You’d think Notre Dame are merely at the onset of a special few years. Yes, they almost reached the zenith of the sport last season, and there’s only 1 further step to be taken. But it did feel like they were ahead of schedule. HC Marcus Freeman has only been in his capacity for 3 years in total. His trajectory as a coach is pointed skywards. The program is well-positioned on the recruiting front to keep providing him with competitive rosters. When the emotions from losing Natty eventually settle down, Notre Dame can take solace from their efforts to get there. However, they can’t rest on their laurels. Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

Success inevitably breeds its own kinds of problems. For Marcus Freeman, it bred substantial interest from the NFL. At least the Irish were able to avert that, but they couldn’t quite do so with other personnel. In a revelation that was equal parts expected and troubling, a mass exodus has ensued out of South Bend. A multitude of key contributors to the National Championship run are departing for greener pastures than even the leprechauns could conjure. All three levels of the hierarchy have been breached. The front office, the coaching staff, and the players themselves. Every foundational pillar has been shaken, and Marcus Freeman is now tasked with keeping what he’s built intact. What

From the top down, GM Chad Bowden has departed to take up the same role across the country at arch-rivals USC. He’ll now contend for the Jeweled Shillelagh trophy from enemy lines. Elsewhere, coach Freeman has lost his trusted and much more experienced partner, Al Golden, to the Bengals. Freeman is a defensive guy himself, so losing his defensive coordinator is irrefutably a blow to his modus operandi. Not to mention, no less than 6 offensive linemen have left via the transfer portal. Other position groups have been affected, too. So, with all of this baked in, is Marcus Freeman afforded respite? Absolutely not. The standards have now been set with a run to the Natty, and there’s no alleviation of pressure from one CFB savant. Well, maybe some. 

Over the College Football Addiction YouTube Channel, former player turned member of CFB media Joe DeLeone was asked a straightforward question with a multi-faceted answer. “What are the realistic expectations for Notre Dame?” as they head into year 4 of Marcus Freeman. In reply, DeLeone said, “The expectation is now a lot higher. This year, it was just like, ‘Hey, let’s get to the playoff and see what happens.’ With what transpired this year, a lot of those expectations went up and down.” He proceeded to lay forward the exact benchmark for Freeman to hit.

“I think at the bare minimum, every single year, the expectation is to get to the playoffs and win a game. If they don’t win a game this year, I don’t think it’s the end of the world in 2025. But getting to the playoff now has to be expected.” DeLeone also reasoned why a CFP berth is a fair expectation despite the turnover in personnel this offseason. As was last year, there’s an elephant in the room.

“Their schedule this upcoming year is very winnable, remarked Joe DeLeone. Notre Dame are independent, but their scheduling is affiliated with the ACC. As a result, they play 6 of their 12 games in ‘25 against ACC opposition. The conference is overall not in a very healthy position in terms of the strength of its members. Whichever way you construe it, an ACC schedule is bound to seem weak. The crux of the matter in this scenario is the other 6 games. At least on paper, those aren’t particularly difficult either. Marcus Freeman has been given a “soft” path back into the 12-team field. The ACC tie-up has thrown the Irish a lob. However, these links could actually present potential issues down the line.

Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame’s ACC benefit may turn into a pitfall soon

The ACC has signed an extension with ESPN to broadcast games up till 2036. Now the exact figures of this deal are veiled behind convoluted literature. However, each of the 17 members is poised to receive roughly $25 million as dividends each year. This number is only going to ramp up as years pass. This inadvertently means there’s a chance for ACC teams to get better with an influx of money. This is great for competition across college football but not for the Irish.

As their contemporaries get stronger, the Notre Dame schedule naturally becomes more difficult. If the giants in the ACC, such as FSU and Clemson, find more ammunition, it could spell trouble for Marcus Freeman. Alas, he may well be in the NFL by the time that transpires. In fact, those schools may not be in the ACC at all! That’s an actual, tangible outcome, too.

While the scheduling advantage for now wasn’t lost on DeLeone, he did acknowledge that it’s important to temper expectations with a “first-time starting QB”. Freeman will also be without Riley Leonard, headed for the NFL. The Irish will seek to keep their momentum going. There may be a flatlining or even a downward trajectory on the graph. But it’s on the board that the Irish thwart all expectations and conventional wisdom a second year running.