After Marcus Freeman was named Notre Dame's head coach in December 2021, the former Ohio State linebacker called out his alma mater.
"I just thank God that I didn't make the wrong decision twice," Freeman wrote to Notre Dame fans via The Players' Tribune, reflecting on his decision to play for Jim Tressel and the Buckeyes over Charlie Weis and the Irish from 2006-08.
Months later, Freeman appeared to dismiss the academic standards of Ohio State and Cincinnati, where he was a defensive coordinator under Luke Fickell from 2017-20 before leaving for Notre Dame in 2021, and told CBS Sports, "You don't go to class (at places like that)." Freeman later claimed he was misquoted in the article.
After both of Freeman's remarks were shared on social media and college football message boards, he received backlash from Ohio State fans who coupled their distaste for his comments with their anticipation for the Buckeyes' season opener with the Irish last fall – a matchup Ohio State won 21-10 in Columbus.
With a few weeks until Freeman starts his second year as head coach in South Bend, Indiana, the 37-year-old was prompted to explain his comments about the Buckeyes on "The Pivot" podcast, with former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark asking how Freeman handled criticism from "crazy" Ohio State fans.
"That was an eye-opening experience for me, but I needed it. You need to learn. You need those lessons to learn."– Marcus Freeman on receiving backlash for his Ohio State comments
"That was an eye-opening experience for me, but I needed it," Freeman said at the 42:18 mark of the podcast. "You need to learn. You need those lessons to learn.
"I think about that article in The Player's Tribune. You kind of do it that they interview you, and they write it for you. You think that you are talking to Notre Dame fans. You are not thinking about anything else other than Notre Dame fans. And they asked, 'Why did you choose Notre Dame?' And I was like, 'Oh, I made a mistake. I don't want to say no to Notre Dame twice.' And poor choice of words because that's all the people at Ohio State read was, 'You regret your decision to choose Ohio State.' No. I wouldn't be where I'm at without those years in Columbus, Ohio, and I value every part of that.
"It was a great lesson that you have to be careful of the things you say, the things you write and your interviews because it's not just talking to a certain group. Everyone sees it, and everyone can take it a certain way."
Freeman was then asked to share his expectations for the Ohio State-Notre Dame matchup in 2023. Freeman said he expects the Irish to win the game and that Notre Dame will improve to 5-0 after victories against Navy, Tennessee State, NC State and Central Michigan to start the season.
"The expectation is to win every game you play here," Freeman said. "Listen, we ain't won a national championship since 1988. Every year (we say), 'Win this national championship.' That's my goal too. I want success for two groups. One, it's our players. I want it for our players because they deserve it, man. That's why they chose Notre Dame. And I want it for our athletic director and our president. They took a chance on me, and there's so much support around here."
Ohio State will face Notre Dame in South Bend on Sept. 23. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. with the matchup televised on NBC and streamed on Peacock.
