The roller coaster that has been the sports experience of your average Notre Dame football fan these last six weeks has not wanted for thrills or chills, with a heavy dose of the latter. From Notre Dame’s controversial exclusion from the College Football Playoff bracket to the equally-controversial decision not to participate in the non-playoff bowls to head coach Marcus Freeman’s will-he-or-won’t-he discussions with the New York Giants regarding their head coaching position to the slow-but-steady-wins-the-race experience in the recently-closed transfer portal, an investment in Procter & Gamble stock might have been something to consider.

In volatile environments such as these, even decisions that seem trivial can generate a spotlight. Such is happening with coach Freeman’s recent decision to join ESPN’s College GameDay show prior to the championship game as a guest analyst. Freeman will join Pat McAfee, Desmond Howard, and the other bulbs to bring his experience not only participating in the title game but also facing the Miami squad that will take on the Indiana Hoosiers in it.

Like anything involving Notre Dame football these days, Freeman’s decision has its supporters and its detractors, and both groups hold their opinions strongly. The detractors remind us, correctly, of ESPN’s not-insignificant role in the aforementioned playoff exclusion, and ask why anyone associated with Notre Dame should do anything that could be considered helpful to that network. The supporters remind us, equally correctly, that whatever its … let’s call them “faults”, ESPN remains an outsized player in the college football universe and alienating them unnecessarily would be cutting off our collective noses to spite our faces.

It’s a Good Idea…

Me? Consider me a supporter, with one very important caveat.

ESPN, never a supporter of the Fighting Irish, helped screw Notre Dame over, no doubt about it. Others like the ACC were merely Renfields to the Vlad Tepes role the “world leader” assumed. Given that the network has rights to very few Notre Dame sports productions, and even fewer when it comes to football, I wouldn’t expect either them or their minions to be in Notre Dame’s corner on many occasions to begin with. But the seemingly active role they took in the bracket determinations in December really went above and beyond. So if going forward, College GameDay in South Bend really is in South Bend — say, at Four Winds Stadium rather than sitting below The Word of Life — I’d have no problem with that.

Having said that, though, there can be too much of a good thing here. Those who have cheated us once can cheat us again, and while I don’t want Notre Dame to go out of their way for ESPN, there still remain opportunities to bolster ND’s image via appearances of which they should take advantage. Besides, Freeman’s presence will be a breath of fresh air in a vacuum of stale. I imagine at least Nick Saban will appreciate the increased wattage behind the desk.

…but it Comes with a Catch

So yes, I’m in favor of the move. But as noted, I also have a caveat, and it’s critical.

If I have a criticism of Freeman’s recent press conference, it was his handling of the inevitable questions regarding his recent NFL discussions and the potential for more of them in the future. While I’m sure the issue is settled in his mind, it certainly didn’t come across that way in the video I watched. If there was anything he should have walked in there knowing were coming, queries including the words “New York Giants” should have been top of the list, and a strong prepared answer was in order. And yet those were the responses for which he seemed unsure. Not good.

Personally, I believe this to be a function of Freeman’s honesty. As I noted on Dome & Domer earlier this week, given their experiences the last 30 or so years, Notre Dame fans aren’t used to their head football coach having a soul, not to mention the associated transparency and honesty. I have no doubt in my mind Freeman sees the NFL as an eventual goal, and I have no issues with him pursuing that goal (assuming he’s achieved a certain goal at ND first, of course). But the last thing someone as straightforward as Freeman wants to do is basically lie to the fans’ faces regarding something like this, and his difficulties reconciling that to the necessity of providing some kind of answer that didn’t blow up his locker room played out in that PC.

That’s fine for a group in the Gug, internet broadcast or not. It ain’t gonna work under the bright lights on GameDay. And that crew isn’t going to be content with the NFL questions — every soar and plunge since the bracket unveiling show is fair game for them, and the land mines will be aplenty.

Be Ready For It All

Freeman needs to prepare for all of it. I hope that he’s sitting down with A.D. Pete Bevacqua and/or someone from Notre Dame PR staff to “get the story straight”. When McAfee or Howard ask the inevitable knuckle-headed question(s), Freeman should have the answer at the ready with a smile on his face. Charm ’em, disarm ’em, bring the knowledge, and walk away with all the ordnance unexploded.

The opportunity is there, he should make it a good one and start planning Scorched Earth 2026.

Tell Mike what you think in the comments below