"Sameness" In Freeman's Approach Should Benefit Notre Dame
The dominant theme of Notre Dame’s 2024 season has been the way Marcus Freeman got his squad to respond to its devastating loss to Northern Illinois in Week 2.
The foundation of Freeman’s message has been about preparation regardless of the opponent and none of that has changed in the lead-up to the Irish’s First Round Playoff game against Indiana on Friday night.
So while the Hoosiers certainly aren’t a blueblood program in football, the Irish are not going to look past them in any way.
“What we evaluate is what they’re currently doing,” Freeman said of the Hoosiers. “They’re playing at one of the top levels of any college football team right now. We don’t need to have any false motivation. You just watch the film, and you understand the challenge that this football program presents in all three phases of the game.”
“As you watch film, our guys understand the true challenge and the opportunity that’s going to present itself on Friday.”
At this point of the season, Freeman wouldn’t expect his team, Indiana or any other team to need any additional motivation.
”Every college football team that’s in the playoffs is going to have a chip on its shoulder,” he said when asked if Indiana may be inspired by thinking it is being overlooked. ”There isn’t going to be a lack of motivation for anybody.
“It’s still going to be about preparation and performance. That’s what matters the most. Every game we play, you have to control your emotions. It will be an emotional game. This is a big game. We all know that. It’s still ultimately going to come down to execution and preparation is going to help you execute at a high level.”
If anything, Freeman seems more content on keeping his team’s emotions in check.
”It’s been a point of emphasis over the two weeks of having an opponent named,” he said. “Control the noise. We know it’s a big game. Everyone knows that. At the end of the day, the preparation is what matters. There has to be a sameness in terms of your preparation and your approach to this game.”
Fortunately for Freeman, the “sameness” of his message all season has been to continuously improve.
“Every week, I challenge this group and myself to elevate,” he said. “We have to get better. What I don’t want to do is do something this week that we’ve never done before. I think that’s the wrong message to send to your team.
“They’ve done a good job. They’ve heard that message every single day, but I think every person has to make that choice to continue to turn down the noise and focus on the things that are going to give us the best chance possible to have success on game day. It’s an everyday message, but an everyday challenge to every individual; the minute you start to think about an uncertain future, the second thought is to get back in the moment and prepare the right way.”
Freeman is planning for his teams to be known for playing big not just in the biggest games, but in all of their games.
”I hope as my career continues to move forward here, that there is a consistency in performance,” he said. “It has nothing to do with who you’re going against. Is it home or away? Is it a playoff game or not? There has to be a consistency in terms of the standard in which we play.
“As you look back at those games, our guys have prepared and performed well in those big moments at Notre Dame Stadium. I’m going to say this all the time, it goes back to the preparation. That’s what we have to continue to focus on how we prepare. They’re going to be ready to roll. What an honor and a great environment it’s going to be on Friday.”
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