When ESPN announced that Marcus Freeman was going to be part of the pregame coverage team leading into the CFP Championship game, we knew there could be some interesting moments between the Notre Dame head coach and Miami Hurricane fans.
And the Hurricane fans did not disappoint.
It sounded like Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman was heckled with chants of “Pop-Tarts! Pop-Tarts!” when getting into his analysis of Fernando Mendoza. pic.twitter.com/PA324wkaNA
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) January 19, 2026
A "Pop Tarts" chant is pretty cold. Even though Freeman tried to speak through it, you could tell around the 20-second mark that he heard it and had a little smirk to acknowledge it.
Notre Dame wanted nothing to do with the Pop Tarts Bowl
After missing out on the CFP and blaming Miami, the ACC, the committee, the weather and anything else it could think of, Notre Dame decided the best way to prove they were worthy was by not playing in the Pop Tarts Bowl. There was a good chance some players from the Irish, notably running back Jeremiyah Love, would have opted out of the game and that was the excuse that the Notre Dame people used for not playing.
And it wasn't so much Notre Dame choosing not to play in the Pop Tarts Bowl, that's the choice Freeman and his team made. But it was the incessant whining after not being selected by the committee and somehow hoping that the Irish's 27-24 loss to the Hurricanes wouldn't matter despite the teams having equal records.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl features the sacrifice of a beloved figure, who is reborn anew as someone who is ceremonially consumed in celebration.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 7, 2025
This is literally the central narrative of the crucifixion, resurrection, and communion. How could ND say no?!! pic.twitter.com/2hznwcS7zV
Then Notre Dame's AD Pete Bevacqua went on a media grievance tour, complaining about everything and bullying ACC commissioner Jim Phillips for not being a good partner despite the conference taking the Irish in during the pandemic so they could have a college football season.
Miami proved the CFP was right all along
Should Notre Dame have been in the playoffs? Probably. I would've taken in the Irish over Alabama. But did they deserve to be in the playoffs over Miami? Absolutely not. If games are still going to mean something, then Miami won the tiebreaker on the field of play. That's what is supposed to matter.
So Marcus Freeman will have to take some teasing tonight and wonder what might've been. But make no mistake about it, Miami deserved to be in, and the Hurricanes proved it by reaching the Championship game.