Freeman just can’t stop talking about Ohio State Football

Notre Dame head coach and former Buckeye Marcus Freeman just can’t stop talking about his alma mater. Last season he angered Ohio State football fans who once cheered for him when he stated that he thanked “God that I didn’t make the wrong decision twice,” before doubling down and making a statement about Ohio State football players not having to attend class in person.

He tried to save face somewhat this offseason when he recently stated on “The Pivot” podcast that he made a mistake with his comments making it seem like attending Ohio State was a mistake. Some within Buckeye Nation forgave Freeman for his comments, others have not, which is something we discussed on The OHIO Podcast a week ago.

Now he is at it again, this time on the Good Morning Football show with Jaylon Smith. Smith asked him about getting a shot at redemption against the Ohio State football team in South Bend this season. After praising Smith for his time in South Bend, Freeman stated,

"“I think you can look back to last year in that first game, really your true first game as a head coach, and you go back to your alma mater, and you face a really good football team. We were up with maybe one minute left in the third quarter and we end up losing 21-10. But I think you play them close enough that you kind of mask some of the issues that you have as a program and as a team. Then the next week we lose to Marshall and that to me is really where you said, okay, we have to rip off all the layers and figure out what’s the issue and really try to correct them with a sense of urgency. That’s what we’re able to do. But you know, as you fast forward this year, we’ll play them in week five for us, so we’ll know what our football team is all about. We’ll know what our strengths are. Listen, it’s a lot tougher to play a game in Notre Dame Stadium. We’re looking forward to the opportunity.”"

Freeman isn’t wrong. Everyone would like to play a big game in the friendly confines of their home stadium. This warning shot from Freeman sounds more like he is trying to convince himself and his team that the outcome will be different this season because the game won’t be in week one and it won’t be played in Columbus, Ohio.

As the big non-conference game in South Bend, Indiana approaches, we will break down the contest further, but for now, let’s daydream. Wouldn’t it be great if Notre Dame and Freeman were conference rivals? The way Freeman has adored himself to the Irish faithful by tossing verbal assaults toward the Buckeyes is the thing of rivalries.

It’s too bad that after this season, Notre Dame and Ohio State merely become rivalries on the recruiting trail once again. That is unless during the next wave of conference realignment, Notre Dame decides that independence is no longer financially feasible in order to stay competitive and they hitch their wagon to the Big Ten.

Until then, we will have to relegate ourselves to daydreaming and enjoying the Freeman interviews when he is asked about his alma mater.