College Football Playoff 2025: Previewing Ohio State vs. Notre Dame in national title game

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day celebrates with quarterback Will Howard (18) following the 28-14 win over the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025.
Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day celebrates with quarterback Will Howard (18) following the 28-14 win over the Texas Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl Classic College Football Playoff semifinal game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 10, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Ohio State Buckeyes have had a fascinating 2024-25 season. Picked as one of the best teams in the country, with a roster that ranked as the most talented in the entire sport, they found themselves the object of a significant amount of criticism as the season progressed. Uninspired performances, close wins against inferior teams, and a loss to the worst Michigan team in over a decade were enough to have fans incredibly unhappy with this team.

And then the playoffs started, and the Buckeyes flipped a switch and became something else entirely. They stomped their way through the first two rounds, winning by a combined 83-38 over Tennessee and Oregon, and neither of those games was anywhere near as close as the scores would have you believe.

Now, they're one win away from their first national title since 2014, and their first under head coach Ryan Day.

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All that stands between them and that promised land now is a Notre Dame team desperate for their first title since 1988. The Irish finally have the talent to hang with and beat the best teams in the country, but their roster has been battered by injuries.

Can the Buckeyes grab what fans believe to be their destiny this season? Or will this Notre Dame team find the willpower to shut down one more elite opponent this season, grinding up the Buckeyes like they have virtually all comers previous? Let's break it down.

Tale of the Tape: The Buckeyes and Irish have played eight times over the years, and Ohio State has absolutely owned Notre Dame over the arc of the matchups. The Buckeyes have won the last six games they've played in the series, and Notre Dame hasn't beaten them since 1936.

Most recently, Ohio State won both halves of a home-and-home series in 2022 and 2023, 21-10 in Columbus in 2022, and 17-14 in South Bend the following year.

Ohio State's Strengths: Everything? Let's go with everything. This is a Buckeyes team without any real holes in the roster, without any real issues anywhere. Offensively, the passing game ranks as the best team in the country in EPA, and with superstars Emeka Egbuka and Jeremiah Smith at wide receiver, it's easy to see why.

Smith is a matchup nightmare, and properly covering him requires a level of commitment that can expose your defense in other places if you lack the skills to hang. But even if you manage to lock down both of them, Carnell Tate and tight end Gee Scott have the potential to torch you as well.

The run game has serious big play potential in both Quinshon Judkins and TreVeon Henderson, who each posted more than 900 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on the year.

But while the offense gets the headlines, the defense is the real star of this show. Ohio State has talent up and down their lineup. They clamp down on the pass, and shut down the run game effectively. Defensive end Jack Sawyer has been playing like a man possessed in the postseason; he has terrorized Tennessee, Oregon and Texas almost singlehandedly, and there's no reason to think that won't continue in this game. They rank first in overall defensive EPA, and second and third against the pass and the run, respectively.

Ohio State's Weaknesses: There aren't many, but the Buckeyes aren't a 2019 LSU level of juggernaut. They have struggled to pick up first downs in short yardage situations all season long, as Judkins tends to struggle to get the momentum he needs. The offensive line is still banged up, and you can get into Will Howard's head with pressure and force him into mistakes with enough pressure.

We've seen Ohio State can get dragged into the mud despite their high-octane offense; Penn State, Nebraska, and most infamously Michigan successfully managed to convince the Buckeyes to get into a rock fight with them, even when Ryan Day's team had distinct talent and tactical advantage.

Path to Victory: Get up early. Force Notre Dame into throwing the football, and you'll find plenty of joy defensively. Don't let them drag you into a rock fight, and don't let them control the tempo of the game.

How You Beat Them: Execute, slow them down, especially in the passing game. Make them beat you on the ground, take advantage of the little spaces you can find defensively in short-yardage situations. Get after Will Howard and make him make mistakes. Keep this close, and make them play a grinding, physical game.

Notre Dame's Strengths: This is a tough, physical team who thrives at running the football. Both running backs Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price have racked up over 700 yards and seven touchdowns, while quarterback Riley Leonard has run for 866 yards and 16 scores. They are at their best when they're able to run the ball, and they love to grind out close games.

But the real stars of the show here are the defense. Notre Dame have the best pass defense in the country, ranking first in EPA, while the run defense ranks fifth. Safety Xavier Watts has been an absolute superstar, and is the soul of this defense, with six interceptions on the year. Their linebacker corps is incredibly athletic, and capable of defending the run and the pass, and getting after the quarterback when they need to. They want to take away what you're best at, and make you uncomfortable, and have the athletes to do just that.

Notre Dame's Weaknesses: The Irish are not good at throwing the football, and try to avoid doing so whenever possible. Their wide receivers have struggled to get separation all season long, and for as good as Leonard is at running the ball, he's inconsistent passing the ball.

The bigger concern for Notre Dame is their injury situation. The defensive line is without star Rylie Mills thanks to a knee injury, while Howard Cross III is also dealing with an ankle injury that has been recurring over the last couple of weeks.

Making matters worse, the offensive line has been decimated by injury, most recently losing starting left tackle Anthonie Knapp to an ankle injury. Right guard Rocco Spindler is also banged up, suffering an injury against Penn State. To fill the holes, the Irish may turn to Charles Jagsuah, who was supposed to be out for the year with a torn pec, but made a return against Penn State to fill the holes in the line. It's not clear what the Irish are going to do on the offensive line, but it figures to be a potential serious issue against an incredibly talented Ohio State defense.

Path to Victory: Control the game, slow down Smith and the Buckeyes' passing game. Make them beat you on the ground, and maybe try to hit a couple good pass plays early to keep the defense from stacking the box too much. Don't let the Buckeyes build a big lead, and finish your drives against them with touchdowns.

How You Beat Them: Make them throw the ball, put them in obvious passing situations and make them throw deep. Exploit the battered offensive line and get after Riley Leonard, and hope that their defensive line can't hold up under the weight of their injuries.

The Verdict: The Irish are good, but they're not on Ohio State's level. In fairness, no one is this season. There's a path to victory but I'm not sure that this particularly battered version of Notre Dame is in any shape to get there. If the Buckeyes play like they did against Tennessee and Oregon, this could be over early; if they play like they did against Texas, the Irish have a shot. Ultimately, I think this ends the way everyone thought this season would: Ohio State hoisting a title trophy.

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