Marcus Freeman was ‘speechless’ after learning Notre Dame’s CFP fate, per report
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Marcus Freeman expected Notre Dame to be in the College Football Playoff for the second straight year. Instead, the Fighting Irish, who faced Ohio State in the national championship game last season, will be watching from home instead.
The Playoff committee’s decision to put Miami in the field over Notre Dame drew massive criticism across the college football world. At the Irish’s selection show watch party, the mood was understandably dark.
Freeman, who tried to address his players after learning they wouldn’t be in the Playoff, was at a loss for words, according to a conversation ESPN’s Jen Lada had with Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua.
“(Bevacqua) said Marcus did get up and speak to the team immediately afterward. .. He said that usually he has answers or reasons for why these things happen. He has none, and that was unusual. He said he has no answers, it doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t add up why Notre Dame is not in this Playoff field.”
Freeman certainly speaks to a great deal of the college football world, both inside and outside the Notre Dame fanbase. It was the most controversial moment from a selection process that admittedly didn’t have much in the way of controversy.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
