No. 5 Notre Dame vs No. 2 Ohio State: Time, TV, Preview & Prediction

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Since he was promoted in early December, Marcus Freeman has tried to brush aside the storyline of his return to his alma mater in his genuine coaching debut. When asked if he thought he would get emotional at Ohio Stadium during Notre Dame’s on-field visit Friday, he flatly said, “No.”

And though he was a four-time letter winner at Ohio State, Freeman is right. The No. 5 Irish have more important things to focus on tonight than hearing about their coach’s playing career.

To hear Freeman tell it, he has more important things to do than reminisce, as well. The coach has become borderline monomaniacal of late, focusing only on Notre Dame’s preparation.

“It’s all in the preparation, what have we done and what haven’t we done to make sure this team is prepared,” he said Monday. “I spend countless hours, that’s what I worry about. Are we prepared the right way? …

“I don’t get much time to really reflect. When I have some downtime, it’s this team, it’s the preparation. … If I’m not thinking about it, I might think about my wife and my kids every once in a while to make sure they’re doing okay.”

Might … once in a while.

And right there Freeman may have betrayed a little bit how much this game means to him. Of course, that is only natural.

TIME: 7:30 ET, with kickoff officially slated for 7:44 ET.

The Irish have waited 245 days to wash out the taste of their Fiesta Bowl faceplant, so waiting a few more hours should hardly be a bother. That botched second half has openly motivated Notre Dame throughout the offseason and is a sting Freeman says will stick with him “always.”

If the Irish were to pull off quite the upset tonight, “always” may be an exaggeration.

One day until #NotreDame's season starts … What's your