Notre Dame Coach Reveals Bold Statement on Ohio State's Ryan Day

Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman has dropped a bold statement on Ohio State Buckeyes coach Ryan Day before the National Championship Game.

College Football Playoff championship stands between Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day speaks and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman during a coaches press conference in Atlanta on Jan. 19, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ohio State Buckeyes are closing in on a national title, and only the Notre Dame Fighting Irish stand in the way.

In the lead up to the National Championship Game, head coaches Ryan Day and Marcus Freeman participated in one final press conference before the Monday night matchup, and Freeman—who played his college football at Ohio State—had nothing but good things to say about his opponent.

"I know Coach Day and a lot of coaches on their staff that do things the right way," Freeman told reporters. " ... You can aspire to win national championships, but you also want to develop the young men that come through your program, and I think both of our programs do a great job of that."

Day has regularly been complimented for the way he handles his players both on and off the field, so Freeman is just the latest person to reveal that sort of take on the Buckeyes coach.

Freeman played linebacker at Columbus between 2006 and 2008, accumulating 264 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and six sacks throughout his Buckeyes tenure.

Now, he will be facing Ohio State as an opponent.

The Buckeyes entered 2024 considered by many to be the most talented team in the country, and while they had some ups and downs during the regular season, they have certainly showed up during the College Football Playoff.

Ohio State routed Tennessee and Oregon over its first couple of games in the CFP before outlasting Texas in a Cotton Bowl thriller.

Now, the Buckeyes will face Notre Dame for all the marbles.