Marcus Freeman finds himself in a tough spot after that 27-24 road loss to No. 10 Miami in the opener, a game decided by a 47-yarder with 1:04 left after a furious Irish rally led by CJ Carr. Now, every week feels heavier, and hosting No. 16 Texas A&M only amplifies it because the Aggies are 2-0 and bring ranked equity the committee notices in September. Win, and the course stabilizes; lose, and the margin for error in a 12-team bracket starts to feel more theoretical than real for an independent program, without a conference title game safety net.

If the Irish stumble again, are their playoff hopes crushed? Not necessarily, but they’d need supreme help, and it might feel like calling on Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit themselves to line it up. Paul Finebaum broke down a workable but narrow lane. They’d need an elite win later and wish all luck for their best opponents to keep winning so those losses age well on Selection Day. In other words, stack wins, and let the schedule mature into quality; don’t let 0-2 become the whole story before the leaves even turn.

“The only way they could do that is if they get a lot of help, and they would need Southern Cal to to be to be great. Um, I’m trying to think who else could help them on the schedule, but really, they’d have to get help.” Finebaum said, outlining how a two-loss Independent needs ranked pelts in November and cooperative opponents elsewhere. USC currently sits outside the AP Top 25 but is receiving votes, and a surge would transform that matchup into the exact boost Notre Dame’s resume would need if they’re clawing back from 0-2. Add that the Irish don’t have a conference title game to rescue seeding or secure an automatic champion slot, and it becomes even clearer why a ranked USC win would be the lifeline in a two-loss scenario.

“I think they would really be in a terribly awkward spot. Now, if A&M has a good run, then, you know, those could be two really great losses. So, that would be they need a big win over over a ranked SC and they would need A&M and Miami to to be serious contenders,” Finebaum added, putting names to the math problem. A&M is 2-0 and ranked No. 16 headed to South Bend, so the “quality” component is on the table right now, while Miami climbed into the top five, giving the opener legitimate staying power on the sheet if the ‘Canes keep stacking wins. Pair that with a late-season ranked USC, and suddenly a two-loss Independent’s at-large resume shifts from long shot to plausible.

So, the task becomes simple and brutal. One day at a time, fix what frayed at Miami, and start cashing chances like Saturday night against A&M, because the bracket won’t wait. That means cleaner protection, steadier defensive pressure, and a commitment to their bell cow on the ground, with more touches for Jeremiyah Love after the opener left meat on the bone in the run game. Beat A&M, and the Irish are back on schedule. But a loss, and they absolutely must turn USC into a ranked scalp while hoping Miami and A&M stay shiny enough to keep the numbers smiling in December.

Elko’s chess match

Mike Elko kept it simple and sharp, framing this week as less mystery and more moves on a familiar board: “You know, obviously the schemes are similar. You know, I think,  they’re pretty well entrenched in who they are and what they do. We’re pretty well entrenched in who we are and what we do. And so, that’s always an exciting chess match when you go into a game like that.” After Notre Dame’s opener slipped away at Miami, this is about executing cleaner within known structures for the Fighting Irish. Elko’s respect for CJ Carr lives inside that idea,  prepare for what’s on tape, test protections, and make the freshman win patient downs rather than hero-ball throws.

He then widened the lens to explain why this meeting feels more defined than last September: “I think last year there was a lot more unknown. It was Coach (Mike) Denbrock’s first game there as an OC, and we didn’t know exactly what it would all look like. It was our first game as a staff, and so I think there’s a little bit more of that chess match that will go on, and that’s always interesting.” So, both sides have real tendencies now, and that cuts both ways. For A&M, it means trusting structure on defense and letting their speed play downhill. For Notre Dame, it means leaning into Carr’s timing with the quick game and rhythm shots while asking the ground game to carry more of the middle quarters.

Threaded back to the bigger Notre Dame conversation, Elko’s tone raises the stakes without the bulletin-board bluster. The Irish, fresh from a gut-punch finish, need a week that steadies the line, clarifies the run fits, and gives Jeremiyah Love room to breathe. The Aggies intend to crowd that airspace and make every yard a negotiation. If Notre Dame really is walking the tightrope, Elko’s version of respect is the toughest kind.