Notre Dame considered themselves hard done by after the College Football Playoff (CFP) Committee decided they would miss out on a spot in the coveted college football places, and largely experts seemed to agree they had a point.
After all, the Fighting Irish had done reasonably well during the campaign, but narrowly missed out as Miami benefited, with the head-to-head record playing a major role in deciding who went through to the playoffs.
The frustration of missing out was definitely felt by head coach Marcus Freeman, who understandably believed his team had done enough, but a few months on from the incident, he seems to have matured in his beliefs.
Speaking to Josh Pate in an interview, the Notre Dame boss addressed the disappointment and delivered a measured response on how he’s dealing with the setback now.
“I think at first, my default was the same as many other peoples – you blame anybody else,” he admitted.
“That’s what default is – ‘it’s not my fault, it’s the committee’s fault, it’s somebody else’s fault.’ But if you continue to have that mindset you can’t use that negative experience. In order to learn from those inside lessons and improve and be better, you have to own it. You have to own the failures, you have to own the situations. If you blame somebody else you lose it.
“My job is to everyday remind everybody and myself that everything that happens to you in life you have to own it so we can use it to improve from it. The pain of a loss is tough, but it’s there to help you grow, it’s no different from the pain from a physical wound.”
Notre Dame Expected to Become Stronger This Season
While last season was a setback, this one might end up being different. Armed by strong transfer portal additions and a solid base under the program, Marcus Freeman is widely expected to turn things around for the Irish.
His coaching methods are already appreciated by players and fans alike, and qualification for the CFP will be the lowest of the the program’s demands.
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