Previewing The College Football National Championship: Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
The first 12-team College Football Playoff is down to the final two teams. Here is what you need to know about each, and how to watch the game with Sling.
The first ever 12-team College Football Playoff has reached its final stop. Two of the biggest brands in the sport, Ohio State and Notre Dame will meet for the 7th time in their program's history, with the Buckeyes leading the series 6-0. The teams recently played a home-and-home series in 2022 and 2023 and will now compete for a National Championship in the great city of Atlanta. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman played his college ball at Ohio State, which makes for fun fodder ahead of the game.
Both of these teams faced big question marks at one point during the season. The Fighting Irish lost to Northern Illinois at home in shocking fashion but bounced back and rattled off 13-straight wins en route to the title game. Ohio State also had its share of adversity. A brutal loss in the waning seconds to Oregon and the shocking loss to Michigan to end the season ushered in a lot of negativity around Ryan Day and the program. But to the Buckeyes credit, they refocused and have clearly looked like the best team in the country. Let’s take a more in-depth look at the matchup.
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College Football Playoff National Championship - January 20
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
When: 7:30 p.m., ESPN
It’s hard to believe five months ago college football fans were nestling in to watch Georgia Tech upset the No. 10 Florida State Seminoles in the first game of the year. Now the final game of the season is upon us and it’s between two programs with proud fan bases. Ohio State enters this game as near double digits favorites (the line opened at -9.5 but has dropped to 8.5) and, on paper, are the more talented team across the board. Notre Dame have been pesky during their run in the College Football Playoff. The goal for them will be to muddy this game up, force turnovers (the Irish led the country in takeaways) and hope that quarterback Riley Leonard and his stable of running backs can make enough plays when it matters most. The problem is, Ohio State’s rush defense has been elite all season. Credit to Texas for trying to stick with the run against the Buckeyes, but they had almost no success, amassing only 76 yards on 3.1 yards per carry. Marcus Freeman’s team is built on physicality and will go into the game thinking they can control the trenches. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the offense also use running backs in the passing game, as the Texas backs had 11 catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns. On the flip side, Notre Dame’s secondary has been stout all season and is a strength of their defense, but they have yet to face a team with the wide receiver talent that Ohio State has. Texas successfully took Jeremiah Smith out of the game with a lot of zone coverages, but Emeka Egubuka, Carnell Tate and the electric TreVeyon Henderson punished the Longhorns. An interesting X’s-and-O’s element to this game is Notre Dame’s secondary. They play man-to-man coverage at one of the highest rates in the country, which is the opposite of what the Longhorns deployed against Smith and company. Just like Texas, this team boasts great corners and safeties and against Penn State, they conceded zero catches to wide receivers.
Ultimately, this is a game Ohio State should win. But if you look at the Cotton Bowl, the Buckeyes’ penalties and inconsistent drives kept the Longhorns in the game up until the 4th quarter scoop-and-score that sealed the game. Notre Dame will look to follow a similar script, but they will need to capitalize when they have the chance to do so. The Notre Dame offense is going to have stretches where they struggle and it will be up to the defense to keep them in the game. If the Irish can weather those moments and hold strong, they’ll have a chance. But if Chip Kelly, Ryan Day and Ohio State can punish the man coverage and move the ball like they did against Oregon, it’ll be a long day for the team in gold and green.
— Previous Rounds —
College Football Playoff: Semifinals - January 9 and 10
No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 7 Notre Dame
Where: Orange Bowl - Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Miami Gardens, Florida)
When: Thur., Jan. 9, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
When looking at the Orange Bowl, Penn State and Notre Dame head coaches James Franklin and Marcus Freeman have built eerily similar programs to one another. The Nittany Lions and Fighting Irish both have feasted on opponents with stout defense and potent rushing attacks. Points are likely to be at a premium in this one, so the question is, who will be able to make enough plays on offense to win the game? The Penn State offense revolves around the two running back system of Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton and the nation's best tight end, Tyler Warren. Luckily for Notre Dame, their entire secondary – including safeties Xavier Watts and Adon Shuler – are some of the best cover players in the country, so there’s hope they can contain Warren. Penn State QB Drew Allar will do his best to keep the Mackey Award winner involved, but he’ll need his running game and other wide receivers to step up. Allar is a more capable passer than Notre Dame signal caller Riley Leonard, but he’s not nearly as athletic. Leonard can punish you with his legs, but he ranks near the bottom of the country in air yards per attempt, and just like Penn State, will rely on a two back system of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. The RB tandem struggled against Georgia, only netting a combined 56 yards, but the 80 rushing yards from Leonard were invaluable. Keep an eye on special teams in this one. Notre Dame proved they can strike when they took the opening kickoff of the second half back for a touchdown against Georgia.
Final - Notre Dame 27 - 24 Penn State
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XJKgw56B-2A
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Texas
Where: Cotton Bowl - AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
When: Fri., Jan 10, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
Ohio State University and the Texas Longhorns have met only three times on the gridiron, and the last time was in the Fiesta Bowl in 2009. Two of the three meetings were settled by three points each, with Texas leading the series 2-1. But the ‘vibes’ around both of these programs are quite different following the quarterfinals. Texas escaped Arizona State 39-31 after two overtimes and a do-or-die fourth down conversion. Steve Sarkisian' s team was up 17-3, but an unfortunate characteristic of this Longhorns team is that they cannot finish teams off when they have them on the ropes. They were incredibly lucky to get out with a win, and now they’ll play an Ohio State team that is coming off a complete opposite performance. Ohio State were firing on all cylinders and drummed Oregon in the Rose Bowl, taking a 34-0 lead at one point. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith couldn’t be stopped, racking up seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns. OSU Quarterback Will Howard was also nearly flawless.
With that said, there could be a little bit of a recency bias when analyzing this game. Texas has the talent to compete with anyone in the country, especially on defense. We mentioned that Notre Dame’s ability to cover is elite, but it’s Texas that boasts the best secondary in the country. Thorp Award winner Jahdea Barron will be tasked with covering Jeremiah Smith but the Longhorns will still have to contend with Emeka Egbuka and Carnell State. Texas should have chances in this game, so it will come down to quarterback Quinn Ewers putting on a flawless performance (could Arch Manning even make an appearance?). We’ll see how it shakes out, but Ohio State being a 7-point favorite feels like a reaction to the team's most recent performances.
Final - Ohio State 28 - 14 Texas
https://youtube.com/shorts/ifu87g7yD5A?si=00_1oOP7xX1Grkbf
College Football Playoff: Quarterfinals - December 31 and January 1
No. 6 Penn State vs. No. 3 Boise State
Where: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Arizona)
When: Dec. 31, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
This will be the fourth Fiesta Bowl appearance in program history for the Boise State Broncos and guess what? They have yet to lose in the desert. The legend all began in 2006 when Boise stunned Oklahoma in one of the best games in college football history. The Broncos did it again in 2010 and 2014, and now will have a chance to prove the haters wrong against Penn State. Behind running back Ashton Jeanty, Boise have cruised to an 11-1 record, with their only loss being to Oregon by a slim 3 points. Penn State will have all the pressure here and will need to take care of the football. Like we said, the magic is in the desert air for the Broncos.
Final: Penn State 31 - 14 Boise State
No. 5 Texas vs. No. 4 Arizona State
Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
When: Jan. 1, 1 p.m., ESPN
No one is really giving Arizona State much of a chance in this game. But similar to the first game of the quarterfinals, all of the pressure lies on the favorite. Sure, the first round of the Playoff was chalky, but this is college football, after all. The task for the Longhorns will be to stop running back Cam Skattebo, and surely ASU head coach Kenny Dillingham will have something up his sleeve with the extra time to prepare. But again, Texas is more talented across the board. The winner will have a date with Oregon or Ohio State.
Final: Texas 39 - 31 ASU (2OT)
No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Oregon
Where: Rose Bowl (Pasadena, California)
When: Jan. 1, 5 p.m., ESPN
The grand daddy of them all. Yes, we’re talking about the Rose Bowl but this is the most exciting matchup (and rematch) of the quarterfinals. In the shadows of the San Gabriel Mountains, Ohio State coach Ryan Day will look to absolve his loss to Michigan and to Oregon earlier in this season by securing the Buckeyes a spot in the Semifinals. Beating a team twice is a tall task, but Oregon has been the most consistent and best team all season. The extra rest will help the Ducks, as the program looks to get over the hump and win its first ever National Championship. There is no better tradition than the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day, and this game is what the sport is all about.
Final: Ohio State 41 - 21 Oregon
No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Georgia
Where: Caesars Superdomel (New Orleans, Louisiana)
RESCHEDULED TIME: Jan. 2, 4 p.m., ESPN
With Georgia starting quarterback Carson Beck officially ruled out with an elbow injury, sophomore signal caller Gunner Stockton will look to lead the ship. Georgia have been one of the tougher teams to pin down this season. Inconsistency has been a problem for the Dawgs, but in the end, Kirby Smart always seems to find a way to motivate his team across the finish line. Along with Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, this game figures to be a battle of two defensive master minds. Which team will have enough offensively to get the job done?
CFB Playoff First Round Preview: #10 Indiana at #7 Notre Dame
Notre Dame Stadium South Bend, Indiana
December 20, 2024 at 8pm ET on ESPN/ESPN3/ABC
An all-Indiana battle will kickoff the Playoff in what is going to be a frigid night in South Bend. The Hoosiers will travel 197 miles north to play their first game against Notre Dame since 1991. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti won the Home Depot National Coach of the Year Award, and his team will have the challenge of trying to get past a feisty Fighting Irish defense. The knock on the Hoosiers and quarterback Kurtis Rourke is that they have beaten subpar teams, and struggled against teams like Ohio State and Michigan who have elite play in the trenches. That is what Indiana will be going up against in Notre Dame. The defensive line for Marcus Freeman’s team is top five in the country, and it will be up to Cignetti to scheme his way to a win in this game. On the other side of the ball, Indiana has to force Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard to throw the ball. If the Hoosiers can’t contain the Notre Dame rushing attack along with Riley Leonard’s ability to run the ball, it could be a long day.
FINAL: Notre Dame 27 - 17 Indiana
CFB Playoff First Round Preview: #11 SMU at #6 Penn State
Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania
December 21, 2024 at Noon ET on TNT
Speaking of frigid temperatures, the forecast in University Park, PA is calling for breezy winds and a small chance of snow showers. It’s not weather the SMU Mustangs will be used to, especially when you consider the strength of Penn State is running the football and defense. Yes, the Nittany Lions defensive performance against Oregon in the Big Ten Championship was poor, but that can happen against the best team in the country. SMU’s offense isn’t as high powered, but it isn’t to be taken lightly. Quarterback Kevin Jennings is a legit star in the country, and Penn State has shown vulnerabilities against teams like Minnesota and USC. The one thing about Rhett Lashley’s team is they will not go away easily and if they can shut down Penn State’s rushing attack, they will have a chance in this game. Keep an eye on Nittany Lions tight end and Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren. The big fella is a big safety blanket for quarterback Drew Allar, and he’s the x-factor in this game.
Final: Penn State 38 - 10 SMU
CFB Playoff First Round Preview: #12 Clemson at #5 Texas
DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium Austin, Texas
December 21, 2024 at 4pm ET on TNT
After beating SMU and winning the ACC on a 56-yard field goal as time expired, the Clemson Tigers are playing with house money. The week before hoisting the trophy, Dabo Swinney’s team lost to instate rival South Carolina and it seemed like the season would end with a trip to the Pop Tart or Holiday Bowl. But thanks to the Syracuse Orangemen beating Miami, the Tigers snuck into the conference championship and took advantage of their opportunity. Now, they have nothing to lose, because they are lucky to be in the Playoff, and that could be a dangerous formula to beat for the Texas Longhorns. In the end, Texas is easily the best team Clemson has played since week 1, when they lost to Georgia by 31 points. Dabo’s team has struggled against top tier teams, and though the win against SMU was impressive, they still have issues producing explosive plays on offense, which will be a problem against this Texas defensive unit. Texas should win this game unless they hurt themselves with turnovers or penalties, but don’t count out a team that has nothing to lose.
Final: Clemson 24 - 38 Texas
CFB Playoff First Round Preview: #9 Tennessee at #8 Ohio State
Ohio Stadium Columbus, Ohio
December 21, 2024 at 8pm ET on ESPN/ESPN3/ABC
The last time we saw the Ohio State Buckeyes they lost to bitter rival Michigan as 20-point favorites. The outrage of the fanbase towards Ryan Day has reached new levels, with some believing if he loses this game to Tennessee, he will be dismissed as the head coach. Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork nixed that thought, as he said he is "absolutely" confident that Ryan Day will be back as the Buckeyes' football coach next season. Regardless, tensions are high in Columbus, and now they will welcome a team in Tennessee that has similar characteristics to the Michigan team who neutralized them. The Vols play great defense and rely heavily on running the football. It will be interesting to see how Ohio State reacts after having nearly 3 weeks off since its loss to the Wolverines and if the Buckeyes don’t come out fast, then the already nervous crowd could turn on the home team.
Final: Ohio State 42 - 17 Tennessee
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