Notre Dame Head Coach Marcus Freeman Was Amazed When He Heard Betting Line For Week 1 Game Against Ohio State

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish squad are considered heavy underdogs when they travel to Columbus to take on the powerhouse of Ohio State this weekend. But new head coach Marcus Freeman isn’t buying it.

When told by reporters that his Irish were 17.5 underdogs this weekend, Freeman vowed to turn the betting line into bulletin-board material for his squad.

“You said 17.5 points? We’ll use that in team meeting today,” Freeman said via Notre Dame insider Pete Sampson.

Even if he doesn’t think his team should be quite as heavy underdogs, Freeman is still well-aware of the threat Ohio State poses to any defense with their plethora of playmakers on offense.

After all, Freeman played for the Buckeyes before a brief stint in the NFL, and started his coaching career in Columbus as a graduate assistant.

“I’m pretty emotionless about going back to Ohio State, but we get to play a great team in a great hostile environment…” Freeman said. “Like any competitor, you get butterflies and excitement to play in a place like that.”

Ahead of the marquee matchup between college football blue-bloods, Freeman was the cause of controversy when comparing the academic prowess at Notre Dame to places like Ohio State.

“If you don’t go to class [at places like that], OK, take some online classes, show up for your appointments,” Freeman was quoted in the CBS Sports story via ESPN. “At Notre Dame, you’re forced every day to go to class.”

The game between Ohio State and Notre Dame is set for 7:30 ET on ABC.

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