Week 13 college football has largely been a wild twister for the fans. From experiencing Lane Kiffin’s historic loss to the Gators to breathing a sigh at Alabama’s tragic fate at Norman, something that wipes out their brand SEC edge, nothing but chaos has taken over lately. But the reverse is also true. We have a slew of underrated teams that truly deserve more than they get. After all, Alabama was the heavy favorite and is considered to be a brand in the SEC, but we all know how that played out. Hence, when we speak of underrated, Notre Dame sits in the prime among them. Believe it or not, David Pollack made absolute sense to back it up.

The Fighting Irish played an unexpected spoiler into the Army’s undefeated tag on a chilly Saturday Night in Yankee Stadium. The Irish cornered the Army in their early opportunities, breaking their confidence from the core. Jeff Monken and his boys simply couldn’t deliver. But it’s not a fluke played out in the Irish favor, rather, it’s a recurring theme, marking their relentless grit and hard work. Picking up their 9th consecutive win in a row, Marcus Freeman ain’t just heading to a playoff berth; rather, he’s making a strong case for the national championship.

It was nothing short of a completely breathless game for the Irish. After the clock ended with the scoreboard showcasing a massive 49-14, fans burst into thrill, commentators went beyond their professionalism and a magical November night kept watching in awe. The Irish have been trending up at an ideal point in time.

Addressing the mighty display of their quality as a team, David Pollack couldn’t help but envisage a title in their hand in the foreseeable future. The veteran CFB analyst avowed, ”Notre Dame speaking of high seeds with one loss. Listen, I’ve been on the Notre Dame train, and I, Brent, I’m saying I’m going to continue to say this, I think they’re a team that can win a National Title. Like I they’re on my list, they’re on my short list of teams that can win at all.”

The Irish, with a bombshell defensive line, outrightly dominated the field and kept the Army offense in check. Well, it’s not the defense hack alone. A furious offense led by Riley Leonard’s impressive running game took the pivot of the night. ”They’ve got the running, the thing I like about their running game is they’ve got at least three guys that you feel really good about handing the ball to, and whether that’s Love Price or Leonard, all of them average over six yards a carry.” Pollack detailed a picture-perfect effort from the NO. 6.

While you might think it’s way too risky to dream as far as a championship, especially with the Irish having Trojans next on the schedule, we choose to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

However, regardless of what the future leads to, you gotta hand the Irish’s sky-high success so far to the man behind the curtain, Marcus Freeman.

Marcus Freeman had a content yet grounded response to Saturday’s blowout win

When the 38-year-old Irish head coach stepped on the podium with his chest fuller with pride, the crowd had their eyes glued on him. But Freeman, as always, remained in his soft, gentle aura while addressing the heroics of his team. He said the team suited up keeping only one goal ahead of them and that was to achieve the team’s glory and the secret to doing that lies in the way they have practiced throughout. What matters the most to the coach is their integrity, their wholesome preparation, and the overall improvement even more than a one-night outcome. Although Saturday night changed the landscape of the Irish playoff hope, coach Freeman believes it’s a perpetual legacy to hold on to.

Despite lauding their fiery offensive line, the coach is being the coach. His precise nose smells something wrong, surpassing all the hype. ”We can’t leave points on the board in the red zone inside of the 10-yard line, and then we can’t miss those field goals,” said Freeman, the coach who racked up most victories (11) in his third-year tenure with the Irish. If you find he’s being too critical and needlessly humble, please read the last line again. A coach with the most wins for a reason!

Now, we can only hope the fire continues to blaze until the independent (not belonging to any power 4 or 5 conferences) Notre Dame butt heads with the Trojans.