It has taken only three games for Marcus Freeman to go where no Notre Dame football coach had ever gone before. That’s a much nicer way of saying the 36-year-old rookie is 0-3 and already bobbing for air in shark-infested waters.
Losing to Oklahoma State in a bowl game was certainly forgivable. Losing at Ohio State in this season’s opener was totally understandable. Losing to Marshall last weekend in South Bend? That was almost unimaginable, but here we are.
If California (+10½) at Notre Dame (1:30 p.m., Ch. 5, Peacock) suddenly looks scary to supporters of the Irish, imagine how it must feel for the guy with the whistle tightening around his Adam’s apple.
“A reality check,” is how Freeman described the team’s nightmarish start.
Reality? It’s no friend to the Irish, who lost starting quarterback Tyler Buchner for the season in the Marshall game and now turn to backup Drew Pyne. Even at full strength, the offense didn’t appear to be more than modestly capable of holding up its end of the season-long bargain.
“We are still very positive and optimistic about our future moving forward and following Drew Pyne as the leader of our offense,” Freeman said, “and I’m excited for his opportunity and what he’s going to present to our football team.”
Well, at least somebody’s excited.
But the Irish still ought to be able to be able to handle the run-of-the-mill Bears, or else buckets of chum will be splish-splashing. Hang your “ND” hat on this if it helps: Outside of Irish rivals Stanford and USC, Pac-12 teams are 1-14 all-time in South Bend and without a victory since Arizona’s in 1982.
Here’s Pyne’s recipe for Saturday: Feed tight end Michael Mayer — the best player on the field — and otherwise stay busy not screwing up. A still-promising Irish defense can handle the rest.
By the way, I’m docking the Bears three points after Cal’s PR staff committed a criminal play on words by referring to freshman running back Jaydn Ott’s “Ott-stant impact” on the early season. Another Notre Dame loss? Ott a chance. Irish, 23-10.
OTHER WEEK 3 PICKS
Southern Illinois (+13½) at Northwestern (11 a.m., BTN): Nic Baker to Avante Cox — the Salukis’ prolific pass-catch combo — is at the top of the list of what the Wildcats must be able to overcome. It also may be the only item on the list. If Incarnate Word could hang 64 points on SIU, the Wildcats should be good for, what, half that? Cats 32, dogs 14.
No. 1 Georgia (-24½) at South Carolina (11 a.m., ESPN): Spencer Rattler — once the No. 1 QB recruit in the land, then a star at Oklahoma, later benched at Oklahoma and now piloting the offense for the Gamecocks — goes right back on the marquee if he pulls off the mother of all upsets. Spoiler alert: There’s no shame in remaining off Broadway. Chugga chugga, UGA rolls by a not-quite-enough 24.
Vanderbilt (+2½) at Northern Illinois (2:30 p.m., CBSSN): Vandy has won eight straight against the MAC and has a QB, Mike Wright, with lightning in his arm and his legs. NIU is 1-11 against the SEC — the lone win coming, hilariously, in 2003 at Alabama — but knows it can run the Commodores’ amateur-hour defense ragged. Who has the ball last? ’Dores, 42-41.
No. 22 Penn State (-3) at Auburn (2:30 p.m., Ch. 2): Can the Nittany Lions run the ball? Can the dysfunctional Tigers dig deep for some elusive mojo? Two programs that know how to cough up winnable games get after it — Nits hang on, 23-21.
No. 11 Michigan State (+3½) at Washington (6:30 p.m., Ch. 7): I still don’t trust Sparty’s defense, which often last season was appallingly soft, and I do trust Michael Penix Jr. Remember Penix from his Indiana days? The smooth lefty QB now plays in Seattle, where the Huskies win 34-28 and howl deep into the night.
My favorite favorite: No. 24 Texas A&M (-5½) vs. No. 13 Miami (8 p.m., ESPN): The Aggies’ stunning loss to Appalachian State in Week 2 called everyone from coach Jimbo Fisher to the third-string kicker onto the carpet. They get physical on a hit-or-get-off-the-pot night and win convincingly.
My favorite underdog: Nebraska (+11) vs. Oklahoma (11 a.m., Fox-32): Who says romance is dead? Huskers … lose by a kick.
Last week: 3-5 straight up, 4-4 vs. the spread.
Season to date: 10-7 straight up, 11-6 vs. the spread.
