The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are facing a historic opportunity to compete for the National Championship, but to do so, they must defeat a tough opponent in the Penn State Nittany Lions. Earning a spot in the final means claiming the Orange Bowl, and for that, Marcus Freeman has a clear message for his players.
In recent statements published on on3.com, Notre Dame’s head coach expressed that he has convinced his players to maintain their identity at all times and to try to ignore the comments about them leading up to the game against Penn State.
“…I think it’s human nature to enjoy people saying good things about you. It’s human nature. But we’ve talked all year about being misfits, right? And that’s what we have to continue to be. You have to make the choice to either waste time listening to people tell you how good you are or what the past has been, or you’re going to put your time into preparing for this opportunity right in front of us. And that’s been my message loud and clear. And we all have to make that choice.”
Freeman has built a very strong group, not only on the field but also on a personal level. That being said, the coach wants the entire program to focus solely on the upcoming matchup against James Franklin’s team.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrate after a 23-10 victory against the Georgia Bulldogs during the 91st Allstate Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome on January 02, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“You know, it’s not the initial thought of daydreaming about the past or an uncertain future. It’s the second thought that as soon as you start thinking about the past or what somebody’s saying about your future that’s uncertain, get back in the moment and put the work in that it takes to get the outcome that you want. Like, don’t dream about the outcome, put the work in,” Freeman continued.
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“The minute you start dreaming about the outcome put the work in that it takes to get that. And that’s a personal challenge for everybody in our program,” he finally concluded.
When is the Orange Bowl played?
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Penn State Nittany Lions will face off not only for a spot in the NCAAF National Championship final but also for the prestigious Orange Bowl title.
This crucial event will take place next Thursday, January 9th, at 7:30 PM (ET), with the extraordinary Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida, home of the Dolphins, serving as the venue.
