Notre Dame Football: Back to Dreaming, Not Delivering in Big Games

When you speak all off-season about how you're going to "Leave No Doubt" and then show up not ready to go in the biggest road game of the season, questions will be asked.

And after the last season and a half, that question Notre Dame fans thought was gone forever after its 2024 postseason run, is suddenly back.

"When will Notre Dame ever deliver in the big one?"

Saturday's 28-24 loss at BYU was the third-straight "big" regular season game that Notre Dame lost.

It came out and got punched in the mouth, spent most of the second half fighting to get back in it, and then didn't make the plays on the final offensive and defensive possessions of the game to earn the win.

Close but no cigar.

Just like the 2025 home-opener against Texas A&M. Notre Dame jumped out to a two-possession lead in that one, but couldn't get stops as the night went on, and gave up a game-winning touchdown in the final seconds to fall to 0-2.

Poor non-call or not, just like against BYU on Saturday, it was a loss in a big game.

And who can forget the season-opener at Miami last season?

That game felt a lot like Saturday did for Notre Dame. Miami came out and was the aggressor, with Notre Dame spending the majority of the night fighting to get back in it, only to lose in the final moments.

After the momentum the 2024 season gave, specifically the College Football Playoff run, it has brought back that old feeling about Notre Dame in the big one that we thought Marcus Freeman had chased away.

I don't look at this and think its a Marcus Freeman problem in getting a team ready to play, I think in all three cases you see a defense that is full of stars underperform.

It couldn't get lined up to save its life early against BYU, which cost Notre Dame dearly. The same can be said for the loses to Texas A&M as well as Miami.

So what changed between the College Football Playoff run in 2024-25 and the 2025 regular season into now?

Defensive coordinator Chris Ash.

To Ash's credit, his unit has performed with incredible success and stats against teams that don't compete for the College Football Playoff.

Trot Notre Dame's defense out there the last two seasons against Stanford, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh, and North Carolina State, and it looks like the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Now line it up against an offense that has a pulse and it is yet to win a battle.

The good news is that this narrative that Notre Dame can't win the big one again can change really quick, as No. 1 Miami is due in South Bend on November 7.

But have another showing like it has in big games the last two seasons, and Chris Ash's time at Notre Dame will be limited, and Notre Dame will have to start planning how it will polietly decline another Pop-Tarts Bowl invitation.

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NICK SHEPKOWSKI

Managing Editor for Notre Dame On SI. Started covering Chicago sports teams for WSCR the Score, and over the years worked with CBS Radio, Audacy, NBC Sports, and FOX Sports as a contributor before running the Notre Dame wire site for USA TODAY.