Leftovers & Links: Marcus Freeman predicted Notre Dame would need two QBs; past and present prove him right

Marcus Freeman was right about one football reality during preseason practices. When he told Drew Pyne that Tyler Buchner would start for Notre Dame at Ohio State to open the season, he reminded Pyne that two quarterbacks are needed to get through a season.

Freeman would have preferred to be wrong about that, but it is now the Irish present. Including this year, 11 of the last 13 Notre Dame seasons have leaned on multiple quarterbacks, the two exceptions being Ian Book’s surge to become the all-time winningest quarterback in Irish history in 2019 and 2020. Otherwise, suspension (2013) or injury has forced in a backup (2010, 2015, 2017) when performance has not (2011’s trip to Stanford, the 2014 bowl game victory against LSU, most of 2016, a pivotal change in 2018) with on notable unbeaten season carried by a closer concept.

Thus, Freeman’s confidence in Pyne needed to be voiced in August more than it does now, because keeping Pyne fully engaged this season was always likely to lead to Pyne playing in competitive moments this season.

“As I said when we addressed the quarterback competition in fall camp, I have the utmost confidence in both of those guys being able to lead our offense and lead this football team,” Freeman said Monday. “… You don’t know when his time is going to be, but I knew it was going to come at some point. Here it is.

“He’s always prepared like the starter. He’s prepared like a pro. That’s who Drew Pyne is and he went out [Sunday] and Drew Pyne doesn’t need to be any different than who he’s always been, no matter if he was QB1 or QB2.”

Pyne may not need to be different than who he typically is, but he is different than Buchner. Freeman intends to keep plenty of quarterback running in the playbook, but