SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Nine final thoughts on Notre Dame’s 52-0 blowout of Rice, which answered a few questions but also requires grading the Irish on a curve.1. Did Notre Dame learn enough about Noah Grubbs and Teddy Jarrard to answer the big question?Marcus Freeman wouldn’t say, but at some point this season, Notre Dame will have to decide whether it’s seen enough in Grubbs or Jarrard to build next year’s offense around one of them. Either can be QB2 for now. Whether they can be QB1 in 2027 could be a $6 million question, assuming Notre Dame targets a quarterback at the top of the transfer market.Grubbs went 7-of-11 for 78 yards. He didn’t complete anything down the field and was late on a fourth-down throw to Bubba Frazier. He also seemed to have some command of the offense, adjusting protections and checking plays. It was a similar story for Jarrard, who went 2-of-2 for 29 yards with nothing thrown downfield.“It matters. Everything matters, right?” Freeman said. “The amount of plays, both of them getting to play in Notre Dame Stadium in a real game, how they played, it all matters. It’s a great opportunity for us to coach them, to evaluate them on a different level than practice, where the play clocks matter, the formations matter, everything matters.”It would be ridiculous for Notre Dame to make a decision on next season based on the second half of a 52-0 blowout. These debuts are more first step than final one in making the call on next year’s quarterback. But like Freeman said, everything matters.2. This was not a breakout for Jaden Greathouse. He already did that in the College Football Playoff two years ago. But three targets for three catches and 48 yards has got to be something. This 23-yarder in the first quarter feels significant simply because CJ Carr checks into the play, then goes to Greathouse, who’s actually well covered, yet Carr delivers a pass on Greathouse’s back shoulder, where only the receiver can make a play on the ball. It’s the kind of throw and catch that feels more like forcing the issue than just letting the defense dictate where the ball goes.