The national championship match is set. The Ohio State football team will face Notre Dame next Monday night in Atlanta, with everything on the line. The Fighting Irish and the Buckeyes were put to the test in the semifinals, with Notre Dame narrowly defeating Penn State and Ohio State defeating Texas in the final minutes thanks to a heroic play by Jack Sawyer. Both semifinal games were thrilling contests that came down to the wire, and we can only hope that the national championship will be the same. It’s shaping up to be a great battle.
Ohio State is unquestionably the favorite heading into this game since they have had a more harder path to the national championship game and have appeared more dominant. However, the Fighting Irish have more than earned the right to participate in this game, and they are prepared to fight the Buckeyes.
Before we get into predictions for this game, let’s take a closer look at the Buckeyes and Fighting Irish.
Can Notre Dame pull off the upset?
Ohio State is a heavy favorite in this matchup, but Notre Dame has the higher seed. It’s surprising to see the seventh and eighth seeds in the national championship game, but both teams are ranked higher than some of the teams placed ahead of them due to the system. Still, not many people expected the Fighting Irish to make it this far, and they hope to prove some more people wrong.
Notre Dame has won three playoff games to get here, but this will undoubtedly be their toughest test yet. It wasn’t easy to beat Georgia or Penn State, but the Buckeyes have more talent than those two teams, and this will be a tough test for the Fighting Irish. It will need a standout performance to pull off the upset.
The Fighting Irish will have their hands full in this one, and it will be difficult to win the national championship.
Ohio State is the clear favorite
Unless you’re a Notre Dame supporter, you’ll probably choose Ohio State to win the national championship. The Buckeyes went down to the wire against Texas, but they dominated their first two playoff games and have clearly looked like the best team in the field despite being seeded eighth.
The Buckeyes have looked terrific, and they have more weapons than any other team in the nation. This club is brimming with NFL talent, and it is taking them far. Ohio State did not have the regular season they had hoped for, but they are making up for it in the postseason.
Ohio State failed to defeat rival Michigan and win the Big Ten, but capturing a national championship will undoubtedly make Buckeyes fans feel better about themselves.
Jeremiah Smith, a freshman wide receiver, may be the MVP of the Ohio State football team’s postseason run thus far. Here are three predictions for his national championship game performance:
Jeremiah Smith will score two touchdowns
Jeremiah Smith had a pretty quiet game versus Texas, which was unexpected. Smith faced Tennessee and Oregon, but the Longhorns had a solid game plan for him, which succeeded. Smith appears to be due for another big game, since he has not been shut down for two games in a row. He’ll find the end zone at least a few times.
Jeremiah Smith will have over 150 receiving yards
Yes, 150 is a high figure for a freshman wide receiver in the national championship game, but Jeremiah Smith is that talented. He has already reached that number in the College Football Playoff, and he will do so again on Monday night. Notre Dame does not have enough athletes on defense to slow him down.
Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State will win 38-14
The Ohio State football squad will not be stopped on Monday night, thanks in large part to a strong performance by Jeremiah Smith. The Buckeyes have been the best team in the CFP, and it isn’t even close. The game will be done by halftime, with Ohio State winning 38-14.
The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish will face battle on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. ET from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, with the game broadcast on ESPN. Ohio State presently leads by eight points.
How Ohio State and Notre Dame got here
We’re less than a week away from the national championship game, and the College Football Playoff has been a lot of fun thus far. We began with 12, and now Notre Dame and Ohio State are the only two teams remaining. Let’s go back and look at how both teams get here.
The Notre Dame football team began its CFP adventure with a home game against 10 seed Indiana in the first round. The final score of the game was 27-17, but the Fighting Irish led 27-3 with less than two minutes remaining. They dominated the Hoosiers.
Notre Dame then defeated two-seed Georgia in the quarterfinals. The Fighting Irish won 23-10 after scoring 17 points in under a minute.
With a narrow victory over Penn State, the Fighting Irish secured their spot in the national championship game. A late interception led to the game-winning field goal, and Notre Dame triumphed 27-24.
Ohio State had a couple of snoozers to start things off, dominating their first two CFP games. Ohio State blew away Tennessee at home in the first round, winning 42-17, and then slaughtered one seed Oregon in the quarterfinals, 31-0 halfway through the second quarter. They cruised to a 41-21 victory.
In the semifinals, the Buckeyes defeated Texas 28-14. The Longhorns had a first-and-goal opportunity late in the game, trailing 21-14, but they failed to convert.
There are now just two teams left to compete for the ultimate prize. Hopefully, we get a good one to cap off a fun college football season.
