
ATLANTA – Mercedez Benz Stadium in Atlanta will host the college football national championship between Notre Dame and Ohio State. This game features two teams that most people wouldn’t have predicted. Although Ohio State was favored in each of the team’s three games, Notre Dame was not one of the favorites to advance this far.
Notre Dame was expected to win against Indiana. Second-ranked Georgia was without starting quarterback Carson Beck and had a major weakness at left tackle which the Fighting Irish took advantage of. Penn State was a much different challenge as Notre Dame struggled to score many first-half points but slowly came back and won the game 27-24.
Ohio State’s path was different. All three wins were double-digit victories. As the number eight seed, the Buckeyes dominated ninth-seed Tennessee 42-17. The top-seed Oregon Ducks were also no match for the Buckeyes as Ohio State won convincingly 41-21.
The fifth-seeded Texas Longhorns put up a great fight but Buckeyes defensive end Jack Sawyer sealed the win with an 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown after hitting Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.
Ohio State has the best overall defense with playmakers such as Sawyer, safety Caleb Downs, and defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau. This unit can wreak havoc against opposing quarterbacks and slow down an opposing running game. The Buckeyes recorded four sacks against Tennessee, eight against Oregon, and four against Texas.
Notre Dame has the ninth-best defense in the nation. Two exciting playmakers to watch are defensive end R.J. Oben and linebacker Jack Kiser.
Neither Ohio State nor Notre Dame have had tons of success offensively overall but the Buckeyes have many playmakers that quarterback Will Howard can get the ball to. Wide receivers Carnell Tate, Jeremiah Smith, Emeka Ebuka, tight end Gee Scott, and running back Tre’Veyon Henderson can all get involved in the passing game.
Also, the combined running duo of Henderson and Quinshon Judkins could create matchup problems early for Notre Dame’s elite defense. Howard threw for 3,779 yards and 33 touchdowns this season. He threw 10 interceptions as well so risk management will be a key against Notre Dame’s defense.
Howard has a total quarterback rating of 87.6 which is the second-best total in the nation. Ohio State has the 25th-best passing offense overall but has not been as successful as other teams running the ball overall.
Duke transfer starting quarterback Riley Leonard leads the Notre Dame offense. He passed for 2,606 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also threw eight interceptions this season. Leonard has a total quarterback rating of 77.7 which is the 15th best in the nation. Notre Dame has one of the better rushing offenses as the team ranks fourteenth in the nation.
The key for Notre Dame is limiting the Buckeyes passing offense. The Buckeyes’ passing offense was stellar so far throughout the playoffs and finally seems to be efficient. If Notre Dame can limit the passing yards and withstand Ohio State’s dominant defensive line, there’s a chance the Fighting Irish can win the championship.
The key for Ohio State is stopping the run. Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love has been dominant with 1,122 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry.
This will likely be a defensive game as both defenses were exceptional in the first three rounds.
Prediction
Ohio State 24 Notre Dame 14
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