CFB National Championship preview

A tournament that started with 12 teams is down to two.

This Monday, the eighth-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes will face the seventh-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the College Football Playoff title.

This matchup isn’t one we’re unfamiliar with. Notre Dame and Ohio State played a home-and-home series in the 2022 and 2023 seasons, with the Buckeyes winning both matchups.

The entire season hasn’t been a cakewalk for either team. Notre Dame lost 16-14 to Northern Illinois at home on September 14. Ohio State lost to their archrivals, the Michigan Wolverines, 13-10 at home on November 30, in addition to a 32-31 loss in Oregon on October 12. With failure under their belts, both teams have one thing in common; they haven’t looked back since.

Since the College Football Playoff began, both teams entered without any conference championship game experience, but haven’t lost. Notre Dame has taken down Indiana, Georgia and Penn State en route to the championship game. Ohio State has defeated Tennessee, Oregon and Texas.

Both the Buckeyes and Irish are led by senior quarterbacks, both being found in the transfer portal prior to the 2024 season.

Notre Dame’s leader is Riley Leonard. A transfer from Duke, Leonard has thrown for 514 passing yards with three passing touchdowns and three interceptions in Notre Dame’s three playoff victories. He’s also rushed for two touchdowns and a total of 145 yards on 43 carries.

Ohio State’s man under center is Will Howard, a transfer from Kansas State. Howard’s playoff sample size includes 919 passing yards, six passing touchdowns and two interceptions. While Howard isn’t a mobile threat like Leonard, he’s still rushed for 38 yards on 17 carries during the tournament.

The Buckeyes and Irish feature multiple talents on offense, but each team has one player to keep your eyes on in the game.

Notre Dame’s top running back, sophomore Jeremiyah Love, has been key to the success of the Irish. A reliable security blanket for Riley Leonard, Love has rushed for a total of 173 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries in his three games of action. One of his scores was a 98-yard run vs. Indiana during their first-round matchup, representing the first score of the Playoff.

Ohio State’s biggest weapon, freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, is a force to be reckoned with. His 14 receptions for 293 yards and four scores throughout the Playoff have made quarterback Will Howard’s life easy. Despite being held to just one reception for three yards in his game against Texas, Smith has achieved two big catches during the tournament, a 45-yard reception against Oregon and a 37-yard reception against Tennessee.

With one game left on their schedules, the focus also shifts to the coaches, with everyone wondering which one will finish the job. Ohio State’s Ryan Day, their leader since the 2019 season, has played in the Natty before; his Buckeyes lost 52-24 to the top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2021 National Championship.

Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, coach of the Irish since December of 2021, will be coaching in his first National Championship Game. While beating the Buckeyes will be a tough task, Freeman has proven time and time again during the Playoff that he and the Irish are built for any game and any moment.

All eyes in the college football world will shift to Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, the site of the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Tune in to ESPN, on Monday, Jan. 20 at 7:30 p.m. EST to see who captures the title.

Adam Pietrzak is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email app5940@psu.edu.