Two historic programs, Ohio State and Notre Dame, are set to battle tonight in Atlanta to become National Champions.

Ohio State and Notre Dame Look to Cap Off Very Impressive Seasons With The Ultimate Prize

The No. 8-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes will face the No. 7-seeded Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff National Championship. In the new playoff format, both teams have won three straight games against talented opponents to advance to Atlanta, Georgia.

The spread opened at Ohio State -9.5 and is currently at Ohio State -8. The over/under total opened at 46.5 and is currently 45.5. The game is expected to be pretty low-scoring, with the Buckeyes finishing the job.

Both teams have earned the right to be here after enduring all-time lengthy seasons. A balance of coaching, offensive playmaking, and defense has led them to this historic battle Monday night. Let’s look at how both teams got here, their recent outings, and what they need to do to hoist the biggest trophy of them all, with the whole world watching.

The World-Famous Buckeyes Have Been Impressive

Ever since the loss to TTUN, Ryan Day’s group has been elite and kicked off the College Football Playoff with a 42-17 beatdown over the Tennessee Volunteers in Columbus. They jumped out to an early lead and rode their defense to an impressive win over a solid SEC side.

They then traveled to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, for a west-coast beatdown and revenge win over the Oregon Ducks. The 41-21 victory was the Ducks’ first and only loss, and a similar blend of fast scoring and pressure on defense led to a game that was never really a game.

In the semi-final, Ohio State started quickly and made a huge defensive stand late to defeat the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl 28-14. Let’s explain how that game went and what worked well for the Buckeyes.

The Scarlet and Gray started fast,, scoring on their first possession on a nine-yard Quinshon Judkins touchdown after the defense forced a Texas punt to start the game. The teams traded touchdown catches by running backs in the second quarter, with TreVeyon Henderson exploding for a 75-yard touchdown just before halftime.

Jaydon Blue of Texas scored his second touchdown of the game and had both the Longhorns scores as he found the endzone to tie the game at 14 late in the third quarter. Quinshon Judkins answered midway through the 4th quarter with a second touchdown before Jack Sawyer made one of the greatest plays in Buckeyes history.

Sawyer stripped his former roommate in quarterback Quinn Ewers and returned it 83 yards for one of the most iconic plays in Ohio State history. It was one of those plays that everyone will remember forever, and it’s always nice being on the right side of history.

That summed up the game for the Buckeyes, as the defense dominated, only allowing 14 points, 58 rushing yards, two yards per carry, and forcing two critical turnovers. Thanks to the defense, the offense had its moments and the time to find their groove.

Quinshon Judkins and Carnell Tate stepped up in this game after relatively quiet Rose Bowls. Judkins had two of the three offensive scores, and Tate hauled in seven catches for 87 yards, which were best and second-best marks, respectively, this season.

Keys to success in this game included getting an early lead, playing defense while stopping the run and getting the ball in the playmakers’ hands in space. Ohio State has too much talent and too many options to be stagnant on offense, and they should have success, especially running the ball in their final game. The defense will need to stack the box, stop the run, and force Notre Dame to throw, as that is not their strength. One way to do that is to build an early lead.

Notre Dame Has Responded After An Early-Season Monumental Loss

Since their early season loss to Northern Illinois, Marcus Freeman’s side has looked like a completely different team. They opened up their playoff campaign with a dominant 27-17 win over the Indiana Hoosiers that was never as close as it looked on paper. They used a balanced offense and excellent defensive play to win a comfortable opening-round game.

They then battled a talented Georgia Bulldogs team in the Sugar Bowl and came out victorious 23-10 in a defensive battle. They stopped the run impressively again and found success running the ball, especially with quarterback Riley Leonard.

In the semi-final, they went down south to face the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl. This game was not in their hands early, as they trailed 10-0 late in the first half. After tying it up through three quarters, they took a seven-point lead but then gave up 14 straight points on two Nicholas Singleton touchdowns.

Riley Leonard found Jaden Greathouse for a 54-yard strike to tie the game late, and Mitch Jeter nailed a 41-yard field goal with seven seconds left to win the game by 27-24.

This was by far the most challenging game Notre Dame played in the playoffs, and they found themselves down on multiple occasions. They stopped the pass well but had trouble stopping the run. On offense, they had success passing the ball but not running. They got thrown out of their rhythm but found a way to rally and get the job done.

Two All-Time Great Programs, Only One Will Finish The Job

This Ohio State Senior class has powered the Buckeyes and led them to their ultimate goal: winning a National Championship. This playoff run has been historic in more ways than one, and they have made Buckeye fans everywhere proud.

The same goes for Notre Dame. They, too, suffered a historic loss as big favorites but benefited from the expanded playoff. Both teams have been playing some of their best football in the playoffs and must be on their A-game Monday night.

I have picked Ohio State to win and cover each game and have been right so far. I will be in attendance on Monday night and can’t wait to see the Buckeyes one more time this season. It has been a pleasure watching them overcome adversity throughout this new-look season.

This isn’t about me, though; it’s about them. I think the Buckeyes move the ball enough to score some points and continue to play exceptional defense, stopping the run and forcing a turnover or two. Notre Dame does not have the athletes that Ohio State does and has had some key injuries.

The Ohio State Buckeyes win, cover, and lift the first-ever 12-team National Championship trophy in front of Buckeye Nation in Atlanta, Georgia, for their first title since 2014. Jack Sawyer, Emeka Egbuka, Donovan Jackson, and all the other Buckeyes that returned finish the job in a fairytale ending for this group, program, and city.

Prediction: Ohio State 31 Notre Dame 14