Ohio State, Notre Dame in College Football Playoff: Title Game Key

The stage was set for one of the most anticipated national championship games in modern college football history.

You know the name. Notre Dame, perhaps the sport's definitive program, has wins over Indiana, Georgia and Penn State, fresh out of the College Football Playoff. Ohio State, another heavyweight, has responded well. Another loss to Michigan to finish the regular season.

that Fighting Irish Penn State needed help Won 27-24 in the Orange Bowl. Trailing 10-0 late in the first half and 24-17 in the fourth, Notre Dame tied the score with a 54-yard touchdown pass with less than five minutes to play and took advantage of Drew Allar's costly interception to score. – A field goal with 7 seconds left.

After crossing Tennessee and Oregon, Buckeyes win 28-14 over Texas In the Coton Bowl, it wasn't put away until an interception by safety Caleb Downs late in the fourth quarter. Despite the poor performance, Ohio State will be the favorite to take on the Irish.

Another source of pre-game hype comes from the conclusion of the debut 12-team playoff format. While the new format came under scrutiny during selection and seeding, the tournament provided key matchups that decided the national championship. In other words, the playoffs were a success.

Here are some early highlights and biggest storylines leading up to the matchup on Monday, January 20th at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

Which Riley Leonard is featured?

For a time Thursday night, Leonard had to take responsibility for the painful loss. His costly interception five minutes into the fourth quarter allowed the Nittany Lions to take a touchdown lead, but Leonard's score on a pass to Jaden Greathouse on the ensuing possession evened the scores.

It was one of two turnovers on the night for Leonard, who entered the Orange Bowl with just six interceptions in 349 pass attempts. Overall, he completed 15 of 23 throws for 223 yards and a score and added 35 yards on the ground, easily surpassing Allar.

The Irish will need more from Leonard and then some against Ohio State. Because giving the Buckeyes extra possessions is the easiest way to guarantee a Notre Dame loss.

Crucially, Leonard needs to be a hammer at third base. He converted 11 of 13 third-down opportunities when the Irish needed three yards or less. Considering how Notre Dame typically struggles to find explosive plays downfield, extending drives on manageable third-down attempts will be one of the biggest keys to the game.

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Who can stop Ohio State?

Not Tennessee, not Oregon, not Texas. Another win against the SEC makes the championship game surge even sweeter for the Buckeyes.

The Cotton Bowl win showed why Ohio State is so dangerous. The offense couldn't get Jeremiah Smith involved, but the defense forced two turnovers and preserved the win. longhorn They combined for 58 rushing yards and 6 of 18 on third and fourth downs.

The group also delivered some of the game's defining moments. Down by a touchdown, Texas had first-and-goal at the Buckeyes' 1-yard line with four minutes left in the game. With the Longhorns stumbling back 7 yards on 3 plays, Quinn Ewers was sacked. Stripped by Ohio State defensive end Jack SawyerHe scooped up the loose ball and rushed 83 yards for a score.

Perfection isn't necessary for Notre Dame to beat the Buckeyes. But you may need something closer to perfection. Especially if the OSU defense holds it together while the passing game gets back into rhythm.

Can the Notre Dame defense stop the run?

This hasn't necessarily been an issue throughout the season. The Irish rank 41st nationally in rushing yards allowed per game, but that total is inflated by two games against Service Academy. Navy and Army ran for a combined 429 yards but lost by a combined 72 points.

However, the run defense really struggled against Penn State. After giving up a total of 125 yards against the Hoosiers and Bulldogs, the Irish gave up 141 rushing yards in the first half to the Nittany Lions. However, things improved rapidly in the second half.

Ohio State presents a different type of threat than the Nittany Lions' duo of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The Buckeyes are less likely to make the running game the primary focus of their offense, but they are more explosive. As one good example, look at TreVeyon Henderson's 75-yard score late in the first half against the Longhorns.

It's no coincidence that Notre Dame's closest games – Texas A&M, Northern Illinois, Louisville and Penn State – came when their opponents successfully ran the ball.

But one thing to keep in mind when this game breaks down is which team can convert on third downs. While Leonard and the Irish have been very good on short yardage downs, Notre Dame's defense has been very solid in those same situations. Opponents have had 19 first downs and 3 yards or less on 42 carries when facing third downs.

2025-01-11 13:42:29

Ohio State, Notre Dame in College Football Playoff: Title Game Key