Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame Using Betting Spread as Week 1 Motivation vs. Ohio State
Head coach Marcus Freeman of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish looks on in the first quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys during the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium on January 01, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Week 1 college football betting odds have been out for months. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman, however, was just informed during Monday's press conference his Fighting Irish were 17.5-point underdogs against Ohio State.
Anyone who thought the first-year head man would downplay or brush aside the large underdog role Saturday vs. the Buckeyes was sorely mistaken; Freeman plans to use the three-score betting spread as fuel for his team.
"I'm gonna write that down. You said 17.5 points, right? We'll use that in a team meeting today. It's good to know," per The Athletic's Matt Fortuna.
Notre Dame vs. Ohio State Betting Odds
Freeman probably wouldn't enjoy discussing the recent line movement, either.
Notre Dame opened as a 15-point underdog, and the spread is only climbing leading up to kickoff on Saturday.
The number ping-ponged back and forth between 14.5 and 15 over the summer, reaching 15.5 at most spots. Respected Buckeyes money then rolled in last Friday, shooting the spread past 17, with the hook to boot.
Freeman took over as interim head coach in the bowl game last year. Notre Dame's 37-35 loss to Oklahoma State as a one-point 'dog snapped a seven-game cover streak for the Fighting Irish at the time.
Both Notre Dame and Ohio State rank inside the top six of Action Network College Football Analyst Collin Wilson's Power Ratings entering Week 1.
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