Marcus Freeman calls out Vegas ahead of national title: 'We're not underdogs, but we're some dogs'

Just after Ohio State won its College Football Playoff semifinal to set up a national championship showdown with Notre Dame, the Buckeyes opened as 9.5-point favorites. Marcus Freeman used that number as motivation for his team and called out Vegas before kickoff.

Freeman revealed the Fighting Irish’s mindset against the Buckeyes in Monday’s title game as picks continued to come in for Ohio State to bring home the title. He detailed the underdog mentality his team has entering Mercedes-Benz Stadium and said the plan was to be aggressive from the start.

Get your team’s official College Football Playoff watch from AXIA by CLICKING HERE: “Watches that tell so much more than time”

In the process, Freeman detailed his rallying cry. The Irish might be underdogs, but that’s not going to stop them from going to work.

“We’re gonna start when the foot hits the ball,” Freeman told ESPN’s Molly McGrath. “I just told them in the locker room, I said, ‘Vegas got half of it right. We’re not underdogs, but we’re some dogs. Real dogs hunt, so it’s time to hunt.'”

Marcus Freeman not using past as motivation for Notre Dame

Monday’s game marked a high-profile rematch of last year’s game between Notre Dame and Ohio State in South Bend. The Fighting Irish took a late lead in the fourth quarter, but the Buckeyes marched down the field and eventually scored the game-winning touchdown when Chip Trayanum found the end zone. However, Notre Dame only had 10 players on the field for that final play.

When asked this week if the Irish were using that game as motivation, Freeman argued it was just the opposite. He didn’t think Notre Dame should need the extra juice to play for a national title.

“If you need that to motivate you to get ready for this game, then you’re not the right person,” Freeman told reporters via Zoom ahead of the National Championship Game. “That’s the reality of it. We don’t need motivation to be prepared for this game.

“We’ve got a chance to play in the National Championship Game. This isn’t about the past. This is about the opportunity we have right in front of us and we’ll continue to focus on this opportunity right in front of us.”

Notre Dame proved it had the “dog” mentality on its surgical opening drive. The Fighting Irish took 9:45 off the clock, using an 18 plays to go 75 yards – capped by a Riley Leonard touchdown – to take a 7-0 lead to start the national championship.