Chat Transcript: Deciphering Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman’s post-CFP snub silence 

Eric Hansen: Welcome to Notre Dame Football Live Chat, and perhaps a most “egregious” version.

First, some quick programming notes:

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► If you missed the last episode of our aspiring-to-be-viral Notre Dame Football YouTube show, Football Never Sleeps, what are you doing with your life? Seriously, the show keeps its shelf life long after the live presentation, so you can catch up now or later on our YouTube channel.  We’ll be back next week and every week, Monday at 7 p.m. ET, for another presentation of Football Never Sleeps with Tyler James co-hosting with me. And check out some great shows on the Blue & Gold YouTube channel as well, including the Notre Dame Football Show, live on Tuesday nights.

► The Inside ND Sports Podcast has been rebranded as the Third & Gold Podcast. Going forward the pod will be available on all the podcast places you found us before as well as our YouTube Channel. On our most recent episode, we caught up with OG recruiting analyst Tom Lemming of the Prep Football Report to talk about Notre Dame’s just-signed No. 2 recruiting class, a look at the 2027 class being built and much more. The next episode will drop later this week.

Finally, we’re going to continue these weekly chats through December as long as there’s interest and there’s news to discuss, which I anticipate there will be.

As far as this week’s chat …

PLEASE include your NAME and HOMETOWN along with your question(s). If you want top use restraint with your exclamation points this week, I get it.

Here are the rules … typically:

Eric Hansen: None of them apply to today. BUT no 17-part questions. I will allow mini-manifestos, as long as they are entertaining.

OK off we go …

Bishop from South Bend: Is it strange we haven’t heard from coach freeman? Is he contemplating other offers from the NFL? Just seems odd to me that we haven’t seen or heard from the head coach of the most talked about team in college football right now. Maybe just overthinking it. Thanks for all your insight. Go Irish ☘️

Eric Hansen: Bishop, I do think you are overthinking it, but given what’s happened in the past week of so, I don’t blame you for trusting that the sky isn’t still falling. So, I love the question. And if this sounds like I’m admonishing you, I am not. Let’s put the NFL stuff aside for a second and just focus on Marcus Freeman not speaking to the media at this point. You have to look at what would that accomplish? He doesn’t want to be a victim. He’d rather be a catalyst for change. Positive change. And to come up with the solutions that will better the College Football Playoff system and Notre Dame’s place in it is going to take some time and careful thought.

People have already taken their side on whether they thought Notre Dame got the shaft or they want to portray the Irish as a bunch of spoiled brats. And no one is budging. At least no one with the power to change anything. So, at the appropriate time, Marcus will speak and I imagine it will be pretty measured at first and powerful eventually. But you have to think about what the end game is here.

As far as Marcus getting interest from the NFL and elsewhere, as long as he’s successful, that’s never going to stop. And I think Pete Bevacqua framed it well in the press conference Tuesday. You can find the full quote in my column, but here’s a little bit of it:

“Everybody has eyes on Marcus,” Bevacqua said. “College has eyes on Marcus. NFL has eyes on Marcus. I bet Hollywood has eyes on Marcus. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in the next Leo DiCaprio movies with Martin Scorsese. 

“Marcus is Marcus. All the credit to him, he deserves it. He is the absolute best coach in the country for Notre Dame, full stop. One of the greatest college coaches in the country. People forget how young he is. So, I get it. I get it. That’s a compliment to him and his success and the way he represents himself and the way he prepares and who he is and how he talks.

“It’s one of my main obligations and responsibilities to this university: to make sure Marcus wakes up every day knowing that he is supported and valued by Notre Dame. And I can say with 100% certainty he feels that way.”

Matt from Plymouth, Minn.: A request … please ask Marcus Freeman what went wrong in having the team ready to play for the first couple of games this season?  Do you have any insight on this in the meantime?

Eric Hansen: Hey Matt. I actually did ask Marcus Freeman this question back in September, and I think there are some inherent reasons for it that can’t be fixed and some that could have. Having a starting QB with 4 college snaps under his belt could only be fixed if you were going to go with more experience, either Steve Angeli or a transfer portal QB, and then do you get CJ Carr to stay? There’s also a baked-in set of growing pains with a new defensive coordinator.

Now, where ND fell short was identifying the growing pains on defense and with the offensive line earlier and fixing them to a large extent in training camp. So, that August evaluative process needs to be revamped, and I don’t think Marcus Freeman would argue that. Still, we’re talking two losses by a total of 4 points to two teams in the playoff field.

Jack Hopkins from Auburn, Ala.: Why has zero ND spokespersons, including Pete, not ask the question – if the head of the playoff committee asked the members to rewatch the ND v Miami game this past weekend, why didn’t he ask those same members to rewatch the Alabama v F$U game?

Eric Hansen: Well-played, Jack. CFP selection committee chairman Hunter Yurachek’s comments both the Tuesday of the penultimate rankings and on Sunday lacked both logic and integrity.

Jonathan in Addison, Texas: Eric!!! Appreciated your coverage of the Bevacqua presser. My takeaways from your article: (1) Pete Bevacqua will do all within his power to make sure this debacle doesn’t happen again. (2) Now is not the time for Pete to talk to the ACC. (3) He’s talking with the SEC instead. Do you think these statements add up to what they imply? If so, what you think ND and the SEC can do to make sure it doesn’t happen again? Do you think such things are in the works already? I know you don’t like to speculate. But Pete and your article seemed to lay these dots out for connecting.

Eric Hansen: Jonathan!!!!! Thanks, and I think you connected the dots well. As I mentioned in the column, the SEC would have been interested in at least having a conversation ahead of the ND-ACC union that rolled out in 2014. That sentiment was expressed to then-AD Jack Swarbrick after the fact. I don’t think anything is in the works, but I think those conversations could ignite whenever it might be appropriate, formally or informally. There are legal entanglements, and I think Pete Bevacqua just wants to let the temperature come down and give this some time to give appropriate thought to. So, not an inevitability but I wouldn’t dismiss it as idle chatter. And it should be explored.

MikeD from Rochester NY: Hi, Eric, what a crazy/shocking week for ND football!!!!! With Fields and Pauling gone, do you think they go to portal again? Or are they confident in the young talent they have at those two positions?  How about nickel back? Wish we’d had Devonta Smith healthy all season; did Golden and Hobbs show enough during the season to be ready to step in?  BTW your ballot was way more well-reasoned and balanced than the one the committee pulled out of that place where the sun doesn’t shine!

Eric Hansen: MikeD. Thank you!! There are numbers and a lot of talent in the wide receiver group. I think the slot receiver and outside field receiver position are loaded. The question is what to make of the boundary, where you lose Malachi Fields and have Micah Gilbert, Cam Williams and Jerome Bettis Jr. coming back. I would imagine Devin Fitzgerald eventually profiles in that spot, but he’s 185 pounds currently. So I think ND has to at least browse and see if there’s someone comparable to Fields out there. If not, then they believe Gilbert and Cam Williams will rise to the occasion. So browse, but not necessarily commit to it unless it’s too good to pass up.

Tom from Parker, Colo.: Hi Eric, thanks for all you do! Happy Holidays to you and yours!!  ND AD said they felt confident they were in the CFP, was that based solely on the weekly ratings?  Read something last week, think on B&G, that conferences have the opportunity to talk with the CFP committee weekly after ratings are announced.  The point of the article was ND was hearing good things about their standing/performance in that platform as well.  Think Powlus represented ND after the Stanford game.  Curious if ND was being played there as well? Thanks.

Eric Hansen: Tom, thank you. I have not gone down the road of verifying that kind of info yet, but there’s value in that eventually. Not to pile on to what was a flawed process. But to fix it, we do need to know the extent of how broken things are. And that’s a key component of it. Certainly something that will get my attention in terms of looking into.

Scott from Greenville, S.C.: ERIC!!! Not losing sleep over not getting in the CFP. I was worried about that a couple weeks ago, but I have to laugh at the nonsensical response from the Committee chair. Made no sense. What I’m really interested in is, how many starters are coming back next year; what position will ND look at in the portal; and can ND play Miami in November? They got us in late August so its only fair that we get them when the weather works to our advantage. I expect whenever that game is played, the stadium is going to be LOUD! Can we invite the ACC chair to the game as well? Do I sound bitter? Maybe, but I fully expect to see Bama, Miami, and the other two teams that got in over ND to lose during the 1st week of the playoffs. Not sure of the names, but I think I’ll watch the Westminster Dog Show reruns. I wonder if ESPN pulls for any dogs? I think there is a poodle named Bama and a Shitzu named Miami that got in due to some late politicking. I heard Herby and Fowler are doing the show. Not bitter.

Eric Hansen: Scott!!! Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!! That elicited a belly laugh so hard, I think I pulled something, but I will survive it!!! Wow. If you ever get tired of doing whatever you do in South Carolina, come join our Blue & Gold team. That was outstanding. Now I know you had some questions sprinkled in there, so let me get to those. There are always some portal surprises and there are some NFL decisions to be made beyond Love and Price, but you could have as many as 7 on offense and 10 on defense technically IF Josh Burnham comes back and you count him as a starter (he was at the end of the year), and if Jason Onye gets a sixth year (and you’re not counting Gabe Rubio). But I don’t think it will 10. But lots of talent is coming back on this team.

I hope to talk to a source later in the week about portal targets, and I think colleague Mike Singer might have something on that sooner. I will say they are guarded about specifics, but not as much about positions. Interior D-line makes sense, maybe tight end, maybe boundary receiver. Kicker/punter makes sense to compete with Erik Schmidt. Maybe a nickel if they like Dallas Golden as a regular cornerback. And then replacing someone if there’s a surprise somewhere. As far as Miami, I believe the Miami game will be played at Notre Dame Stadium on Nov. 7, 2026.

George from El Segundo: Do you know if the Chairman of the Politburo, I mean CFP Selection Committee, asked any members to watch the tape of the Alabama v Florida State game or the tape of Notre Dame embarrassing his own Razorbacks?

Eric Hansen: George I know we covered a similar question, but I cracked up at the use of the word Politburo. Hadn’t heard that in a LONG time.

Mike AKA Mo from Maumee OH: Hi Eric !^!   First a comment: I listened to AD Pete Bevacqua’s press conference today- what a class act! Notre Dame certainly chose the right man for the job.                             And now to my question- with the portal entry of Minchey, I would assume ND might look for an experienced QB as a backup in case Carr was injured. On the other hand, I suspect many/most QB’s in the portal would be looking for a starting gig. In scanning the portal entrees so far, QB’s from Harvard and from William & Mary both have quite impressive stats for 2025, albeit against lesser competition than ND faces. I’d assume both would more than meet the STUDENT part of ND’s student-athlete requirements. What are your thoughts about bringing on board an experienced FCS QB with the understanding he is pretty much only there if there is a “break glass in case of emergency” situation? I’m thinking that earning a Masters from ND might soften the blow of limited playing time. Thanks!!

Eric Hansen: Hi Mike/Mo !^! If you’re wondering if Mike/Mo and Eric/I are trying to communicate in some alien lingo, it’s just our not-so-secret handshake. … To your question, and I was just talking to Chris Wilson about this on his podcast. It’s another must-browse kind of situation but not one you necessarily follow through on to the end. Notre Dame will have CJ Carr, a redshirt freshman with zero experience in Blake Hebert, and a true freshman in Noah Grubbs. There’s a good chance 2027 commit Teddy Jarrard reclassifies and joins the 2026 class. So, that gives you optimum numbers but zero experience. And while I think all four of them are promising for the future, I think that promise isn’t baked into things yet for 2026.

So, you’ve got a team that overall is probably going to be deeper and more talented than both the 2024 and 2025 teams. Is it worth the risk NOT to do what you suggested and look at an FCS or D2 player willing to come in and be a safety net. I think that’s the smart move.

Larry from Topton, Pa.: Hi Eric. Sorry, but I have no exclamation points today. Two questions for THE Notre Dame authority. 1) Will missing out on playoff money significantly hinder ND’s ability to participate in the NIL game? 2) I am a believer that it is not what happens to you but how you answer that setback. So how should the ND program (AD, coaches, players) respond to their CFP snub, and learn and grow from it? Thanks Eric. I look forward to you and Tyler (and the BG staff) keeping us informed during the offseason.

Eric Hansen: Hey there Larry! I’ll give you one exclamation point for later on. I don’t believe this will hinder Notre Dame’s ability to be competitive through revenue share/NIL especially after last year’s windfall. And in future years, ND will get some guaranteed money whether the Irish are in the playoff or not, and then be able to build on that if they are in and make a deep run. So, good question there. And I like how you framed the second one as well. I think the administration needs to handle the big-picture questions as to the ACC partnership, fixing the CFP selection process, etc. And the players need to recover, refresh and refocus and take advantage of what an opportunity lies ahead in 2026. And thanks for the compliments!

Jack from Strongsville, Ohio: Hi Eric. I have about 20 questions for you this week but I will hold back. I have the utmost respect for Desmond Howard, Kirk Herbstreit, and Pete Thamel and disdain for Paul Finebaum and Pat McAfee. That being said, do you think there is a bias at ESPN for the SEC? ESPN does own the SEC and ACC networks. Secondly, Pete Bevacqua said Sunday and yesterday in his press conference the relationship between ND and the ACC was strained. Does ND have any real options other than this arrangement with the ACC? It needs a place to park all the other sports and to keep football independence. You and Tyler will get some well deserved rest this holiday season. Thanks for the great work.

Eric Hansen: Hi Jack. If you have 20 questions and they didn’t get answered today through other chat-heads’ questions, we’re going to do this on a weekly basis while the news cycle is still hot. So keep ’em coming. But let’s get to these. I hate to throw around the accusation of bias, because I think people do so too carelessly when they disagree with someone or things don’t go their way. I experience that as an AP voter. Not most, but a lot of people who get butt-hurt by where I place their team, try to invent reasons why I “hate their school and should have my voting right revoked.” But in this case …

The relationships between the ACC and ESPN, and the SEC and ESPN certainly set up for a potential conflict of interest. And after listening to former ND QB and FOX sports personality Brady Quinn on a podcast yesterday, in addition to everything else I’ve heard, I’m inclined to believe enough of that to keep digging. At the very least, I am suspicious of it. If it were simple incompetence or a smile difference of opinion, I trust myself to be able to decipher that. But what happened on the last two ESPN reveal shows was, well, revealing. Stunning. It felt corrupt. And again part of fixing the problem is digging deep and finding out exactly what the problems look like.

As to other options than the ACC, I think Notre Dame owes itself to find out legally and logistically if there’s something else that’s a better fit. Not out of spite, but out of what’s best for the school going forward.

2581/Tony from Lexington, Ky., by way of western Pa.: Hope you’re doing okay, Eric ! Sorry that we won’t get to see you in Oklahoma or elsewhere on the road during this CFP season …😥 My 1st question: After Notre Dame whips Wisconsin next September 6th at Lambeau, how many of the football analysts who are whining about ND forfeiting 15 December practices (Joel Klatt, Greg McElroy, Cole Cubelic, etc) are going to say on air, “If only Notre Dame had had those 15 extra practices last December”… ? My prediction is zero. My 2nd question: What can ND do behind the scenes to pay back the ACC for mounting the media campaign against us? I appreciate Pete Bevacqua publicly stating that the ACC damaged its relationship with ND, but more needs to be done than simply public criticism. Something with concrete financial repercussions is needed in my opinion. To quote a friend, I wouldn’t mind seeing the ACC go over a cliff like a cartoon anvil ! 😆 Looking forward to the 2026 football season! Go Irish!

Eric Hansen: Hi Tony, doing good here. It just feels very surreal. I feel for the Notre Dame players, who deserved better. 1) As far as forfeiting bowl practices, the number 15 is always thrown out there, but I can’t remember a bowl season where it actually got up to 15. But there is value to them. But there’s also a cost, and Notre Dame needed to weigh those against each other. Every year is different.

So, this year, you have as many as 18 starters coming back. A very experienced team. In other years, you might have more roster turnover where that developmental time is more important. But for this team? Having missed Christmas with families last year, having the season extend all the way to the start of spring semester, maybe dialing it back and getting everyone healthy makes more sense. You’ll be able to have a normal winter conditioning schedule this year and a normal start to spring practice and one that’s not so compressed in a small window. So there are positives. Not sure if that stops the whining or if there’s a need to consider that.

2) The cartoon anvil is the best idea I’ve heard yet! But we also remember that the one who dropped the anvil was usually the one it landed on as well. I actually think that part of it — the social media stuff — should be easy to work out. It’s more stuff like … should ND be playing certain ACC opponents more than others? Will the Clemson series count against the five required games per year? Would the Stanford games fall into that category as well if that series is renewed? And I think the ACC needs to fix its own tiebreaking procedure so that it ensures its best team is playing for the title. The unevenness of the conference schedules is going to create the potential for this chaos every year theoretically.

Marie from Atlanta: Hi Eric, what a disappointing  weekend on multiple levels. Do you think, the die has been cast and basically the committee is telling Notre Dame until you join a conference unless you’re 11 and one you’re not getting in? I know next year, reportedly if they are in the top 12 they are automatically, however, clearly, there is no accountability to this committee, so what’s to stop them no matter what the situation of moving Notre Dame to 13? In your opinion, will there be any changes in the selection process by next season?. Also, in past seasons, it feels like Notre Dame has been better represented on the committee, do you think that this year being one of the years where they were not well represented affected the final outcome?

I know Pete B has a pretty good working relationship with Greg Sankey but after this past weekend is that someone who can really be trusted? Do you think eventually the  selection process will involve a combination of computer programs  with the parameters used by the program, being completely transparent and also  a committee? Apologies for so many parts of this question. What honestly do you think Notre Dame will do moving forward with regards to the ACC? If you had to predict, will the current set up with the ACC still be in place in three years? Moving on, what are the most important things that Notre Dame needs to accomplish in the offseason between now and spring practice to help propel them to a national championship next year? Thanks for hosting the chat during what I’m sure is an incredibly busy week for you. We all really appreciate it.

Eric Hansen: Marie!!!! Three screens that’s got to be a record for a question. I’ll try to unpack it. No I do not think that this is a ploy to get Notre Dame to join a conference. BYU is in a conference, and it didn’t help them. And you make a good point about what’s to keep the committee from moving Notre Dame to 13th next year when they are guaranteed to be in at No. 12. That’s what needs to be fixed … the transparency, the integrity, and a system where everyone can agree on what are the most important principles to lean into in a process that lends itself to being extremely subjective. Integrity trumps all of that. I don’t know ND representation helps, because those members have to be recused when ND is being discussed.

I think I hit on the ACC’s future, so let me skip that one here. As far as what does ND need to do next before spring practice? I talked and wrote about what Pete Bevacqua needs to do. What the coaches and players need to do, take advantage of his more flexible schedule. Recover, renew, refocus. Focus on what needs to be done when the transfer portal opens. And start the re-evaluation of the August self-scouting process to make sure ND addresses things it can fix in August before they’re exposed in games.

Matt from DC: Hi Eric, does ND forfeit any of their practice time now that they’re not participating in a bowl game? If they can practice, do you see this as a good opportunity for development and getting a jump on position battles for next year now that they don’t have to worry about preparing for a game? Can you name 2-3 players you think might benefit the most? Thanks!

Eric Hansen: Hey Matt. I asked someone yesterday at the press conference about it, and they were pretty sure they can’t have formal practices. That doesn’t mean they can’t do some stuff on their own. Remember, between final exams and time with family, there’s not a ton of time before January. And there will be 24 of the 27 members of the just-signed recruiting class coming in and enrolling early. I think had ND played in a bowl and had actual bowl practices, young players I think that could have benefitted would be D-lineman Christopher Burgess Jr., who will likely move inside, freshman O-linemen Will Black and Matty Augustine, TE James Flanagan, safeties Ethan Long and JaDon Blair, guys like that.

Don in Scottsdale: Eric, “May you live in interesting times”.  This week certainly qualifies. I know at some point when you have more clarity you will write a cogent piece on what this means for ND, the ACC and the college playoffs.  The way I see this is the committee needed to mollify the SEC and get Alabama in the tournament after missing last year.  Had they 3 in season losses they would have missed it but once it was left to the playoffs the SEC powers that be controlled the outcome. If Auburn could catch a pass or hold on to the ball, ND is in.  Lesson for ND, be ready for the first game.  Yes, Ash and crew fixed the issues, but the team had to outrun the first two games for the rest of the season.  It seemed they would until they didn’t.  I’d prefer ND in the playoffs, but I can only imagine the fire burning inside coach Freeman.  Now a question.  How will this impact the ND story line for you and the crew this off season.

Eric Hansen: Hi Don, your preamble was so entertaining and well-written, I feel stupid in telling you I’m not sure I understand the question at the end. I will take a stab and then you can let me know if I picked up what you were putting down. There’s a couple of tracks to follow. The first one is the big-picture storyline that largely follows Pete Bevacqua, which I laid out in my column Tuesday afternoon: AD Pete Bevacqua’s next steps will define him and redefine Notre Dame football
So that’s ACC relationship, the future of the CFP and its selection process, etc.

Eric Hansen: The other storylines have to do with team stuff … will any assistant coaches leave, who’s coming and going in the portal, who’s going pro, what’s the next evolutionary steps for CJ Carr as a QB. And how this team channels the disappointment. We’ll have plenty of intel stories of what’s going on behind the scenes plus scads of recruiting. Did I get your question answered?

Len from the Jersey Shore: Hello Eric!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Theoretical, if this is next year and the Memorandum of Agreement if ND is 12 or above will make the playoff is in place, and all records and outcomes are the same as in 2025, what would stop the  committee on selection day from moving  ND behind BYU, Texas and Vandy and move them out of top 12 ?

Eric Hansen: Len!!!!!!!!!!!! Apparently BYU needed to go for it on fourth down against a 5-7 team and win by 7 points on the road? Nothing stops it. That’s why ensuring integrity is the No. 1 priority this offseason in terms of the selection process and who’s in charge of it. It’s never going to make everyone happy. What it should be able to do is exude fairness and be able to explain it so that it doesn’t sound like my kids did when they were little and a lamp broke and they said it was the wind.

Don in Scottsdale: Eric, Forgot to mention. ESPN rules the roost.  ND is NBC.  Pete is NBC.  Ties will always go to ESPN……

Bob Gorman oak park, il: Hi Eric…no exclamation points.  While I am in a good place, there is a lack of exuberance for obvious reasons.  If it is given that it would not be a financial obstacle to get out of the ACC grant of rights because there is no TV component, how would you evaluate potentially joining the Big East for all sports but FB.  Or perhaps exploring with Michigan and USC to join ND as Independents since they are unhappy with pension fund deal that Big 10 is discussing?  Given that ACC 5 game FB slate is  weak, couldn’t ND find equivalent teams to play?  (not my ideas…heard them mentioned elsewhere.)

Eric Hansen: Hi Bob. That is not a given in regard to the ACC. I believe ND thought its other sports on TV and other revenue streams gets roughly $17 million a year from the ACC. And I remember talking to Jack Swarbrick about the agreement years ago, and there is not get-out-of-jail free card. It’s entangled. Now, maybe not as entangled as other members, but it’s not what perhaps was explained to you. I’d really have to look at the Big East other than basketball. And then if you’re completely shedding the ACC, are you still going to go through with the Clemson series. And what Power 4 conference schools are you going to get that want to play in South Bend in November? Or play an independent the caliber of Notre Dame in November period at any venue? That’s not to say don’t examine the options, but it also means being smart and realistic about those options.

Matt from Austin: Hello Eric. Tough weekend! As I feared in last week’s chat, Arkansas AD Yurachek got his wish to get Miami and Alabama in the CFP. If you recall, he fired his friend and coach after ND dismantled his Hogs. I’m curious if you feel that was HIS intention all along? Secondly, I assume Coach Freeman will accompany J. Love to the Heisman ceremony this weekend. Do you anticipate that he will say anything regarding the snub, or will he again take the high road and allow all the focus to be on Love? Lastly, do you have any thoughts on whether there will be any long term fall out from this debacle in terms of conference or scheduling? Sorry, one more, should we have gone to a bowl in your opinion? I hope this doesn’t qualify as a dreaded manifesto!!!!! Thank you Eric. Bless you this week!

Eric Hansen: Hey Matt, this is closer to the 17-part question violation than the manifesto threshold. Hopefully, you were at least wearing shoes when you asked. Let me go rapid fire with these. As far as Hunter Yurachek, I don’t think this is revenge for being Arkansas, but do I think he has integrity? If he does, then he’s in serious need of a public speaking class to not sound like he’s gaslighting. 2) It should be all about Jeremiyah Love. If he does address it, it will be in a classy, limited manner. What good would it do? 3) I don’t think so, I I am getting your drift on this. .. like will ND schedule differently? 4) I love that the players made the decision and Marcus Freeman made sure that they made a measured decision, not a knee-jerk one.

NWI_Irish 96 from Munster, Ind.: During Pete’s press conference yesterday, he was asked about the damaged relationship with the ACC, but he was not asked about how the committee cited strength of schedule as a reason for ranking Alabama ahead of Notre Dame and how the quality of competition in ND’s ACC opponents has declined. Why didn’t anybody think to ask about that and what do you think about it?

Eric Hansen: Hey there NWI. Glad our paths crossed again. Haven’t run into you in a while … NWI, if we had unlimited questions and/or unlimited time, I’m sure it would have come up. We had neither. We had 30 minutes (and didn’t know it at the time), and many people didn’t ever get to ask a single question. So, you have to prioritize. And I think, as a group, we did a good job of balancing asking about what happened and where does ND go from here? It IS a good question, though, and one I’d like to ask myself the next time we get access to PB, but that doesn’t come around very often.

John from Chatham, N.J.: Eric- I have read all the recent chats but not posted a question, though I could not resist on back of the recent news regarding CFP.  Your view of the general picking and choosing of data to support a certain argument is spot on and that was quite obvious in the chatter on Sunday afternoon.  My own view is that ESPN and Greg Sankey have an outsized influence on every aspect of college football and many times to the detriment of the overall product on the field and governance of the sport.  I also think the much more obvious argument for ND was versus Bama and not Miami once we finished the games on Saturday.  I really felt that Bama was forced into the field by those same powers that be.  It left me thinking what an absolute waste of time the conference championship games have become.  The SEC does NOT get penalized for Bama’s performance?  Byu does?  The ACC somehow can not get the best team to even make the championship game?  OSU and Indiana swapped place in the rankings? What’s your take?

Eric Hansen: John, for someone who’s never asked a question in the chat, you fired one off like a veteran. I wrote about the conference championship issue in my Behind The Ballot column this week … Behind The Ballot: On league title game losers, Heisman winners and Jadarian Price’s value
So, let me give you the short version of it. If there is a potential reward for winning those conference titles games — either inclusion into the playoff or improved seed, then there ought to be consequences for the loser, particularly if they are as non-competitive as Alabama was in its game. And if the conferences don’t want to play by those rules, then get rid of those games. That’s my take.

Tom from Toronto: Hi Eric, Sad times. No questions. Just a few thoughts. First, life is unfair. The team and coaches deserved better but did not get it. Second, some people can not be relied on to do the right thing. Third, the sun will come up tomorrow. When I think about how the players and coaches must feel, I don’t know why, but the movie Casablanca comes to mind. In the scene at the train station waiting for Ilsa to show up, when Rick finds out that she is not coming and does not want to see him again. Rick says that he feels like his insides had just been kicked out. That may be an appropriate description for the way many of the players and coaches feel. The good news is that the team will have another shot at the playoffs and the national championship next year. The bad news is that many of this year’s players will not be around to take part and will be missed. There will be a lot of hard work between now and then and they will be up to it. I appreciate you and the chatters, What a great opportunity to take part. Thanks

Eric Hansen: Tom, if you’re going to do a manifesto, that’s the way to get it done. I don’t see a question in there, so I will let it stand on its own. Thank You!

Jeff from Phoenix: Hey Eric!  I did fact-check chatter Scott from Greenville and there is a Westminster Dog entrant named Miami.  I Shitzu not.  (I couldn’t resist, please don’t ban me).

Eric Hansen: Oh Jeff. I think I’ve rubbed off on you and not in a good way. I am truly sorry. 😎

Terry from Miami: Hi Eric, What does your crystal ball tell you about Chris Ash’s future at ND? Any other thoughts about which coaches might be leaving?

Eric Hansen: Hey Terry. Chris Ash is very, very guarded, yet when he was introduced, he mentioned that he was very happy in the NFL and wasn’t looking and this was just too good of an opportunity to turn down. And given how the year played out, it likely will eventually give him more avenues .. specifically either to be an NFL defensive coordinator or a college head coach, two things that seemed longshots before the ND job. As far as the staff in general.

Off the top of my head, I can’t remember the last time every staff member stayed from one year to the next. Either by their choice or not. Marcus Freeman’s assistants will be highly sought after, but they are well compensated, love Marcus and love coaching at Notre Dame. so it would take a special opportunity. Having said that, I think there would be at least one change, but I don’t think it would be Ash this soon.

Denny from Beaverton, Ore.: Hi Eric;  My question to you in this season’s first chat had to do with scheduling.  I said Oregon opened with Montana State at home and ND opened on the road at Miami.  I suggested ND would be better off in the long run. You thought correctly that it would depend on the year which way to schedule because of maybe a new QB. Ohio State and Texas was an exception for almost all the teams in the top 12.  Many had several easy games to start the season. eg. Indiana.  Obviously, losing early season games has put ND in dire straits but schedules are mostly finished years in advance.  Do you think this year’s debacle will affect ND’s scheduling in the future? I guess you probably will not keep the Christmas tree up for very long this year. Dang it !!!!!

Eric Hansen: Denny, I am stunned you remember about the Xmas tree staying up through the end of the playoff and then extending into the WBB team’s win streak. Funny enough, it’s not up yet, but will be up by this weekend. Wow, what a memory, you really have been following the “no drinking” rule. .. You’re right so much of the schedule is done in advance. And yet maybe Miami AND Texas A&M was too ambitious and should have been spread out? I think it’s worth hashing through, but remember if Notre Dame had beaten Miami, that acted like an end-all, be-all data point. The losses to SMU and Louisville didn’t matter. Again great discussion points to dig into for Pete Bevacqua but one that doesn’t need to be answered in the next few weeks.

Eric Hansen: OK, we have hit the bewitching hour and the queue is still very full and lots of great questions. And the live audience is huge, so we’re going to forge ahead for a while. Let me take a quick phone call, and then we’ll continue.

Lorne from Reno, Nev.: As always, thank you for the chats. With regard to the debacle, the Alabama flip after Auburn/Stanford was the canary in the coal mine. The team should follow the example of the lacrosse team that had a bad start a few years ago, finished strong, and got shafted at tournament bid time. They won the next two national championships, with the second being an incredibly dominant run. The snub burned, but inspired. No question, just comments and wishes for a very happy holiday season.

Eric Hansen: Lorne, thank you and happy holidays to you, and that’s a great way to channel the heartache. Agreed!

Tom from Evanston, Ill.: Hi Eric. I am not a fan of the playoff – I actually liked the ambiguity of the bowls. And the nonsense that came out of the playoff committee was no better. However, the playoff is here to stay, it seems. Why not have a play-in game for the last spot or two? It seems like it typically comes down to just a few teams every year.

Eric Hansen: Hi Tom. I have been pondering different solutions and scenarios and the play-in concept is something I conjured up as well, so of course I love it. But if they go to 16 teams, do we need a play-in? And unless there’s integrity in the system, then the play-in stage could be flawed too. But if they stay at 12, I love the play-in WAY WAY more than the conference championship games.

Patrick from Fort Wayne, Ind.: Good afternoon Eric, I am going to take a right turn from the content of the day and ask you about Karson Hobbs. Since the first couple of weeks in the season, he has been a no show on the field.  With all the recruits and current members of the young DB backfield, do you think he has a future at ND?

Eric Hansen: Hi Patrick. You’re on top of things. Karson Hobbs played 108 snaps over seven games this year on defense and another eight snaps on special teams against Miami. Of those 108 snaps, 77 of them came against Miami and Texas A&M. So, while he did see cameos in three November games, they were very limited. Given what’s coming back among the veterans, the high ceilings of the freshmen, and the studs coming in the door in January, it’s a tough climb for Karson. He has talent, but he’s now in a numbers game and starting over somewhere else might make more sense. Out of the 48 players who saw action on defense for the in 2025, he ranked 48th.

Tom F from Kennesaw, Ga.: Eric, glad Jeremiyah Love is invited to NY for the Heisman presentation.  You know he is going to be asked (nay I say grilled) about the team’s bowl decision.  Do you think the Administration is helping to prepare the best way to deal with this?? Hate to see a 20-year-old young man in this situation.  J.Love, Thanks for the memories!!!!!!!

Eric Hansen: Hi Tom. The Fighting Irish Media team will do a great job with that in terms of media savvy, but Jeremiyah Love has great media instincts as well. He wouldn’t likely have played in a bowl game but would have played in the playoff. I think he will represent ND and his family very well.

Fred from Richmond: Eric, Merry Christmas Eric from snowy Richmond. As all ND fans I was blindsided by the playoff snub. It was without a doubt an ESPN and SEC coup to allow Alabama in the playoff, it was set up as soon as they moved them ahead in the rankings. I believe that the A&M game was a precursor for us not to make the playoffs. The failure of an SEC ref to make a blatant missed holding call on Hinish which would have resulted in a sack and a Notre Dame victory was indicative of how the SEC refs are favoring their league and not calling a fair game. The ref who missed the call had the nerve to say it was not holding to tackle an offensive lineman from behind. We saw this in the playoffs last year so it’s hardly a surprise. I did not like our AD calling out the ACC, it makes us look bad to many people. It’s always been us against the rest of college football and the blowback has been bad. I do not like Miami, but let’s face it we were scared to throw the ball in the first game, and it may have cost us a victory.

Eric Hansen: Fred, I don’t see a question in there. I’ll let you comments stand, not that I’m cosigning on all of them, but you deserve to vent.

Ryan from Frankfort, Ill.: Good afternoon Eric who else enters the transfer portal and who will enter the NFL draft GO IRISH ☘️☘️🏈🏈

Eric Hansen: Ryan, thanks. Some of my colleagues are working on those stories. In the chat, I don’t like to volunteer players for the portal, unless I know for sure they are going in. Someone specifically asked me earlier in the chat about Karson Hobbs, so I gave my opinion. As far as the draft, the only sure one is Jeremiyah Love, with quite a few others with tough decisions to make. … Aamil Wagner, Billy Schrauth, Jadarian Price, Drayk Bowen, Jaylen Sneed, Josh Burnham, Adon Shuler, Christian Gray are among them. What makes it more complicated is it’s easier now to make the decision to stay another year, because of the money that’s available for college kids. We’ll dive deeper into both of these story lines sooner than later.

Matt from Muscatine: Hi Eric!!! I will dispense with the outrage, since I’m sure others will have covered it. Can you (and I do mean “can” as in “is it actually possible for you”) help explain the various dubious pieces of logic from the final CFP rankings? 1) BYU drops when they had a very similar result versus TT as they did earlier. 2) Alabama doesn’t drop when they get thumped by a team they beat by 3 early in the season, which, in my eyes, nullifies the strength of that early victory and shows that they are not an improving team. 3) Not seeming to care about the 5 stats that have been predictive of national champions for decades, which you routinely site. 4) Any others I’m missing? Thank you, and enjoy whatever extra free time comes your way without a bowl game!

Eric Hansen: Hi Matt. Thank you for your question and your delusion that I might get more free time LOL. Fewer 15-hour work days, I’ll give you that. One thing I will point out in ranking teams, since I do it every week and manage to tick off a few fan bases or at least the troll population within those fan bases. Sometimes circumstances aren’t parallel so the consequences don’t align in similar instances. Let’s say your team is in the top 10 and loses to an unranked team. If a whole bunch of teams behind you also lost that week, you’re not going to drop as much. The next week a different top 10 team loses to a team at the bottom of the Top 25, but no one or few behind that team loses. You are going to fall farther. So, things don’t happen in a vacuum. Having said that, the conference championship game weekend is as close to a vacuum as you’re going to get. And the Gibberish that came out of Hunter Yurachek’s mouth? I would think less of you if you believed it.

Rich Pieslak from Robbinsville, N.J.: Hi Eric!!!! First please suspend the no drinking rule today! I really feel the whole CFP process is a sham with Alabama getting in as well as Tulane and JMU. It should be the BEST 12 teams regardless of conference affiliation. I think back to the A&M game which we should have won but A&M had help from the SEC officiating crew. Who decides where the officiating crew comes from? I would think if both teams are from the same conference they would use that conference’s crew but if the teams are from different conferences (ie ND vs Texas A&M) they would use an independent or non-affiliated officiating crew.

Eric Hansen: Rich, thanks for the suggestion and it was already waived. Maybe I should have made it a requirement to drink? Kidding of course. Not kidding about putting the best 12 teams in, but the conferences wanted to ensure they’d be represented. And this allows for that in down years, which the ACC seems to be having a lot of lately. There’s going to be a sentiment with a 16-team format that it’s five conference champs and the 11 at-large teams. A better system but not perfect. There’s a lot of stuff about officiating crews today. Let’s save that for another week.

Kevin from Orlando: It is my understanding that Notre Dame lost two games by a total of four points to top ten teams.  The coach’s poll seems to show that Miami’s two losses were both to teams outside the top 25.  Based on all others receiving votes, Miami lost to SMU (30th) and Louisville (37th).  How many teams in the top 25 did Miami beat?  ND beat both USC and PItt!  And then there is the statistic that as of the Sunday morning before the announcements were made Vegas had a 92

Eric Hansen: Kevin you make great points — including one that I believe got cut off — that are not going to make a dent in what happened now. You can’t out-logic a gaslighter.

Donnelly from Bridgeport, Conn.: Thanks, Eric, for this forum. No question, just a comment. I feel most sad for Coach Freeman.  He is a true gentleman who always acts with character and class, displaying intelligence and patience.  He teaches his players to work hard…that delayed gratification is worth the grind.  To see how he and his team were treated by the selection committee, the ACC, and ESPN makes you wonder how those young men can view that message without questioning its worth.  However, I am confident that with Coach Freeman as their coach, they will navigate their pain, anger and disappointment with the same class and dignity he exhibits.  Stay warm, and a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family.  Go, Irish 💚☘️

Eric Hansen: Thanks Donnelly, Man, I better not take a day off. I might get Wally Pipp-ed by one of your guys. Strong writing skills, buddy.

Chad from Tucson (by way of Goshen): Hey Eric! Thanks again for doing these chats! To me, Miami jumping ND in the final rankings and the conversation surrounding ND vs. Miami/ACC detracted from the committee’s most egregious act: the handling of Alabama, and specifically Alabama becoming the first team to not drop at least 1 spot after losing their CCG. That is the question I found myself wanting addressed in the immediate aftermath on the rankings reveal broadcast. Do you know if Hunter Yurachek has been asked or addressed this question in the days following the final rankings? How could they justify “punishing” BYU (and every other CCG loser up to this point), but not “punishing” Alabama, especially given their performance against Georgia? Thanks again!

Eric Hansen: Straight from the horse’s mouth in a teleconference with the media after the “show.”

Q. I was curious, you guys dropped BYU after losing the conference championship game, but you didn’t drop Alabama. I was just curious, why were those situations different?

HUNTER YURACHEK: The biggest difference in those two situations was the fact that Alabama had already beaten Georgia at Georgia earlier in the year. BYU had that same opportunity at Texas Tech earlier in the year, and BYU did not perform and look great in either one of those games versus Texas Tech, the one that was played about four weeks ago and then of course yesterday’s game. That was the biggest difference is Alabama had that big win at Georgia, which is arguably the best win of any team this season.

Q. To follow up on that, in the last two games, Alabama won a close game at Auburn, a team with a losing record, and then lost by a big margin against Georgia. How would the committee justify moving Alabama up one spot in the rankings over the course of the last two weeks based on the results of those games?

HUNTER YURACHEK: Yeah, last week I spoke about the committee felt strongly that when you’re comparing each week, the debate between Notre Dame and Alabama was strong and robust with arguments from the committee members on both sides. Great respect for both of those teams, but felt like last week going to a rival Auburn and the way Alabama played, especially in the first half of that game and then finding a way late in the fourth quarter to win that game was a feather in their cap above Notre Dame’s going out to the West Coast and playing in a less hostile environment and doing really what they should have done against Stanford.

Pete from Erie, Pa.: Hellooo Eric! Thanks for the chat! 2024 was a lot of fun! 2025 the opposite, ending tragically with a very “screw you Notre Dame” right in the face, even though it’s obviously ridiculous. Don’t like it? join a conference. This year was unlucky for ND to be just fringe enough that the powers-that-be (ESPN, SEC, CFP committee) thought they could get away with it, so they did. Unlucky that 9 teams finished with 1 loss or less (last yr there were 4). Unlucky there was very little chaos in November as usual. ND got to #12 after USC with 5 g/6 wks to go and barely moved because no upsets. There were some close calls but no help for ND to get to safety from the conspirators. I can’t be entertained by bowls or this debacle of a CFP (the F is for fiasco!) so moving on to hoops! for me. More so than ever, I hope ND keeps their independence, or, how about ND start their own conference? Make their own rules, play 7 games so you’re still flexible. Thanks Eric! Happy Holidays!

Eric Hansen: Happy Holidays Pete. I’ll put this in the allowable manifesto column.

Cowboy Mike Jefferson from Georgia: Eric – Does anyone realize the head of the CFB is also the Arkansas  AD. The same Arkansas that Notre Dame trounced so badly the AD had to then fire the football coach that he had hired. Payback Irish Nation. Payback!

Eric Hansen: Cowboy Mike. I think we were aware of that. But I don’t want to rile you up. At me.

Paul from Knoxville: Ciao Eric:  Non ho parole…other than the playoff committee appears to have lost any semblance of logic.  I suspect you’ll be getting all manner of comments and questions on this issue, but I’d like to approach it from another angle:  How do you think not going to the playoffs might influence players with remaining eligibility and who may be considering moving on, if at all?  I’m also wondering whether there’s any potential value in trying to use the committee’s decision as a means of motivation for next year?  I recall something similar happened to the ND MLAX team in 2022, which then proceeded to win the NC in 2023.  Thanks for hosting the chat under trying circumstances.

Eric Hansen: Ciao, Paul. I would expect someone who speaks Italian to tell the committee: “Sei un’oca!” Which implies that they are foolish, when corrupt might be more appropriate. Literally, you know it means you are a goose, and perhaps a female one at that. But that’s just a hypothetical. But to your question, which is a really good one, I think this is where you value Marcus Freeman as a leader. Because the players are watching how he reacts. And how he reacts is very different from how, say, Pat Narduzzi at Pitt might react. ND 2025 didn’t deserve this, but ND 2026 will funnel the bad into something to be feared.

Eric Hansen: OK, still a very full queue, but I went almost 90 minutes overtime, so I’m going to have to end it here. Amazing questions and opinions. I’m spoiled. And we’ll be back to do it all over again next week, Wednesday at noon ET.