JotCast | Notre Dame Football Live Chat | Nov. 11, 2026 | 11/11/2026

Notre Dame Football Live Chat | Nov. 11, 2026

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Eric Hansen

3:23

Ok, I went way into overtime and have to hustle to get ready for a podcast. Thanks for all the great questions. We'll be back to do it all again next Wednesday at noon ET.

3:22

So where does my heart lie, with people who live life with integrity. That's what I admire over anything else. And I come across a lot of people who fit that description over the years at Notre Dame (and other places). But I was asked on a podcast (Shadow of the Golden Dome with Gene McDonald) earlier this year to describe my experience covering Notre Dame in a couple of words. And I said "life changing" because of the people, including the fans. So, I hope that answers your question.

3:18

The last thing I am thinking about is trying to control an outcome I have zero control over. I am trying to tell the story of the game, including the whys. That aligns well with my analytical mind. And I am grateful for that, because then I believe I can present an accurate picture of what happened instead of slanting it to what people want to hear. (more)

3:16

Hi Packy. I grew up in Ohio and was an Ohio State fan at that time, but always admired Notre Dame from afar, because I really liked how Ara coached and how he conducted himself as a man. And then when I got to meet him and interact with him fairly regularly in his retirement years later, I found that impression was not only true but better than I had envisioned. I know a lot of people want to know who you are rooting for in a game, and I get that. But not everyone watches games or does this job through that prism. (more)

Packy from Naperrville,Il

Hi Eric, personal question for you, from a sub alum who went to NIU and was cheering for ND 2yrs ago. I know you’re a journalist….but you went to OSU, which isnt exactly NIU. Did you grow up an ND fan or did it just start as a job and grew from there? Where does your heart lay?

3:13

Hi Eric, i have a personal question, something ive always been interested in as a sub alum who went to niu and was cheering for ND 2yrs ago. I know you’re a journalist, first and foremost, BUT, you went to OSU, which isnt exactly NIU….did you grow up an ND fan, given the years of coverage, I assume you are more than just a journalist when it comes to ND. Any commentary on where your heart lies. I know sever

Eric Hansen

3:13

You mean Manny from San Pedro to be clear for those who are not regulars in the chat. We had another Manny today, who's also awesome. I don't think it was a weight. I think it was an opportunity that had been working for, for a long time and seized it. And it was more that sense of accomplishment when you have faith in yourself and others and it comes to fruition. ... I would expect this team to seize the opportunity to beat Boston College and continue toward its goal of winning a national ttitle. How that plays on TV, I'm not sure. But I interview Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa last night and he was ready to run through a wall -- -and me If I got in the way, for that matter.

HotCarNut from Port St. Lucie, FL

First: Do you sense a weight off Freeman and the team’s shoulders after getting the big Miami win? He had looked…different in press conferences and media since BYU. Second, do you think the Miami game reset the bar for how the players come out emotionally ready? I realize it’s easier to get up for a big game, but this is the first game this year where everyone seemed to play with an attitude. The difference was noticeable, particularly on D.

3:08

Hi Eric! I won’t go exclamation point crazy like Manny, but I AM very excited after the big game against Miami. My question has two parts: first, do you sense a weight off Freeman (and the team’s

Eric Hansen

3:08

Chuck, you are on fire today, and thanks for the compliments. I think we answered the DBs part, but I think the coaching question it's reasonable to believe that was not a mirage!

Chuck from "The Land"

3:06

Thanks Eric, you have been BETTER than ever this year! Coming off a high, beating the hated, excuse-laden Canes, here are my 2 questions: 1) Sanders cannot keep his hands off WR's, GRAY is like the FBI following people with a tackle every once in awhile and Zachery was TOAST. What are our other options if any b4 the SMU passing attack hits? ( Tae or Joey to CB?) 2) Will the reckless abandon of the D and the unpredictability of the O remain or was this just a mirage? (Kudos to MF for intervening with his Coaches) "Save Jimmy Johnson's a-- for me"

Eric Hansen

3:06

Hi Jim, we've hit the Zackery question, but let's get to the others. 1. No, ND does its own scouting and the Irish, under Matt Jansen, are very very good at it and very well organized, almost obsessively so. 2. Great planning, great energy, master mulitasker. 3. All of the above at different times.

Jim From Springfield, IL

3:03

He started at corner for two years, why not switch Christian Gray when Mark Zachery struggled and bring in a backup at nickle? Does ND use a service to scout transfers, or do they do it all in house? How does Coach Freeman have time to meet individually with all those recruits, do the radio and tv stuff and still coach the most important game of the year, all in 2 or 3 days? When the players review the game film do they do it as a team, with their position group, or individually with their coach? Thanks

Eric Hansen

3:03

I think ND will lean that way, yes.

MikeD from Rochester NY

3:03

Eric, do you anticipate that Notre Dame will continue to play a very aggressive man past defense over the next three games? to further hone the player skills in playing man defense to prepare for the playoffs? it would seem appropriate to try and help Mark Zaccaria improve his man coverage as well as get the two young freshmen out there a bit

Eric Hansen

3:02

If ND went up big and stayed up big, I can't see why the Irish would leave any starter in -- playing hurt or otherwise.

3:01

Hi The Beave. It was running through my mind too. My Cristobal tells me they would have kicked and played for overtime. If they weren't going to go for it from fourth and goal inside the 1 on the first half, they were not going to have the ... guts ... to go for 2. ... I think if Brauntae Johnson comes back before the playoff, he would be the one considered for the role at nickel (or corner) and Talich would stay put. You could also rotate the three safeties (Johnson, Talich, Shuler) and also use Talich in the box at times as a third linebacker. Lots of great options. I don't think they'll move Gray as long as Sanders and Moore are healthy. And remember McKinney will be back at some point. (more)

The Beave. Grand Rapids

2:56

Eric The Great: As we waited for replay to determine if Miami scored in the 4thQ up 31-24, your retro 31-30 prediction was not lost on me. I’m glad it didn’t come down to the two point conversion—again! #partylikeits1988 Look in your “Cristobal” and tell us if Miami would have gone for two with 3+ minutes left? Even before Braunte Johnson returns, we are blessed with 3-4 exceptional safeties and are short on CB bodies. Any discussion of moving Luke Talich to rover/nickel to keep him on the field and moving Christian Gray back outside—even if temporarily to buy Leonard Moore some rest or until one of the young CBs earns some trust? Do you know of defenders not on the injury report playing hurt who could get a break if ND handles BC early?

Eric Hansen

2:56

Thanks for the follow-up Len!

Len from the Jersey Shore

2:55

A quick note on special teams. ND PFF special team score cleared 70 easily in all of the first 4 games. Over the ast five only games only Stanford game cleared 70. NC, BYU and Miami were in the 60's. Navy was in the 50's. Definitely a trend downward.

Eric Hansen

2:55

Oh I like your entry point into that question. four and a half gold stars for that one. As long as ND looks like a team that is still improving and doesn't play with its food, especially against BC and Syracuse, that's reasonable. There are a couple of things out of ND's control. 1) Miami needs to keep winning. A loss diminishes the victory for ND. The other is I'd root for SMU against Wake. That would boost a potential victory by ND over SMU the following week.

The German - Fort Wayne

2:51

Eric - I understand that trying to predict the Clown Show Committee's bipolar thought process week over week is about like throwing darts drunk and blindfolded in the dark. But assuming the Irish win out what are your thoughts on whether the Irish ranking "floor" is 5 vs. the possibility we get jumped and drop from 5 over the last 3 weeks or some random penalization for not playing in a conference championship.

Eric Hansen

2:51

Scott, happy Wednesday!!!! with the emphasis on happy. A lot of happy people these days. But more work ahead ... thanks for the compliment and the directive LOL. I am not sure I'd do a coaching bests column. We do a grade card each game that includes that (Tyler James), so for me I kind of incorporate coaching into my columns when it applies. I like the idea, however. Maybe Tyler will steal it. Only Jack and Tyler decided to go on the field and risk getting run over LOL. I took the elevator down and went straight to the presser. I think there I spotted a Baby Ruth bar along my route!

Scott, Greenville SC

2:44

Happy Wednesday to you Eric!!!! What an incredible game, but ND has to have the same level of intensity going forward. Kind of like the columns you write everyday! Speaking of columns, are you or your colleagues going to do an in depth piece on the best coaching games over the past couple years? I think Ash coached his best game since arriving! Aggressive and violent! At the same time, the coaches prepping the team was outstanding! To keep the team focused, from your perspective, is it more important that the coaches or captains, keep the team ready each game? I suspect that might be you in your on3 staff meetings. Lastly, I asked this the other night on FNS, how was it for you, Jack, Tyler, and others to rush the field? Don't tell us you didn't! I bet when you got on the field, your first words were, "Cinderella story! Tears in the eyes, about to win their next CFP championship!"

Eric Hansen

2:44

Hi MikeD. Thank you. It was the most view episode we've ever had in a season where we've now tripled the audience we started the season with, so thanks for watching, It means a lot. I hope to get more detail soon, but the only players who have been ruled out for the playoff are two ... backup CB Chaz Smith and boundary receiver Quincy Porter, and neither of them played this season. Everyone else is in play for the playoff. I will try to get a sense of how much and who soon.

MikeD from Rochester NY

2:39

Eric, great FNS on Monday!). I know Marcus hasn’t given any specific timelines for return of the injured players, but do you have any insight or off the record information that indicate whether we will have all the injured defensive starters back for the playoffs? I thought all of the 2’s and 3’s played their butts off on Saturday and it’s a credit to their hard work. and the coaching staffs recruiting of depth that the defense stopped Miami as well as it did! It would still be great to have all the starters back for the playoff run!

Eric Hansen

2:38

Ciao, Paisan! I am celebrating with you all -- my people! These chats are a highlight for me. Let me get to your questions: 1. I don't think so. The deeper you get into the season, you've figured a lot out about your team and you also have a lot of tape on opponents, so there's less need to probe. But there's always going to be the need to do in-game adjustments. 2. Not concerned as long as no knew injuries. BC is not a good passing team. SMU and Syracuse are. 3. That's a priority. So is ND's own tight end play. That needs to keep coming. 4. That BC QB is good. They don't have the offensive line or the other pieces to make that really painful. ... And yes, thank you for giving a salute to the vets, and I join you in that!

Paul from Knoxville

2:31

Ciao Eric: Che bella partita!!! I hope you celebrated with a turkey leg and some vino Italiano! I was particularly impressed by how the team did not lose its composure when Miami mounted a comeback. Turning to the upcoming game, I'd like to ask whether you think there is cause for concern about any of the following:

A possible slow start by the Irish on both sides of the ball (Btw, I really enjoyed your excellent article about the "Miami hangover?")
A potential lack of depth now at CB, given how Mark Z appeared to struggle against Miami
Our ability, or inability, to cover TEs consistently
Potential for BC's use of misdirection against our D like BYU did

Lastly, I'd like to send best wishes and much gratitude to all the chatters who are current or former veterans.

Eric Hansen

2:30

Hi Pogo. I don't like to take away from another team's surges, but Leonard Moore being out of the game was seismic. Give Miami credit for taking advantage of it. I think Malachi Toney is as impressive as they come, but if you start doing inventory, Notre Dame was missing a preseason All-America safety (Brauntae Johnson), a preseason All-America linebacker and captain (Drayk Bowen), two starting DTs (Francis Brewu and Jason Onye) and a starting cornerback (DJ McKinney). College football is about building depth to deal with injuries and rising to the occasion.

Pogo from Madison

2:27

Eric, great win this weekend! It was a tale of 2 halves. There is a part of me that believes the second half comeback was due in large part to cornerback losses, which has largely been omitted in the narrative. Less charitably, it could be interpreted that Miami was figuring their offense out that first half without Toney and what we saw in the second half is their new floor on offense. The first option gives me confidence that we would beat Miami again on a neutral field, while the second makes me nervous. What is your thought after the latest Game of the Century?

Eric Hansen

2:26

Hi Jack. Sometimes it's hard to get that sense even in the press box. That was NOT the case on Saturday. Yes, it affected the game. Of all the games I've been at it Notre Dame Stadium, definitely top 5 and probably No. 1. Check that, definiitely No. 1.

Jack,Strongsville, Ohio

2:21

Hi Eric. Watching on television it is hard to gauge the crowd noise and impact on the momentum of the game. What are your thoughts on how the home field impacted last Saturday's victory for ND? How does this crowd rank based on your history at Notre Dame Stadium? Thanks for your continued great work.

Eric Hansen

2:21

I think there's some middle ground here that honors both what's best for the ND program and the perpetual thank you to Navy and that's putting that game at the start of the season to get it out of the way and/or not playing it on an annual basis, but maybe once every other year or every four years.

2:20

Hi Janek, we kicked this around on our Sunday Roundtable YouTube show recently, and I can understand where you are coming from. And thanks for the longtime follow and nudging yourself into the question portal to ask a question. The injuries aren't as severe or common in recent years with the modification of cut blocks in the NCAA rulebook. But beyond that, the schematic curveball, is it worth it? Even when Navy is highly ranked, as the Mids were last year, ND doesn't seem to get strength-of-schedule credit because of the "brand." Beating an inferior SEC team with a losing record would seem to pad the resume more for the CFP committee. (more)

Janek, DelRay Beach, FL

2:14

Long time reader, first chat question. Is it time to end the ND-Navy series? I've been following the Irish since my Freshman year at ND in 1965, and appreciate the history of Navy saving ND from going under during the war. This seems to be the primary argument for continuing the series. Since 1965 it seems that we always have little to gain and much to lose from the game result in terms of schedule strength. Every year, several of our players seem to incur injuries from their chop blocking techniques, even though coaches claim Navy is not intentionally trying to injure our players. With the announcement of the 24 team CFP playoff format, much rescheduling is occurring. Perhaps the time is ripe and overdue to drop the Navy series.

Eric Hansen

2:14

Manny!!!!! Thanks for the hype and the punctuation. And not even a difficult question involving complex math to follow. You made my day!

Manny from Miamisburg

2:11

What a great opening line!!!***. “Marcus Freeman escaped from the field-storming he had just helped trigger late Saturday night at Notre Dame Stadium, soaked in sweat and saturated in history.” I have long admired your work but was so taken with that line I had to finally send you a note. I, along with so many others, am so appreciative of your tremendous contributions to the Notre Dame story. Thank you for the exemplary service you provide.

Eric Hansen

2:11

Hello Len!!!! Thank you for the nice email and thanks for stopping by the book signing and introducing yourself. It was fun to meet you. To your question, it's hard to decipher what the committee really values and it seems to change each week. And I am glad you think the AP voters do a better job, since I am one of them, but objectively I do. And some of that is that goofy pod system they use in ranking teams, in which if you're not in the same pod, you can't compare these teams. WHAT????? To beat answer your question, I think the committee values a great win over any kind of loss, good or bad, even though their gulding principles only point to rewarding good losses.

Len from the Jersey Shore

2:05

Hello Eric!!!!!!!!1 Do you feel how and who you lose to is at valued as who you beat by the CFP committee? I will give you an example. Texas can beat a talented Ohio State team when they had their QB, a good Tenn. team, and a ranked Missouri team, but lose to an unranked Oklahoma team, an unranked Florida team, and let's say an unranked Texas A & M team and still make the playoffs. I know there are too many moving points so just use the example to give your take on of the committee values losses enough. I think the AP voters just do a better job. Last year Alabama and Oklahoma made the playoff Alabama had a loss to a 5-7 Florida state team and showed all the signs of being non competitive to a good team. Oklahoma loss by 17 to Texas.

Eric Hansen

2:05

For the season, Craig is at 62.0, which is 26th of the 50 offensive players who have logged game snaps in 2026. Zackery is at 58.8, which is 38th of 43 on defense.

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