Notre Dame football is heavy underdogs for their season opener on Saturday against the Ohio State Buckeyes. Just don't tell that to Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman. Or maybe you should tell him. Freeman was asked about being heavy underdogs against Ohio State football, which led to this strong take from the first-year head coach, per beat writer Mike Berardino on Twitter.

Marcus Freeman said that he “didn't know” that Notre Dame football was a 17 1/2-point underdog heading into their Saturday contest against Ohio State. But Freeman made sure that he will remember, making a point to write it down.

The first year Fighting Irish head coach will also make sure that his players know, going on to say that the university will “use that in the team meeting.”

It's not hard to see why many pegged Notre Dame as underdogs against the budding offensive juggernaut that is Ohio State football.

The Buckeyes have Heisman Trophy candidate CJ Stroud, who is on the shortlist of best players in the nation. Around Stroud are high-octane weapons, such as running back TreyVeon Henderson and wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr.

A defense that is expected to be improved should only make Ohio State even more formidable. But it is a little disrespectful that Marcus Freeman's Fighting Irish, the no. 5 ranked team in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, is being regarded as out of the Buckeyes' league.

Notre Dame football is strong in the trenches and figure to have one of the best defenses in the nation once again. That should serve them well in the season opener against the Buckeyes.

As will the added motivation that Marcus Freeman and company now have.