Kirk Herbstreit joined Pat McAfee and discussed Notre Dame's staying power as a college football force after national championship game defeat.

The ESPN analyst believes Ohio State will challenge Notre Dame's man-to-man defense right away. How will it play out?

When the Notre Dame Fighting Irish take the field against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Monday night's national championship game, the Irish will be more than an eight-point underdog in the matchup. Ohio State has one of the sport's best rosters,

That's exactly what happened. As the game neared its conclusion, with just over 30 seconds left on the clock, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar dropped back to pass. He threw a ball intended for wide receiver Omari Evans near the middle of the field, but it was intercepted by Notre Dame's Christian Gray at the Penn State 42-yard line.

While recapping the game with Herbstreit and Scott Van Pelt, Fowler made a bold claim that Notre Dame's first possession was the best opening drive he'd ever seen. He acknowledged how solid of a defense the drive came against and how much time it chewed.

Jan 18, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Riley Leonard (13) talks to the media during 2025 CFP National Championship Media Day at Georgia World Congress Center, Building A. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images