The two teams will meet head-on at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday night, with the championship title going to the victor, designating them as the inaugural champion of the CFP’s 12-team playoff tournament.
Here’s a look at how Ohio State has charted its course through the playoff process so far, admissions committee:
The Buckeyes earned their third consecutive playoff win by a double-digit margin. They took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter and remained ahead for the remainder of the game.
In their first three postseason games, Ohio State maintained a perfect first-quarter scoring record, shutting out their opponents while outpacing them 560 yards to 124 yards in the first 15 minutes of each game. The Buckeyes have had a strong start to postseason games, winning 69-25 in the first half of their College Football Playoff matchups.
The Buckeyes were up 14-7 at the half, going into the break after TreVeyon Henderson’s 75-yard touchdown reception. Texas tied the game in the third quarter, as Jaydon Blue scored his second touchdown of the game. However, the Buckeyes took the lead for good after Quinshon Judkins’ second touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter.
Texas narrowed the deficit to under four minutes in the fourth quarter, pushing the ball down to Ohio State’s one-yard-line after a penalty for pass interference against the Buckeyes in the end zone. Ohio State refused to give up the touchdown on the first three plays, but on fourth down, Jack Sawyer closed in on quarterback Quinn Ewers and knocked the ball loose, then picked it up and ran 83 yards for a touchdown, increasing Ohio State’s lead to double digits.
Caleb Downs intercepted Ewers on the ensuing drive, effectively sealing the win for his team over the Longhorns.
History with Notre Dame
For the third year in a row, Ohio State and Notre Dame are scheduled to meet for a regular season game. Ohio State has taken home wins in each of their previous two matchups against the Fighting Irish.
1. In the opening game of the 2022 season, the Buckeyes beat the Fighting Irish by a score of 21-10 in Columbus.
2. Last year in South Bend, Ohio State edged out Notre Dame 17-14.
Arizona State faced Oregon in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl.
There will be connections between the two coaching staffs due to individuals having ties with both schools. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman played linebacker at Ohio State, while Buckeyes’ assistant coach Mickey Marotti previously worked as a strength coach at Notre Dame from 1998 to 2005.
Notre Dame’s tight ends coach, Keenan Bailey, was a graduate of the school back in 2016. Previously, James Laurinaitis, who is now Ohio State’s linebackers coach, was a graduate assistant at Notre Dame in 2022 before returning to Ohio State. Additionally, Notre Dame’s defensive line coach, Al Washington, served as linebackers coach at Ohio State from 2019 through 2021.
The two coaching staffs have a history together, with a familiarity that goes beyond a simple acquaintance.
The season-stopper for the Ohio State offense
The standout performance that raised eyebrows at the Cotton Bowl was Jeremiah Smith’s limited output, catching just one pass for three yards. Unlike their previous opponents, Tennessee and Oregon, Texas employed a strategy to keep Smith from catching long passes, assigning him close coverage by multiple defenders, including Jahdae Barron.
With the opposing wide receiver being heavily covered, Carnell Tate found himself the frequent target of Will Howard’s passes, ultimately catching a game-high seven passes for 87 yards. Tate was joined by Emeka Egbuka and tight end Gee Scott Jr., both of whom also caught five passes each in the win.
Emeka Egbuka is set to play his last game as a Buckeye on Monday night. The wide receiver is just shy of breaking two school records in receiving yards and has the opportunity to make history with a strong performance. After catching five passes against Texas, Egbuka now has 199 career receptions, putting him just three catches away from surpassing K.J. Hill’s record of 201 receptions as a Buckeye.
The senior holds the third spot for career receiving yards in school history with 2,804 yards. If he gains 52 more yards, he will surpass the previous record currently held by David Boston. With 95 more yards, he’ll break the record for career receiving yards, which is currently held by Michael Jenkins. In two games against Notre Dame, Egbuka has 16 receptions for 186 yards.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard is one victory away from leading his team to a national championship in his first and only season with the Buckeyes. His performance at the Cotton Bowl, where he threw for 289 yards and a touchdown, earned him the award for Offensive MVP. Throughout the three College Football Playoff games, Howard has completed 73.8% of his passes, accumulating 919 yards and six touchdowns. For the entire season, he has thrown 33 touchdown passes and a total of 40 scores.
Two key running backs, TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, have made significant impacts despite limited playtime during the playoffs. When they did see action, Henderson and Judkins have combined to rush for four touchdowns across three games, showcasing their effectiveness. Additionally, Henderson contributed to the team’s total with a 75-yard receiving touchdown in the Cotton Bowl, before the half.
The numbers of Henderson and Judkins this year are remarkably close. Henderson has rushed for 992 yards and scored 10 touchdowns, while Judkins has rushed for 982 yards and 12 touchdowns. As he concludes his final season as a member of the Buckeyes, Henderson sits fourth in Ohio State history with 3,712 rushing yards after nine years. If he gains 57 yards in the final game on Monday night, he’ll surpass Eddie George to take the third spot on the all-time list at Ohio State.
The Ohio State defense is now playing with a clear sense of direction and determination.
To have any chance at a national title, Notre Dame will have to break through Ohio State’s top-ranked defense. The Buckeyes lead the nation in overall defense, scoring defense, and pass defense, and rank third in rush defense and sacks allowed. Against major opponents, Ohio State’s rush defense has been particularly impressive, limiting teams to just 62.3 yards per game on the ground. In their last match-up, Texas averaged just two yards per carry and ended with 58 total rushing yards.
Jack Sawyer earned well-deserved Cotton Bowl Defensive MVP honors thanks to his big play at the end of the fourth quarter, but J.T. Tuimoloau has been the bigger problem for opponents all season. With 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in the Cotton Bowl, Tuimoloau has racked up 19.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks this year, two and a half more sacks than Sawyer has, with just those stats from the Cotton Bowl. The Buckeyes have had 16 sacks in three playoff games so far, and Tuimoloau and Sawyer have combined for 10 of those sacks.
The defensive pressure the Ohio State team is putting on opponents comes from more than just the defensive line. Linebackers Cody Simon and Sonny Styles have combined for 12 of the 51 sacks the Buckeyes’ defense has had this year to date. Sonny Styles led the team with nine tackles in their recent win over Texas, while Cody Simon had seven tackles. With his performance against the Longhorns, Simon reached 104 tackles for the season, and he’s now one of two Buckeyes who could reach 100 tackles.
The standout defensive pairing of the season thus far, undoubtedly, is Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom. Downs delivered the game-changing pick of Quinn Ewers’ pass, along with five tackles. In addition, Ransom registered four tackles, with one being behind the defensive line. Collectively, Downs and Ransom have amassed 149 tackles and 16.5 tackles-for-losses this season. Furthermore, Downs has logged two interceptions, whereas Ransom has intercepted a pass, recovered a fumble, and forced three fumbles.
There was concern coming out of the Cotton Bowl over cornerback Denzel Burke’s status, as he didn’t play in the second half due to injury, forcing Jermaine Mathews Jr. into action. According to coach Ryan Day, Burke appears to be ready to return to action by Monday night, joining Davison Igbinosun and Jordan Hancock in the secondary.
Former Tiger teammates Bailey Hancock and Cornelius Igbinosun have shared similar defensive statistics this season. Each has recorded two intercepted passes. As for pass breakups, Cornelius Igbinosun has snagged nine, while Hancock has added seven.
Notre Dame secured a spot in the College Football Playoff by virtue of winning the ACC Championship in a thrilling contest against Clemson. Behind the tremendous play of Ian Book at quarterback, the Fighting Irish conquered the Tigers 47-40 in a classic showdown.
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Notre Dame’s only setback this year was a big upset at the beginning of the season when Northern Illinois defeated them 16-14 in South Bend back in September. Since then, the Fighting Irish haven’t looked back, dominating so many games – they won 11 of their next 13 games by double-figure margins. They were not able to win by at least 10 points in only two games: a 7-point victory against Louisville, and a narrow win in the Orange Bowl over Penn State.
Marcus Freeman has a 33-9 record over two and a half seasons as the head coach of Notre Dame’s football team, entering his third full season with a 14-1 record.
The Notre Dame offense needs a healthy Leonard and Love.
The Notre Dame offense is led by its rushing attack. In addition to running back Jeremiyah Love, the Buckeyes will also need to keep an eye on quarterback Riley Leonard, who both rushing players scored a touchdown against Penn State. This marked the 11th straight game that each player has rushed for a touchdown, breaking the previous record of 11 games set by Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick and Vai Taua, who together rushed for a touchdown in each of 11 consecutive games as teammates.
Love emerged from the Orange Bowl with visible injuries suffered in the previous Sugar Bowl game against Georgia. He finished the game with 46 yards on 11 carries, and it brought his season rushing total to 1,122 yards and 17 touchdowns. This season, Love has successfully scored a rushing touchdown in 13 consecutive games, setting a new record for his school for the longest streak of consecutive games with a rushing touchdown.
One of the highlights was a remarkable 98-yard touchdown run early in the game against Indiana, which set the tone for the Fighting Irish. Along with quarterback Love, running back Jadarian Price has accumulated 733 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
Notre Dame’s quarterback, Riley Leonard, a transfer from Duke, has been taking charge of snapping the ball. He has 19 touchdown passes this season, in addition to 16 rushing touchdowns, which is a new Notre Dame record for a quarterback in a single season. Overall, Leonard has accumulated 35 rushing touchdowns throughout his career, putting him in second place among the active quarterbacks in the FBS.
In the Orange Bowl, Leonard was pulled from the game before halftime due to concerns over a potential head injury, prompting backup Steve Angeli to finish the half opposite Penn State. Angeli was able to complete six out of seven pass attempts, totaling 44 yards, before Leonard returned to action. He will start the upcoming game on Monday night.
Notre Dame doesn’t have a big group of receivers like Ohio State does, so the Buckeyes’ defense must pay attention to the Irish receivers. Jaden Greathouse had a big game in the Orange Bowl, catching seven passes for 105 yards, the most yards received by anyone on his team. For the season, Greathouse has 36 receptions for 464 yards, more than anyone else on his team’s receiving corps, and Mitchell Evans leads the team with 39 catches.
Clemson transfer Beau Collins has hauled in 37 receptions for 458 yards and has scored three touchdowns so far this season. Jordan Faison and Kris Mitchell have each caught at least 20 passes this season.
Notre Dame, like Ohio State, is grappling with injuries on its offensive line. Left tackle Anthonie Knapp will sit out Monday’s game due to a knee injury he sustained in the Orange Bowl. His likely replacements are Tosh Baker and Charles Jagusah, both of whom may take his place.
We’ll start right with quarterback Aamil Wagner at quarterback.
The Fighting Irish’s defense operates at a high level thanks to the strong performance of Watts
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish suffered a significant blow on the defensive line when Rylie Mills suffered a knee injury in the first game against Indiana, putting him out for the remainder of the season. At the time of his injury, Mills had already accumulated 7.5 sacks this season, which stands as the team high.
Gabriel Rubio has stepped in for Mills in the starting lineup, with his first two career starts taking place in the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl. Rubio is paired on the defensive line with Howard Cross III, R.J. Oben, and Joshua Burnham.
The backbone of Notre Dame’s defense is their linebackers and secondary. Key to their defensive success is linebacker Jack Kiser, who has led the team in tackles, making 10 in the Orange Bowl to bring his total to 85 for the season. Pairing with Kiser is Drayk Bowen, who has had 70 tackles this season while lining up at linebacker.
Both Kiser and Bowen have four tackles for loss and two forced fumbles this season. Kiser has added two recovered fumbles to his stats. Rounding out the linebacker unit is Jaylen Sneed, who has been starting at the versatile CB/S/LB position for Notre Dame’s past two games.
Notre Dame’s top defensive performer is Xavier Watts. A safety with six interceptions this year, Watts has a total of 13 picks over the past two seasons, placing him at a league lead with four more interceptions than any other FBS player in the same timeframe. This season, Watts has also compiled 74 tackles. Although Watts will likely face a challenge dealing with Ohio State’s wide receivers, he is expected to have some support.
Cornerback Christian Gray intercepted a late pass from Drew Allar, putting the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a position to kick a game-winning field goal. The Fighting Irish secondary consists of Adon Shuler and Leonard Moore filling the remaining defensive back positions.
Prediction
Notre Dame has put together a solid performance throughout the season and has worked hard to make it to the College Football Playoff Championship Game. Interestingly enough, the Buckeyes at Ohio State have had an equally, if not more, impressive season to secure their place in the title game in Atlanta.
Penn State was clearly in trouble, what with Indiana in the mix and Georgia having a backup quarterback starting his first game, not to mention Penn State being low on receiving threats outside of tight end Tyler Warren. The Lions’ inability to complete a single pass to a wide receiver wasn’t due to Notre Dame’s excellent secondary, it was instead a testament to the skills – or lack thereof – of Penn State’s wide receivers.
It’s unfair to say Notre Dame’s defense isn’t good, as they are one of the top defensive units in the country. However, the real challenge for defensive coordinator Al Golden is that he has yet to face an offense as unpredictable and skilled as Ohio State’s. Led by experienced quarterback Will Howard, paired with dynamic running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, and complemented by a talented group of wide receivers, Notre Dame may struggle to keep up with the Buckeyes’ high-powered offense.
If Ohio State manages to get ahead of Notre Dame quickly, it could be a huge problem for the Fighting Irish because they struggle to move the ball through the air. Notre Dame has been successful this season due to their ability to get out to a fast start, utilizing their running game to control the clock, and forcing their opponents into passing situations where their defense can capitalize on turnovers. However, the Buckeyes’ defensive strength against rushing attacks will likely limit the success of Notre Dame’s running backs Jeremiyah Love and Riley Leonard.
If Ryan Day doesn’t make the same mistake in strategy that he did against Michigan, Ohio State should have a solid chance to win. The Buckeyes’ defense is just as tough as Notre Dame’s, and Ohio State’s offense is more explosive. The two teams have marshaled each other well over the last two years.
Although this game won’t be a blowout, it also doesn’t appear to be a nail-biter that will come down to the last possession like last year’s game in South Bend.
