First thing’s first. Credit the Notre Dame football players for making the National Title Game more of a contest than it had any business being. After taking a 7-0 lead on an insane 18-play opening drive, the Irish looked lifeless for the better part of the next 2.5 quarters.
And then, things got very, very interesting. And unfortunately, head coach Marcus Freeman made two calls that are going to haunt the Golden Domers and the man in charge all offseason.
The first special teams gaffe was painful but didn’t seem that big. With the Notre Dame football team down 28-7, Freeman called a fake punt on his own on 4th & 2 on the Irish 33 yard line. It was a completely predictable fake punt that turned into a dropped pass and led to Ohio State kicking a field goal to go up 31-7.
Notre Dame football special teams gaffes spell doom
The second bad decision was an indefensible one. It was one that was a game changer in more ways than one. And had more than one person thinking that Freeman was coaching scared.
After the Irish fought and clawed their way back into the game, the Blue and Gold had the ball on 4th and goal at the Ohio State nine-yard line and it was there that Freeman decided rather than go for the touchdown and the 2-point conversion that would have made it a one-possession game, he kicked a field goal, that even if he had made it, would have kept the game a two-score contest.
To add insult to injury, Mitch Jeter missed the chipshot field goal. And that’s where the real pain came in. After the missed field goal, Notre Dame was able to hold Ohio State to a punt, then hit a 30-yard touchdown pass and converted the 2-point conversion to make the score 31-23.
For a second, it looked like the Irish might even have a chance for a final drive. But on 3rd and 11, Will Howard hit all-world wide receiver Jeremiah Smith for a 56-yard gain and that was that.
The season is over. The Notre Dame football team played admirable and fought their way back after going down 31-7. But those two special teams gaffes are plays that Marcus Freeman is going to regret. And no explanation as to why he decided to make those calls is going to make it better.