The Fighting Irish are two wins away from the big prize, and let’s be real—who’s stopping them? Sure, you can holler “Hook ’em, Texas,” but Notre Dame’s got their eyes on the real deal: taking down Penn State’s fiery defense this Thursday in Miami Gardens. The road to Atlanta is just a matter of time now. Thanks to their utopian third-year coach, Marcus Freeman. The veteran is leading a super-dominant season with a 12-game winning streak and a captivating win against Georgia last week. From taking a gusty call in the fourth quarter of the Sugar Bowl to motivating his players at every inimical juncture, Freeman did a lot. But he did more.

Freeman still has the fresh memory of his first South Bend visit as a high school football recruit, where he spotted a beautiful tradition of the Game Day Mass. The players walked from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart to Notre Dame Stadium before each game. In the quintessential player walk, the marching band and all the fans and veterans alike line up on the opposite sides of the path to root for the athletes as the team exits through the door. ”God, Country, Notre Dame, In Glory Everlasting,” the iconic cry resonates through the air and builds up an unfathomable faith over fear and doubt. When Freeman returned to South Bend, he discovered that Brian Kelly mooted it out.

”Freeman took over the program and became head coach. He immediately got the approvals to bring it back, even though Freeman personally wasn’t catholic yet. He just knew how beneficial it would be for the players and the University as a whole for the last three seasons,” Franki Hrelja noted in a recent Instagram video.

After getting accustomed and accumulated to the culture of his team, Coach Freeman got converted to the Catholic Church and received his first Holy Communion and the sacrament of Confirmation in 2022. The outshot? Well, you see the psychic coach’s three overwhelming seasons of a 30-9 record and playoff appearance. Can he join the rare league of the national title-winning coaches of the programs’ history? Never say never. The Blessed Mother is on top of the Golden Dome.

”Whether Notre Dame is home or away, the team attends mass together on Saturdays before the game, and when they are playing at home; they go straight from Basilica to the stadium. This brought the players on the team closer together,” Franki added. Freeman has always been an exception in promoting a sense of fraternity inside the team. There are a handful of coaches who claim that they treat the locker room as their family. But Marcus Freeman is living by that ideal in real. The 30 head coach of the University of Notre Dame football once said, ‘‘I want our players to see their coaches as fathers,” and has proudly been carrying his promise ever since. 

A national title only adds to his generosity and the unique philosophy of coaching. The Irish legit stand a chance of fulfilling their prayers if Freeman sticks to his learn from the mistakes attitude.

Marcus Freeman can turn the curse into a blessing with sheer faith and hard work

The Dodd Trophy winner coach did it all to mount a breakout season. But there is still one bullet that keeps on marring his picture-perfect season stat. Blame it on a 62-yard field goal that the Irish miserably missed out on, leading to an inevitable home game upset against NIU. Cade Haberman’s two blocked field goals and a lot of bad decisions in the game blocked their chance to topple the opponent at the last moment. But it’s not just about the loss. It’s about the single instance of exposed loopholes in the Irish’s storied resume that didn’t let them be the bride of the season.

But Freeman thinks even the bridesmaids can rule the night at the end if they learn from their mistakes. Everybody has their sort of sloppy moments in the season. So, having one or two slips is certainly unfortunate. But never a crime, as long as you are determined and smart enough not to repeat them for the second time.

‘Well, I remember telling Riley (Leonard) the same thing I told the team the following day, is that we will be grateful for this loss, and this will be the greatest thing that happened to us if we continue to remember the lessons that this game has taught us,” the coach on the watch remains optimistic before the big game swirls in.

All he needs is just to be particular about the lessons and leave the rest to the father, who watches over him without fail.