Ohio State, Notre Dame picks, predictions

On By Littum

game

The longest College Football Playoff season in history is down to one game. Notre Dame and Ohio State are the two teams remaining after three rounds and will meet in Atlanta to determine the national champion for the 2024 season.

It’s a surprising matchup as the Fighting Irish came in as the no. 7 seed, and the Buckeyes were seeded eighth. But after each convincingly winning first-round matchups at home, they then defeated the champions of the SEC and Big Ten, respectively, to reach the semifinals. From there, Notre Dame scored a late loss to Georgia in the Orange Bowl, and Ohio State knocked off Texas in the Cotton Bowl to reach the final game.

While these are two of the biggest programs in college football, both will be trying to end long title droughts. The Fighting Irish last won a national championship in the 1988 season. The Buckeyes haven’t captured the crown since winning the inaugural College Football Playoff in 2012.

It’s shaping up to be a contrast of styles. Ohio State has a flashy, high-scoring offense, while Notre Dame’s strength lies in its elite defense. The quarterbacks — Will Howard of the Buckeyes and Riley Leonard of the Fighting Irish — are in their first year with the program and will hope to end their college careers with a title. So who wins? Our experts weigh in.

Scooby Axson

At the beginning of the season, Ohio State was the pick here to win the national championship. So now that they’ve made the title game, there’s no reason to deviate from that prediction and jump on yet another bandwagon. And because games aren’t played on paper, expect the Buckeyes to struggle to run the ball, but to test Notre Dame through the air, as that’s where they’re most vulnerable, and make enough plays with their talented receiving corps to bring a championship for Columbus. Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 21.

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Jordan Mendoza

The game to watch will be the Notre Dame secondary against Jeremiah Smith. Will the man defense work to contain the superstar freshman and company, or will the Buckeyes make them pay? Two good defenses should make this a low-scoring affair — as long as Notre Dame doesn’t go broke. The Fighting Irish are unable to sustain it and Ohio State is the national champion, ensuring the safety of Ryan Day’s job. Ohio State 23, Notre Dame 16.

Paul Myerberg

Ohio State has plenty of room for error thanks to a more explosive offense and the recent play of its defense. Notre Dame can’t afford turnovers and needs to establish things early to avoid a quarterback-driven game that would favor the Buckeyes. But the Fighting Irish are very capable of controlling the tempo and forcing Ohio State into more uncomfortable territory. A low-scoring game favors a team that honed its mental edge in tense and hard-fought playoff wins against Georgia and Penn State. Notre Dame 24, Ohio State 20.

Eric Smith

Notre Dame has one of the elite defenses in the county and the secondary to slow down the Ohio State offense. The question is how long the Fighting Irish can continue to get stops without their offense providing support. Maybe half? So while the focus is on the high-flying Buckeyes, the story of the game will be told by how well quarterback Riley Leonard and Notre Dame can hold the ball and put points on the board. If successful, this game lasts four quarters and has a dramatic ending. If not, it will be a party in Columbus. Ohio State 30, Notre Dame 16.

Eddie Timanus

Both defenses are tough enough to keep big plays to a minimum. But the biggest difference between the teams is the fact that Ohio State has more weapons, namely the running back tandem of Treveyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins and a wide receiver group led by freshman Jeremiah Smith. Eventually, one of them will break through for a game-changing score. A late turnover will seal it for the Buckeyes again. Ohio State 27, Notre Dame 17.

Dan Wolken

Even if Notre Dame is able to make this a game going into the fourth quarter, I think the Texas win was the Buckeyes’ crucible moment en route to a championship game. They passed the Longhorns’ test, and now they get an Irish team that has been physically beaten up by the playoffs and doesn’t have enough offensive talent to penetrate a very good Ohio State defense. This is competitive for a half, but becomes a runaway in the third quarter. Ohio State 33, Notre Dame 10.