As the time ran out on a frigid night in South Bend, Marcus Freeman started to midfield to shake the hand of Curt “Google Me” Cignetti.
Notre Dame’s performance wasn’t perfect. There were the two late scores, and special teams weren’t exactly special.
Other than that, the Fighting Irish’s performance was sheer domination to kick off the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
Notre Dame couldn’t ask for a better coach as college athletics heads into the “management-labor” era. Even with losses to Marshall and Northern Illinois, Freeman’s calm demeanor keeps the program calm even in the low points.
It’s part of why last night’s win was so special. There were many “firsts,” including the first Friday night game at Notre Dame stadium and the first playoff win in school history.
Freeman is what the next-generation coach looks like. A young, confident leader that knows when to give a pat on the back and when to give a kick in the butt. One that doesn’t shy away from letting his players know that they have value and, in the end, it’s about them.
There’s a sense that Freeman loves Notre Dame, and Notre Dame loves him back. There’s no need to go to the SEC to have a chance to play for a National Championship like his predecessor. Freeman feels like that can happen at the most special place in college football.
Who knows what next week brings, but here’s what we know. Last night’s win might not erase the horrifying losses in the BCS and recent New Year’s Six Bowls, but it was a first step in writing the next chapter of Notre Dame football, and there couldn’t be a better author.
