"We weren't sharp defensively": Marcus Freeman points out biggest mistake of ND in national championship game against Ohio State

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish had an exceptional run with just one loss in the regular season and eventually marching all the way to a loss in the national championship game.

Head coach Marcus Freeman wished throughout the offseason that he could go back in time and change the result altogether. The young coach was recently speaking to Sports Illustrated’s senior writer Pat Forde about the offseason and what changed for him after a big lesson.

Freeman explained it was a huge learning curve and a reminder that you can't slack against big teams like Ohio State.

After their first quarter touchdown, Notre Dame didn't really get a chance to dominate. Ohio State's defense was too strong to handle and QB Riley Leonard appeared visibly exhausted.

Freeman mentioned that defensively, his team could have been a lot better in not allowing the Buckeyes to make plays in ND's backyard.

“I think about the first half. You know, some of the misfits defensively go down when it's a 19-play drive, I think, and score offensively, but at the same time, we knew we weren't going to be able to run Riley Leonard every play like that. He was exhausted after that drive,” Freeman said to Forde on Saturday. (Timestamp - 8:00)

The Notre Dame coach admitted that they failed to strike back in the second half when the Ohio State offense blazed across the field.

“When we come back defensively, they kind of go down and score. I tried to not make the moment too big. That's the approach I wanted to take. As it is the same two by four, walking across a two by four." Freeman said.

"Don't let the things outside the field really determine what the outcome is. There was something about our preparation that we weren't as sharp defensively that we've been the previous weeks,” he added.

Marcus Freeman has a challenging schedule in 2025

After last season's heartbreak, Freeman will be looking to re-enter the playoffs and contend for the national championship. They start the season with a blockbuster matchup against ACC giants, the Miami Hurricanes, on the road. Next week, they will have Texas A&M and Purdue in Week 3.

Similarly, the USC rivalry game of Week 7 will be the most iconic one to watch since both teams will be playing each other one last time.

In Week 11, Notre Dame will host Syracuse at home and wrap up 2025 with a game against Stanford. Expect nothing less than an 11+ winning game season from Freeman & Co. this year.