By now, we've all heard the story lines surrounding Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman competing against his alma mater, Ohio State, for the national title down in Atlanta. Obviously, his focus is geared towards the team and getting them mentally and physically prepared for a 60 minute battle inside of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

FOX Sports' Michael Cohen explains how Marcus Freeman constructed Notre Dame's roster and how the Fighting Irish are winning at such an elite level without a handful of five-star prospects.

Marcus Freeman likely knew his team was cooked before anyone else in the stadium. With five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder kept the ball on a zone-read and zipped around the edge of Notre Dame’s defense for a 6-yard touchdown run,