Wake up the echoes, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are once again going to play on college football’s biggest stage.

Under Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame has lost at home against the likes of Marshall, Northern Illinois and Stanford. He's only been a head coach for three years and, largely due to Notre Dame's status as an independent,

Notre Dame won the Orange Bowl because this program knows how to catalyze every advantage and how to tackle every challenge.

The Fighting Irish are hoping to win their first national title since 1988, when Lou Holtz coached in South Bend and the Irish beat No. 2 USC and No. 3 West Virginia in back-to-back weeks to secure an undefeated 12-0 season.

Two upset losses stood out among the rest in college football this season. Notre Dame suffered one of them. Ohio State the other. In years past, those losses might have been enough to