Notre Dame lost a tough one to Texas A&M in a game it should've won late Saturday night. While Notre Dame will still have plenty of time to show the committee that it deserves to be in the College Football Playoffs, it might be tough to justify.
As of now, Notre Dame doesn't play another ranked opponent. Criticized in the past due to its decision not to join a conference, this could truly come back to hurt Notre Dame.
If the program were in a conference like the ACC, all it'd have to do is win the conference, in what seems to be a winnable ACC outside of Miami, the team Notre Dame lost to in the first game of the season.
While Notre Dame lost in the national championship last season and Marcus Freeman deserves his flowers for that, there have been other moments when the team struggles. With a few bad losses, it can never be counted out for a school like Notre Dame to make a change.
Would it be fair? Probably not, but this is college football in 2025 at the end of the day.
Marcus Freeman's Contract Details
Because Notre Dame is a private university, it doesn't have to give specifics on contracts given out to coaches. Heather Dinich of ESPN reported in December of 2024, however, that Freeman signed what was believed to be a four-year extension, which would keep him with the Irish for six more years.
"Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman has agreed to a long-term extension that will make him among the highest-paid coaches in the country, a Notre Dame official confirmed to ESPN on Sunday.
"It is believed to be a four-year extension that secures him for six more years in South Bend, according to a source. Freeman had two years remaining on his current deal," she wrote.
It's safe to say that Freeman is one of the highest-paid coaches in the country, but again, it remains uncertain.
MORE: Marcus Freeman buyout, contract details as Notre Dame Fighting Irish football coach
Marcus Freeman's Buyout With Notre Dame
Freeman's buyout, if he has one, also isn't public. It's likely that he has one, but there aren't any specifics about that.
Notre Dame now sits at 0-2 heading into next week's game against a below-average Purdue team.
While the Irish might be one of the better teams in the country and have lost two tough games, it'll be interesting to see where the team places in the AP Poll.