"Freeman locked in": CFB world hyped for iconic Ohio State vs Notre Dame CFP national championship game

We're just a few hours away before Ryan Day's Ohio State Buckeyes and Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame Fighting Irish take the field to battle it all out for the College Football Playoff national championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday.

The day before the game, both head coaches, Day and Freeman, posed for a photo alongside the NCAA title. Day sported a checkered reddish pink suit with a red tie, while Freeman wore a grey overall outfit, complemented by a blue tie.

The post from @CFBPlayoff sparked predictions from fans in the comments section, with many focusing on the head coaches, especially the implications for Ohio State's Ryan Day.

"Love you coach day," one fan said.

"Let's go BUCKEYES," another fan said.

"Ryan Day knows he should be fired this year...12 team playoff saved him," one fan said.

Here are some more reactions from fans.

"Day geeked when Freeman locked in," one fan said.

"Ohio got that Dawg in them," one fan sided with Buckeyes.

"Let's bring it home Freeman," another fan said.

Fan Reactions (Credits: @cfbplayoff Instagram)

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Marcus Freeman speaks highly of Ryan Day's Ohio State

During the joint press conference ahead of the national championship game, Marcus Freeman spoke highly of Ohio State and Ryan Day while citing similarities with Notre Dame.

"I know Coach Day and a lot of people on his staff that have integrity and do things the right way," Freeman said. "It's about building young people and helping them grow, helping them be better individuals because of the time they've spent with us.

"I think that's important, you can aspire to win national championships every year, but you can also make sure that the young people you're leading are better because of the time they've spent with you. I think that's a reflection on both programs."

Both programs weren't the odds-on favorites to reach here. However, Notre Dame shocked the Georgia Bulldogs while Ohio State got their revenge on Oregon. The game is nicely poised, with oddsmakers predicting a win for the Buckeyes. But if there's one thing the 2024 playoffs have taught us, it's to never count Notre Dame out.