"It's about the opportunity in front of us" - Marcus Freeman gets candid about facing mighty Ohio State at national championship

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman will become the first African-American coach to lead an FBS team in the national championship game when the Fighting Irish face the Ohio State Buckeyes on Monday. According to ESPN BET, the Buckeyes are 8.5-point favorites for the game following a dominant campaign in the college football playoffs.

After arriving in Atlanta, where the game will be held, Freeman spoke at the pregame news conference and shared the approach his side will take, acknowledging that Ohio State has won the last two games between the two programs.

"It's two different teams. We're talking about two years ago, their team and our team is different this year, I mean it's a lot different than last year's team and is gonna be different from next year's team," Marcus Freeman said. "I've told the team all week, this isn't about the past, this isn't about where I went to school. This isn't about the two previous games, this is about the opportunity right in front of us and that's what you gotta understand.

"Where this program is now and who we have, is about putting these guys in a position to succeed and do what they do well. And the same thing with Ohio State, what they're doing this year and what they're doing right now is different than the team we played last year and two years ago. So, the focus is on how to play and how to have success defensively and offensively versus the opponent we're playing on Monday."

The Buckeyes have beaten the Fighting Irish twice in the past two seasons, winning dramatically 17-14 in South Bend in 2023 and 21-10 in Columbus in 2022.

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Marcus Freeman and Ryan Day share a mutual admiration

Marcus Freeman was a linebacker for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2004 to 2008. During his weekly news conference before the national championship game, Ohio State coach Ryan Day, whose team enters as heavy favorites, expressed his admiration for Freeman, the Notre Dame coach.

"Everybody at Ohio State respects Marcus and the fact that he went to Ohio State and had a great career there and certainly have a lot of respect for what he's done in his coaching career and what he's doing," Day said. "He's a tremendous coach and does and unbelievable job."

During his news conference, Freeman returned the gesture, pinpointing Day's holistic approach to coaching.

"I know Coach Day and a lot of coaches on their staff that do things the right way," Freeman said. "You can aspire to win national championships, but you also want to develop the young men that come through your program, and I think both of our programs do a great job of that."

Both Marcus Freeman and Ryan Day are seeking to win their first national championships as coaches, but they've shown a mutual admiration ahead of the biggest games of their careers.