Marcus Freeman vs. Ryan Day: Playoff record, stats, notable achievements and more

For two young coaches, Monday night's Ohio State vs. Notre Dame CFP battle is a chance to claim a spot at the pinnacle of college football. Ryan Day is in his second CFP title game and Marcus Freeman is in his first. But both coaches have interesting backstories and careers full of accolades that suggest they're ready for the moment.

Here's a mini-breakdown of the Ohio State/Notre Dame battle, as born out in a battle of the coaches.

Ryan Day vs. Marcus Freeman battle

Ryan Day's predecessor, Urban Meyer, is the only modern OSU coach with a higher winning percentage. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

Playing career

The advantage here is with Freeman.

Day was an excellent quarterback at New Hampshire, an FCS school. Day threw for 7,670 yards and 53 touchdowns. But he played at the FCS level, and his team was just 15-18 with him as a starting quarterback.

Freeman was an outstanding linebacker at Ohio State. He amassed 268 tackles, including 21.5 tackles for loss. Freeman was honored with second-team All-Big Ten honors in his junior and senior seasons. As a player, Freeman was 0-2 in national championship games, with his team losing to Florida in his sophomore year and LSU in his junior year.

Still, Freeman was a fifth-round NFL draft pick and spent a year in the periphery of the league before a heart condition ended his playing career.

CFP Record

Advantage Freeman.

Day is 4-3 all-time in CFP games, including the three victories in the current season. Before 2024, his only CFP win was in 2020, when the Buckeyes bested Clemson in a semifinal game before being waxed by Alabama in the title game.

Freeman is 3-0. This is his first-ever CFP, and while the lack of prior experience is a negative, it's not as important as a 1-3 mark heading into this season.

Coaching Accolades

This category is even.

Day was the Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2019, his first season with the Buckeyes, making him the first OSU coach to win that award in over four decades. He was also chosen as the first-year Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association of America.

Freeman hadn't claimed many head coaching accolades, but his 2024 season has him named National Coach of the Year with both the Bobby Dodd and George Munger Awards. Both are young coaches whose best days are likely ahead.

Overall record

Advantage for Day here.

Day's record is remarkable, partly due to the consternation around his performance despite a 69-10 record. His .872 winning percentage would trail only Urban Meyer and 1944-45 coach Carroll Widdoes in the OSU record book. A 1-4 mark against Michigan and the 1-3 record in the CFP coming into this season have both hurt, but Day has been remarkable.

Freeman has been good, too. Freeman's 33-9 record is better than any Notre Dame head coach since Ara Parseghian in winning percentage. A lack of prior CFP experience may seem odd in the era of 12-team playoffs, but of course, that's a new development and being outside the top 4 is hardly scandalous.

Still, Day's massive winning percentage gets a slight edge.

What do you think of the Day/Freeman matchup? Share your take below in our comments section!