There’s a history of Cincinnati influence in South Bend, including Kelly, who spent three seasons with the Bearcats before taking the Notre Dame job. A year before Kelly poached Freeman, he hired Bearcats defensive backs coach Mike Mickens, a Cincinnati alum who was a teammate of Freeman’s at Wayne High School outside of Dayton.

In a chess match between two quality staffs, these three matchups will be pivotal in deciding the winner of Ohio State vs. Notre Dame football.

Say Marcus Freeman does take an NFL job. Who are the first calls you make to find his replacement at Notre Dame?