The Notre Dame Fighting Irish just punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff National Championship with a nail-biting 27-24 win over James Franklin’s Penn State in the Orange Bowl. And if you think they’re not feeling good about themselves, think again. Not only did Marcus Freeman’s squad silence the Nittany Lions in dramatic fashion, but they’ve also secured a crazy advantage ahead of the big showdown, leaving Texas and Ohio State sweating it out in Friday night’s Cotton Bowl. Call it strategic, call it unfair, but either way, Freeman and his boys are sipping on that sweet schedule advantage tea after CFP’s unfair call against Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame last week.

Marcus Freeman and Riley Leonard literally just played the system to perfection. After tonight’s Notre Dame’s tight 27-24 dub over Penn State in the Orange Bowl, they’ve now got a serious advantage over the Texas Longhorns and Ohio State Buckeyes. While those two are about to throw down on Friday night, Notre Dame gets a full extra day of rest.

Freeman’s all about that relief and said it’s great to have that extra day for our guys to chill and not be in competition mode, giving his squad a mental breather before the National Championship grind. And Riley Leonard? The QB’s already got his body’s recovery plans locked in: “It’ll be great to have that extra day for my body for sure.” Trust, they’ll be ready to roll come the big game.

But hold up—Notre Dame hasn’t exactly had it easy. Just last week, their Sugar Bowl clash against Georgia got delayed because of a tragic incident on Bourbon Street. That rescheduled Thursday game turned into an emotional grinder, with Freeman’s team digging deep for a 23-10 victory.

Meanwhile, Penn State had already tucked away their Fiesta Bowl win over Boise State on New Year’s Eve, giving them a clear rest advantage heading into the Orange Bowl. Yet Franklin and his crew somehow bottled and fumbled the entire season of hard work in the final minutes. For Freeman and Notre Dame, it’s just pure poetic justice, especially after SEC commissioner Greg Sankey’s failed attempt to reshuffle the playoff schedule in their favor.

Key factors that turned the game for Marcus Freeman against Penn State

Let’s call it like it is—Marcus Freeman had his squad locked in when it mattered most. Penn State? Not so much. Drew Allar’s interception late in the fourth quarter? Yeah, that’ll literally gonna haunt the Nittany Lions for a while. Allar, who’s usually calm under pressure, let the moment get too big. His ill-advised throw into the middle was like a Christmas gift for Notre Dame’s Christian Gray, who snatched it and set up the game-winning field goal. You hate to see it for a guy who’s been rock-solid most of the season, but hey, that’s football.

Ain’t gonna lie, momentum also played a huge role. Penn State looked like they were about to flex when Nick Singleton bulldozed his way for his third touchdown to make it 24-17. But the Irish flipped the script with a clutch second-half drive to tie it up. The Nittany Lions’ defense, which was supposed to make Riley Leonard a passer, got cooked like brisket instead.

Leonard hit them with chunk plays all night. And let’s not forget backup QB Steve Angeli stepped in after Riley went down for a minute and made some sneaky completions that kept the chains moving before halftime. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Notre Dame was running the show.

Penn State’s secondary? Straight-up ghosts out there. The whole game plan was ‘Keep Riley Leonard from running wild,’ and yeah, they locked him down to just 35 rushing yards. Cool, right? Wrong. While they were busy babysitting his legs, Leonard was out there dropping dimes like he was playing backyard football. 5 chunky plays in the second half alone? C’mon now. That last one? The cold-blooded dart that set up Notre Dame’s game-winning kick? That was the backbreaker. Penn State’s DBs looked like they were on a coffee break while Leonard played pitch-and-catch all over the field. Just couldn’t hang, man.

So now, Notre Dame gets to enjoy their day off while the Buckeyes and Longhorns go to war. Freeman’s squad is battle-tested, and with the schedule gods smiling their way, the Irish are in prime position to take home the title. Penn State? Well, they’ll be sitting at home wondering how they let this one slip.

As for Franklin, the L column just got a little heavier. If you’re Texas or Ohio State, you’ve gotta be sweating bullets knowing the Irish are well rested and ready. Freeman’s boys big-time dialed in, and Riley Leonard? He’s got ice in his veins—and an extra day to make sure he’s sharp. Strap in, folks. The national championship is shaping up to be one for the ages.