Marcus Freeman on Notre Dame's conference status: 'We're good right where we're at'

Marcus Freeman has no interest in Notre Dame moving to a conference and relinquishing the program’s football independence.

That’s despite the fact Notre Dame can’t move up higher than No. 5 in the playoff bracket. Freeman is just all about the opportunity to make the playoff and then anything can happen.

So don’t expect Notre Dame in a conference for football anytime soon, according to Freeman.

“We’re good right where we’re at,” Freeman said on The Triple Option. “The greatest thing that has happened for us is the 12 team playoff. We understand it. It’s not one loss and you’re out. We knew that after we lost Northern Illinois every week was a playoff game. But you know, with 12 teams now, we have a better opportunity to make the playoffs, and once you get in, you know, here we go every week is the Super Bowl. But I think the greatest thing that happened for us with the 12 team playoff.”

After the harsh criticism the Fighting Irish received due to their loss against Northern Illinois earlier this year, making it back to the College Football Playoff would be a tremendous endorsement for their head coach. 

Freeman has been beloved by his team, and the fanbase might finally be convinced he’s the right man for the job if he’s able to punch his team’s ticket to the dance.

That seems like a done deal with Notre Dame ranked No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings and seemingly locked into the No. 5 or 6 seed.

Freeman and the Irish hosting in South Bend with the CFP logo on the field? Sounds like a movie.

“So, is the noise louder,” Freeman said last week. “If you let it be. If you let it be, right? We control the volume of the noise, in terms of what we read, who we listen to, who we talk to, we control that. We control what things go into our head, so it’s a choice we all have to make, to turn down the noise. The noise is loud, sure, I mean, shoot, I’m sure I can get on social media and it’ll be a lot louder. But we, I, control the volume of the noise that goes into my head.”