Whoops! Someone’s “goal” did not get fulfilled. Poor James Franklin! His goal to become the first African American football coach to win a college national championship did not come true. Thanks to Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for putting up an electrifying feat in the Orange Bowl against Penn State. Not even an hour had passed since the Fighting Irish landed a 24-27 defeat to the Nittany Lions. Already Freeman is dropping bombs.

After all, it was his last chance to prove himself after being in the hot seat since the NIU loss. So, Steve Sarkisian and Ryan Day, better watch out!

The Fighting Irish outgained the Nittany Lions, with 383-339. Not to forget the crucial moments when Freeman’s boys forced a critical turnover with less than a minute remaining while the game was tied in Penn State territory. This was followed by the star player Mitch Jeter kicking a 41-yard field goal. And VOILA! Freeman and Co. Grabbed victory.

Obviously, Freeman could no longer keep his calm. “You find a lot about your team in the lowest moments. And it’s a group that stayed together, trusted each other…In those toughest times, that’s when you make the major gains,” the Notre Dame HC sounded confident in the post-game interview. 

Before all the drama, Freeman had been the nation’s sweetheart, leading the Irish to a victory over Texas A&M. But the happiness was short-lived. On September 7, Notre Dame lost at home to Northern Illinois. This came off as a reality check for Freeman. He failed to provide a sustainable success to the program. Little by little, he started to lose the faith of the fans. So he used the Orange Bowl to whitewash his image and gift the fans a big victory. And Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish came off with flying colors.  

Moreover, his old post-game conference from September started to do rounds on the internet. The 16-14 defeat did leave a big hole in his heart. But if you are a Notre Dame fan, you must thank the universe for that NIU loss. Otherwise, the Fighting Irish would not have been hungry enough to fight back.

As found in the clip, Freeman had promised a comeback, “Obviously disappointing in the performance…we got to go back and evaluate the way we’re prepared um and figure out…I’ve been here we been here before right we’ve been here before um now it’s time to get it fixed…we can and we will.”

Now that they have kept their promise, it comes off as a clear warning for both Day and Sarkisian. In that case, paired up against which team would make Marcus Freeman and Co.’s job easier? 

Who would Marcus Freeman prefer as an opponent, Day or Sarkisian? 

Notre Dame finally showed who they actually are! They bounced back hugely after trailing 10-0 in the first half. However, bigger things await them. They will now have their eyes on the winner of the Cotton Bowl. Interestingly, both Sarkisian’s Longhorns and Day’s Buckeyes turned out, as tough opponents for the Fighting Irish. But come on, given the present scenario, Freeman would not pick Ohio State as their opponent. 

After all, that man, Day, has completely flipped the script. Even though they still carry the burden of the Michigan Wolverines’ loss, they have bounced back from the soul-crushing defeat. Meanwhile, their offense in particular has been a juggernaut since the playoffs began. Facing off against Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers, the Buckeyes had put up 473 yards of offense in the 42-17 win. They even got their revenge against Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl, putting up 500 yards of offense.

On the flip side, we have seen how Steve Sarkisian’s Longhorns struggled in the Peach Bowl against Arizona State Sun Devils. After all, what seemed like an easy win soon became a near-nightmare for Texas. Now, Marcus Freeman’s Notre Dame has never faced a dynamic passing attack with elite wide receivers this season.

On top of that, their star cornerback, Benjamin Morrison, suffered a season-ending injury. So, Freeman must be praying for Ohio State’s loss more than the Longhorns fans.