Noah Cahill
Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame have arrived on the big stage. After taking care of business at home against No. 10 seed Indiana, they slayed the Georgia giant in the Sugar Bowl before outlasting Penn State in a 27-24 Orange Bowl thriller. Freeman now faces his alma mater with an opportunity to avenge last season’s heartbreaking loss and bring Notre Dame its first national championship since 1988. While the Irish come in as significant underdogs, the game feels much different from the BCS title against Alabama and both recent CFP appearances, games where it became quickly evident that Notre Dame didn’t belong on the field.
After an inexplicable loss to rival Michigan in the final game of the season, the Buckeyes have been firing on all cylinders in the CFP. Coming in as the No. 8 seed, Ohio State decimated Tennessee 42-17 in Columbus and blitzed No. 1 seed Oregon in the following round, taking a 34-0 lead in the second quarter en route to a comfortable 41-21 victory in the Big Ten regular season rematch. In the semifinal, they defeated No. 4 Texas in a more competitive matchup to punch their ticket to the natty. Their defense, loaded with NFL talent at just about every position, has dominated all season. What makes their recent run so scary is the emergence of an explosive passing attack powered by a trio of elite wide receivers Carnell Tate, Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith.
The margin for error is slim for Notre Dame. The route to victory, as it has throughout the entire season and playoff run especially, begins on defense. Al Golden’s unit will not only have to corral the Buckeye offense but likely force a couple of turnovers in the process. Leading the country with 32 takeaways, it is more than pure chance that this team is capable of doing just that. Golden’s aggressive style of defense utilizes a variety of pressure packages while relying on sound man-to-man coverage on the back end. While the Buckeye receivers will be tough matchups, the Irish, even without star cornerback Benjamin Morrison, have players to throw at them. Leonard Moore will likely have the Smith assignment with support over the top from one of the standout pairing of safeties in Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler. Jordan Clark should meet Egbuka in the slot, leaving Gray to face Tate one-on-one. This Notre Dame defense will not be fazed. In two previous meetings, it held the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Egbuka at bay and will believe it can do that again.
The onus will fall on the offense to keep up, which is a bigger question mark for Notre Dame, particularly as it prepares to face arguably its toughest defensive test all season. During the playoff run, the group has done enough to eke out wins but still has been far from convincing. Key injuries on the offensive line and a banged-up Jeremiyah Love further complicate things for a rush-first Irish attack. After what appeared to be a season-ending pec tear, Charles Jagusah was called on to replace the injured Anthonie Knapp and is set to start at left tackle in this game. The return of Rocco Spindler is a welcome one, but time will tell if it is enough to hold up against the ferocious Buckeye front.
I do believe there is an intangible argument to make for Notre Dame. I am not typically one to refer to cliches like “teams of destiny,” but this Irish team under Freeman just seems to be different. Its ability to overcome countless injuries and setbacks and find a way to win is a testament to the culture he has built. On the other side, Ryan Day bears the brunt of an exasperated fanbase and the perceived pressure to prove his identity as a coach. In the event that Day gets bogged down by the surrounding narratives and repeats the coaching malpractice he made against Michigan, Notre Dame can win this game. With that being said, I think Ohio State’s talent is too much. The Irish defense keeps this game competitive, but their depleted offensive line will be a pivotal factor. I just don’t think they have enough offense to keep up. The magical run will end here for Freeman.
Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 17
Matthew Crow
After a grueling, 15-game season that’s stretched from August all the way to late January, it all comes down to this — Notre Dame and Ohio State for the national championship. The Irish and Buckeyes have had a lot of parallels this year. Both have seen standout play from a transfer quarterback and a dynamic running back duo but have reached this point on the back of elite defensive play, with the teams ranking first and second nationally in scoring defense. Both suffered a shocking regular season loss — Notre Dame against Northern Illinois, Ohio State against Michigan — but battled back to survive a CFP gauntlet that’s required them each to take down three teams ranked in the top eight nationally, meaning that outside of themselves, the Irish and Buckeyes are responsible for ending the seasons of essentially every top team in the nation, making this about as good of a title game matchup as you could hope for.
And finally, both reached this point thanks to a crucial, game-changing turnover in the closing stages of their respective semifinal games. Notre Dame cornerback Christian Gray came away with a huge interception that set up a game-winning field goal from kicker Mitch Jeter to push the Irish past Penn State in the Orange Bowl, while Ohio State defensive lineman Jack Sawyer strip-sacked former college roommate Quinn Ewers before rumbling 83 yards to the end zone to seal the Cotton Bowl victory over Texas.
Notre Dame’s offense came alive in season-saving fashion with 24 second-half points against Penn State, but the Irish have struggled to consistently move the ball against top-tier opponents, having failed to reach 30 points in any of its three postseason games. It’s difficult to see that changing much as they prepare to face arguably the best defense in the nation.
For me, the first quarter will be critical in determining the game’s outcome. The Irish have had a tendency to come out of the gates slow, and if the Buckeyes are able to build a big early lead, Notre Dame may not have the firepower to make up a multiple-possession deficit. Conversely, if the Irish defense is dialed in from the opening kickoff and can keep Ohio State out of the end zone on their opening few possessions, I see this one going down to the wire.
A key matchup in this one will be Notre Dame’s cornerbacks — Gray and Leonard Moore — against Ohio State’s dangerous receiving core, led by freshman superstar Jeremiah Smith. After the Irish secondary was somewhat exposed by USC’s passing attack in November to the tune of 360 yards and three touchdowns, I would have seen this as an area that the Buckeyes could exploit. But the Irish’s underclassman duo has been absolutely outstanding throughout the Playoff, most recently holding Penn State’s wide receivers without a single catch in the Orange Bowl, and a similar effort will give Notre Dame freedom to key in on stopping the run and sending pressure at Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard.
Ohio State might be the deepest, most talented team in all of college football, but the Irish have looked like a team of destiny and one that simply refuses to lose during their 13-game tear since falling to Northern Illinois. The Buckeyes got the better of the Irish during the regular season in each of the past two years, but on the biggest stage, the third time will be the charm for Notre Dame as it brings the national championship back to South Bend in a hard-fought, grind-it-out slugfest on Monday night.
Ohio State 17, Notre Dame 20
Tyler Reidy
In a dream matchup for storylines, it’s Ohio State and Notre Dame for the national championship. Can Ryan Day win it all while actively being demanded out of the head coach position in Columbus? Will Marcus Freeman continue to storied tradition of success for third-year Irish head coaches and take a team that lost to Northern Illinois atop the summit of college football? Could Notre Dame beat Ohio State for the first time since 1936, or will the Buckeyes remain the superior Midwestern powerhouse?
I’ll start by noting that I don’t buy the 8.5-point spread for this game at all. Sure, if Ohio State does in the trenches what Penn State did to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl’s second quarter for 60 minutes in Atlanta, the Irish won’t last very long. But I don’t think that’s what Vegas is looking at. In my mind, the large Buckeye favoring comes from the fact that Ohio State has the household names on offense and a more appealing CFP resume that features three double-digit wins, including two blowouts.
That doesn’t guarantee Ohio State’s going to play the way it looks on Monday night. The Buckeyes were rolling at the end of the regular season with top-five wins against Penn State and Indiana. Then, the heralded offense performed a disappearing act and scored 10 points in the Michigan loss. If you don’t think defensive coordinator Al Golden, who has schemed his way through injury after injury to key Irish defenders, can’t put the Buckeyes in a similar hex, you haven’t been watching. He already held Ohio State 23 points below its season average in 2022 and 13 below last year.
On the flip side, the Irish offense hasn’t done enough to pay off terrific defensive performances in the last two Ohio State games. I’m not fully convinced that it can this time around, especially with a shakeup on the offensive line, but I like where the passing game is trending. Riley Leonard threw for 223 yards against Penn State, his highest total in three months. Jaden Greathouse came out of the woodwork for a career-high 105 receiving yards, creating a second option next to the reliable Jordan Faison.
If Leonard can do what he has during this 13-game win streak — make winning plays by any means necessary — and his team gets back on track in the turnover battle, Notre Dame will claim its 12th national title.
Ohio State 17, Notre Dame 24
