#8 Ohio State vs #7 Notre Dame. How did we get here?

Before discussing the matchup between the Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish, let’s first dive into how we got into this position. If you would’ve told someone when the BCS system was still around that one day the number seven seed would be playing the number eight seed for the national championship, they would have looked at you like you were a lunatic. However, the ability for lower-ranked teams to cement themselves into college football immortality has become a reality with the new 12-team playoff that has had no shortage of controversy. Without this new playoff format, Ohio State and Notre Dame would have been left out of the college football playoff and had no chance of playing for a national championship. 

Notre Dame’s path to the championship

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish began their playoff run in the first round against the Indiana Hoosiers for the first-ever playoff game in the new 12-team format. Notre Dame dominated defensively and the home-field advantage was too much for Indiana as the Irish secured a 27-17 win to move onto the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, we saw much of the same, with Notre Dame’s defense dominating number two Georgia’s backup quarterback-led offense en route to a 23-10 win. The Irish would face their toughest task in the semi-final versus six-seeded Penn State. A late interception and a go-ahead field goal with just seconds remaining sealed a 27-24 Notre Dame win, punching their ticket to the National Championship. 

Ohio State’s path to the Championship

Ohio State, the eighth seed, hosted nine-seeded Tennessee in the first round. The Buckeyes made quick work of the Volunteers, dominating 42-17. They would go on to play the number one overall seed in the tournament, the Oregon Ducks, in the quarterfinals. The Buckeyes dominated from the opening kickoff, winning 41-21 and advancing to the semis. Ohio State would then play five-seeded Texas in the Cotton Bowl, and in a slugfest would survive with a 28-14 win after an 83-yard fumble return from DE Jack Sawyer to seal it. 

How do these two juggernauts match up?

Now that we’ve discussed the path each team took to play each other, let’s discuss how they will look on the field. Notre Dame, led by third-year head coach Marcus Freeman, is a very gritty and physical team that will wear you down. While not the flashiest or most dynamic player, Notre Dame QB Riley Leonard understands what it takes to win football games. He passed for 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions this year, with 2,606 passing yards. While he may be a good leader for this Notre Dame team, he does stand out as something the Ohio State defense could take advantage of. If the Buckeyes can get pressure with their D-line on Leonard like they’ve done to all the other QBs they’ve seen in the playoffs, it could get ugly for Notre Dame. On the offensive side for the Buckeyes, letting QB Will Howard have time to find receivers such as Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka could be huge for the offense. However, Notre Dame’s passing defense is elite, ranking third in opponents passing yards per game. If the Irish can take the blueprint from Michigan on how they beat Ohio State and get pressure on Howard to make him uncomfortable, they have a real shot to win.

The Prediction

Overall, this should be a great national championship, with the storylines between these two teams and both coaches searching for their first championship, I expect a tough game into the fourth quarter. However, I think Ohio State’s historic defense is too much for Notre Dame and Riley Leonard, and the Buckeyes offense will do just enough to win it for Ohio State. Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 17