2x Super Bowl champ makes his stance clear on what a national championship could do for Marcus Freeman

In his third full season in charge of Notre Dame, Marcus Freeman has the chance to do something remarkable. The Fighting Irish haven't won a national title since 1988, but they're on the cusp of changing that in Monday's College Football Playoff national championship game against Ohio State.

Winning it all would mean so much more than resetting a clock for Freeman, who has Notre Dame at 14-1 heading into the big matchup with the motivated Buckeyes.

On Monday's edition of ESPN's "Get Up," 2x Super Bowl champion Booger McFarland talked about what a win would mean for Freeman's career.

"I think if he's able to pull this off — No. 1 — it's gonna be one of the biggest upsets that I can remember since '86 when Penn State beat that Miami team," McFarland said. "If he's able to pull this off, I think you have to automatically put him into the upper echelon of college coaching. We've had some of the behemoths, like Nick Saban, retire, and we're looking for that next new wave of young coaches to come.

"If Marcus can get his team, who is an underdog — and they deserve to be an underdog because they are out-manned and they are out-matched tonight. But, that's where coaching comes in."

McFarland wants to see if Marcus Freeman can find an edge in the margins, such as special teams, stealing a possession or fourth-down calls.

What coaching trajectory does Marcus Freeman have?

Marcus Freeman has a unique job in South Bend. Notre Dame is an independent program, with no chance for a first-round bye under the current playoff guidelines. That did not matter for the Fighting Irish, who went through Indiana, Georgia and Penn State to arrive in Atlanta.

He began his career at the helm for the Fighting Irish with three consecutive losses — including one embarrassing home upset to Marshall. No other Notre Dame coach had ever started 0-3 in their tenure.

Obviously, Freeman has turned things around despite another home upset to a smaller program in Northern Illinois earlier this go-round. At that juncture, many believed his team's chances at making the CFPl were shot.

The 39-year-old coach has improved the Fighting Irish's record each season and was rumored to be a candidate in the Chicago Bears' head coaching search. On Monday, the Bears reportedly agreed to hire Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson as their next leader.

Even with such, Marcus Freeman said in a recent press conference that he was focused on the task at hand: Ryan Day's Ohio State crew that has been out to avenge its regular-season loss to Michigan. To earn the right to play against Notre Dame, the Buckeyes rolled by Tennessee and Oregon and outlasted Texas in their semifinal. Notre Dame will aim to spoil their goal of winning it all.