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It all comes down to this.
Ohio State. Notre Dame. A chance to win a College Football Playoff national championship.
The Buckeyes’ last title came in 2014. The Fighting Irish? 1988.
One of these storied programs will get to hang another banner following Monday’s title game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (7:30 p.m., ESPN).
Despite Notre Dame being seeded ahead Ohio State (No. 7 vs. No. 8), the Buckeyes are an 8.5-point favorite according to most oddsmakers. Ohio State (13-2) has earned that respect with blowout wins over No. 9 Tennessee and No. 1 Oregon in the first two rounds, then a 28-14 victory against No. 5 Texas in the semifinal.
The Irish (14-1) have ground out three wins on their path to the final: 27-17 against No. 10 Indiana, 23-10 over No. 2 Georgia and a thrilling 27-24 conquering of No. 6 Penn State.
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These programs met in 2022 and 2023. Ohio State won, 21-10, in the 2022 season opener at home before scoring a last-second touchdown to knock off the Irish, 17-14, last year in South Bend.
What will it take to decide the winner of the inaugural 12-team playoff format? Here are three keys that could decide it, plus South Bend Tribune staff predictions.
Notre Dame’s cornerbacks against Ohio State’s wide receivers
It’s no secret Notre Dame loves playing man coverage on defense. This puts pressure on cornerbacks Leonard Moore and Christian Gray, but the duo have been up to the task this postseason, highlighted by zero receptions from Penn State wide receivers in the Orange Bowl.
This is easily the biggest challenge the Irish secondary has faced all season. Freshman Jeremiah Smith is one of the best wideouts in the country,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/notre-dame-football-vs-ohio-090057044.html
Author : South Bend Tribune
Publish date : 2025-01-19 09:00:00
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