A lot of college observers looked at Notre Dame and dismissed the Fighting Irish when they lost their first two games of the season to Miami and Texas A&M. The losses were problematic and painful to the team's fans, but the last thing that head coach Marcus Freeman was going to do was give up on the season.

In the first place, both losses were close. The Hurricanes edged Notre Dame by a 27-24 margin, using a late field goal to gain their narrow edge. The Fighting Irish battle Texas A&M on even terms late in the game and they didn't lose until the visitors scored a touchdown with 13 seconds remaining to gain a 41-40 triumph.

In years past, two losses to start the season would have meant that playing for the national championship was all but eliminated. However, in the era of the College

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