Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman Has No Love for Alma Mater Ohio State

Marcus Freeman, the new head coach of the Fighting Irish football program, wants everyone to know that while he may not be an alum, he's a Notre Dame loyal son nonetheless.

Last December, Freeman penned a letter to the Irish faithful and called his choice to attend Ohio State rather than Notre Dame "the wrong decision."

Now, he's throwing shade on Ohio State for its supposed lack of academic rigor. On Friday, Freeman told CBS Sports that the higher academic standards at Notre Dame make recruiting more difficult.

“If you don’t go to class , OK, take some online classes, show up for your appointments,” Freeman said. “At Notre Dame, you’re forced every day to go to class.”

Incidentally, Freeman was named Academic All-Big Ten in 2008.

However, he's not the only alum to undermine OSU as an institution of higher learning. Back in 2012, backup Buckeye QB Cardale Jones infamously tweeted, "Why should we have to go to class if we came here to play FOOTBALL, we ain't come to play SCHOOL, classes are POINTLESS."

Jones has since had a change of heart. When he went back to finish "playing school" at OSU in 2017, he poked fun at himself and posted this tweet to celebrate his graduation:

Freeman has issued no such retraction, and the animosity he appears to have for his alma mater may help fuel a fire for his team this fall. Notre Dame kicks off the 2022 season in a much-anticipated matchup against Ohio State in Columbus, and the Buckeyes are already listed as a heavy favorite.

But no one need ask Coach Freeman where his loyalties will lie.