Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman secures a trip to the National Championship with a statement win over Penn State in the Orange Bowl.

Christian Gray had a memorable interception and Mitch Jeter kicked a game-winning 41-yard field goal to lead Notre Dame to a 27-24 win over Penn State and a spot in the national title game.

From dazed and down double digits to the Nittany Lions, the Irish’s confidence rose with their coach to knock off another top opponent.

Freeman — the man who has led Notre Dame (14-1) to the most wins in its 138-year history — was the perfect fit to coach under the watchful eye of Touchdown Jesus.

Freeman showed some emotion after the game as he embraced his children and shared a kiss with his wife, Joanna Freeman. Freeman, as he has done all season as Notre Dame rebounded from an early loss to Northern Illinois to earn the No. 7 seed in the College Football Playoff, deflected praise to his players.

Notre Dame football head coach Marcus Freeman has had his wife, Joanna Freeman, by his side for every step of his gridiron journey. Marcus, 38, and Joanna met during Marcus’ time at The Ohio State University,

Freeman — a surprise hire in December 2021 since he had never been a head coach when Notre Dame promoted the then-defensive coordinator after Kelly bolted for LSU — hasn’t had the same problems.

Marcus Freeman and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were battling against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl, where the winner would punch a ticket to the national championship game. While the game was a low-scoring bout for the first three quarters, both teams took the lid off the bottle in the fourth.

Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman is proving to be one of the best young coaches in college football. Here's what to know about his age, record and stats.

How has Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman fared vs. ranked opponents? Here's a look at his record vs. ranked teams ahead of Thursday's CFP semifinal game: