Center Pat Coogan gives Notre Dame something to shout about and dream about [Video]

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Before Saturday anyway, Marcus Freeman had never actually seen the viral side of Pat Coogan.

Not that the Notre Dame senior center’s fiery and decidedly family unfriendly pregame speeches he delivers to his fellow Irish offensive linemen — now all over Twitter/X — are meant for public consumption.

“I gotta hear some of these speeches,” the Irish third-year head coach said, seemingly genuinely. after getting hints about their content and reach during a Saturday morning press conference, previewing Thursday night’s College Football Playoff semifinal between 7 seed Notre Dame (13-1) and 6 seed Penn State (13-2).

The two teams clash for the 20th time ever and on the grandest stage and with the highest stakes among those meetings, this one at the Orange Bowl in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (7:30 p.m. EST. ESPN).

And it’s the first time they’ll have been in the same stadium since the Nittany Lions handed former Irish QB prodigy Jimmy Clausena 31-10 …