“That might sound funny to some people,” Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden said. “But it's true." Here's why: Notre Dame was coming off a stunner of a Week 2 loss, 16-14 to Northern Illinois. All week long, the Irish heard the whisper

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden was a Penn State captain and almost its head coach. Now he leads the Fighting Irish's stout defense vs. the Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl.

The Irish have been so well coached that NFL teams have taken notice. In recent weeks, reports have indicated that Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman and defensive coordinator Al Golden are receiving interest from the professional ranks.

In this CFP final showdown of the top two scoring defenses at the FBS level, the raw numbers still don’t do justice to their dominance.

"It could have gone sideways fast," said Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden. Four months later, the Fighting Irish are somehow one victory away from capturing their first national championship in 36 years.

The Mountain West Conference is expanding once again. Northern Illinois is paying $2 million to join the league as a football-only member, per Huskie Wire and several other news outlets.

“That might sound funny to some people,” Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden ... the loss to Northern Illinois been handled differently, this might not have happened. Golden said ...

I spoke to Notre Dame football coach Marcus Freeman about destiny. Now his Irish are playing for the national champinship. And there's more to the story.

At the end of the grind, was it Ohio State all along? Everything – and we mean everything – you really need to know about Monday night’s College Football Playoff Championship Game between Ohio State (-8.

Notre Dame football players Riley Leonard, Leonard Moore, Aneyas Williams, and Jaden Greathouse share their thoughts on facing Ohio State in the national championship game

The College Football Playoff national championship ticket prices are setting records ahead of Ohio State vs. Notre Dame, per TickPick.

Freeman now faces his alma mater with an opportunity to avenge last season’s heartbreaking loss and bring Notre Dame its first national championship since 1988. While the Irish come in as significant underdogs,