These recaps usually feature analysis of Marcus Freeman’s presser and the key moments from the game. This isn’t one of those occasions. This will be more akin to the initial entry in the Swamps of Jersey Diaries, a therapy session to work through the pain. That may sound dramatic, but sometimes that’s what being a sports fan is, pure pain. It doesn’t mean you walk away because of it, unfortunately you have to embrace it because it’s part of the journey to success.

Sometimes the sports gods drop “the big one” on you as a fan. It usually comes at the biggest moment, in the biggest game. The agony you feel as it happens is only outdone by the experience of living with the loss. Tonight was “the big one” Irish fans…and living with it isn’t going to be fun.

Let’s get this part out of the way off the top, what we watched Saturday night in South Bend was pure theater between two great teams. Did the game play out the way we thought it would? No. Was it always pretty? No. But that doesn’t change the fact that Ohio State and Notre Dame created an instant classic. The problem with classic’s is…someone has to lose them, usually in brutal fashion.

Give Kyle McCord and the Buckeyes offense credit, they made enough plays to win the game. Give both defenses a standing ovation, they played their hearts out. Sam Hartman and the Irish offense deserve their plaudits for adjusting and dominating the second half, his go ahead touchdown pass nearly broke the “Sam Heisman meter.”

But, with all that said, Notre Dame sadly has no one but themselves to blame for the loss. A missed field goal, empty red zone trips, dropped interceptions, and bizarre coaching decisions proved to be a lethal combo. I could talk about the officiating crew and the disaster of a night they had, but in the end it would be irrelevant whining. DJ Brown battled all night, by no means is this loss all on him, but he’ll want back his near game deciding interception on the last drive.

Al Golden has done a wonderful job in his tenure at ND, but he failed to cobble together a pass rush tonight against a signal caller with four career starts. In the most important spot of the game he rushed three down lineman on 3rd and 19 with under 20 seconds left, and followed it up with the Irish being a man light on the walk off touchdown. Hard to stop a play when you don’t have enough guys, something that is particularly frustrating out of a timeout.

Gerard Parker and the offense adjusted well, but in a few critical junctures he made some baffling play calls. The QB sneak early in the third was a shocker with Estime in the game needing mere inches to convert. The slow mesh play trying to protect a lead with under three minutes left made no sense, and was compounded by a loss of yardage. What makes that poor call even more painful, was the broken up screen pass one play later that would have sealed the game had it been completed. As proud as I am that the players and coaches rallied to take the lead, I am equally disappointed that they failed to see it out.

Marcus Freeman and his staff have done a wonderful job with this program since they took over. They will continue to shepherd it forward to what I think will be great success. Unfortunately tonight they let their players down. Sure the players are responsible for their own play, which from an execution standpoint wasn’t always up to par, especially in the tackling department. But this contest was not one of those all to familiar times where it was clear Notre Dame didn’t belong. With all due respect to the Buckeyes, the Fighting Irish were the better team Saturday night.

The good news about this team under Marcus Freeman is that they seem to learn something from the low moments. I expect them to be even more determined to win going forward. They need to regroup quickly to beat Duke and Louisville before they get another crack at an elite team when they host USC in three weeks. They have closed the gap on the upper echelon programs, now it’s time to join their ranks.

“The big one” always hits you so hard as a fan because the irrational love of your team burns so hot. If you’re a true fan it doesn’t break you, if anything, it hardens your resolve. Tonight hurts like hell, but in the end it’s “love thee Notre Dame” forever.

Follow me on Twitter @YNWA9623 and subscribe to the blog by hitting the follow button on the bottom right corner of your screen and entering your email. I’ll be back with more in the days ahead. Enjoy football Sunday everyone.