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Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman reacts after a play against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half the CFP National Championship college football game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

How Marcus Freeman Was Disrespected by Athlon Sports in Latest Ranking

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 11:52 AM ET

Uhh, please tell me that I'm sleeping or dreaming this, because I know nobody in their right mind would actually think it.

Marcus Freeman is entering his fourth season as head coach at Notre Dame, fresh off a dramatic College Football Playoff march that led the Fighting Irish to the national championship game against Ohio State. If not for a failed fourth down stop attempt late, Notre Dame would have had a chance to tie the game and send it to overtime.

Notre Dame and Marcus Freeman were that close to winning the team's first national championship since 1988 just last January. And yet, Freeman still gets no respect from at least one outlet regarding his chances of winning a national championship in 2025.

Athlon Sports has their annual preseason college football magazine out and in it have plenty of information about the upcoming season. It also features water carrying of a certain head coach that Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame beat in last season's Orange Bowl.

The very last page of the Athlon Sports 2025 College Football Preview magazine is dedicated to which coach who hasn't won a national championship to date, will be most likely to join the small fraternity this season. Marcus Freeman is ranked fourth and although debatable, that's not the disrespectful part. It's who happens to be ranked No. 2.

James Franklin of Penn State checks in at No. 2 on the list, trailing only Steve Sarkisian of Texas while Dan Lanning of Oregon checks in just ahead of Freeman at No. 3. Having Franklin on the list and rated that high is utterly ridiculous.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Yes, Franklin did have Penn State in the national semi-finals last season, but he also had the easiest path of any of the final four teams to get there. Penn State beat SMU at home and an over-seeded Boise State team in the Fiesta Bowl to reach the Orange Bowl. In its biggest games of the regular season, Penn State lost at home to Ohio State (again) and lost to Oregon in the Big Ten Championship.

2016 was magical in many ways for Penn State, but winning a huge game since that season hasn't been done despite Franklin having plenty of chances to. Sure he returns a ton of talent on what was a very good team last year, but he hasn't won a big one in nearly a decade - now we're supposed to expect him to be able to pull off the amount necessary to win a national championship?

Freeman had Notre Dame within one fourth down stop of having a chance to tie the national championship game in the fourth quarter last season. Yes, some very good players have moved on to the NFL, but this isn't a team that didn't see a player who was active for the postseason last year selected in the first two rounds of this past NFL draft.

You could argue that Freeman, who had big wins over USC and Clemson on his resume already, won more big games in beating Indiana, Georgia, and Penn State in a three-game stretch than Franklin has his entire time in Happy Valley.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

I'm not saying Notre Dame is going to win the national championship in 2025. A lot certainly has to go right with a first-time starting quarterback and new parts have to click, regardless of how highly touted they were as recruits.

What I am saying though is that despite never coaching a game of college football in my life, I trust myself more under the bright lights than I do any team led by James Franklin.

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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