The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have accomplished something truly magical in the landscape of modern college football. They have engineered a complete season turnaround from a disastrous 0-2 start to emerge as a legitimate, top-tier contender for the College Football Playoff. As the team prepares for a massive showdown against USC, the narrative is not focused on whether they can still make the playoffs, but on the fact that they are overwhelmingly favored to win and continue their run to a national title. This is all a testament to the resilient culture instilled by Head Coach Marcus Freeman.
In prior eras, losing two games, especially early in the season, historically signaled the complete derailment of any championship aspirations. This was mainly true for the four team playoff era and definitely true when the BCS decided the National Championship game. But even this year for Notre Dame, the 0-2 hole was considered a death knell. The season was effectively over before it began, with the team facing the prospect of merely playing for a New Year’s Six bowl, at best.
For most teams with these expectations, an 0-2 start would have caused a total psychological collapse. Yet, this Notre Dame team, led by Freeman, has managed to buck this deeply rooted trend. They resisted the urge to crumble. Instead they kept the faith in their process, and played good football to climb out of a hole that most other programs would be unable to escape. This ability to recover and play as well as this is unheard of in recent college football history.
It’s important to note that Notre Dame has not improved on the back of a weaker schedule or “lucky” wins where the Fighting Irish played poorly but found ways to win. The opposite is actually true; the numbers place the Fighting Irish firmly among the elite:
The ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) currently ranks Notre Dame as No. 4 in the country. This ranking places them ahead of elite programs like Oregon, Georgia, and Miami, demonstrating the formula’s belief in their overall strength and quality.
Their offensive production has been validated by Pro Football Focus (PFF), which has solidified the unit’s status as a top-10 offense nationally.
Finally, oddsmakers have placed the Irish firmly in the top 10 for the highest odds to win the national championship, signaling their belief that Notre Dame possesses the components required for a title run.
The source of this incredible turnaround lies squarely with the culture of mental toughness that Marcus Freeman has fostered. Freeman and his staff deserve a lot of credit for keeping the players involved in the process and maintaining the team’s psyche.
The 2025 Notre Dame Fighting Irish are not defined by talent alone (although they do have talent), but by a certain feistiness and the grit to overcome adversity. They have taken everyone’s best shots and have even gotten knocked down multiple times. But they have pulled themselves off the mat and now find themselves in the midst of what could be a special season.
The upcoming clash against the USC Trojans serves as the ultimate litmus test for this team. Both Vegas odds and analytics are backing the Irish heavily. The odds makers have established Notre Dame as a healthy favorite and ESPN Analytics currently gives the team a commanding 69% chance to win.
If Notre Dame successfully navigates the massive challenge presented by USC this weekend, the path ahead looks clear. The unique combination of high-end talent, excellent coaching, and an unprecedented ability to overcome adversity suggests that the Irish may not suffer another loss for the rest of the season. This comeback is a masterful coaching job and a tribute to the power of culture in college football, positioning Notre Dame for a potential playoff run that was unthinkable just months ago.
Disclaimer: The content of this article was originally published as a YouTube video on the SMI College Football Show YouTube channel. With AI assistance, the publisher of the video created this article based on the content of that video.
