Even though Penn State head coach James Franklin wants to see every team in college football affiliated with a conference, Notre Dame continues to

Notre Dame outlasted Penn State in a 27-24 thriller to reach the program's first national championship game since 2012 in the Orange Bowl. Thanks to the 12-team College Football Playoff format, the Fighting Irish officially became the first team to win multiple bowl games in the same season.

Head coach Marcus Freeman spoke with the media after the game to recap his team's gritty performance against a really good Penn State football team. One thing was evident from the start of the press conference, he was extremely proud of the way his players competed to the final whistle, and their ability to overcome adversity is unmatched.