This wasn’t how it was supposed to go for Marcus Freeman. He was the common-sense choice to lead post-Brian Kelly Notre Dame; a successful coordinator and rising prospect whose players loved him. He was supposed to carry on the features of Kelly’s success without any of the bugs that came with Kelly’s interactions with other human beings.
Instead, a team that started the season ranked fifth in the nation is 5-3. Freeman has lost at home to both Marshall and Stanford, neither of whom currently has a winning record and each of whom were at least 16-point underdogs. While that ship has righted itself slightly thanks to a 41-24 win over a ranked Syracuse team, stormy waters remain with a looming home date against No. 4 Clemson.
