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Notre Dame

Paul Finebaum calls Notre Dame the 'story of the year' in college football

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby:Grant Grubbs•01/12/25•

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Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; SEC Nation analyst Paul Finebaum looks on prior to the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images.

It’s been a wild turn of events for Notre Dame this season. After falling to Northern Illinois in Week 2 and, frankly, playing a mediocre regular-season schedule, the Fighting Irish battled back to compete in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Now, the cards are stacked against Notre Dame once more as it prepares to square off against Ohio State. ESPN’s Paul Finebaum believes Notre Dame has plenty to celebrate whether it wins or loses on Jan. 20.

“They’re the only one who can’t skip the first round [of the CFP] too because of the setup. I’ve always argued, I felt like they needed to be in a league. But, I think that is the story of the year in college football, really is what Marcus Freeman has done,” Finebaum said. “The SEC fall from grace is rivaling that, by the way, but that’s OK.

“I love the Notre Dame story because they’re not playing for the national championship with Ole Miss‘ running back and Alabama‘s defensive back. I mean, they’ve developed players. They’ve gone out and brought in players from Duke and other schools, just like Indiana did, but ultimately they found a way and they beat some good programs along the way.”

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Notre Dame won four ranked matchups during the regular season but only one of those teams — Army — finished the season ranked in the AP Top 25. However, the Fighting Irish’s postseason success can’t be denied.

Notre Dame defeated Indiana, Georgia and Penn State en route to its National Championship appearance. Moreover, it won each of the first two games mentioned by double digits.

While Ohio State and Notre Dame brought in a similar amount of transfers this offseason — despite Finebaum’s claims — the Fighting Irish’s transfers have made less contributions this season than the Buckeyes.

Most notably, transfers such as quarterback Will Howard, running back Quinshon Judkins and safety Caleb Downs have been pivotal to the Buckeyes’ efforts this season. In comparison, QB Riley Leonard was easily Notre Dame’s most significant addition.

Unfortunately for ND, oddsmakers don’t care about feel-good stories. Ohio State opened as a 9.5-point favorite over Notre Dame. On Jan. 20, the Fighting Irish will have a chance to prove their doubters wrong, as they square off against OSU at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will air live on ESPN.