When went 4-8 in 2016 and retained Brian Kelly, it felt like there was a pretty good chance that the Irish would become the mediocre program that the rest of the country says that they are. Notre Dame confounded those expectations by compiling a 54-10 record over the next 5 seasons — 5 seasons in a row of double-digit wins.
Marcus Freeman’s first season saw a step back in that regard by going 9-4 and losing the games they should win — which had been seemingly nonexistent from 2017-2021. Now that the Irish are sitting at 9-3 with one game left, Freeman has a chance to get back on track in the win department with a victory over the Oregon State Beavers in the Sun Bowl.