The Athletic has live coverage of Ohio State vs Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
Two of college football’s biggest brands will face off for a national title Monday night when Notre Dame and Ohio State meet in the College Football Playoff Championship Game in Atlanta. Who will come out on top? The Athletic’s writers make their picks for who will raise the trophy.
Matt Baker: The Buckeyes were my preseason title pick because they have consistently amassed enough talent and are bound to break through eventually. We’ll conveniently skip past anything I may or may not have said after the Michigan game and return to my original prediction. Ohio State has a championship-worthy roster and is due to win it all. … Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 17.
Scott Dochterman: I picked these teams to meet in this game, and they proved me right with their resiliency and toughness. The Buckeyes have the nation’s top defense and too much firepower on offense for Notre Dame to keep up. … Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 13.
Seth Emerson: The Buckeyes were my national championship pick before the season and entering the Playoff. Now would be a weird time to abandon them. The Irish are tempting, a good combination of well coached, good along the lines and playing loose. But the general rule in college football is the best team in the country emerges at the end, and that’s what the expanded Playoff gave us: a chance for the best team to atone and then turn it on when it matters most. … Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 17.
Christopher Kamrani: The Irish could scheme up an awesome game plan that the Buckeyes aren’t ready for and can’t adjust to, but at this point, I just don’t see any team slowing Ohio State’s offense for four quarters and being able to move the ball with ease on that reinvigorated defense. … Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 16.
Sam Khan Jr.: The Buckeyes have the deeper, more talented team, and as long as they take care of the ball, they have the edge against the banged-up Fighting Irish. Expect this to be a low-scoring slugfest, with a few explosive plays from the Buckeyes’ offensive stars making the difference. … Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 14.
Larry Henry: Ohio State is the better team on offense and defense, and I don’t see Notre Dame finding much success against the Buckeyes. The Fighting Irish have done well to get to this game, but expect Ohio State to score early and defend its lead. Will Howard is my pick for MVP of the national championship game. … Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 7.
Stewart Mandel: As great as Notre Dame is on defense, Ohio State’s defense is as good or better. It will come down to whichever team can bust a few big plays, and the Buckeyes just have more players who can do that. … Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 16.
Austin Meek: Ohio State will land the first punch, and then one of two things will happen: The Buckeyes will keep their foot on the gas and pull away, or Notre Dame will steady itself and turn this into a four-quarter game. I’m going with the latter. Notre Dame won’t fold, but Ohio State will make a game-changing play in the fourth quarter and complete Ryan Day’s redemption arc. … Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 17.
Antonio Morales: If Notre Dame was healthier, this would be a better game. Ohio State just presents too many problems. The Buckeyes offense is playing extremely well and will be tough for a banged-up defense to slow down. This is the best defense Notre Dame has faced in the playoffs as well, and with the offensive line injuries and lack of a downfield passing game, the Fighting Irish are going to have a tough time scoring.… Ohio State 31, Notre Dame 7.
Grace Raynor: The Buckeyes have too much talent on offense and defense and have found a way to play angrily after the embarrassing Michigan debacle. Ohio State is confident after consecutive wins against Oregon and Texas and has proved it can find different ways to win. Day gets it done with his back against the wall. … Ohio State 35, Notre Dame 28.
Joe Rexrode: How about a classic? Can we get a classic? A lot of my colleagues see the Buckeyes rolling, and I get it, but I just can’t ignore the mental fortitude Marcus Freeman’s team keeps demonstrating. A defense-dominated game opens in the fourth quarter as both sides get tired, and a Howard throw to OSU’s other first-round receiver — Emeka Egbuka — sets up a Jayden Fielding 51-yard field goal to win, his first make from 50-plus of the season. … Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 23.
Cameron Teague Robinson: Ohio State just has too much talent in this one. Notre Dame has played well this year and will keep it close in the first half, but the Irish haven’t seen a receiving corps, running back duo or defense like Ohio State’s. The Ohio State defense will be the difference. Howard might throw an interception that leads to a Notre Dame touchdown, but the defense will do enough to give Ohio State short fields, and the playmakers will make enough plays to open this game for a comfortable fourth quarter, giving Day the national championship he has been missing. … Ohio State 28, Notre Dame 10.
Ralph D. Russo: We talk a lot about the Buckeyes offense, but the Ohio State defense is the best unit in this game and where the biggest advantage lies against a Notre Dame offense that isn’t particularly explosive and has a limited passing game with quarterback Riley Leonard, ranked 58th in the nation in efficiency rating (137.80). … Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 17.
Pete Sampson: Notre Dame knows how to drag Ohio State into a rock fight because it has done it before. The Irish know how to limit a star Buckeyes receiver because it has done that before, too. But this will take more than that. Notre Dame must either score on defense or special teams to pull off the upset or at least set up Leonard with a short field. And Notre Dame has done that throughout this CFP run. … Notre Dame 21, Ohio State 20.
Mitch Sherman: The Irish just don’t have the firepower to stay with Ohio State. Notre Dame has achieved more with the weapons on its roster than any team nationally this season. But the edge in talent on offense that the Buckeyes enjoy will take a toll, as long as Ohio State doesn’t lose focus — which has happened — and veer away from looking to its playmakers in the moments that matter. The Buckeyes will be intentional in capitalizing on their built-in advantage on this stage. … Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 17.
Daniel Shirley: Ohio State is the favorite, and with good reason. It has the most talented roster in the country, and it has found its rhythm in the College Football Playoff with three terrific performances. But there’s just something special about this Notre Dame team, which will be displayed again in the championship. … Notre Dame 20, Ohio State 17.
Eric Single: The historical implications on both sides might weigh down the pace and strategy of this one. Freeman has passed every game-management test this winter, and this could be the giant-killing performance that pushes the Irish coach into crossover superstardom. … Notre Dame 20, Ohio State 17.
Kennington Smith III: How about an upset? Ohio State’s the more talented team on paper, and Notre Dame has been decimated by injuries, all things that have been true in each of the Irish’s Playoff games — and they continue to win. Can Notre Dame get Ohio State to play its game? It can because it has done it before. Let’s not forget the classic these teams played last season. It was a game Notre Dame let slip away, and Monday night will be a redemption moment. Both teams are playing at an extremely high level, which will make for a great game. Give me Freeman continuing to pull the very best out of his roster and winning in those situational moments that will tip the game. Leonard will do just enough, and an MVP performance from Jeremiyah Love will lift Notre Dame to the national championship. … Notre Dame 23, Ohio State 20.
Audrey Snyder: The loss to Michigan turned out to be the pivot point for the Buckeyes. The team we thought we’d see all season, the one with the ultra-talented roster that was brought here to win a national title, finally emerged in December. Better late than never. I struggle to see Notre Dame’s offense keeping up against this elite defense unless Howard gifts the Irish a takeaway or two. … Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 14
Jesse Temple: Ohio State has been a juggernaut during a three-game winning streak in the Playoff, embarrassing Tennessee and Oregon. Notre Dame has won 13 straight games and put together a fantastic season. But Ohio State’s balance and overall talent should emerge. … Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 14.
David Ubben: The Buckeyes defense will win this game because it can choke out the Irish offense, create turnovers and win the field-position battle. It might not knock out Notre Dame with haymakers like it did against Oregon, but it can wear on Notre Dame and take control in the second half. … Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 13.
Chris Vannini: Notre Dame has the ability to drag Ohio State into a rock fight. It has slowed the Buckeyes in recent meetings. But I’m concerned about the Irish’s ability to score given their offensive line and running back injuries. An upset win is possible, but Ohio State has too much firepower and does enough to win. … Ohio State 24, Notre Dame 14.
Justin Williams: This one will resemble the Buckeyes’ win over Texas, with both defenses keeping things close and low-scoring until a fourth-quarter score by Ohio State puts the game out of reach and completes a remarkable one-month turnaround by Ohio State and Day. … Ohio State 28, Notre Dame 13.
(Top photos: CFP / Getty Images)
