The thing is, throughout his career, both as an assistant and now as the head coach of Notre Dame football, Marcus Freeman has been defined by his defenses. This is how he got the South Bend job, and this same approach was intended to bring consistency to the Irish team each autumn. That identity has changed this season. They’ve struggled significantly in that area, prompting him to seek solutions. And Arkansas is ready to crack that defense open, reportedly, with a new man in charge of the Razorbacks.

After a 2-2 start for Arkansas, HC Sam Pittman has landed in hot water, with rumors gaining traction that he, OC Bobby Petrino is being lined up to take over. If Petrino wants to push his way into an interim role, it starts with proving his offense can make a statement here. Tom Fornelli of Cover 3 didn’t mince words: “The ball in this game, they just can’t run the ball. Arkansas’s defense has been awful stopping the run. And we’ve seen Notre Dame has two very good running backs, and we saw some glimpses of it last week against, you know, Purdue. But I just want to see the Irish just kind of run all over this team. And if they don’t, I’ll be concerned.”

That’s one angle, but the other side is equally troubling. Chip Patterson asked, “Are you concerned about Notre Dame’s defense against Arkansas?” Danny Kanell jumped in: “Yes. 100%. I want to bet over. I just don’t trust Arkansas to show up after the last two weeks. Like, at some point, they just stopped caring.” The stats don’t exactly paint Notre Dame in a glowing light either. In the three games since Chris Ash took over as defensive coordinator, the Irish rank 118th in scoring defense, giving up 32.7 points a game, and sit at 101st in total defense, allowing nearly 400 yards a night. Which is obviously not the brand of football Marcus Freeman sold when he arrived.

Bud Elliott summed it up with a shrug: “Oh, it’s Notre Dame, though. I think if I knew I was getting a full effort from Arkansas, I’m betting over.” And then there’s the Petrino factor. As Chip pointed out, “But if Bobby Petrino is trying to position himself as the interim coach, they still got to score.” Fornelli countered, “I think it’s fair to say he’d be the interim no matter what, considering the experience.” The only crucial way out of all this is, as an OC, Petrino’s only path to relevance is putting points on the board.

To stop the Arkansas offense, Notre Dame has two choices: fight or fold. Marcus Freeman himself spelled it out. “During tough times, there’s two options: Fight or flight. And the guys that flight blame other people. It’s the call. It’s his fault. It’s this coach’s fault or it’s that player’s fault. We gave up a big play; that corner should’ve covered him. That’s the flight mode.”

The alternative, of course, is the fight mode Freeman desperately wants to see. “Gosh. Call man again. Call man again. I promise you my man’s not gonna catch the ball. I’m gonna play with the right technique and I’m gonna refuse to let my man catch the ball… I gotta coach this better. He should’ve known that this is the technique to play with. Okay, I gotta change his technique.”

It’s one thing to preach fight. It’s another to show it against a coordinator desperate for a headline and a team that smells blood.

Bobby Petrino is really serious about the interim role

After Arkansas’ 2-2 start, the pressure is mounting on Sam Pittman, whose overall record has now dipped to 32-33. That kind of middle-of-the-road mark doesn’t usually buy long-term security in the SEC, and it’s fair to wonder if a change could be looming. If that door opens, Bobby Petrino is making sure he’s first in line to walk through it.

The former Razorbacks head coach, who returned this season as offensive head, has been working the angles. According to CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello, “from people I’ve spoken to, Bobby Petrino has been working them phones, baby. He’s been talking a lot behind the scenes, he’s positioning himself to take over the Arkansas football program, at least on an interim basis, if Sam Pittman’s fired.”

Last year, DC Travis Williams was the frontrunner for the interim tag. But now? With Petrino’s offense showing more spark than the defense, the momentum has shifted.