"Trust beyond evidence": Marcus Freeman delivers strong message on power of faith before national championship game

Faith and Notre Dame have been intertwined since the university's establishment. As the Notre Dame Fighting Irish prepare to face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the national championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, head coach Marcus Freeman spoke passionately about the role of faith within the Notre Dame program.

During the press conference on Sunday ahead of the big game, Freeman sent out a strong message, giving an added meaning to having faith in oneself.

"Being at the University of Notre Dame, it's a place where growing your faith is encouraged," Freeman said. "And it's not only in Catholicism. It's the reality of you having a faith and a belief in something bigger than yourself. And that's something that we talk about amongst our football program."

Marcus Freeman elaborated on how the team integrates faith into its culture.

"We have Mass. We have our team chaplain. It is promoted. And our players have Bible study and different things like that," Freeman added.

"And so, you know, I have a strong faith. And there are often times we talk about how you have to trust beyond having evidence, trust beyond knowing, which is another motto for having faith. And so we're not shy about it ... Each individual makes his own decision on how he wants to discuss it or grow in it or any type of thing like that."

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Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame goes into the NCAA title game as underdogs

The entire story behind Marcus Freeman-led Notre Dame's 2024 journey has focused on proving people wrong. When they lost against Northern Illinois 16-14 in Week 2, many counted them out to even make the Bowl game, let alone make the College Football Playoff and subsequently national championship game.

Despite the early stumble, the team responded with a dominant 66-7 win over Purdue, sparking a nine-game winning streak.

The playoffs saw Notre Dame overcome tough challenges, including a gritty victory over Indiana in the first round and a statement win against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. Their semifinal clash with Penn State at the Orange Bowl was a thriller, with Riley Leonard and receiver Jaden Greathouse combining for key plays that sealed a 27-24 win.

Notre Dame enters this game as 8.0 points underdogs against Ohio State on Monday.