Marcus Freeman’s Unforgivable Blunder Exposed by Adam Breneman That Almost Ruined Notre Dame’s CFB Glory

The Fighting Irish ain’t just dreaming. They are fighting for real. At the start of the season, a team that nobody bet a dime on surpassed all the odds in their paths like a pro and now sits as the favorite of the quarterfinal Orange Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lyons this weekend. A win can add to their national title stocks, but still, some pundits will continue to throw shades at their virtue to come this far. They are not the headliner of the season, after all. But why so? Why did they fail to be the ultimate head-turner of a breakout season? Adam Breneman has a convincing answer.

Remember when the No. 5 Notre Dame fell at home to NIU 14-16 back on September 7th? A bitter pill to swallow, right? Well, not that bitter, though. Because, later in the season, coach Freeman returned the favor for every drop of tear they cried that night. But that crushing loss remains one big stigma in their otherwise illustrated season.

Marcus Freeman is a specimen of his own, no single doubt about that. He’s just deprived of his deserved credit. The Dodd Trophy winner coach didn’t stop his team from missing out on a 62-yard field goal, leading to an inevitable home game upset. Cade Haberman’s two blocked field goals and a lot of other mistakes in the game doomed their chance to sustain the game at the last moment. It cost them a lot more, possibly a higher respect in the CFB realm. ”If they had not lost that fluke game against NIU, they are the story of the season,” said Breneman with a pointed sigh in his tone.

But despite the loss having made a difference in the Irish image, the most important thing here to consider is how Freeman turned the page and never lost one out of 11 games after that biggest punch in the gut. ”The way they bounce back is one of the most impressive bounces backs I remember in college football. This Notre Dame team is dominant, they play with a chip on their shoulder. I love the swagger from Notre Dame, and it starts with the swagger of the head coach,’‘ Breneman rightfully argued.

But you know, to focus on the positive, the humiliating loss pushed the team to chisel the best out of it. If they hadn’t gotten that wake-up call, Freeman would have slept on their issues and would have dropped the ball in a more crucial game later in the season. Maybe, just maybe, who knows?

After all, God always has a plan, and Coach Freeman is a believer.

Marcus Freeman knows how to rise from the ashes

Pain can never be sweet unless and until it comes from love. Well, puns aside, pain can always be worth it. Pain can be transformed into the biggest strength over time. Freeman, the prolific coach of the season, knows it the best. Though he hates to lose, he sees a big blessing in disguise in their one unforgivable giveaway in the 13-1 season.

‘‘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,” Freeman said on SportsCenter.

The visionary coach sees no difference between life inside the field and outside the field. Both work the same if you take time to understand minutely. ”It’s a reflection of life. Things don’t always go exactly how you foresee it, but there are learning opportunities in every event that happens, and sometimes the best learning opportunities come from failure.”

Notre Dame will not make it any easier for Freeman and Co. as the slight underdog. They have their set of extreme playmakers that can wreak havoc on the Irish stupendous defense. But Freeman should just be true to his lesson from the previous fall and not let overconfidence ruin the party.

The rest is on fate!