Notre Dame football is looking to follow the path of its top-tier lacrosse programNotre Dame wide receiver Jordan Faison (6) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half of a NCAA football game against Navy at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesIn this story:Notre Dame men's lacrosse fell in tough fashion Monday to Princeton in the national championship game.It was Notre Dame's third trip to national championship game in the last four seasons, having won it all in both 2023 and 2024.However, it's what happened the year before Notre Dame's run began that may provide something Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish football program can learn from.Notre Dame Lacrosse Was Robbed of 2022 Tournament BerthAfter starting the 2022 lacrosse season just 1-4, Notre Dame rallied to an 8-4 finish in the regular season. Wins over the likes of Syracuse, Duke, and North Carolina had the Irish thinking it was NCAA Tournament bound, and that it could do a good amount of damage once it got there.Unfortunately, that team was left on the outside looking in of the NCAA Tournament.While Maryland went on to beat Cornell in the national championship that year, Notre Dame spent the postseason at home thinking about what might have been.Or did it?Sulking doesn't seem to be how Notre Dame responded under the direction of head coach Kevin Corrigan. It came out in 2023 and went 14-2 enroute to a national championship, before following it up with a 16-1 mark and another title in 2024.— Notre Dame Lacrosse (@NDlacrosse) May 29, 2023In total, Notre Dame has gone a combined 52-11 since being left out of the 2022 NCAA Tournament, won a pair of national championships, and appeared in a third national championship game.Can Marcus Freeman Follow Corrigan's Lead?While seemingly the rest of college football is busy making excuses as to why fewer big games need to be played in the regular season, Marcus Freeman isn't letting Notre Dame run from anything.In seemingly every interview he's done this off-season, Freeman has made clear that Notre Dame football needs to remember the pain it went through when it was left out of last season's playoff.While he could cry about Alabama's inclusion in last year's College Football Playoff (Lord knows I have plenty), Freeman has instead chosen to accept responsibility for close losses against both Miami and Texas A&M being the reason."It's up to us to leave no doubt."Marcus Freeman shared his team's mindset after being left out of this year's CFP. pic.twitter.com/dmV7cdZexv— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) January 19, 2026"Leave no doubt" is what Freeman has directed his players and staff to do in preparation for 2026.If that message is able to be received, maybe just maybe, four years from now we're looking at a football program that has a couple more national championships to its name.Anonymous Coaches Preview Notre Dame Football in 2026Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollowPublished 12 minutes agoNICK SHEPKOWSKIManaging Editor for Notre Dame On SI. Started covering Chicago sports teams for WSCR the Score, and over the years worked with CBS Radio, Audacy, NBC Sports, and FOX Sports as a contributor before running the Notre Dame wire site for USA TODAY.