Notre Dame is quite familiar with Ohio State, its upcoming opponent in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
The Fighting Irish and Buckeyes met during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, with Ohio State winning both matchups, including a 17-14 win in South Bend in 2023, a game that was decided on the final play. Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame’s third-year head coach, played at OSU from 2004-08, earning a pair of second-team All-Big Ten selections. Freeman also started his coaching career as a grad assistant at his alma mater in 2010.
But with eight days to go until his team takes the field in Atlanta, Freeman is deflecting any discussion of his ties to Ohio State.
Asked on Sunday if playing his alma mater is a “full circle moment,” Freeman shook off the question.
“In terms of this season, yes, from where we started,” Freeman said, via On3. “You know, the start (with Texas A&M) and you know, the loss to Northern Illinois to now … we’re getting ready to play for the national championship, it’s full circle. This has nothing to do with the past and where I went to school. This is about this opportunity that lies right ahead of us.”
Since that loss to Northern Illinois on Sept. 7, Notre Dame has ripped off 13 straight wins. In the College Football Playoff, the Irish have taken down Indiana, Georgia and Penn State to earn their berth in the title game.
Notre Dame, which hasn’t won a national championship since 1988, last played for the title against Alabama 12 years ago under the old BCS system. The Irish made the four-team College Football Playoff twice under Brian Kelly, but lost in the semifinals in 2018 and 2020.
This weekend, Freeman and his staff didn’t bask in the glow of Thursday’s semifinal win. In addition to beginning preparation for the Buckeyes, Notre Dame also landed four transfer commitments: defensive linemen Jared Dawson (Louisville) and Elijah Hughes (USC), safety Jalen Stroman (Virginia Tech) and kicker Noah Burnette (UNC).
It’s been a good month so far for the Irish.
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