From a 0-2 setback to seven straight victories, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish have climbed into the top ten. Marcus Freeman’s program’s latest rankings (No.9) raised eyebrows. But their quarterback, CJ Carr’s breakout play, makes Notre Dame’s top-10 placement hard to argue. More so when Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns slide behind them.

On November 11, analyst Graham Coffrey tweeted, quoting Mack Rhodes, who sang highly of Freeman’s quarterback. “Notre Dame a team whose won 7 straight. Feels like the Arkansas game was a turning point for them offensively,” he said. “Carr at the quarterback spot, he’s the third-ranked QB in passing efficiency.” Taking Carr’s statistics into account as compared to his quarterback peers, we will get a fair idea.

When it comes to completion percentage, the chart topper is Ohio State Buckeyes’ Julian Sayin, 80.9%, where Carr is at No.25 with 67.6%. Talking about passing efficiency? Carr is the top freshman and No.3 with a 176.8 rating, while Sayin tops the list. The Notre Dame quarterback is the national leader with 10.11 yards per attempt. Not just this. In one of the categories, he even exceeded the numbers of his predecessors.

Carr has transformed the offense, showing efficiency and big-play ability through the air. On throws between 10-19 yards, he’s completed 17 of 23 passes (74%) for 12.1 yards per attempt, 4 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a stellar 153.8 passer rating, far outpacing Riley Leonard and Sam Hartman. This brings up the Manning discussion. 

Texas moved up one spot in Tuesday’s rankings to No. 10 after debuting at No. 11 in the initial CFP Top 25 last week. But even then, Sarkisian and co. still can’t throw a party. Notre Dame may be on fire after a 0-2 start, but with the same record as Texas and a weaker resume, Freeman’s boys were not expected to beat the Longhorns in the CFP rankings. 

Texas’ season features two Top 10 wins and a loss that barely counts, a 14-7 battle in Columbus against Ohio State that proves their toughness. But turns out when it comes to the quarterback factor, Carr has been the catalyst for Notre Dame’s CFP rise. Taking into account the strength of schedule and strength of record, Vanderbilt actually has better numbers. So, Carr’s efficient play at quarterback makes the offense more effective than raw stats might suggest. For instance, lately, the college football world is going gaga over how he won the Navy game. 

CJ Carr rose above the odds and shone in a snowy showdown with Navy

Carr torched Navy for 218 yards and three touchdowns as No. 10 Notre Dame rolled to a 49-10 win on a snowy Saturday, marking the Irish’s seventh straight victory. Completing 13 of 16 passes, Carr helped Notre Dame surge to a 42-10 lead before giving way to backup Kenny Minchey late in the third quarter.

For many Midwestern QBs, bad weather is a problem. But not for Carr, who’s honed his game through endless rainy and snowy days in Saline. Freeman’s quarterback carries with himself the legendary pedigree of his grandfather, former Michigan head coach Lloyd Carr. “I love it. I talk about this to my dad a lot. When you see a southern quarterback on the other side, it’s almost like ‘I can take him’,” said the quarterback in the post-game presser. “I’ve played in the rain and the snow. It’s not fun. I would rather be in the sunshine, but I can handle the situation.”

Fresh off a heroic win, CJ Carr is riding high. However, other than that, GOAT Tom Brady has signed himself up for Team Carr. He has dubbed him the “best quarterback” since Joe Burrow. Will the quarterback be able to live up to the hype, or crack under pressure?