Notre Dame bold predictions for CFB national title vs. Ohio State

The game for the national championship is scheduled. The The Notre Dame football team will play against Ohio State next Monday night in Atlanta with everything on the line. Both the Fighting Irish and Buckeyes were tested in the semifinal round as Notre Dame narrowly edged Penn State and Jack Sawyer’s heroics lifted Ohio State past Texas in the closing minutes. Both semifinal games were great games that came down to the wire, and we can only hope that the state title will be the same. It’s shaping up to be a fun match.

Ohio State is definitely the favorite going into this game as they had a tougher road to the national title game and also looked more dominant. However, the Fighting Irish have more than earned their right to play in this game, and are ready to give the Buckeyes a good fight.

Before we get into some predictions for this game, let’s take a closer look at both the Buckeyes and the Fighting Irish.

Ohio State is the clear favorite

Unless you’re a Notre Dame fan, you’re probably picking Ohio State to win the national title. The Buckeyes went down against Texas, but dominated their first two playoff games and definitely looked like the best team on the field despite being the eighth seed.

The Buckeyes have looked good, and they are loaded with weapons unlike any other team in the country. This team is loaded with NFL talent, and that talent is taking them far. Ohio State had none the regular season they were hoping for, but they make up for it in the playoffs.

Ohio State fell short of its goals of beating rival Michigan and winning the Big Ten, but winning the national title will certainly make Buckeye fans feel better about it.

Can Notre Dame pull off the upset?

Ohio State is the heavy favorite in this game, but Notre Dame is actually the higher seeded team. It’s a bit of a surprise to see a seventh seed and an eighth seed in the title game, but these teams are ranked higher than some of the teams that ended up being seeded ahead of them because of the way the format works. Not many people have made it this far, though, and they hope to prove a few more people wrong.

Notre Dame won three playoff games to get here, but this will definitely be their toughest challenge yet. It wasn’t easy getting past Georgia or Penn State, but the Buckeyes definitely have more talent than those two teams, and this will be a big challenge for the Fighting Irish. It will take a great performance to pull off the upset.

The Fighting Irish will have their hands full in this one, and it will be tough to win the national championship. Here are three predictions for the match:

Riley Leonard will throw two interceptions

One question the Notre Dame football team has had this year is the passing game. Riley Leonard is a solid quarterback, but they just couldn’t contain the threat in the passing game. The Fighting Irish are near the bottom of the country in the passing attack, and they will need that aspect of their game against Ohio State. Notre Dame is unlikely to beat Ohio State running the ball, and they will likely have to play from behind at some point. Leonard will try to force it and the Buckeyes will eventually force him to make some changes.

Notre Dame won’t score more than 14 points

Notre Dame’s offense will be too one-dimensional in this game, and they won’t be able to get anything going because of it. Ohio State is the better team and will likely come away with a big lead. The Fighting Irish will have to throw the ball around to try and get back into it, and that’s just not their game. It won’t go well and Notre Dame won’t score many points.

Ohio State would go on to win 38-14

Ohio State will get off to a fast start in this one, and the Notre Dame football team won’t stand a chance. At the end of the day, the Buckeyes are a much better team, and this one won’t be even close. It would be over by halftime, and Ohio State would turn on the gas in the second half and cruise to a 38-14 victory.

The Buckeyes and Fighting Irish will kick off Monday night at 7:30 PM ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA, with the game televised on ESPN. Ohio State is currently favored by eight points.

How Ohio State and Notre Dame Got Here

The national championship game is less than a week away, and College Football Playoff it’s been a lot of fun so far. We started with 12 and now Notre Dame and Ohio State are the last two teams. Let’s go back and look at how both teams got here.

The Notre Dame football team began its CFP trip with a home game against 10-seeded 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 left. They dominated the Hoosiers.

Notre Dame then knocked off two-seeded Georgia in the quarterfinals. 17 points in a span of less than a minute was the difference as the Fighting Irish won 23-10.

The Fighting Irish punched their ticket to the national title with a big win against Penn State. A late interception set up the game-winning field goal, and Notre Dame won 27-24.

Ohio State had some sleepers to start with as they dominated their first two CFP games. Ohio State blew out Tennessee at home in the first round with a 42-17 win, then blew out one-seeded Oregon in the quarterfinals with a 31-0 run midway through the second quarter. They went on to win 41-21.

In the semifinals, the Buckeyes defeated Texas 28-14. The Longhorns had a first-and-goal late in the game, trailing 21-14, and couldn’t convert.

Now there are only two teams left to fight for the ultimate prize. Here’s hoping we get a good one to close out a fun college football season.