Marcus Freeman did not make excuses, did not blame any selection committees, and did not retreat to the internet after Notre Dame was excluded from consideration for this year’s College Football Playoff National Championship. The championship was won by No. 1 Indiana, who defeated No. 10 Miami on Monday night. Instead, the Fighting Irish head coach provided a clear and honest explanation that resonated so strongly with Kirk Herbstreit that he physically left his seat at the ESPN College Football GameDay desk and walked over to shake Freeman’s hand during the national championship broadcast from Miami.

Freeman addressed the team after the announcement and admitted that Notre Dame had only itself to blame for “leaving doubt” in the minds of decision-makers early in the season. He acknowledged that despite finishing with a 10-2 record, the committee did not consider them for the playoff field.

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Freeman explained that the initial reaction to being left out was difficult to handle. He stated that the team needed to take responsibility for their performance, especially in the first two games of the season where they lost by four or five points. “We left doubt,” he said. “And it’s our job to make sure we leave no doubt.”

Herbstreit was moved by Freeman’s approach, calling it “a great approach to being left out.” He is one of the most vocal advocates for expanding the playoff to 16 teams.

The snub came in a year where the playoff field included two Group of 5 champions, Tulane and James Madison. They entered as the No. 11 and No. 12 seeds but were eliminated in the first round. Oregon defeated James Madison 51-34, while Ole Miss dominated Tulane 41-10 in a game that helped introduce quarterback Trinidad Chambliss on a national stage. Notre Dame stayed home and declined a Pop-Tarts Bowl berth against BYU at the end of the season.

Notre Dame started the year with narrow losses to Miami and Texas A&M but closed the regular season with 10 straight wins. They scored 70 points on Syracuse, beat USC by double digits, and held three teams to single scores defensively. Freeman hopes to turn the Irish’s fortunes around in 2026 as his name continues to circulate quietly in NFL head-coaching conversations.