The new NCAA college football playoff format produced an electric semi-final round, and on one side of it, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish came out on top in a nail-biting finish. The Irish and Penn State Nittany Lions faced off in the Orange Bowl for a place in

Ohio State is fully capable of making Notre Dame pay for its mistakes, but it doesn’t force nearly as many turnovers and commits more on offense as well. The Buckeyes are tied for 54th in the FBS in takeaways (19) and rank 44th in turnover margin (plus-four), which bodes well for the Irish.

Doesn't matter where -- around Notre Dame Stadium, past the Grotto or Touchdown Jesus.  The point is, the former Irish athletic director who hired Marcus Freeman should be ripping off his shirt, pounding his chest and whooping at the top of his lungs.

Before he arrived in South Bend, Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman was not himself part of the Catholic faith, even though Notre Dame is a private, Catholic university. But less than a year after becoming the head coach at Notre Dame,