herbstreit joined the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. McAfee and the longtime ESPN college football analyst discussed Notre Dame's potential staying power as a college football force this time around and Herbstreit certainly sees big things for the program under head coach Marcus Freeman.

"I'm all in on what they've done," Herbstreit said on the Pat McAfee Show. "I don't know if I've ever felt like this about Notre Dame, as far as since the Lou Holtz era. I think they're scratching the surface. I think he's (Freeman) only going to build a stronger roster, kids are drawn to him, they want to play for him, they want to play for that school. I always kind of simplify it and say he's making Notre Dame cool. ... I think this is the beginning.

"They're not going away," Herbstreit continued. "As long as he's there, they're not going anywhere."

"I think players wanna play for Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame..

I think this really is just the beginning for this Notre Dame team and they're not going away..

They never stopped fighting all year long"@KirkHerbstreit #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/nHRX5wXodG

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 21, 2025

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Take: Notre Dame and Bites at the Apple

Jan 2, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Xavier Watts (0) Fighting Irish defensive lineman Howard Cross III (56), Fighting Irish linebacker Jack Kiser (24), and Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) celebrate with the Sugar Bowl trophy after their game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The big thing for Notre Dame is to establish itself as a College Football Playoff regular and get as many bites at the apple as possible. The parity in college football is immense right now and 2024 clearly put Notre Dame at the table of college football's elites.

Now the mission for Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman is to build on that. Maintain a program culture that regularly gets to the Playoff and work to address the lapses that kept it from winning it all.

Keep doing that and this program will continue to get bites at the apple in the postseason. That doesn't guarantee a championship (see the 1990's Cleveland Indians) but do it enough and keep elevating program standards, and eventually that championship door will get knocked down.

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