Coming into the National Championship game, Notre Dame was the underdog, and rightfully so. Ohio State had been playing like the best team in football throughout the new 12-team playoff format. The Fighting Irish entered the game hoping to be the first defense to slow down the Buckeyes’ high-powered offense.
To start the game, Notre Dame put together an 18-play, 10-minute drive. The drive made history as the longest scoring drive in BCS/CFP Championship game history. However, after that impressive opening drive, the Buckeyes showed exactly why they had made it this far. The Fighting Irish offense began to stall, while the defense struggled to contain Jeremiah Smith and Quinshon Judkins in the first half.
In the fourth quarter, Notre Dame mounted a drive, trailing by 16 points with under 10 minutes to play. On fourth-and-goal, the Irish chose to kick a field goal instead of going for the touchdown. The decision sparked outrage among college football fans, who took to X to voice their displeasure with head coach Marcus Freeman.
“Horrible decision by Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman to attempt field goal down by 16 with 9 minutes left,” RethSogan posted.
Another fan added, “That field goal decision looks even worse now for Notre Dame,” referencing the Irish’s subsequent touchdown.
Fans worldwide were left baffled by Freeman’s decision to kick a field goal rather than attempt to score a touchdown in a critical moment.
“It’s beyond me why Notre Dame didn’t go for it and instead attempted a field goal, which they missed,” another user wrote.
Freeman will undoubtedly face a barrage of questions during the postgame media availability. This marks back-to-back losses in the National Championship for Notre Dame. Had the Irish chosen to go for the touchdown, the outcome of the game might have been very different.