The Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl, 27-24 on Thursday night. It was an absolute classic filled with drama, lead changes, and an epic finish. With the win, Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman made college football history.

Freeman became the first Black head coach ever to lead his team to the National Championship on the FBS (or Division I) level. That is a hard statistic to wrap one's head around, but accurate nonetheless.

It did not come easy.

Penn State took control of the Orange Bowl during the first half. They dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, seemingly pushing Notre Dame football's defensive line back at will. That was something no team, including Georgia in the CFP quarterfinals, was unable to do.

But Freeman remained calm and told his team not to panic heading into the locker room.

Notre Dame came out like a different animal in the second half. They ripped off 14 straight points, including Jeremiyah Love going beast mode, to take a 17-10 lead. But James Franklin's squad was not just going to fold either. Penn State countered with 14 unanswered points themselves, re-taking the lead.

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Freeman has often talked about his team's resilience, though. That shone brightest once again on Thursday night. Notre Dame football quarterback Riley Leonard found Jadon Greathouse wide-open downfield for a 54-yard touchdown pass.

Following a punt from each side, Penn State's Drew Allar threw a pass late over the middle. You can guess what happens when a quarterback does that. Christian Gray picked the pass off, setting up the game-winning field goal.

Mitch Jeter's 41-yard field goal split the uprights, punching Notre Dame's ticket into the National Championship.

It will be Notre Dame's second championship appearance since the inception of the BCS back in the 1990s. And, Freeman deserves as much credit as anyone. In just his third year as the head coach, Freeman has rebuilt this program and brought them back to national prominence.