Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman Blamed for National Championship Loss

After Notre Dame’s loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, head coach Marcus Freeman is blunt in his assessment of what went wrong.

“You always make mistakes, but those kinds of damaging mistakes when you play a really good football team cost you points,” Freeman, 39, told reporters after Monday’s game , January 20. “I think that’s probably the biggest thing that has stuck out to me even between series, the communication. ‘Hey, we’re good, we got it.’ Well, we can’t make mistakes.”

He added, “It falls on my shoulders. And as the head coach, we have to prepare and be more ready for this moment. These boys gave everything they got.”

During the game, Freeman was criticized for choosing to kick a field goal with his team down 31-15 in the fourth quarter instead of going for it on 4th and goal from the 9 yard line. Notre Dame kicker Mitch Jeter ultimately missed the 27-yard field goal. Ohio State won the game 34-23.

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“I thought instead of being down 16, let’s try to go down 13,” Freeman explained to reporters. “I know it’s still a two-score game, but you have a better chance of getting 14 points than you do getting 16 points. If it was a shorter 4th and goal situation, I probably would have gone for it, but I felt like 4th and 9 wasn’t a great opportunity for us to do that.”

Following the loss – when Notre Dame was trying to win the school’s first national title since 1988 – Freeman to ESPN’s Molly McGrath the message he was conveying to his depleted team.

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“There’s not a lot of words you can say when you have a group like that that hurts,” Freeman said. “I told them I loved them. I’m so proud to be part of this season with them. There are a lot of guys who are hurt. They gave him everything they had. We didn’t get the job done tonight.”

Freeman added, “What they did to this school, this program and I think to people who watch college football, I think they sent a strong message about being selfless, working.” d tails and put others before yourself.”

Asked by McGrath, 35, what made him “most proud” of his team this season, Freeman didn’t hesitate.

“They were selfless,” he said. “It’s a trait I think will continue for the rest of your life, to put others before yourself. That’s what they did. In their most difficult time, they chose Notre Dame and they chose each other. We have some great leaders who continue to preach that message.”