LSU HC Brian Kelly makes his pick between Buckeyes and Notre Dame for the National Championship Game

With only a few days remaining until the final game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish to determine the next NCAAF champion, many are starting to pick their favorites. In this case, LSU HC Brian Kelly has made his choice for the National Championship Game.

The current Tigers coach had a long tenure leading Notre Dame, and although he was unable to secure a championship, he left with great memories of his time with the Fighting Irish, making his choice an easy one.

“I’m happy for all those guys, I pull for them,” Kelly told CBS Sports. “A lot of the guys there that are on both sides of the ball, I recruited. Obviously I want to see those guys win it all, and I think they’re in a great position. Totally excited for those guys.”

Kelly’s departure from Notre Dame caused a lot of waves, not only because he left the program after so many years, but also because he stated that he wanted “to be in an environment where I have the resources to win a national championship.”

Head coach Brian Kelly of the LSU Tigers reacts against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first quarter in the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 03, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Later on, the coach took the time to clarify his statements: “They’re selling it the way they want to sell it,” he told CBS Sports. “Why do you leave Notre Dame? You leave Notre Dame because you’re taking another challenge. I took Notre Dame to championships. It’s just the way you want to twist it: ‘You only leave Notre Dame to go win a championship.’ I wasn’t leaving Notre Dame because I couldn’t win a championship. You can win championships at Notre Dame, but I chose another path because I wanted a different challenge.“

see also

NCAAF News: Quinn Ewers makes final decision about his future with the Longhorns

Kelly’s departure from Notre Dame

At the end of 2021, Brian Kelly arrived at LSU after a long tenure with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Regarding this situation, the experienced coach stated that he gave everything for the program, despite not securing any titles.

“I felt like I did everything that I could at Notre Dame and they felt like they did everything they could do for me,” he said to the press. “I felt like we had both got to a point where this is what they could do, right? This is what I did. And we couldn’t get past that. OK? And so here we are.”