The first 12-team College Football Playoff National Championship is set as No. 7 Notre Dame faces No. 8 Ohio State at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta Monday night. The Fighting Irish haven’t been crowned champs since 1988, while the Buckeyes last won in 2014.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Notre Dame took the scenic route to get here after a huge setback losing to Northern Illinois as a 30-point favorite in Week 2. But since then, the Irish have won 13 straight while dealing with some key injuries. Potential first-round pick cornerback Benjamin Morrison has been out since October, while Rylie Mills, who leads the team in sacks, has been out since the game against the Hoosiers. To make matters worse LT Anthonie Knapp was hurt in the Orange Bowl and is out, a major blow for the Irish. Quarterback Riley Leonard comes off a 15-for-2, 223 yards, 1 TD and 2 INT performance against Penn State and he also ran in for a score. Leonard now faces the number one scoring defense (12.2 PPG) and the best passing defense in the country allowing just 161.1 YPG. The Irish running game is led by star back Jeremiyah Love, who rushed for 45 yards and a TD against the Nittany Lions but if he can replicate his performance against Indiana where he ran for 108 yards and a TD, Notre Dame has a chance against this tough OSU defense. The defense is led by All-American Xavier Watts, linebacker Jack Kiser and defensive lineman Howard Cross who have the Irish the number two scoring unit (14.2) and the No. 2 passing defense (165.3) in the country.
Ohio State Buckeyes
All season long the Buckeyes have been considered the best roster in college football. It’s taken until the CFP but we’re finally seeing how good this Ohio State team really is. A big reason for the turnaround has been the inclusion of freshman Jeremiah Smith into the offense. In three playoff games he has 13 catches for 293 yards and four touchdowns, and remember, he wasn’t a factor against Texas, 1 catch for 3 yards. The terrifying part for Notre Dame is the offense is stacked, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is considered a first-round pick in the NFL Draft while TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins are dangerous in the backfield. Let’s talk about this incredible defense, No. 1 in the country in total yards (251.1), passing yards (161.1), points against (12.2), and the second best team against the run (89.9). The Buckeyes have allowed more than 21 points just once (loss to Oregon) and have held four of its last seven opponents under 100 yards rushing as a team. The secondary is loaded with Caleb Downs, Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun while the front line is led by Jack Sawyer, who had that epic strip-sack return for a TD against Texas to seal the win.
Prediction Best Bet: Under 46
These are the top two scoring defenses in the country with both sides allowing an average of 17 points per game during the playoffs. Irish head coach Marcus Freeman, a former Buckeye, knows a thing or two about defenses and will have his side ready. Notre Dame hasn’t given up big yards against the pass while OSU is No. 1 in passing when considering EPA. So a strength on strength should help keep this game moving, and keeping it under.
Game Betting Odds
Ohio State -8.5
Notre Dame +8.5
Total: 46
Moneyline: OSU -360, Notre Dame +280
Recent Betting Trends
Ohio State is 9-6 ATS this season
Notre Dame is 12-2-1 ATS this season
Fighting Irish have gone UNDER in 7 of 15 games
Buckeyes have gone UNDER in 8 of 15 games
