Notre Dame Football

The Notre Dame football team will be making its first national championship game appearance since 2013 when it meets Ohio State in Monday night's College Football Playoff final, and it will be doing so in style.

The Fighting Irish revealed their uniform combination for the national title game, rolling with their classic look of a gold helmet, navy blue jersey and gold pants:

𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐞#GoIrish | #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/V44fcpbqBE

— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) January 20, 2025

Notre Dame, which is ranked No. 7 in the College Football Playoff, is riding a 13-game win streak dating back to the regular season into Monday's game. The team showed resiliency in its first three CFP games, defeating No. 10 Indiana, No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Penn State by an average margin of victory of just 8.7 points.

The Fighting Irish will need to continue their stellar play on defense, as they will be facing a No. 8 Buckeyes team that topped the 40-point mark in wins over No. 9 Tennessee and No. 1 Oregon before defeating No. 5 Texas 28-14 to reach the CFP final.

Ohio State will be playing for its first national title since 2014, the first year of the College Football Playoff. While the Buckeyes are closer to their most recent championship, it's the Fighting Irish who are peaking at the perfect time, and they will look fashionable when they try to earn their first title in over three decades.

With the Big Ten and SEC appearing to separate themselves with their depth and overall quality at times in the modern-day era of college football, Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua was asked about the scheduling arrangement his program has with the ACC.

He told reporters he would be interested in potentially bolstering the Fighting Irish's schedule as part of that agreement by annually playing one of the ACC's powerhouses in Clemson.

"When we play a team like Clemson, I think that has become such a great rivalry in such a short amount of time," he said. "I would tell you that's the type of game I'd love to play every year."

While Notre Dame remains an independent school outside of the conferences, it has an agreement with the ACC to play five games against the league's teams a season.

This past season's slate featured matchups against Louisville, Stanford, Georgia Tech, Florida State and Virginia. Louisville and Georgia Tech were the only teams from that group to finish above .500, and they still featured a combined 10 losses.

Florida State would normally be a strong game, but the Seminoles were arguably the most disappointing team in the country this season with a 2-10 record.

How to weigh performances on the field, overall records and strength of schedule will always be part of the debate in college football, and this season was no different even with the expansion of the CFP to 12 teams.

The Fighting Irish don't have the benefit of playing for a conference championship and automatic inclusion in the field, so their strength of schedule figures to be an important measuring stick in future years even if it wasn't really an issue this season thanks to their strong 11-1 overall record.

Facing Clemson, which won the ACC title and made the CFP this season, would typically bolster that strength of schedule and give Notre Dame something of a measuring-stick game ahead of the postseason games.

And the two teams faced each other five times from 2018 through 2023, including in the 2018 CFP and 2020 ACC Championship Game. Due to the shortened season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Notre Dame was eligible to participate in the ACC Championship Game in 2020.

Clemson won both of those high-profile showdowns, although the Fighting Irish won their regular-season meetings in 2020 and 2022.

At this point, there is no questioning Notre Dame's accomplishments this season.

Despite a shocking loss to Northern Illinois in September, head coach Marcus Freeman's team rallied together with notable wins over Navy, Army, USC and Louisville, among others, before a playoff run that included victories over Indiana, Georgia and Penn State.

Only Ohio State stands in the way of a national championship, and the two powerhouse programs will face each other for the title Monday.

ATLANTA — The greatest strength of these Notre Dame Fighting Irish is a physical and relentless defense.

Led by All-American lineman Howard Cross III and award-winning safety Xavier Watts, the Irish are stacked with veterans on a feisty unit. Notre Dame has yielded 14.2 points per game, the second-best mark in the country behind Ohio State, its opponent in the CFP National Championship Game.

That experience from Cross, Watts, sixth-year linebacker Jack Kiser and others is a main reason for ND's success this season.

But there are younger players on the rise—and a fitting place to start is Drayk Bowen.

A 6'2", 239-pound missile of a linebacker, he enters the national title with the third-most tackles (70) on the team, trailing only Kiser and Watts. Bowen, who largely played special teams as a freshman, earned a starting job this season and has become a pivotal part of an elite defense.

Dig beyond the stats, and the sophomore's ascent is no surprise. Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden, with an intense glare, looked through my soul when describing him.

"Drayk Bowen is a warrior."

The praise was stern yet effusive, with compliments for Bowen's instincts, football intellect and physicality while making it very clear how much he cares—the 'Give a S— Factor,' Golden called it.

"He's an athlete first, and he's in a linebacker body," Golden said. "He was a prolific baseball player, great athlete in high school."

I can especially attest to the latter part.

---

I remember seeing Bowen play for the first time.

It was an intrasquad scrimmage in August 2020, at Andrean High School in Merrillville, Indiana; he was a sophomore and lined up at running back.

Bowen caught a screen pass, sprinted toward the left sideline, dropped his shoulder and trucked—and I mean totally flattened—a defender. He decleated that poor, unfortunate soul directly onto the turf, leaving him staring at the heavens while Bowen continued down the field.

I'll assume that former high school teammate tells the story of the time Drayk Bowen sent me into a different dimension. He probably remembers that ill-fated tackle vividly.

Because, buddy, I haven't forgotten it, either.

At that moment in 2020, Bowen had recently received his first scholarship offer. It was from Cincinnati, a fast-rising program with an emerging star at defensive coordinator named Marcus Freeman.

Funny how things work out.

---

By the end of his recruitment, 27 more programs would extend a scholarship. But for Bowen, it was always about the Irish.

After receiving the offer in February 2021, the nearby 4-star talent committed to Notre Dame that November. Bowen quickly became a loud advocate for the Irish to other prospects during the 2023 cycle.

"He's a vocal leader now, same way he was in recruiting," Freeman said. "He's a big piece of that recruiting class."

Bowen saw Auburn and Clemson on unofficial trips early in his process but ultimately was locked in with the Irish. Technically, the only other program he officially visited was also in South Bend.

In high school, after all, Bowen played third base and hit cleanup for a state championship-winning group. He's also a member of Notre Dame's baseball team, one of several dual-sport athletes on the football roster. The school's history—with Jeff Samardzija, Golden Tate and Cole Kmet, for example—played a key role in Bowen's commitment.

"I work with the coaches a lot," he told B/R. "I work with football, baseball, they work together so it's never too much on my body. They're always asking me how I'm doing, how I'm feeling. [The key is] knowing what I'm going to, when I'm going to it."

Bowen said his focus throughout the season is overwhelmingly on football. He tries to make a weekly stop at the baseball facilities to hit, but he's otherwise locked on a different kind of hitting.

Those collisions are demanding attention.

"His physicality jumps off—tough, hard-nosed football player, will really thump you," Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said. "You gotta make sure you get a hat on him. He can key and diagnose plays really well. I've been really, really impressed with watching him on tape."

Cross echoed that sentiment.

"Anytime you see a Drayk highlight, it's literally just him running at full speed, no matter who's in front of him and then just lowering his shoulder—no matter if it's an offensive lineman or running back or a tight end," Cross said. "It's always fun to watch. He definitely is a symbol of what we want our tenacity on defense to be."

Bowen has provided 16 tackles for the Irish during their run to the national championship, making eight stops in last week's Orange Bowl victory over Penn State. His role has only grown as the season has progressed.

Now, aggression without knowledge can be wasted effort, but Golden and Freeman noted Bowen's intelligence and vocal leadership. That combination is evident when you notice him shouting pre-snap adjustments to motions or formations, for instance.

Against the Buckeyes, Kiser will be the main voice of the defense. Looking ahead to the 2025 season, though, it's easy to believe Bowen can command that responsibility.

The evidence, from his production and leadership to his preparation and execution, is all there.

Within a few days, Bowen's priority will shift from ripping apart blocking schemes to ripping line drives. He'll trade a helmet and shoulder pads on the gridiron for a glove and an aluminum bat on a diamond.

But first, there's a national championship at stake.

Notre Dame is the underdog, yet the Irish are built to win because of this defense. And right in the middle of it, between an All-American lineman and safety, alongside a linebacker with the most games played in program history, is a sophomore turning into a cornerstone.

We might just remember Monday as the moment Bowen, a tenacious warrior who gives a s—, truly introduced himself to the nation.

And if that happens, Ohio State certainly won't forget.

Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua suggested Saturday that the school has no plans to join a conference in football despite the current design of the College Football Playoff.

Speaking to reporters as part of the CFP National Championship Game's media availability, Bevacqua said:

"We're comfortable that if conference championship games continue as they're currently configured, part of the deal we made is that we wouldn't get a bye, and that's understandable. And quite frankly, I wouldn't trade that [first-round] Indiana game at Notre Dame Stadium for anything in the world, but you also have to be smart and strategic, and your odds of making a national championship game are increased if you get to play one less game."

Since the current CFP rules state that the top four conference champions in FBS receive a first-round bye in the CFP, Notre Dame is not eligible for a bye, as they are independent and not part of a conference.

That drawback did not adversely impact the Fighting Irish during the first-ever 12-team CFP, though, as they defeated Indiana, Georgia and Penn State en route to Monday's national title game against Ohio State.

Bevacqua went on to note that the alteration or elimination of conference championship games could potentially change the way the CFP and an independent team like Notre Dame is handled, saying:

"So I think a lot is going to depend on the fate of the conference championship games. Should they go away? And that's obviously not my decision. Should they be altered in some sort of material way where it's not the top two teams playing for a championship, but something else? Then I think we absolutely have to re-look at Notre Dame's ability to get a bye if we end up being one of the top four teams."

After going 11-1 during the regular season with their only loss coming in shocking fashion against MAC school Northern Illinois, the Irish were ranked No. 5 in the final CFP rankings.

That means they would not have gotten a bye even if the byes simply went to the top four seeds, although they would have conceivably had the easiest first-round game against the No. 12 seed.

After No. 1 Oregon and No. 2 Georgia, the two highest-ranked conference champs were No. 9 Boise State and No. 12 Arizona State, so they were elevated to the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds, while Notre Dame was bumped down from No. 5 to No. 7.

Notre Dame scored a 27-17 home win over Indiana in the first round, and each of the other three higher-ranked teams also won their first-round home games.

While the first round was all chalk, the second round featured all four lower seeds winning, putting the Nos. 5 through 8 seeds into the semifinals.

That led to plenty of debate regarding whether having a first-round bye was actually a good thing since the teams who had a bye were off for nearly a month between their conference titles game and their CFP quarterfinal game.

Conversely, the teams that had to play in the first round were already back in a rhythm, and they used that to their advantage in the quarters.

Regardless, there figures to be a great deal of discussion moving forward on the subject of whether conference champions should get the top four CFP seeds or the top four teams in the CFP rankings should get them.

Per ESPN's Heather Dinich, future changes are possible, but CFP executive director Rich Clark suggested recently that none are likely to occur in time for the 2025 season.

Clark said there isn't enough time to make changes for 2025, but a new format could potentially be in place for 2026 if alterations are agreed upon by the end of 2025.

Seeding is undoubtedly one possible change that will be discussed, along with the idea of adding teams to make it a 14- or even 16-team field.

The national champion of the 2024 college football season will be determined Monday night when Notre Dame and Ohio State clash at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Marcus Freeman's success at Notre Dame has put him on the radar for NFL teams looking for a new head coach, but he's not interested in talking about anything but the task at hand for his current club.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Freeman said he has given "zero thought" to the NFL and all of his attention has been on helping the Fighting Irish prepare for the College Football Playoff Championship Game against Ohio State.

Freeman has been connected to the Chicago Bears since before the NFL regular season came to an end. Peter Schrager of Fox Sports floated him as a potential candidate back on Dec. 1.

According to @PSchrags, the Bears fired Matt Eberflus Friday just minutes after his morning media session.

Also, Schrager has the latest on Jets veterans Aaron Rodgers and Tyron Smith.

Plus, snow warning in Buffalo tonight ❄️❄️ How will the conditions look for 49ers-Bills? pic.twitter.com/i1HN5ARiDt

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 1, 2024

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Jan. 12 that the Bears want to interview Freeman, but it would be "unlikely" he would entertain any offers before the CFP title game.

The Bears are looking to interview Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman for their HC opening, per @TomPelissero. pic.twitter.com/fjujUFyVKW

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 12, 2025

The Bears have completed 14 interviews and have two more scheduled for Saturday. One of their interviews was with Mike Vrabel, who wound up being hired as head coach of the New England Patriots.

Freeman, a former linebacker, was actually drafted by the Bears in the fifth round in 2009. He was waived prior to the start of the regular season, then had brief stints with the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans before retiring in May 2010.

After his playing career ended, Freeman moved into coaching as a graduate assistant at Ohio State. He was hired as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Notre Dame on Brian Kelly's staff in January 2021.

When Kelly surprisingly left the Fighting Irish to go to LSU, Freeman was promoted to head coach in December 2021. He has led the program to a 33-9 record since taking over.

Notre Dame rewarded Freeman with a new deal in December that is believed to keep him under contract for six seasons and made him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football, per ESPN's Heather Dinich.

The extent of Freeman's interest in an NFL job will likely be made clear after the College Football Playoff Championship Game.

For now, though, Freeman will lead Notre Dame against Ohio State on Monday night looking for the program's first national title since 1988.

Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero reminisced Friday on X about playing pickup basketball at Duke with Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard.

"We used to get it in at the indoor football field too," Banchero wrote on X.

summer nights in cameron used to go up!! we used to get it in at the indoor football field too🤣🤣🤣 @TrevorKeels https://t.co/DuocWCazf9

— Paolo Banchero (@Pp_doesit) January 17, 2025

Former Duke standout Trevor Keels, who now plays for the G League's Iowa Wolves, chimed in:

Nah facts!! We had the gloves & all🤣🤣 https://t.co/F40PAwKyyf

— Keel Mode (@TrevorKeels) January 17, 2025

The players were responding to a recent clip of Leonard talking about how he used to play with the Blue Devils basketball team during his time at Duke.

Leonard said he would be best known in his hometown in Alabama not for his work as a quarterback but for his previous reputation as a basketball player.

"I like to think that I could [walk on at Duke]," Leonard said in a recent clip shared by Robert Griffin III. "I didn't necessarily have the handles, though. Because to have handles, you've got to be in the gym, all day, every day.

"My class, when I got there in the summer, I was with Paolo Banchero and them. So we used to go Cameron, late at night, and hoop. Which is hope. So I was always trying to sneak in there, and play with them boys, and see if I could really prove myself."

Leonard continued: "That's one of my biggest regrets. I wish I would've hit Coach K up my freshman year."

When asked if he had ever scored on Banchero, Leonard answered: "Paolo's different. No, I would hold my own, I'll put it that way. I genuinely think I would have held my own. But yeah, I miss hoops."

While Banchero was playing his way into becoming the first pick of the 2022 NBA Draft during his single season at Duke, Leonard was mainly serving as a backup to Gunnar Holmberg.

He served two seasons as the team's primary starter before entering the transfer portal following the departure of Mike Elko at the end of the 2023 season.

Leonard and the Fighting Irish are now preparing to play Ohio State in the national championship game. Backup quarterback Steve Angeli briefly took over as Leonard went through concussion protocol during the team's semifinal win over Penn State, but Leonard is expected to return Monday for Notre Dame's title bid.