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Moments following Notre Dame’s 34-23 loss against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship game, Blue & Gold’s Mike Singer and Tim Hyde went live on YouTube break down everything you need to know about the contest with stats, analysis and what’s next for the Fighting Irish.

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Marcus Freeman emphatically sums up Notre Dame’s ‘strong message’ to college football: ‘They were selfless’

By On3’s Chandler Vessels

Regardless of the result of Monday’s national championship game, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman will look back fondly on the 2024 season. The Fighting Irish did all they could, nearly completing a comeback late before falling 34-23 against Ohio State.

The disappointment was evident on Freeman’s face as he spoke with ESPN in the moments following the loss. But as much as it hurt in the moment, he tried to keep the perspective and focus on all the good that Notre Dame accomplished this year.

“There’s not many words you can say when you’ve got a group like that that’s hurting,” he said. “I just told them I love them and I’m so proud to be a part of this season with them. There’s a lot of guys that are hurting, but they gave it everything they have.

“We didn’t get the job done tonight and we gotta figure out why. There’s reasons for it. But what they did for this school and this football program and, I think, for people that watch college football, I think they sent a strong message about being selfless, working your tails off and putting others before yourself.”

The Fighting Irish trailed by as many as 24 points in the second half but would go on to make it a one-possession game after scoring a touchdowns to make it 31-23 with just under five minutes remaining. Their defense nearly came up with a stop on the ensuing drive to get the ball back before giving up a 57-yard pass to put the Buckeyes in field goal range.

In many ways, Monday’s game reflected the way that Notre Dame responded to adversity throughout the season. A lot of people were ready to declare the Fighting Irish dead after a Week 2 upset loss against Northern Illinois, but they continued to push and never lost another game after that.

Even once they made the Playoff, not many expected them to reach the title game. They continued to push, taking out Indiana, Georgia and Penn State on their way to the championship appearance.

“They were selfless,” Freeman said of his team. “I think that’s a trait that you’ll carry on for the rest of your life, to put others before yourself. That’s what they did. During the toughest times, they chose Notre Dame and and they chose each other. We have some wonderful leaders that continue to preach that message. But it’s gonna be a special group that really has changed the trajectory of Notre Dame football.”

Freeman just wrapped up his third season as the Notre Dame coach, having led the team to at least nine wins every year. Although he fell short of the ultimate goal, this very much feels like only the beginning for where the program can go under his direction.

The Fighting Irish will come back next season hungry to finish the job, carrying the lessons they learned from 2024 with them.

“There’s high expectations,” Freeman said. “There always is. But hopefully more than anything, the people that come back next year understand the work that it takes to have success. There’s a lot of work put into being runners up. Probably more than anything it’s that people now understand how hard it really is.”