Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman Gets Exactly What He Needed in Texas A&M Win

Marcus Freeman notches a signature win to take his era at Notre Dame up a few notches.

Aug 31, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts in the fourth quarter against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports | Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame earned one of their best wins in recent vintage Saturday night

Things haven't always gone smoothly for Notre Dame's third-year head coach, Marcus Freeman. His first two years had some uplifting moments, but also some significant lows, such as the losses to Marshall and Stanford, the counting mishap against Ohio State, and the struggles against Louisville and Clemson.

There have been off-the-field challenges, such as quickly reshaping the roster, making effective hires, and ramping up NIL efforts. Despite Freeman's tireless work ethic and genuine demeanor, he's discovered just how challenging it is to win in South Bend.

History suggests that at Notre Dame, a coach's results in Year 3 often indicate whether it will rock at Notre Dame or not.

The weight of the Irish football world was on his shoulders entering this game.

And his team won.

"I TOLD YOU."

Marcus Freeman had faith ☘️ pic.twitter.com/ZhdRZR9rEt

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 1, 2024

Notre Dame had to win this game to avoid a nightmare tightrope

The reason this game was so important for Notre Dame is because the outcome would drastically change the trajectory of the season Week 1 in a massive way for the Irish.

With the win, Notre Dame is in prime position for a hosting seed CFP berth. With a loss? Notre Dame could be in jeopardy of not making the playoff at 10-2 against a weaker-than-normal schedule.

The Irish would have to win 11 games in a row to assure a bid. The paths are that divergent from just this one result.

HERE COME THE IRISH#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/s1tXKSwmmw

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 1, 2024

Notre Dame needed this game.

The fans needed this game.

Marcus Freeman needed this game. And he earned the win.

This is the kind of win that can start to change the narrative surrounding the program, but only if the team keeps taking care of business week to week.

But as for this moment, I'm thrilled to see Marcus Freeman's work ethic and genuine personality pay off. He and his team have earned it.

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