Why Marcus Freeman is the Hero College Football Needs Right Now

After a week of complaints from the SEC during its Media Days, Freeman's consistent messaging continues to sound better and better.

Nov 15, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts after an Irish touchdown against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This past week the SEC held its annual media days session and seemingly each time you heard a different coach or administrator speak, complaints came out.

The conference is threatening to leave the NCAA entirely because it has found it to be more difficult to compete when other places start paying their players, too.

Huh, what a concept.

Legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban gets in front of TV cameras and essentially said the 12th best team in the SEC being better than the 12th best team in the Big Ten makes it the better conference, despite the Big Ten winning the last three national championships.

Then there's Steve Sarkisaian of Texas.

The head coach was asked about the future matchup between Notre Dame and Texas in 2028 and 2029, to which he essentially said he wasn't sure, because of Texas losing to Ohio State in a non-conference game last year.

Sarkisian explained that had Texas instead played a much lesser foe, it would have finished with a 10-2 record and made the College Football Playoff.

Somehow Sarkisian didn't mention that Texas got beat by a Florida team that ultimately went 4-8 last year, and that's actually why it didn't make the playoff.

What I found myself doing this week, seemingly whenever someone from the once-proud SEC would start complaining, is being more appreciative of Marcus Freeman, the head coach at Notre Dame.

Notre Dame was shafted out of the College Football Playoff last year, by an undeserving SEC team.

Say all you want about two Group of Six teams making the postseason tournament, Alabama had absolutely no business being in the field, but because of its so-called "impressive comeback" against Auburn, it earned the right to ultimately get rail roaded by Indiana in the Rose Bowl.

Did Freeman complain about not making the playoff?

College Football Needs More Marcus Freemans

Some will cite Notre Dame opting out of the Pop-Tarts Bowl as if that game matters in any capacity, but Freeman was clear - the Fighting Irish left doubt by losing close games to both Miami and Texas A&M, and as a result, was left home.

Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman celebrates after the defense scored a safety in the second half of a NCAA football game against NC State at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, in South Bend. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

It's like the cool thing to do in college football these days is complain and threaten to take your ball and go home.

That's what Sarkisian and Texas are doing with the potential cancellation of the series with Notre Dame, and what plenty of other programs are doing with their non-conference schedules.

Sarkisian preaches to find an easier path, just like Lincoln Riley orchestrating the end of the Notre Dame vs. USC rivalry.

Meanwhile, Freeman essentially says "be better" and you won't have to worry about making the playoff, because that will take care of itself.

Not, "schedule easier".

I've said before that Freeman is the perfect coach for Notre Dame at the perfect time, but he's also the type of coach college football needs more than ever right now.