The inaugural 12-team playoff is now down to the final two combatants. Ohio State and Notre Dame will battle it out for all the marbles on Monday, January 20th in Atlanta. Add in the fact that it’s also the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday and Inauguration Day, and the championship will be a great way to cap off a big day.
College Football National Championship – Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
Ohio State Buckeyes – How They Got Here
The Buckeyes steamrolled their way into the semifinals with dominating wins over Tennessee and then over unbeaten and number-one-ranked Oregon. In both games, they came out very aggressive and held a big lead after the first quarter. The 41-21 final score against Oregon was not indicative of how much Ohio State controlled the game from beginning to end.
The semifinal game against Texas in The Cotton Bowl wasn’t quite as easy. Even though the Buckeyes never trailed, they also never had firm control of the contest until very late.
The Texas defense certainly held their own against a very explosive Bucks offense. Will Howard was good, throwing for 289 yards with one touchdown and one interception. However, the Ohio State running game only managed 82 yards. It will be very interesting to see what happens in the championship game if Notre Dame can also shut down the run game. It should also be noted that freshman sensation wide receiver Jeremiah Smith only managed one catch. This also might bode poorly for the Irish with the Buckeyes beating a very good Texas team even with very low production from the backs and Smith.
Late in the game with Ohio State clinging to a slim 21-14 lead and with Texas deep in the red zone, everything defensive end Jack Sawyer made what was certainly the play of the game and possibly the play of the season with an 83-yard strip sack scoop and score to seal the win for the Buckeyes 28-14 to clinch a spot in the national championship game.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish – How They Got Here
The Irish had basically the opposite path to the national championship than Ohio State with one pretty easy game followed by two tough physical contests. In the first round in a night game in South Bend against the upstart Indiana Hoosiers, the Irish rode a strong defense and running game to advance by 27-17 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicates as Indiana scored two meaningless touchdowns after the result was no longer in doubt.
In the quarterfinal matchup against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl the Notre Dame defense showed why it’s one of the best in the country. They were able to turn the Bulldogs over on downs more than once.
A late second-quarter strip sack fumble set the Irish up for a short Riley Leonard touchdown pass right before the half and what was a tight 6-3 game was suddenly 13-3. Then Notre Dame showed why it also has one of the best special teams units in the country as they returned the second-half kickoff for a touchdown. Two touchdowns in the span of about a minute put them firmly in control. While the Dawgs didn’t quit, they couldn’t get any closer than 10 points the rest of the way and the Irish walked out of New Orleans with a 23-10 victory.
Notre Dame’s semifinal game against Penn State in the Orange Bowl ended up being the type of game most expected and physical. There might have been a little more scoring than people thought but it was a great game.
In the first half, the Nittany Lions controlled the line of scrimmage and looked to be the better team. Yet they led by just 10-3 at the half and could have put up more points. In the second half the Irish came out on fire and scored two touchdowns early in the third quarter to go ahead 17-10. All of the momentum seemed to be on their side.
The Nittany Lions weren’t done and put up back-to-back scores from running back Nicholas Singleton to retake the lead 24-17. Then came the Irish again driving the length of the field to tie it up at 24-24.
Late in the game, Penn State had reasonably good field position with little time left on the clock. They had a choice to either likely run out the clock and go to overtime or try to get into field goal range and win it in regulation. They chose the latter option and it proved to be fatal. Quarterback Drew Allar threw late across the middle (a cardinal error) and the pass was intercepted. The Irish moved the ball enough and killed the rest of the remaining time and kicked a field goal to win it 27-24 and move on to the national championship.
The Matchup
Two proud programs each with a long and storied tradition of being powerhouses in the sport of college football. Ohio State is the more explosive team on offense with its trio of top-flight wide receivers, two very good running backs, and solid quarterback play. Notre Dame is the more physical team which doesn’t suggest that the Buckeyes aren’t physical.
The quarterbacks are close to even. The running backs are the same as each team has two backs that are high quality. Notre Dame has fewer stars on defense but their overall play is just as good as the Buckeyes.
Both teams have very good coaches who have each come short of the ultimate prize so far. Where Notre Dame has an edge is in special teams. Their unit is top-notch and maybe the best in the land. Let’s not forget that Ohio State missed two very makeable field goals in the fourth quarter of their regular season finale loss to Michigan.
We’re going to take the Irish to win the national championship by a very slim margin. Special teams could very well spell the difference.
Prediction
Notre Dame 24 Ohio State 21
If this happens then Irish head coach Marcus Freeman either gets a raise or becomes a Bear. Regardless of the outcome in the national championship game, any speculation that Ohio State head coach Ryan Day is on the hot seat going into this game is nonsense. If he leaves it will be his decision and his alone. The unhealthy obsession with that team up north from the fanbase might cause him to change addresses. We will see about that.
Either way, we’re going to sit back and enjoy what should be a great game for the national championship. Then we will count the eight long months until August until our beloved college football returns.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
