Marcus Freeman on facing Indiana

Notre Dame head coach on playing IU in the College Football Playoffs.

Transcript

00:00Is it just me or is there something inherently really cool about two in-state teams battling each other in the first playoff game on campus?

00:09I'll tell you what, it's going to be something special. You know, I know that a lot of people call Indiana a basketball state,

00:15but to have two teams in the state of Indiana playing each other in the first 12-team playoff,

00:20it speaks volumes to both programs and the job that has been done at Indiana this year,

00:26but also to the talent here in the state of Indiana, and it's going to be an exciting opportunity for both programs.

00:33Talking to Marcus Freeman, I'm curious, what was the first thing that went through your head when the bracket was revealed

00:38and you saw that you would face Indiana in the first round?

00:42Well, that home-field advantage of bringing a southern or a warm-weather team to South Bend, Indiana,

00:49probably is thrown out the window. Bloomington is a little bit south, but not south enough to be affected by the weather.

00:56But again, the excitement to play an in-state team and a team that's done well, extremely well this season,

01:04and to play in a playoff game in Notre Dame Stadium is something that we're all excited for.