Notre Dame Football: What Needs to Be Fixed During the Week Off?

Sitting at No.14 in the AP Poll heading into the bye week, Notre Dame is in a solid position to make a run at the College Football Playoff. Sure, the slip-up against Northern Illinois was awful but the response has been of extreme importance.

The Irish could have rolled over and chalked up the season, but Marcus Freeman's team chose to fight and have won each of its three games since.

A 4-1 record through five games is not ideal for a season where the Notre Dame players, coaches and fans all anticipated a run at 12-0, but the Irish do control their own destiny and that's really all you can ask for in the new College Football Playoff landscape.

The goal was, of course, to go into the bye week undefeated with room to slip up down the stretch.

Notre Dame has put itself in a position where it likely needs to run the table and finish 11-1 to be able to guarantee itself a playoff spot. This year does feel wide open when you look past Alabama, Texas and Ohio State, but Notre Dame needs to handle its business to lock in a spot in the 5-12 range.

1️⃣4️⃣ in the AP Poll#GoIrish☘️ pic.twitter.com/5weV1VixbZ
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 29, 2024

Get As Healthy As Possible

Now that the bye week is here, the emphasis must be on getting the team healthy. Many of the injuries Notre Dame has suffered thus far have been season-ending, however getting players back that have more minor injuries will be vital.

It can be reasonably anticipated that offensive lineman Billy Schrauth, defensive tackle Gabriel Rubio and cornerback Christian Gray can be close to 100% by the time the Irish take the field next Saturday against Stanford.

There are likely another dozen or so players that have been banged up and playing injured as well, it will be an important time for those guys to heal up and be ready for the next stretch of games as well.

Address The Issues on Offense

Notre Dame's offense has been lackluster to say the least, especially through the air, and there is no doubt that it will be a massive point of emphasis in practice this week and next.

Offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock is will aware of the inefficiencies and will need to use this time to continue finding a gameplan for quarterback Riley Leonard that will work.

Leonard has looked more comfortable throwing the ball over the last two weeks, but still is ancey in the pocket and has continued to miss throws he should be hitting.

His legs continue to be the best part of the Notre Dame offense bar Jeremiyah Love, but there has to be an element in the passing game to scare opposing defenses.

If the Irish want to make the College Football Playoff and seriously make a run at a national title, the current style on offense and lack of points will not work. Expect some changes between now and when Notre Dame takes the field in South Bend to take on Stanford.