Marcus Freeman’s Appearance On College Gameday Directly Contradicts Notre Dame’s Bowl Game Boycott

Notre Dame chose not to play in a bowl game after it missed out on the College Football Playoff but Marcus Freeman had no problem joining the College Gameday desk prior to the national championship. Although his lengthy appearance on ESPN served its purpose, it directly contradicts the Fighting Irish’s decision to withdrawal from the postseason.

They were trying to make a point.

For the head coach to then appear on the pregame show for the college football national championship is rather ironic. I get it, and Freeman did a great job, but you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

Notre Dame opted out of the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Nobody expected the College Football Playoff bracket to look how it did during the preseason. Not only did Indiana finish as the top-ranked team in the country in Curt Cignetti’s second year as head coach, two Group of Six programs snuck into the field of 12. Ole Miss got to host a home game without Lane Kiffin. Miami got the final spot as the only representative from the ACC even though it did not win the ACC.

The Fighting Irish got jumped by the Hurricanes at the last possible second. Literally.

Notre Dame was ranked No. 10 in the second-to-last CFP rankings. Miami was ranked No. 10 in the final CFP rankings. They flip-flopped.

The College Football Playoff committee ultimately decided that the head-to-head matchup from August should matter. The Irish lost to the Canes so the Canes got the last spot over the Irish.

Most people expected them to lose right away at Texas A&M. The sportsbooks offered 100/1 odds for Miami to win a national title. And yet, here we are. The U is one win away.

On the flip side of that decision, Notre Dame decided to opt out of the postseason all together in protest. Marcus Freeman and the Irish made a stand. They don’t want to play at all if they can’t play for a national title. The ratings ultimately proved that the Pop-Tarts Bowl was better off without them anyway.

Marcus Freeman appeared on College Gameday before the national championship.

Notre Dame withdrew from the postseason to prove a point. It told ESPN and the College Football Playoff committee to shove it— as if anybody outside of South Bend cared.

The entire purpose of the protest was to take a stand against injustice. The Irish would not be associated with the media conglomerate that runs college football bowl season. They would not bend the knee!

And then Marcus Freeman bent the knee.

The head football coach at Notre Dame spent more than an hour with Desmond Howard, Rece Davis, Pat McAfee and Kirk Herbstreit on the desk of College Gameday prior to the national championship. His appearance was in direct contradiction of the bowl game boycott.

Now, to be completely fair, Freeman remained extremely humble and took ownership for leaving doubt.