Ohio State, Notre Dame each trying to finish redemption arc in College Football Playoff National Championship

No one is going to mistake blue bloods Notre Dame and Ohio State for a Cinderella, but the winner of Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship will complete one of the greatest redemption arcs in modern college football history. 

The two programs have long been the target of furious jealousy and vitriol from casual fans, but those blows have softened this year. That’s because, for the first time in a long time, the sport’s postseason has produced two teams that are — dare we say — flawed mortals.

Look past the iconic logos and you will see two underdogs fueled by disappointment and vigor. These teams fought and clawed their way back into the championship hunt with three wins apiece in the new 12-team CFP. 

“No great accomplishments are ever achieved without going through adversity,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said last week. “That’s just the truth. And so we’ve gone through our share of adversity. That’s life.”

You know their stories. Ohio State owns two losses, most notably to unranked rival Michigan at the end of the regular season — a result so shocking it sparked calls for Day’s firing and led to a postgame fight among the rival players. Police deployed pepper spray at midfield, and an embarrassing mark was emblazoned on the Buckeyes’ playoff résumé.

Embracing the pain

Notre Dame suffered the biggest upset loss of the season, falling to Northern Illinois at home as four-touchdown favorites in Week 2. Many wrote off the Irish, chalking it up as yet another disappointing trend for a young coach…

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Author : Brandon Marcello

Publish date : 2025-01-16 14:40:00

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