Freeman Tells Notre Dame: Stop CFP Talk, Focus on Opener
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- Marcus Freeman told Notre Dame players to "stop worrying about the playoffs" at a Tuesday news conference, redirecting attention to the Sept. 6 opener against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field.
- Notre Dame went 10-2 last season and reached the national runner-up but finished No. 11 in the CFP rankings, missing the 12-team bracket — and the program declined a bowl invitation afterward.
- This season locks Notre Dame into a playoff berth with a top-12 finish, and the Irish are expected to open ranked in the top five of the AP poll.
- The Irish lost six players to this year's NFL draft, including running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price, but quarterback C.J. Carr returns after capping his first season as starter with a 10-game winning streak.
- Defensive back Leonard Moore, an All-America candidate, returns alongside defensive end Boubacar Traore and linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, while receivers Jordan Faison, Jaden Greathouse, Mylan Graham, and Quincy Porter bolster the offense.
- Freeman's teams have a recurring pattern of September stumbles, including an 0-2 start against Miami and Texas A&M last year and losses to Northern Illinois (2024), Marshall (2022), and Ohio State (2022 and 2023).
Why it matters: Notre Dame enters 2025 with a top-five AP projection, a top-12 playoff guarantee, and returning stars like C.J. Carr and Leonard Moore — but Freeman's September stumble history (0-2 starts, upset losses to Northern Illinois and Marshall) makes the Lambeau opener less a warm-up and more a referendum on whether the program can finally convert its talent into postseason access after last year's snub.
