How Did Notre Dame Fighting Irish Get UPSET By NIU? | What Now For Marcus Freeman, Riley Leonard?

Notre Dame Falls at home to Northern Illinois final score Notre Dame 14 NIU 16 what just happened like what what did we all just see because this was the Notre Dame team that I sat right here looked into this camera one week ago today this morning and said y'all Notre Dame there for real now they're a college football playoff team they just I mean they went into college station played a gritty brand of football to get it done we'll see about the offense but defense looks great and like uh very very uh very confusing showing from Notre Dame what does it mean for the Fighting Irish going forward I mean what does it say about their college football playoff hopes we'll talk about that right now make sure you're subscribed right here if you're Notre Dame fan I think there's still a lot left on the table for your Irish um if you're a college football fan lock in here because it's college football nothing but college football the greatest sport on the face of the planets we appreciate y'all being dialed in so in a major upset like this it's tough to break it down from a football perspective super intricately because at the end of the day like Notre Dame had the better players that's not a secret everybody knows that and so when you have the better players what usually has to happen when you lose to a G5 team and your Notre Dame is like okay you didn't execute on some things you have to execute on and you just continue to you know maybe allow NIU to catch some breaks like you look at that touchdown that NIU scored on the pass play and it was right there could have been a a pick safety's about to step in front of that one and they're just a hair late so they don't intercept it NIU catches it they're just I mean after they catch that and there's a whiff on the the pass breakup attempt nothing but Green Grass and they're all the way out to the end zone uh that freak early pass that that uh not early pass but the freak interception of sorts in my opinion where Riley Leonard throws it it's tipped up in the air it's intercepted like that first one it's tough I mean probably a decision you'd like to have back if you're Riley Leonard but you kind of charge to the game um you don't fit the run properly clearly to allow 190 yards on the ground when we saw Notre Dame fit the run I think better than anybody else in America during week one like just some things where you're you're you're sort of going Palms up at the end of the day as Notre Dame thing because you're like that that's on us like you you don't take anything away from NIU but at the same time you understand if Notre Dame plays their football game their style of ball and they play sound assignment football that game's not even a close game we're even we're not even discussing that game this morning because it's a blowout Notre Dames on to the next week and so I think this uh this whole situation here does lean in a little bit into my preseason question I had about Notre Dame I I was curious a little bit what the consistency for them would look like because as much as I like Riley Leonard as a talent there have been times throughout his career where he will be up and down up and down up and down and I think what we saw yesterday was sort of uh in some ways a microcosm of that having the two interceptions the pick at the end of the game now give Riley Leonard a ton of credit because he stepped up to that Podium postgame and handled himself like an adult like spoke to the media said hey it's on me we're going to go how I go right now like I got to be a positive force for this football team and like if I'm an NFL GM watching that I'm saying okay that's a guy that uh that can help us out that can be the face of our franchise so as much as it frustrates you you do I think see the leadership in Riley Leonard but again my question is consistency are we going to get the same quarterback play every single week and then on the defensive side of the ball again like you can't allow 190 yards in any game NIU or anyone else and expect to be in position to win I Notre D lined up for a 60 plus yard field goal to try to win it but like if that's what you're banking on at the end of the game it's a it's an unfortunate discussion to be having especially when it's a G5 opponent now what happens next cuz again the football side of things you sort of just shrug your shoulders out a little bit and say that's super bizarre Notre Dame did not play their style of ball but what happens now going forward because I told you last week I think Notre Dame's a playoff team this game doesn't necessarily support that thesis but I would say that their season is by no stretch of the imagination over now in the BCS era it's over in the college football playoff era losing to a G5 team it's over I don't think your season is over just yet if you're Notre Dame but it absolutely removes any safety net that you ever had before like I told you during the uh the preseason predictions and stuff I said hey Notre Dame if they go 10- two maybe it's a loss here to USC a loss there to Florida State how the uh the vibe has changed around Florida State if they lose those games like 10 and two Notre Dame probably still gets in 10 and two Notre Dame with a loss to NIU and to somebody else does not get in the college football playoff does not happen I think at this point now you are trying to the rest of your season make up in atone for this kind of a showing against the G5 opponent because the unfortunate part for Notre Dame is there is no Auto bid like you have chosen to not be in a conference more power to you but like with that uh with that territory comes the reality that you can't win your conference and have an auto bid like this loss impacts Notre Dame differently than it would a Clemson a Georgia uh Ohio State cuz those teams could all just run the table after this when the conference NBN now Notre Dame is like again trying to make up I believe in the mind of the college football public and the college football playoff selection committee that they are still one of the 12 best teams one of the 11 I guess if you're uh taking away that G5 spot one of the seven best teams if you're take six best teams I guess if you're taking away uh the conference Championship conversation seven best teams I'll take that back at large bits final answer so what do you do going forward is the question right the obvious part you got to clean up the execution it's pretty straightforward this is very bizarre to say this out loud and it sounds funny to even put it on a video for y'all but in some ways now the very strange Advantage You could argue for Marcus Freeman in this setting is that he's been here before and if you're a Notre Dame fan you kind of roll your eyes and exhale and probably feel some sort of way about me even saying that but like no Dame lost to Marshall with a much less talented roster than what they have right now than went out to win nine football games so what I'm trying to say here is Marcus Freeman is no stranger to resetting after a gut punch kind of loss now you have a gut punch kind of loss that's a discussion itself you probably have to have separately like why are we still in this situation why do we arrive at the situation multiple times throughout the course of your you know coaching career here at Notre Dame but still like I don't think that should just be dismissed you have a head coach now that is in uh you know a territory where he's familiar with being able to rebound have success get his team back ready to play and and be able to ultimately push what they want to push for which is again a college football playoff spot so in the new playoff model I will say this I think they will uh reward dominance when it comes to talking about those those seven out large spots I think they will reward um playing your best football at the right time in uh this new college football playoff model so all that's to say man uh you are rooting for some fat cows when you play them like Florida state that looks like it may not be one of them but you're pulling for the nles so when you play them they are ranked or as highly ranked as possible so you can knock them down and boost your resume you are absolutely rooting for USC to run the table and to be undefeated when you play them to go to USC get a win boost the resume boost the resume you play at Georgia Tech Georgia Tech lost yesterday they could I mean they they still have chance now they could be ranked when you play them that would boost the resume all that's to say you are rooting for your opponents on your schedule to boost your resume because again there's no Auto bid for Notre Dame it is what it is I think the folks out there in South Bend are just fine with that for the time being but this is a this a strange one it's not a season Ruiner it can be if you let it but again I think Marcus Freeman and the fact that he's been able to bounce back from these kind of situations and have his football team with a lot less ability on that football team and uh be able to have success it could end up being a very weird very strange very quirky kind of tool in his tool belt but hey you'll take it you'll take it uh but you will not take this loss and this will not be something that folks uh are kind about for the next I don't know how long but regardless Notre Dame got to pick up the pieces it's not over that that's that climb becomes a lot more steep there's no way around it but uh got to make a statement the rest of the way period Mike drop the end make sure sure subscribe to the on3 YouTube channel make sure follow me on Twitter and on Instagram @ JD pel want to hear from youall there we appreciate y'all we love yall going to keep this party rolling and we will see y'all next time hey y'all thanks so much for watching subscribe to the channel here to make sure you don't miss an episode of the hard count also be sure to check out other videos on the Onre YouTube channel