Marcus Freeman took over the Notre Dame football program officially during bowl season of his first year in South Bend in 2021, and almost defeated Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl.

Over the next five full seasons plus a partial 2026, he’s amassed a 49-13 record, with a berth in the College Football Playoff championship game during the 2024 season. By all accounts it would seem as if Freeman has had a very successful tenure with the Irish, but it’s left many wanting more.

That extra is win over top programs, and while there are a few, after losing to BYU this past weekend has people wondering if this is the same Notre Dame they’ve seen since its last title in 1988. Let’s take a look at the big games that Freeman has coached in year-by-year and we’ll come to a conclusion if he’s really struggled in big game (considered as a top-10 opponent at the time of the game).

2021 - Oklahoma State

Freeman got the raw end of the deal here, as Brian Kelly bolted for LSU during bowl prep, leaving the Irish high and dry. Notre Dame would fall behind 21-7, and 28-14 at the half, but would storm back to tie the game at 28. Unfortunately, the Irish would fall just short, losing 37-35. Hard to pin this one on Freeman, but it’s still a loss in a big game.

Big game record: 0-1

2022 - Ohio State, Clemson, and USC

It was a very tough start for the first full season under Freeman, as the Irish wouldn’t put up much of a fight against the Buckeyes in the season opener. An 11-point loss was the result, and would continue the struggles against Ohio State. The first big win of Freeman’s career would come later in the season, as the Irish demolished Clemson, 35-14. It was a complete performance from the team, as they’d take an early lead and never look back. The third big test of the year was against rival USC, and it was a highly competitive game, but Notre Dame would end up losing 38-27.

Big game record: 1-3

2023 - Ohio State and USC

The Irish looked to seek out some revenge against the Buckeyes and almost did exactly that. They’d need a last second touchdown to secure the win, one that was literally slipped out of their hands. While it was still a loss, this one felt like Notre Dame was making its way to the front of the class. A few weeks later, the Trojans would come to South Bend, and go home with their tails between their legs with a 48-20 defeat to the Irish.

Big game record: 2-4

2024 - Indiana, Georgia, Penn State and Ohio State

Notre Dame would play more than a few games against ranked opponents, and aside from a Week 1 bad loss to Northern Illinois, would wipe the floor with everyone else, but didn’t see a top-10 opponent until the College Football Playoff. The playoff run to the title game would start off with a rousing 27-17 win over Indiana in the first-round, giving the team tons of confidence with Georgia next. Notre Dame would take care of the Bulldogs, in a tough battle that took a complete effort resulting in a 23-10 victory. Penn State was next, and it would go like the previous two, with the Irish winning, 27-24. This is where the fun ended, as Notre Dame would fall to the Buckeyes 34-23 in the title game. A great run, but just short of ending the long championship drought. This streak would really make a move for Freeman, finally putting him over .500 against top-10 teams.

Big game record: 5-4

2025 - Miami

The season opener saw the Irish breaking in a new starting quarterback in CJ Carr and almost get a huge road victory to start the year. Notre Dame would fall 27-24, as a late field goal by the Hurricanes was the deciding score. No other top-10 teams would face the Irish, as they’d ultimately opt out of a bowl game after the CFP decided not to put them in the 12-team field.

Big game record: 5-5

2026 - BYU and soon Miami

Freeman would fall below the .500 mark by losing to the Cougars, in a game that we’d love to see them play again. The Irish didn’t look like the team that had been fairly dominant in its first six games, not having an answer for quarterback Bear Bachmeier. With so much shakeup following the series of Week 7 upsets, Miami found themselves at the top of the polls, setting up another top-10 matchup for Notre Dame. Freeman can get back to .500 with a win the first weekend of November.

Big game record: 5-6

Marcus Freeman

I don’t think that the shade that Freeman has received since the BYU loss is warranted. Sure, Notre Dame isn’t in the top-10 of big game wins since 2021, but going .500 against the top competition isn’t anything to be ashamed of. If you look at the complete top-25, the Irish have the third most wins since 2021 with 17, trailing only Georgia and Alabama. Look, we all get the frustration with Freeman after the Cougars beat this up this past weekend, but he’s still been a very good coach and is on the younger side. He’ll get plenty of more opportunities to improve on this record. While it seems like the sky is falling, I think it’s a major overreaction of a single-loss, and they’ll be more.