This past season was an eye-opener for many Notre Dame football fans, and the haters as well.
Many didn’t think that the Irish were good enough to make the College Football Playoff due to an early-season loss to Northern Illinois, and even though they got in, those same people believed it would be a quick exit for Marcus Freeman’s group. Well, that wasn’t exactly the case, as they beat two Big Ten teams in Indiana and Penn State, and the SEC Champion Georgia on its way to the CFP championship game.
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While one season doesn’t define a program, it was eye-opening and enough to impress On3’s J.D. Pickell. He went on to say that he “doesn’t see a clear governor on Notre Dame” to becoming a powerhouse in college football.
Pickell mentions factors like Freeman, the influx of talent via recruiting, and being a destination for players who enter the transfer portal that give him no reasons to think this won’t happen. With the change to the CFP format going to straight seeding, the conference hurdle is no longer an issue, making Notre Dame’s path to a title much easier.
It’s hard to disagree with Pickell’s assessment of the Irish’s current situation, but you have to give a ton of credit to Freeman for what he has built over his first three seasons. While losses to Marshall and NIU weren’t ideal, it hasn’t stopped the vision that the head coach has created, and we are starting to see the fruits of his labor in South Bend.
This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: J.D. Pickell can’t see why Notre Dame won’t be a CFB powerhouse
