5 Marcus Freeman memes cracking up the internet after refs target Notre Dame with controversial calls

Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame had the odds stacked against them during their Orange Bowl CFP semifinal showdown against Penn State. After some high-octane back-and-forth action, the Irish took the lead in the fourth quarter thanks to a 2-yard rushing TD by Jeremiyah Love.

Unfortunately, their happiness was short-lived as Penn State's Nicholas Singleton scored a 7-yard TD to level the playing field.

Following this play, Notre Dame found a ray of hope when LB Jack Kiser intercepted a pass from Drew Allar. But the officials flagged the play and called a pass interference, giving the Nittany Lions the ball back. Penn State had two potential interceptions waved off by penalties in the game.

Despite these controversial calls, the Fighting Irish still came out on top. Fans took to social media to share memes about Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman after the win. Here are the top five memes taking the internet by storm.

Freeman took that call by heart and gave the best reply possible to Penn State on the gridiron.

The Notre Dame's head coach's victory in the Orange Bowl will live rent-free in the minds of Penn State fans.

Freeman gave fans a bowl game to remember in the CFP semifinal showdown as he and the Irish emerged victorious.

After that PI call by the officials, Penn State took a 24-17 lead thanks to another rushing touchdown by Nicholas Singleton. However, the Fighting Irish did not lose their fighting spirit right up until the final whistle.

Quarterback Riley Leonard came in clutch with just over four minutes left in the game. He threw a 54-yard passing touchdown to Jaden Greathouse to level the playing field and give his team a fighting chance.

Then, Mitch Jeter came forward and put the finishing touches with a 41-yard FG, taking Notre Dame across the finish line and securing a spot in the CFP national championship game on January 20.

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Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman heaps praise on QB Riley Leonard

Riley Leonard finished the game with 223 yards and one touchdown passing to his name. After the Orange Bowl showdown, Marcus Freeman came forward to praise his quarterback for his resilience and fighting spirit.

The Notre Dame head coach also stated that Leonard would put his body on the line for his team and had the utmost confidence in his abilities.

"You can't buy stats, you can't buy heart," Freeman said. "And when it matters the most, Riley Leonard is going to put his body on the line for this program. And he does it over and over and over. And he finds a way to make a play when you need it the most."

"We have the utmost confidence in him. No matter what happened the first half or what happened the last play, on this play when we needed the most, we know Riley is going to get it done. And he did it again tonight."

The last time the Fighting Irish reached the national champions game was during the 2012 season when they lost to Nick Saban's Alabama. Now, Marcus Freeman has the opportunity to create history and lead the program to its first national trophy since 1988.