NEW ORLEANS — Notre Dame will arrive in New Orleans on Sunday ready to make a statement.

“There’s got to be a consistency and sameness in approach to every game, and part of that is some of those values I believe in, and the only thing that matters is this game, right?” Freeman said. “One game, one life.”

The Irish will tackle Georgia in the Sugar Bowl CFP quarterfinal at 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday at Caesers Superdome looking to re-establish themselves among the powers of college football.

The newly expanded 12-team playoff is down to eight teams. Boise State and Penn State face off in the Fiesta Bowl on Tuesday (7:30 p.m., ESPN), with the winner playing the Sugar Bowl victor in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 9 (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

The winner of the Texas-Arizona State Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (1 p.m., ESPN, Wednesday) plays the winner of the Oregon-Ohio State Rose Bowl (5 p.m., ESPN, Wednesday) in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10 (7:30 p.m., ESPN).

It has been a challenging path for Freeman and his third Notre Dame football team since suffering an embarrassing 16-14 home loss to 7th-place Mid-American Conference team Northern Illinois the second week of the season.

“You find out the most about your team and yourself as an individual in tough times and the lowest moments,” said Freeman, once a Parade All-American recruit and Ohio State linebacker.

“What I learned about this program in its lowest moments is that they are resilient, and tough, they continue to battle, and they choose to find ways to elevate.”

It certainly hasn’t been easy, as Notre Dame’s 11-game win streak has included wins over No. 15 Louisville (31-24), Georgia Tech (31-13), No. 24 Navy (51-14), No. 18 Army (49-14), USC (49-35) and No. 10 Indiana (27-17).

The Irish knew each time out that one more loss could doom their season, their backs to the wall in every outing.

The playoff setting has served to heighten that sense of urgency even more.

“During the season, you know you have the next one, (but) in the playoffs, you gotta prepare in a way that gives your program the best opportunity to win,” Freeman said. “Put everything on the table.”

As Freeman has told his team, it has to “choose hard” every day.

“What you can’t do, I tell our program all the time is, be normal — make the decisions that normal people make …. ‚” Freeman said. “I don’t think everybody wakes up every single day and says, ‘I want to choose hard.’ I don’t think everybody wakes up every day and says, ‘I can’t wait to go and just try to find a way to be the best version of me today in practice.’

“I think that’s a decision you have to make.”

Notre Dame has made that decision with 11 wins in a row and Georgia next on deck.