Marcus Freeman might as well swap his headset for a chessboard. Because this postseason, he’s been making moves that would leave even Magnus Carlsen second-guessing. Thanks to his brilliant tactics, the Fighting Irish are on the verge of a storybook moment, with a shot at the Natty for the first time since 1988. His latest masterstroke? A trick play so crafty it made the notoriously sharp Kirby Smart look like he needed a cheat sheet. But now as they prepare to take on Penn State in the Orange Bowl, their task hasn’t been made easy.

Notre Dame’s 23-10 Sugar Bowl stunner over No. 2 Georgia wasn’t just an upset. It was a mic-drop moment for a program itching to reclaim its glory. But as the Fighting Irish bask in the glow of their biggest win in years, they have been dealt a tough hand in their quest for glory.

As you might be aware, Notre Dame’s clash against Georgia was initially supposed to take place on Wednesday, January 3. However, the game had to be postponed after a deadly attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans in the early hours of January 1. Thus the Sugar Bowl was delayed till Thursday, when Freeman’s team emerged victorious 23-10 on an emotional evening.

On the other hand, Penn State had seen off Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl in the New Year’s Eve game, which means for they have already had enough time to rest and prepare for the Orange Bowl, which will be contested on January 9. But for Notre Dame, it means a shorter turnaround time. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey had asked the CFP if it would be possible to switch up the game with the Cotton Bowl which takes place a day before on January 10 pitting Texas against Ohio State, but it seems that won’t be happening.

“We’re not going to flip the games,” CFP executive director Rich Clark told ESPN on Friday. “The concession we made with the athletic directors was to start the Sugar Bowl earlier — an 18-hour or so delay. We slipped the game 18 hours to ensure we could provide safety and security for teams, coaches, staffs, fans and others involved. NOLA and Sugar Bowl officials were amazing,” Clark added.

There are obvious logistics issues hampering CFP’s decision, even if they wanted to lend Freeman and his boys some reprieve. A switch would have been golden for the golden helmets. But Clark explained the decision to keep the schedule as it is, citing that the other semifinal teams have already made arrangements.

“Logistics are very complicated, disruptive to the other teams involved that have schedules in place, especially Texas and Ohio State. Fans have made arrangements already, and this creates issues for them. There’s more, but these are some of the major points,” Clark added.

The postponement of Notre Dame’s quarterfinal clash with Georgia was a decision made to honor and mourn the lives lost. It was the right call. However, this has left the Fighting Irish on uneven ground. As if facing James Franklin’s well-oiled machine wasn’t challenging enough, Freeman must now navigate the postseason gauntlet with less recovery time than his opponent. Sankey tried to play messiah and tried to ease the situation for Notre Dame.

On Thursday he stated, “This is not an SEC-related issue; it’s for both teams. I also know that the communities have dates, they have plans, there are stadium availability issues that can arise,” he added. But as it turns out, Notre Dame will have less time to recover than their opponents on January 9. Not that James Franklin and Penn State would be complaining.

The Nittany Lions have been a model of consistency this season, their defense stifling opponents and their offense firing on all cylinders. They’ve earned their spot in the semifinals, fair and square. Of course, James Franklin and Penn State won’t apologize for their good fortune.  However, extra rest won’t necessarily be a good thing for Penn State if the CFP is any indication.

All the top four seeded teams that had weeks of gap between their quarterfinals fell off. In fact, if the fans of the Fighting Irish need some motivation they don’t need to look past their game against Georgia.

The Bulldogs had last played on December 7, defeating Texas 22-19 in OT, and entered the Sugar Bowl seemingly refreshed after a bye. On the other hand, ND beat Indiana 27-17 on December 20, in the first game in college football’s new playoff era. But in the Sugar Bowl, the Bulldogs had no answer to the wily tactics of Freeman.

Georgia’s running game mustered up only 62 yards on 29 carries, while the Fighting Irish ran for 154 yards on 37 carries. The Bulldogs were also ineffective on third and fourth down, going 2/12 on third and 0/3 on fourth.

The game had started slowly for both teams and was a close affair. But with the game tied 3-3, the Irish kicked a field goal with 39 seconds left in the half to take a slight lead. On the first play of the ensuing possession, Notre Dame’s defensive lineman RJ Oben strip-sacked Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton. Freeman’s team recovered the fumble to set up a good field position on their offense right before halftime.

Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard delivered a quick strike to wide receiver Beaux Collins for a 13-yard touchdown, taking a 13-3 lead to the locker room and they didn’t Georgia was already out of the game. The win was down to tactical brilliance of Freeman and one particular play caught everyone’s eye.

Leonard gives credit to humble Freeman

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about the former Buckeyes LB, it’s that he thrives in adversity. His team has embodied his no-excuses mentality all season, and this moment will be no different. Freeman isn’t the type to dwell on what’s out of his control. Instead, he’ll focus on what his team can control. Against the Dawgs, that meant deploying a mix of defensive brilliance and special teams wizardry to stifle the Bulldogs. But before he could even finish praising his players in front of the post-match media, Riley Leonard swooped in to set the record straight.

“Real quick, he’s being humble,” the cold-warrior QB1 said, grabbing the mic like a pro. “That was completely his play. We were going to run it a different way, like two days ago. Then he flipped it, and we executed it that way, and it worked. So yeah, he’s being humble. I’ll say it for him: Great call, great execution.” That trick play wasn’t just a moment—it was the moment. The penalty gave the Fighting Irish a fresh set of downs, allowing them to dominate possession until the final two minutes. Georgia? Barely saw the ball again.

If anything, the Irish should embrace the underdog mentality, and here they are, the dawgs ranked at No. 5. If Freeman can outwit Kirby Smart with a trick play and bring down a Georgia powerhouse, who’s to say he can’t topple Penn State, even with the odds stacked against him?