ATLANTA — Riley Leonard did not need to take his glimmering gold helmet off simply but. Because the scarlet confetti fell from the sky and Ohio State celebrated its seventh nationwide title Monday evening after beating the Irish 34-23, Leonard stood on the opposite finish of the sphere, shaking fingers and hugging each Notre Dame participant who walked off.
As soon as Leonard lastly left the celebratory confines, what he discovered contained in the tunnel was a crowd of Notre Dame followers giving him and the remainder of the crew what amounted to a silent standing ovation by a soundproof window. Although loads of Irish followers displayed disappointment on their faces, there was a palpable appreciation, too.
“Thanks for getting us right here!” one fan shouted.
As Marcus Freeman stood exterior Notre Dame’s locker room, he could not but depart for his information convention. Contained in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium tunnel, his gaze fixated on the TV within the nook the place Ohio State coach Ryan Day was basking in victory and lifting a trophy Freeman had come so near greedy.
Contained in the Notre Dame locker room, delight and disappointment collided as gamers tried to grapple with the truth that they weren’t one of the best crew on the sphere Monday evening, whereas understanding that what that they had achieved this season was value acknowledging.
“We have been on a three-game playoff streak and earlier than this yr, it was unfathomable for us to even win a playoff recreation,” defensive lineman Howard Cross III stated. “We beat three straight nice groups. We could not end, however we have modified the narrative of who we’re as a program.”
In a single nook, offensive lineman Pat Coogan waxed poetic about how Notre Dame had fought its method right here, to a nationwide championship, regardless of accidents and loads of adversity. Within the different nook, security Jordan Clark might barely get by his phrases as tears rolled down his face and his voice quivered.
“It is simply the love on this room, man,” Clark stated. “We by no means fold.”
Regardless of being on the cusp of Notre Dame’s first nationwide title since 1988 and developing quick, this season was a proof of idea for Freeman and what he has been tasked with constructing in South Bend. The Irish suffered one of many program’s worst losses once they fell to Northern Illinois at house in September, and that might have simply been the start of an extended, mediocre marketing campaign. As an alternative, it was the beginning of a legendary run.
“After the [NIU] loss, it was like screw everyone,” Cross stated. “Let’s simply hold rolling.”
Their means to bounce again from that recreation and end the common season on a 10-game profitable streak exhibited the best way that gamers and coaches had purchased into Freeman’s imaginative and prescient of a resilient crew and furthermore an emboldened program that needed to as soon as once more take its place close to the highest of the game. Monday evening’s recreation was one more testomony to that very notion.
Whereas down 31-7 within the third quarter, the Irish might have let their hope evaporate. However this was a crew that had seen the worst model of itself early within the season. That they had change into acquainted with all-time low, had seen glimpses of it once more once they had been tied at halftime with USC of their closing recreation of the season and responded. Weeks later, that they had responded to that feeling as soon as once more whereas down 10-3 at halftime of the Orange Bowl in opposition to Penn State, popping out of the half and guaranteeing their dream season would proceed.
And so it ought to have been no shock that regardless of being outmatched within the expertise division and down what appeared like an insurmountable lead, the Irish stored preventing. They pressured a turnover and reduce the sport to 2 possessions with loads of time left.
“We did not hand over. We did not cease,” Cross stated. “And regardless of how bleak or unhealthy it could look, we nonetheless pushed. We nonetheless stored preventing till the very finish.”
Even after hope had absolutely vanished Monday following a dagger catch by Jeremiah Smith, the starvation remained. The Irish had tasted greatness once more; on this new period of the game, that they had confirmed they had been ok to compete for the final word prize.
“The truth is all of us had a bit of little bit of doubt, however all of us selected to work, and all of us selected to belief one another,” Freeman stated. “We did it each week and you continue to needed to belief past understanding in case your work was going to get you the end result that you just needed, and so they continued to do it. They put this program ready to play for a nationwide championship.”
The silver linings are each within the numbers and within the moments. The Irish boasted defensive and offensive models that ranked within the prime six of the whole nation, per ESPN SP+. Northern Illinois apart, they dominated groups they had been higher than and took each alternative on the largest stage to indicate this was a program with a contemporary look and ahead momentum. Even a nationwide model like Notre Dame can profit from the publicity this crew has created for themselves.
“The tradition’s modified. I do not know how you can describe it, however individuals are assured,” Cross, who has been in South Bend since 2019, stated. “With these video games, previous to this yr, it was like, whoa, I do not find out about that. Now, not a single particular person is pondering we will lose.”
The climb up the mountain of contemporary faculty soccer is as steep and lengthy as ever. Enjoying 15 or 16 video games in a season — and profitable 4 straight to win all of it on the finish — is a troublesome process, however the Irish appear higher positioned to make it occur.
“I instructed these guys, they’ve left this program higher — I do not care if you happen to had been right here for one yr otherwise you’ve been right here for six years,” Freeman stated. “The outlook of Notre Dame soccer is extraordinarily excessive. So long as the folks in that locker room that come again perceive what it takes, the work these guys have put in, there’s loads of success in our future.”
For Freeman & Co., the ache of the loss can final solely so lengthy. The work to assemble an encore begins instantly, and channeling the momentum of this run into recruiting and portal additions might be essential. Notre Dame must exchange Leonard, Cross, Jack Kiser and several other others, whereas the groups they beat on their method right here will reload as effectively, together with Ohio State. There’s pleasure about freshman quarterback CJ Carr, whereas the breakouts of operating again Jeremiyah Love and wideout Jaden Greathouse are promising.
As troublesome because it was Monday evening, the ache of the current was considerably soothed by the optimism of the longer term, which went past the confines of the Irish’s locker room.
“We’ll win a couple of within the subsequent 10 years. I’m satisfied of that,” stated 88-year-old former Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz, in opposition to whom all his successors have been measured. “We’ve got a tradition the place we consider, and also you play in your teammates, and that’s what Notre Dame is all about.”
Tony Rice, who quarterbacked the final Notre Dame crew to win a title in 1988, may need summed it up greatest: “I believed in my lifetime I’d by no means see it, however it is time to cross the torch to another person.”
“That is uncharted territory for us, however it was not a one-off factor,” Cross stated. “Previous to this yr, it is what Notre Dame cannot do now. Now, It is what Notre Dame can do.”
Andrea Adelson contributed to this story.