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Who's Holding the Pen? Irish Look to Atone for Previous Failures

Writer's picture: Clayton StohlerClayton Stohler

History is written by the conquerors, and the Irish are holding the Pen. Notre Dame is looking to avenge decades of disappointment.

Photo by The Irish Tribune


Part I: Three Seconds, and One Man Short


As OSU’s Running Back Chip Trayanum lunged towards the goal line with no time left on the clock, the stadium’s soul went numb. What was starting to feel like a party, became a familiar moment of despair in an instant. In a big stage, against a tier 1 opponent, Notre Dame looked like it belonged for 59 minutes and 57 seconds. 


Marcus Freeman and his staff looked largely prepared for the moment, until they didn’t. It would be difficult to tell in real-time, but it would later be discovered that Notre Dame’s defense had 10 men on the field as the Irish handed the game winning touchdown to Ohio State. The Final would read as 17-14. 


Biology begins to take over. The body protects itself from the aftermath of these moments by reverting into a state of shock immediately after they happen. The defense mechanism lasts only for so long. 


Soon after, the body knows when you’re ready to feel what you were once unprepared for. It begins its natural shift to a piercing sense of despair, sadness. Why Notre Dame? Why, Notre Dame


The question of ‘why’ evolves into ‘how’. Reluctantly, the social media noise is too much to turn away from. That dreaded app within that dreaded device gets opened. The first thing at the top of the feed is an emboldened Ryan Day letting out the unfathomable. 

“I’d like to know where Lou Holtz is right about now. What he said about our team... What he said about our team? I cannot believe! This is a tough team right here! We’re proud to be from Ohio. And it’s always been Ohio against the world! And it’ll continue to be Ohio against the world! And I’ll tell you what, I love those kids! And we got a tough team!”

Those words could very well be etched on Ryan Day’s trophy should he earn one on January 20th. 


However, those words have also been etched in the souls of every single player, coach, and fan associated with Notre Dame football, since they were uttered. They will have been played on a haunting loop for 485 days come January 20th. At the very conclusion of the soundbite, they yearned for the day of vengeance to come.


Part II: The Bumpy Road to Better


Mitch Jeter jogged onto the field as Notre Dame found itself in a familiar scenario under Marcus Freeman - trailing a MAC team in week 2. This would be to kick a 62 yard field goal, and to win the game. The “no-chance” field goal sailed nowhere close to the uprights as the Irish fell 16-14 to NIU. 


It was a program altering loss. Both by its devastating nature, as well as its unacceptable outcome. What was once a Notre Dame team that firmly controlled its own destiny after its needle moving win vs Texas A&M, was now the laughing stock in all of college football. The playoffs went from a relative inevitability, to a distant dream unworthy of serious discussion. 


The only serious discussions amongst the Irish faithful was if Marcus Freeman was truly the man for the job. In just 2 full seasons and 2 games, the Freeman experience had featured dominant wins against premier opponents - a rarity under Brian Kelly, stretches of dominance not seen since the Holtz era, and back breaking losses perhaps never before seen in South Bend. These losses included Marshall, Stanford, and now, NIU. 


With the heavy expectations going into Freeman’s third year (as is always the case at Notre Dame), this outcome was one that was powerful enough to shift the sentiment towards the program entirely. While Freeman wasn’t necessarily on the hotseat, there’s no way to ignore that he was a loss against Purdue away from the entire fanbase resigning itself to failure in 2024 and beginning the national coaching search that it had done when Weis was let go in 2009. That was what the season had been limited to. 


The week following, Notre Dame was a 7 point favorite versus Purdue. There were legitimate questions on if Riley Leonard was healthy enough to play in the first place. And even if he was healthy, his performance was so bad (the worst in his career) against NIU, that it wouldn’t have been far fetched that the staff moved on to “greener pastures”. For those who have followed Notre Dame football, this was nothing new. Especially under Brian Kelly, the QB carousel was a regularity. Now would be as convenient a time as any to use Leonard as a scapegoat for a much deeper problem on offense. 


Notre Dame’s staff would do no such thing as the offense completely rolled Purdue with 578 yards, 362 of them coming from the rushing attack. Leonard would rush for 100 yards, Love would rush for 109, and Price would run for 86. All of them accounting for 4 touchdowns. 


The defense took the ball away as Boubacare Traore would take an interception to the house. 


The Irish would win 66-7, handing Purdue its worst loss in program history. Notre Dame wasn’t back to where it was after week 1, that was something that could only happen should they make the playoffs. That was still a conversation not worth having. But Notre Dame was now on the first step on the road to recovery from that fateful day, September 7th. 


From there, Marcus Freeman and his team battled through a decimating wave of injuries on all sides of the ball. Even the kicker, Mitch Jeter, was out for much of the season. 


Even still, Notre Dame wouldn’t have a game closer than 31-24 vs Louisville - a game they led by 2 possessions for almost the entirety of the contest. The most dominant stretch Notre Dame’s cherished program has seen. The longest win streak. And it all lead to Notre Dame hosting the first ever playoff game in the newly unveiled 12-team format. 


They would go on to beat IU 27-17, a game in which they lead 27-3 up until the final minutes. They would turn the corner as a program, as they finally won a new years six bowl game against a tier 1 opponent, 23-10. 


As Mitch Jeter’s kick inched its way into the uprights to take the lead against Penn State, 27-24, Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame had done what was unthinkable just 4 months before. They had punched their ticket to the National Championship game. They would await the results of Texas vs Ohio State to see who their opponent would be. 


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Ohio State

The roads that the respective teams had to walk were similar. As quickly as the two programs drifted into their darkest moments, Notre Dame and Ohio State sprung out of the shadows almost immediately. 


Following Ohio State’s embarrassing 13-10 loss to their despised rival, Michigan, there were questions on if Ryan Day was actually capable of bringing Ohio State the same glory that the program had experienced just a decade earlier. 


Ryan Day and Chip Kelly came forth with a game plan that simply didn’t match Ohio State’s strengths, nor did it tap into its true identity. The staff was dead-set on establishing the run game and imposing its will within the trenches. The aforementioned game plan yielded 77 yards on the ground. 


Minimal in-game adjustments were made as Will Howard and his explosive stable of wide receivers were unable to gain traction. Howard threw 2 interceptions and was unable to reach the 200 yard mark on the day. An offense that at times showed flashes of being the best in the country throughout the year, was completely neutralized. 


Chip Kelly had no answers, and neither did Ryan Day. This spurred justified outrage from the Buckeye faithful. A game that quite literally carried more weight than the national championship (until recently), was yet again Ohio State’s most embarrassing folly of the season. Day would fall to 1-4 vs the Wolverines. A career mark that at one time would be grounds for termination in Columbus. Even with 2 losses, and the shame that was attached to this crumbling defeat, Ohio State would be granted a path towards redemption within the new 12-team playoff. 


They would face Tennessee. An SEC blue-blood that featured a wicked defense. The Volunteer fan base showed up for the frigid showdown in Columbus to the point that the stadium was almost split in half. All good will had appeared to be lost amongst the Ohio State fanbase. 


With their backs against the wall, the OSU roster that has been oft-touted as the “most expensive roster in the country” emphatically made a statement to the rest of the country that it had finally arrived as they blew the doors off the Volunteers, 42-17. And frankly, it didn’t feel like it was that close. 


Ohio State nearly eclipsed 500 yards in total offense vs a defense that was in discussion as one of the country’s best. The Buckeyes would have 7.4 yards per play. Howard would have only 5 incompletions, going 24/29, 311 yards, and 2 Touchdowns. 


Ohio State would have as much success on the ground, chipping away for 156 rushing yards. Their explosive, home run hitting running back, TreVeyon Henderson, would run for 80 yards on only 10 carries, accounting for 2 touchdowns. 


The Buckeye defense, which was largely the reason Ohio State was in the playoffs to begin with, made light work of Tennessee’s offense, limiting the Volunteers to a futile 104 yards through the air. 


If the performance against Tennessee announced their arrival, their utterly dominant performance against Oregon, a team they had lost to by only 1 point earlier in the year, announced that Ohio State was here to stay. 


Their offense would reach the 500 yard mark this time, averaging 8.8 yards per play. Will Howard and his receiver room were fully in sync. Chip Kelly’s offense rolled in totality.


Jim Knowles and his regularly stout defense would give Oregon zero hope. Oregon wouldn’t even reach 0 yards in total rushing. They’d in fact have -23 yards by the end of the competition. 


A team that bested Ohio State just months before, was embarrassed on the national stage, falling 41-21. And again, it wasn’t that close. 


While OSU’s offensive output wasn’t as impressive in their match up against Texas, and Jeremiah Smith was largely taken out of the competition vs the Longhorns with only 3 yards accounted for, Ohio State found a way. Whether it be on the ground, or through the air. Ohio State did just enough to command Texas’s respect. 


With the outcome of the game in the balance, Steve Sarkisian did everything he could to find the endzone and tie the game 21 a piece. Quinn ewers would soon be attacked from his blindside by his former roommate, Jack Sawyer. The ball fell to the ground, and into the hands of Sawyer. As 33 streaked down the sideline, escorted by a Buckeye Convoy, the match-up in the Title game was now chiseled in stone. 


It would be Notre Dame vs Ohio State, on January 20th. For everything. 


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Part III: The Changing Narrative


Let’s call it how it is. This isn’t a normal Notre Dame team. It’s as if the national media conglomerates stopped following all developments in South Bend after September 7th, and only started to pay attention when the post season began. Because they did. And so with that, the narrative has been predictable. This is a “gritty” team where “they lack in talent, they make up for with good coaching.” Enter the 2012, 2018, and 2020 talking points. 


It shouldn’t be ignored that in 2012, they were taken down to the wire by Purdue, BYU, and Pittsburgh. Really, they could’ve easily lost to Pittsburgh if not for an almost miraculous degree of luck. Teams that weren’t even close to the caliber of a tier 1 level of performance regularly stuck around with Notre Dame that year. Even the classic match up where Notre Dame prevailed over Stanford in Overtime. That was a special moment. One of my personal favorites. But anyone arguing Stanford was at said championship caliber, would be fooling themselves. The only time Notre Dame looked dominant over a quality opponent was Oklahoma. And even then, that was a 10-3 team. 


All one has to do is re-watch the 2012 Title game versus Alabama, and it is abundantly clear that even if Notre Dame played perfectly, there was little hope in winning that match-up. The Irish played far from perfect. It was such a poor showing that it stained what was otherwise a special season. It also tainted the national opinion of Notre Dame. 12 years later, that narrative remains- right, wrong, or indifferent. 


And mind you, almost the same exact thing could be said for the other two teams that made the playoffs in 2018 and 2020. 


The 2018 team was the best overall team Kelly had. The overall talent Clemson had was ultimately too much for everyone. It would’ve taken, again, the perfect set of circumstances for Notre Dame to walk away victorious. But that would not come to fruition. Julian Love went down with a hamstring injury, Donte Vaughn (who was injured in his own right), was picked on from the jump. Ian Book was unable to look down the field, Clemson’s talent began to take over. Trevor Lawrence was...Trevor Lawrence. And before the second half began, the game was over. 


2020 was Brian Kelly’s best coaching job. Dealing with the COVID pandemic for an entire season was no easy task. At times, having an almost month layoff in between games. The undefeated Irish went into their match-up with Alabama knowing they’d have to play perfect, as well as aggressive, to come away victorious. They did neither. The Irish once again, looked as though they were playing not to lose. The game plan made it painstakingly obvious. Brian Kelly’s post-game press conference all but affirmed these assumptions. 


The 2021 team was a Georgia win versus Alabama away from making the playoffs. That same Notre Dame team that almost lost to Toledo, Florida State, and Virginia Tech. We’re talking razor thin margins here. This was also a team that was getting dominated in the trenches, had 0 answers on offense, and required an incredible 4th quarter to take the lead and then pull away. It was also a team that got embarrassed at home by Cincinnati. 


There’s a lot of credit due to all of those teams. But in being honest, these were teams that stumbled their way into the national conversation.  


This time it’s different. The 2024 team is the most dominant Notre Dame has had since the last time Holtz and company won it all in 1988. Its depth, which is amongst the best in the country, has been pushed to its absolute limit, perhaps more than any Notre Dame team in recent (or distant) memory. Even still, they not only “find a way to win”, but dominate. Coming from the era of “winning is hard”, it’s clear that those days are long gone. 


And with that, so should the narrative that Notre Dame is “lucky” or “fortunate” to be on this stage. As if to allude to this season being some divine act of God and nothing more. We’ve seen the national media latch onto this talking point far too many times this year, and look foolish doing so. Especially now. The superlatives that have been used to describe this team by those who just started following it are annoying at best, and disrespectful at worst. Of course, luck is an element of any special season. But it hasn’t been at the backbone of what the 2024 team is. 


No one at ESPN, FS1, or CBS wants to hear it (because it doesn’t fit their narrative) but this will be the first time Notre Dame isn’t the most talented team on the field all season. And while yes, Ohio State has a phenomenal roster, they’re extremely well coached - Notre Dame has those things going for them too. There’s only one position group that is head and shoulders above the other in a head to head comparison and it’s OSU’s receiver room over Notre Dame’s. That’s it. That’s the list. 


So one thing we’re not going to do is entertain that angle. No. These are truly the two best teams in college football. Both have earned the stage they stand on through the level of play they have exhibited. Not only are these the two best teams, they’re the two most dominant in the country as well. 


Both have had their moments where the season was absolutely in the balance. Interestingly enough, both coaches in the title were taken to task to varying degrees. And yet both of them managed to bring out the best in their teams after adversity struck. 


One could argue that Notre Dame has had more adversity than anyone else in the country. Some of it self-imposed, some of it just old fashioned bad luck. 


These are the injuries the Irish sustained in 2024: 


  • Charles Jagusah (starting Left Tackle) - out for season, came back in orange bowl

  • Ashton Craig (Center) - out for season

  • Billy Schrauth (starting Left/Right Guard) - out for 4-6 weeks

  • Jordan Botelho (Vyper) - out for season

  • Boubacare Traore (Vyper) - out for season

  • Benjamin Morrison (Cornerback) - out for season

  • Cooper Flanagan (Tight End) - out for 4-6 weeks, re-injured, out for season

  • Howard Cross (DT) - injured throughout the year, then out for 4 weeks

  • Rylie Mills (DT) - out for season, injured during round 1 in playoffs

  • Rocco Spindler (RG) - questionable

  • Anthonie Knapp (LT) - out for season, injured in Orange Bowl.


Not to mention the departures and absences: 

  • Jason Onye (DT- unspecified absence)

  • Jaden Mickey (Cornerback - transfer portal)

  • Gabriel Rubio (Was not with team throughout spring, then injured for part of the season, 4 weeks)


Mind you, Riley Leonard was injured all of spring camp, getting 0 real-time reps. He also has had a shoulder injury for the entirety of the season. 


Mitchell Evans wasn’t even close to himself until essentially November due to his ACL injury in 2023. 


Jeremiyah Love has been nowhere near 100% since November 25th, and was practically on one leg during the Orange Bowl. 


Even still, this team found a way to have a combined score of 518 to 161 From NIU week to now. Since NIU, Notre Dame hadn’t trailed in a game in the second half until the Orange Bowl. 


Notre Dame doesn’t have the edge in any match-up in particular. Neither does OSU. This is a close game on paper, an epic game on film, and it comes with a storyline that wouldn’t have even been worth submitting to Hollywood as a script.


The two teams playing in the national championship have been on a crash course to face each other since they last faced off. Whether it be on the recruiting trail, or on the field.  Their paths continue to undeniably cross. If there are indeed “Football Gods” it’s hard not to think they played a hand in making this game happen. 


A storybook season, culminating with a storybook matchup on the biggest stage in all of college football. In a book that had its first pages written at the conclusion of that fateful night of September 23rd, 2023. Now, the final chapter begins as both teams battle for the pen. That battle will determine who gets to write the last pages.




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