Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman said after his team’s 21-10 loss to No. 2 Ohio State, “Not the result that we aspire for. Not the result that we came here for. We didn’t win. We didn’t finish the game.”

That summation of the loss in Freeman’s first regular season game as head coach pretty well sums it up. The Irish, at times, especially early, look like a top-ranked team; at times looked like a good football team; and at times looked like a team a cut below the top ranked teams in the country. But overall the Irish look like a team that can become a good football team, a top-ranked team and maybe even a contender for a playoff spot come December and January.

The Irish had the chance in the second half to elevate themselves to a top-ranked team, but didn’t, and that gave the Buckeyes the opportunity to win the game and maintain their No. 2 ranking.

Great teams win games like this, but ND isn’t there yet. Freeman, I believe, will get them there, but it is going to take some time - and that time probably isn’t going to come this season. ND has a chance to make a run for a 10 win season and there is talent on the ND team that can get them to that level.

Ohio State wasn’t the better team. QB Tyler Buchner had a creditable game and in my opinion was just as good as the Buckeyes’ highly touted quarterback C.J. Stroud.

The Irish defense played well but it showed signs of wearing down in the fourth quarter because of all the time spent on the field when the Irish offense, after the first half, couldn’t move the ball. Yes, you can lay a big part of this loss on the offense. For three quarters Ohio State was just another college football team and ND didn’t cash in. Then the Buckeyes woke up and Notre Dame’s chances went down hill quickly.

ND’s offensive woes were especially obvious in the fourth quarter when it ran seven plays and gained just 12 yards. The third quarter wasn’t much better as the Irish finished with only 72 yards of offense in the second half.

Sophomore running back Audric Estime, making his first career start, finished with just 21 yards on nine carries but had a fine first quarter. Buchner finished with 18 yards on 11 carries.

Buchner first start began well he was 8-for-8, but he only completed two of those to wide receivers - Lorenzo Styles for 54 yards and Matt Salerno for 31. Four completions were to tight end Michael Mayer, another to tight end Kevin Bauman, and one more to running back Chris Tyree.

ND’s game stats are not very impressive offensively. In addition to Estime, Tyree finished with 28 yards on six carries; and Logan Diggs, nine yards on four rushes. Buchner was 10 of 18 for 177 yards passing. Mayer had five catches for 32 yards, but no other Irish receiver caught more than one pass.

Defensively, Clarence Lewis had seven tackles followed by Jack Kiser with six and Marist Liafau with five.

ND had 76 total yards rushing to 172 for Ohio State. The Buckeyes had 223 yards passing.

The Irish are home today with Marshall. It is the first meeting between the two schools. Marshall won its opener last week over Norfolk State, 55-3, leading 38-0 at half.

Not only will this be the first time that the Irish have faced the Thundering Herd, but it will also be the inaugural game against a team from the Sun Belt Conference.

The game will be televised nationally by NBC-TV with a 2:40 p.m. kickoff time.

ND is a 20-point favorite as I write this column. Some Irish fans are uneasy about the game today looking at the points Marshall put up last week. But I’m sure Freeman will not overlook this game with it being his first home game as Notre Dame coach. ND, in my opinion, has the potential to have a 10-win season and a shot at a playoff game or a top bowl game.

In my preseason picks I have the Irish winning today. No reason to change that. Short column this week because I’m off to South Bend for the game.