Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman makes CFP history

Marcus Freeman – Source: CFP/Getty

With Notre Dame's victory over Penn State, Marcus Freeman becomes the first black coach to reach the national championship game.

College football as we once knew it is almost unrecognizable, but Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame stayed the course and earned a national championship berth. In the first year of the expanded playoffs that grew from four teams to 12, the usual faces are nowhere to be found.

Notre Dame sent Georgia packing in the Sugar Bowl while Alabama, LSU and others failed to make the playoffs.

Last night, James Franklin and Penn State faced Notre Dame with more than a playoff spot on the line, the winner of the Franklin-Freeman-coached game would be the first black head coach to reach the national championship game.

Despite Franklin's somewhat arrogant energy during a press interview, Penn State fell short.

With the game tied in the final minute, Notre Dame's kicker delivered the final blow to win 27-24.

According to CBS SportsFreeman acknowledged becoming the first African-American coach to play in the big game, but he wanted the focus to be on “us” and not “him.”

“I’ve said it before: I never want to take the focus away from the team,” Freeman said after the Orange Bowl. “It's an honor, and I hope that all coaches – minorities, blacks, Asians, whites, whatever, great people – continue to have the opportunity to lead young men like this- But it's not about me. It's about us. We're going to celebrate what we did because it's so special.

Marcus Freeman must now prepare to face the winner of tonight's Cotton Bowl featuring Ohio State Vs. Texas. No matter who wins, Notre Dame will have its work cut out for it, but that's the price we pay to advance to the big game.