SOUTH BEND, Ind. – As Marcus Freeman took the podium to speak about a historic evening at Notre Dame Stadium, he had another extraordinary moment to be a part of.

Sugar Bowl officials joined Freeman at the podium to present Friday’s winning coach with a game ball and an official invitation to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff at the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

Such a monumental moment needs university approval, right? Freeman, as he has done at the right moments all season, made the right decision.

“We accept,” Freeman said. “I assume we accept.”

On to New Orleans.

It was a moment of levity, but who can blame the jokes? There is no set precedent. Notre Dame’s 27-27 victory over Indiana is its first victory in the expanded CFP era. It was a historic moment. That wasn’t lost on Freeman.

“I don’t want you to stop by tonight. Celebrate tonight,” Freeman said. “Celebrate this victory for which they have worked extremely hard.”

Freeman’s team earned every second of their celebration Friday.

For the first time, Notre Dame was on the receiving end of a major victory in the College Football Playoff. The Irish didn’t trail in the fourth quarter, trailing 27-3. Indiana was.

The college football community did not criticize or question Notre Dame’s credibility. They asked about the Hoosiers’ resume.

The manner in which Notre Dame arrived at its historic crossroads Friday night was the same way it earned about 10 of its 11 wins during the 2024 season.

Mount an enemy and hold them until the clock reaches zero.

Riley Leonard’s three-yard touchdown run with a few minutes left in the fourth quarter extended Notre Dame’s lead to 27-3 over Indiana and sealed the victory.

Before the game, on ESPN College GameDay, Cignetti spoke in his usual confident manner with former Alabama coach and all-time greatest college football coach Nick Saban to his left.

“We don’t just beat the top 25 teams,” he said, “we beat the best of them.”

After the game, Cignetti could only talk about the events on the field and not the past.

“Defensively, they pretty much stifled our offense until the last minute and a half of the game,” Cignetti said. “Their talented guys made good plays. They played well. And they beat us.”

Notre Dame defeated Indiana with a 98-yard touchdown run by Jeremiyah Love, which tied Josh Adams for the longest touchdown run in Irish history. A small gap and the love was gone and Notre Dame Stadium became the most electric place in the world.

In the past, Notre Dame was considered a blue-blooded program that simply didn’t fit into the modern era.

The Irish’s last championship was in 1988. They had not won a significant New Year’s Six, New Year’s Day, BCS or CPF bowl game since the 1994 Cotton Bowl.

The question became: Does the first round of the College Football Playoff count as a major bowl game? One look around South Bend on Friday was a clear and emphatic “Bet.”

Freeman’s leadership made Notre Dame dance, and the Irish march on New Orleans. This leadership this season combined the perfect level of confidence with humility.

“My first year I had a 3-9 record,” said Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard. “I’m just begging to make a bowl game. Now to play the Sugar Bowl, I kind of have to come full circle.”

Since Week 2, everything has been a game of life and death for Notre Dame. The Irish faithful could probably live the rest of their lives without ever thinking about Northern Illinois. The fact is that the program had to cope with the 16:14 defeat.

Notre Dame won 10 times in a row. Freeman deserves credit for leading his team into CFP history by instilling a culture of composure in the Irish that shined in the first quarter.

Before Love’s seismic touchdown run, Leonard’s first pass was tipped and intercepted. Xavier Watts responded with an interception of his own. There was no panic, just a team getting the job done.

“If you look around on the sideline, nobody was worried or anything,” Irish linebacker Jack Kiser said. “Everyone just knew, hey, we have to do our job, right? I don’t think it was too chaotic.”

To be clear: Indiana belonged in the playoffs.

The Hoosiers lost 11-1 only to Ohio State. Those calling for the SEC to have another team in the 12-team field don’t have much room for argument.

Indiana may not have had a top-10 win, but they took care of business in a top-heavy Big 10. The two SEC teams excluded, Alabama and Ole Miss, lost three games. With a clear CFP disqualifier, it’s three losses.

That shouldn’t be the focus from Friday evening. Notre Dame’s global defense should be. Jeremiyah Love should be. The fact that there is a crazy atmosphere at CFP games on campus is as it should be.

Notre Dame should be. They have shown that they can be a program that can take the first step toward a national title in this 12-team playoff era. The Irish have to move forward, but this team has earned the right to revel in a moment created by its head coach after the program hit rock bottom earlier this season.

Bow down, Freeman. Have a night, Notre Dame. It’s well deserved.

“You don’t have enough time in life and in situations like this to not enjoy it,” Freeman said. “Some people I spoke to reminded me of that, but also just conversations with the team. Enjoy this. Enjoy this. Don’t look ahead. Enjoy this and then let’s move on.”

Notre DameSportsSports CommentaryCollege Football PlayoffNCAA