Marcus Freeman can get ultimate redemption for Notre Dame, as Irish face Ohio State

And so we meet again... A little over a year ago, we saw Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame Fighting Irish fall to Ryan Day's Ohio State Buckeyes in one of the best games of the regular season. Of course, neither the Buckeyes or the Irish made the College Football Playoff last year. One of the biggest reasons why Notre Dame failed to qualify was Freeman's inability to count to 11 when it mattered.

In between Day incoherently yelling about Lou Holtz's whereabouts, Freeman was starting to build a bad reputation as a terrible in-game decision maker in the final minutes. Notre Dame was becoming one of those teams who could hang with anyone, but could lose to just about anyone because of the Marcus Freeman of it all. It had been Marshall, Stanford, Northern Illinois, and of course, Ohio State.

Fate would have it, Freeman gets a shot at redemption vs. Ohio State next Monday night. No. 7 Notre Dame will take on No. 8 Ohio State for the College Football Playoff National Champioship in Atlanta. Neither team earned a first-round bye, but Ohio State's ceiling and Notre Dame's steadiness are the biggest reasons they have had staying power in the expanded postseason. Who comes out on top?

Once again, Ohio State will be the massive favorite and Notre Dame will have to play the underdog.

Marcus Freeman has a shot at redemption vs. his alma mater Ohio State

It is a fairly intriguing set of circumstances we find Freeman in heading into the national title bout. Not only is he on the verge of doing something his predecessor Brian Kelly never thought was possible, but he has the chance to do so against his alma mater of Ohio State. This was not only a team that represents one of Freeman's worst blunders of his coaching career, but a bit of a measuring stick.

All things equal, Ohio State is the best job in college football. The program resides in a talent-rich state, one entrenched in great football tradition. The academics standards are not a nuisance of getting top-flight players in and staying in school. Ohio State's NIL war chest is unrivaled. Notre Dame is a massive brand too, but the academics, religious overtones and being in talent-poor Indiana hurts.

While some people will make a big deal about Freeman being the first black head coach to play in a college football national championship, I see Freeman out to do something more. To beat his alma mater in a setting and venue Kelly no longer thought was possible, it would change the entire game of college football. Notre Dame has cracked the playoff code. Now it is time to get some sweet revenge.

For Notre Dame to be No. 1 in college football, Freeman and the Irish defense must first count to 11.