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Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman made a hilarious joke about Curt Cignetti on Sunday. The Hoosiers' head coach made a bold comment about his success earlier in the year, which turned a lot of heads. Freeman decided to poke a little fun at that viral statement before Notre Dame plays host to Indiana in the College Football Playoff.
Eli Hershkovich, a lead sports betting writer for TheLines.com, revealed Freeman's comment, which can be interpreted in many ways.
“I didn't know much about him. I took a minute and googled him and looked at some of the things he's done in the past. He's won everywhere he's been. He's done a great job, and we expect a great opponent. We just briefly started looking at them. They're a talented team that really takes care of the football. They play complimentary football, their defense is a pressure attacking defense that really makes you earn everything you can get.”
Notre Dame football has a difficult road to a national championship
Regardless of whether Marcus Freeman is having a little fun at Curt Cignetti's expense or not, it's clear Notre Dame's head coach deeply respects his opponent. The Fighting Irish have had a terrific third season under Freeman. A year that former head coach Brian Kelly would have loved to have at LSU by now. After a brutal early season loss to Northern Illinois, the Fighting Irish have won ten straight games in dominant fashion. All but one of these wins was by double digits.
At the forefront of Notre Dame football's resurgence has been the third-ranked scoring defense in the country. The unit is only giving up 13.6 points per game, which is remarkable considering the season-ending injury to star cornerback and captain Benjamin Morrison. While the Fighting Irish's defense was a known strength going into the season, the offense's improvement is what has made this team a legitimate contender.
Senior Riley Leonard transferred over from Duke to take over the starting quarterback position in South Bend. Leonard and running back Jeremiyah Love have led an offensive unit that is hitting its stride at the perfect time. Marcus Freeman's team averages 39.8 points per game, also third in the country. The Fighting Irish have scored 49 or more points in four of their last four games. Notre Dame football's ability to win a shootout game was on full display in its recent rivalry win over USC.
This ability to keep pace with high-scoring offenses could become essential in this matchup against the Hoosiers. Indiana has the second-ranked scoring offense in the country, led by a devastating aerial attack from QB Kurtis Rourke. To this point, Notre Dame has not faced a quarterback on Rourke's level this year. With that in mind, the absence of Benjamin Morrison will be tested heavily on December 20th.
The potential for inclement weather in South Bend could ultimately be a key in this matchup. Especially since the Fighting Irish should have the advantage up front. Still, this will be a difficult game for Notre Dame football, and the road doesn't get any easier after it. The winner of this matchup faces No. 2 Georgia in the All-State Sugar Bowl. The beautiful thing about this new playoff format is that any questions fans and critics have about Marcus Freeman's team will be answered in the coming weeks.
Overall, Touchdown Jesus will be looking down upon its first playoff game in a few weeks. The Fighting Irish have had a successful season in 2024. However, to be truly remembered by this historic program for years to come, Notre Dame football must extend its season well into January of 2025.
