The time has finally arrived for the #7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish to contend for its 12th college football national title in program history against the #8 Ohio State Buckeyes on January 20th at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM ET on ESPN.
Key Injuries
Notre Dame
DB Chance Tucker (ACL), RB Gi’Bran Payne (ACL), OL Ashton Craig (knee), DL Jordan Botelho (knee), DL Boubacar Traore (ACL), DB Ben Morrison (hip), WR KK Smith (collarbone), DL Rylie Mills (knee), OL Anthonie Knapp (ankle) and TE Cooper Flannigan (ankle) are all out for the season. DB Jaden Mickey will miss the remainder of the season (transfer portal).
WR Beaux Collins (ankle) and OL Rocco Spindler are questionable (ankle).
Ohio State
OL Seth McLaughlin (Achilles) and OL Josh Simmons (knee) are out.
Betting Trends
- · Notre Dame is 11-0 ATS in their last 11 games.
- · The total has gone under in four of Notre Dame’s last five games against Ohio State.
- · Ohio State is 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games versus Notre Dame.
- · Notre Dame is 29-3 under Marcus Freeman when they outrush their opponents.
- · Notre Dame is 18-0 under Marcus Freeman in games when they win the turnover battle.
Athon Sports Recruit Ratings Comparison for Projected Starters
| Offense | Notre Dame | Ohio State |
| 5 Star | 0 | 3 |
| 4 Star | 8 | 5 |
| 3 Star | 2 | 3 |
| Not Rated | 1 | 0 |
| Defense | Notre Dame | Ohio State |
| 5 Star | 0 | 4 |
| 4 Star | 8 | 6 |
| 3 Star | 3 | 1 |
Money Line and Total (Over / Under)
#8 Ohio State -8.5 (13-2) (9-6 ATS) at #7 Notre Dame (14-1) (13-2 ATS)
The Irish will enter the 2025 CFP National Championship game fresh off its two biggest wins it has had in the last 30 years. In just eight days, Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman led his team to two New Year’s Six bowl victories (Sugar and Orange Bowl). In comparison, Notre Dame’s all-time winningest coach, Brian Kelly, could not win one of those games in 12 seasons. In fairness, Kelly did manage to lead the Irish to the national title game in 2013 as a 10-point underdog, only to get demolished by Alabama, 42-14.
This coming Monday, Ohio State is expected to be at least an 8.5-point favorite at kickoff, with a total hovering around 46 points. Coach Freeman knows the Buckeyes stand in the way of his team achieving ultimate team glory. He caught a glimpse of them this past Friday during their game against Texas.
“You know, you don’t get any schematic things out of watching it on TV,” Freeman said of watching Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. “You obviously can see playmakers, you can see big plays, and that was evident in that game. But you have to go back, and you’ve got to watch. You’ve got to really evaluate the coach’s copy of the film to look at schematically how you want to prepare for this game. But I saw some guys on both sides but specifically Ohio State’s side making really big plays on offense and defense, and they have playmakers all across the board. We know it’s going to be a challenge, but we look forward to it.”
Freeman calling it a challenge is putting it lightly. While the Ohio State offense gets most of the attention from the casual fan, the defense is what game film identifies as the backbone of the team. According to Pro Football Focus, Ohio State enters this game as just one of four teams in college football that ranks in the top 20 in rush defense across the following categories: defensive line, linebacker, and secondary. The other three teams are Alabama, SMU, and Oklahoma. The Buckeyes’ defense ranks 1st in points allowed per game, 1st in total yards per game, 3rd in rushing yards allowed per game, and 3rd in total sacks.
Although the Ohio State defense is the best college football defense money could buy, it has not been flawless this season. In fact, it has been exposed by 100-yard rushers twice this season. Coincidentally, Ohio State’s only two losses came in both of those games. In October, Oregon’s Jordan James carried the ball 23 times for 115 yards and a score. And then, in November, Michigan’s Kalel Mullings finished with 116 yards on 32 carries and one touchdown.
Unfortunately for the Irish, the most carries any rusher has had in a game this season was by quarterback Riley Leonard. He carried the ball 18 times for 35 yards in last week’s win over Penn State. The next closest ball carrier was Jeremiyah Love, who rushed for 137 yards on 16 carries versus Virginia. Expecting Notre Dame to have a 100-yard rusher will be a tall task this week, especially after Notre Dame lost its starting left tackle, Anthonie Knapp, and possibly its starting right guard, Rocco Spindler, against Penn State last week to ankle injuries. However, combining the legs of Leonard and Love with a Jadarian Price could be a winning recipe. After all, running back by committee has gotten the Irish this far.
On the flip side of the ball for Notre Dame is their defense. Without question, it is the strength of the team. While it may not be as highly rated as Ohio State’s, the Irish are certainly no slouch when it comes to keeping opposing offenses in check. Notre Dame’s defense ranks 2nd in the FBS in points allowed per game, 9th in total yards allowed, 41st in rushing yards allowed, and 17th in total sacks. Slowing down Ohio State will be difficult, but it is not impossible, as the Buckeyes’ offense was held to 21 points or less three times this season in games against Oregon, Nebraska, and Michigan, respectively.
Those teams did it, so people are asking, can Notre Dame do it? Can Notre Dame win whether the odds be great or small? Well, it depends on who you ask.
They said Notre Dame needed more resources to play for a national championship. After losing to Marshal during his first year as a head coach, they said Freeman was not the right coach for Notre Dame. They said Notre Dame could not win on the road against Texas A&M. They said Riley Leonard could not pass for more than 200 yards. After losing its left tackle and three defensive linemen, including an all-American and all-American defensive back, they said Notre Dame had sustained too many injuries to keep winning. They said Notre Dame did not deserve to be in the playoffs. They said Notre Dame can’t win a big game. They said Notre Dame could not win a game if they were ever down by two scores. They said Notre Dame could not win if it lost the turnover battle. They said…
So, the real question should be, how can you doubt them now?
Pick: Notre Dame
