Honestly, the Northern Illinois game should have killed this team.
September 7, 2024. A humid afternoon in South Bend that felt like a funeral. When that field goal was blocked at the buzzer, the air didn't just leave the stadium; it left the entire season. Or so we thought. Most people looking back at Notre Dame football 2024 see a massive success—a 14-2 record and a trip to the National Championship—but they forget how close it all came to being a total disaster. Marcus Freeman was on the hottest of hot seats. People were calling into radio shows demanding his job. They said Riley Leonard couldn't throw. They said the offensive line was too young.
They were wrong. Mostly.
The Northern Illinois Scar
You can't talk about this season without the NIU game. It’s the "before and after" moment. Notre Dame was ranked No. 5 in the country, fresh off a gutsy win in the swampy heat of College Station against Texas A&M. Then they lost 16-14 to a MAC school.
It was embarrassing. Basically, it was the kind of loss that defines a program's ceiling. If you lose to Northern Illinois at home, you aren't a playoff team. That was the narrative. But what happened next is why Marcus Freeman is probably going to have a statue one day. Instead of folding, the Irish went on a 13-game tear. They didn't just win; they dismantled people.
Turning the Corner in West Lafayette
The very next week, the Irish went to Purdue. If they had struggled there, the season was over. Instead, they won 66-7.
Sixty-six to seven.
That was the moment Riley Leonard finally looked like the guy everyone hoped he’d be when he left Duke. He didn't have to throw for 400 yards because the run game was just stupidly good. Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price were hitting holes that felt like four lanes of interstate highway. Love, specifically, started a streak of consecutive games with a rushing touchdown that became the heartbeat of the offense.
By the time the Shamrock Series rolled around at Yankee Stadium, the vibe had completely shifted. They beat Army 49-14 in a game that celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Four Horsemen. It felt like destiny.
Why the Defense Was Actually the Story
Everyone wants to talk about the quarterback, but Al Golden’s defense was the real reason this team played in late January.
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They finished the year ranked 5th in scoring defense, giving up only 15.5 points per game. Xavier Watts was a magnet for the football. Benjamin Morrison was a lighthouse on an island before his injury. Even when the secondary got banged up, guys like Leonard Moore stepped in and didn't miss a beat.
- Turnover Margin: They finished first in the country.
- The "No-Fly Zone": They made experienced quarterbacks look like JV backups.
- Red Zone: They were statistically one of the stingiest groups in the modern era.
It wasn't just talent. It was a specific kind of violence. They played with a chip on their shoulder because they knew the national media had written them off in September.
That Wild Playoff Run
When the 12-team playoff finally arrived, Notre Dame was ready. They hosted Indiana in the first-round home game—the first time South Bend had seen a playoff atmosphere like that. The Irish won 27-17, fueled by a 98-yard rushing touchdown by Jeremiyah Love that literally shook the cameras.
Then came the Sugar Bowl against Georgia.
Nobody picked the Irish. Literally nobody. Georgia was the SEC titan, the gold standard. But Notre Dame’s defense smothered Carson Beck. Jayden Harrison returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score, and the Irish walked out with a 23-10 win. It broke a ten-game losing streak in New Year’s Six-level games. The monkey was off the back.
The Orange Bowl against Penn State was even crazier. A 27-24 nail-biter that came down to Mitch Jeter—the South Carolina transfer—kicking a game-winner to send the Irish to the Natty.
The National Championship Reality Check
Look, losing 34-23 to Ohio State in the National Championship hurts. There’s no way around it. The Irish jumped out early, but the Buckeyes' depth eventually just wore them down. Riley Leonard played his heart out, but the Irish offense went quiet in the fourth quarter when it mattered most.
But rank No. 2? The highest final ranking since 1993?
That's not a "moral victory." That's a shift in the tectonic plates of college football. Notre Dame proved they could navigate the portal, keep their academic standards, and still beat the biggest bullies in the SEC and Big Ten.
Actionable Takeaways for the Future
If you're a fan or an analyst looking at where the program goes from here, keep your eyes on these three things:
- The Denbrock Effect: Mike Denbrock's return as Offensive Coordinator changed the ceiling. His "Multiple" scheme proved it can work with a dual-threat QB. Expect them to target similar profiles in the portal moving forward.
- Roster Valuation: There are rumors Notre Dame is playing with a "top-tier" NIL budget now. Whether it's $40 million or not, they are no longer shy about "playing ball" to keep talent like Benjamin Morrison or Howard Cross on campus.
- The Schedule Trap: 2024 proved that a "weak" schedule (as critics called it) doesn't matter if you win the games that count. The path to the 12-team playoff is through consistency, not just strength of schedule.
The 2024 season wasn't perfect, but it was the most important year in South Bend in three decades. It proved that Marcus Freeman isn't just a recruiter; he's a big-game coach who knows how to rebuild a locker room after a total collapse.
To really understand the trajectory, keep an eye on the 2025 recruiting class and how many of these "stars" actually stick around for the NFL draft. The gap between Notre Dame and the elite has never been smaller.
Next Steps for Fans: Go back and watch the second half of the Texas A&M game. Pay close attention to the offensive line's communication. That was the blueprint for the entire season. Then, compare it to the fourth quarter of the Ohio State game to see exactly where the physical gap still remains for the 2025 off-season.