Written four days apart, we compare predictions about the National Championship before and after it took place.
Saturday - Jan. 18, 2025
Today marks two days before the NCAA College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T between Notre Dame and Ohio State, set to take place at the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 20, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. Many have shared their thoughts and predictions for the upcoming game between the sixth seed, the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the fifth seed, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. But first, let’s recap some important information about the two teams’ performances this past season.
The Fighting Irish have an incredible record of 14-1; their only loss this season took place on Sept. 7, 2024, against Northern Illinois where they lost 16-14. However, they are heading into the championship with a thirteen-game winning streak. Their last win was against Penn State in the semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on Jan. 9, 2025, where the Fighting Irish won with a close score of 27-24 against the Nittany Lions.
It has been since the 2012-13 season that Notre Dame has played in the national championship. At their last championship, they played against the University of Alabama and faced a 42-14 loss. It should also be noted that Notre Dame’s last victorious championship was in the 1988-89 season where they won 34-21 against the University of West Virginia.
It is safe to say that a win at this year’s national championship would be an unfathomable feeling for the Fighting Irish. Especially considering the change in leadership for the team to Marcus Freeman, a win could be a defining moment for the team.
Marcus Freeman previously served as the defensive coordinator and linebacker coach at Notre Dame but was promoted to head coach after the departure of Brian Kelly in 2021. Since then, Freeman has developed the team with his grit and resilient mentality. As reflected in the Fighting Irish’ performance this season, Freeman’s coaching has revolved around hard work and discipline on and off the field. He prides himself on instilling the ‘Next Man In’ mentality which focuses on players stepping up in difficult situations when necessary. This seems to be working well as reflected in their almost perfect season. A win against the Buckeyes with head coach Freeman could also be interesting considering he played for four years as a linebacker for Ohio State from 2004 to 2008.
Nevertheless, the Fighting Irish seemed to be prepared well under coach Freeman and riding a high following their thirteen-game winning streak; this could be a pivotal point in their team’s career.
It’s time to consider Ohio State’s position going into the National Championship. The Buckeyes have a similar record entering the championship with a 13-2 record this season. Their first loss happened early in their season on Oct. 12, 2024, against the University of Oregon, which ended with a close score of 32-31 in favor of the Ducks. However, their most recent loss took place right before the First Round Playoffs on Nov. 30, 2024, against one of their biggest rivals, the Michigan Wolverines. It was a dramatic 13-10 loss for the Buckeyes. But all has changed since entering the playoffs. Ohio State faced the University of Tennessee during the first round and won at large with a score of 42-17. They then backed up their amazing play during the Quarterfinal Rose Bowl against the University of Oregon, who they previously lost to in the regular season, with another big win of 41-21. Finally, in the Semifinal Cotton Bowl against the University of Texas on Jan. 10, 2025, the Buckeyes pulled a 28-14 win to secure their spot in the Final NCAA Championship game.
Unlike Notre Dame, the Buckeyes have participated in the finals for the National title in the last decade during the 2014-15 and 2020-21 seasons. The team claimed the national title in 2014-15 against the Oregon Ducks with a 42-20 win, but lost 52-24 during the 2020-21 championship against the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Now they’re back with a familiar national final feeling going into Jan. 20 against the Fighting Irish.
Ohio State’s head coach, Ryan Day, has led the team since 2018 so he has yet to celebrate a national title with the team. Under his coaching, Ohio State has a 56-8 record in five seasons from 2019-23 and has celebrated sixteen consecutive victories and twenty-three consecutive wins in their conference Big Ten games. Under Day’s coaching, the Buckeyes have been recognized as one of three college football programs in the nation to qualify for the College Football Playoffs every year since 2019.
Day’s coaching philosophy focuses on accountability and support of each player. He has spoken about taking on each game as a new challenge regardless of previous standings and results. He likes to bring his team together often to discuss actions and plays both on and off the field to hold everyone accountable, including himself and other coaches because of his belief that all aspects of a player's health should be at peak performance when playing football; if one aspect of life needs help, they should know they can turn to their teammates and coaches for support and accountability. This mindset can play a key role in this upcoming championship, viewing the game as a clean slate. This mindset could be the difference in performance for the Buckeyes in this next attempt at winning the national title.
All things considered, the Buckeyes seem to be in the right mindset going into the finals. Playing under a coach who has yet to miss a College Football Playoff, and with the team and the college coach attending the most national championships, this could be another national title win for Ohio State.
Now let’s consider this game between Notre Dame and Ohio State, who is favored to come out victorious? Well as we know, the 2025 CFP national championship is being held in Atlanta, Georgia and therefore neither team will be on their home turf. The CFP began a 5-7 format this year which took the five highest-ranked conference champions selected by a committee and gave them automatic bids to the postseason competition. The following seven highest-ranked teams received the remaining bids which resulted in some of the teams receiving a final ranking which did not match up with their seed. Since only the top four teams received a bye to the quarterfinals, Ohio State, which was ranked No. 8 and Notre Dame which was ranked No. 7, both did not receive a bye and competed their way to this position. This means both teams are prepared with three postseason games already played.
These teams have met for three seasons straight and the Buckeyes have a 6-2 record against the Fighting Irish, winning the last six matchups. During their last meeting on Sept. 23, 2023, Ohio State beat Notre Dame 17-14 with a touchdown during the last second of regulation. This seems to put Ohio State in favor of the championship. This could also play a large part in Ohio State’s mindset going into this final game of the 2024-25 season.
However, we should give the Fighting Irish some credit. Going into the championship on a thirteen-game winning streak, they are bound to have a winning mindset. It can be said with a strong offence right now, if Notre Dame can use formation into the boundary and force their players into the short side of the field (which can only be used in college football due to the larger gaps between hash marks), we may see a repeat of the struggle Ohio State had against Michigan back in November, their most recent loss of the 2024-25 season.
That being said, as I am writing this on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, I am inclined to say that Ohio State will be winning the NCAA College Football Playoff National Championship. I think statistics can back up my position on this with the Buckeyes being favored by 8.5 points via SportsLine with an over/under of 45.5. With that in mind, I would love to see an amazing performance by the Fighting Irish on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, and if they were to win, I would not be upset with that outcome.
Tuesday - Jan. 21, 2025
Wow. That was the first word that came to mind after intensely watching the game last night, Jan. 20, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. There is a lot to discuss, so let’s get right into it.
Before the game even began, we witnessed Ohio State win the coin toss but defer it to the second half. It is an interesting way to start the National College Football Championship. With possession of the ball and a strong offense in the first quarter, Notre Dame had their quarterback, Riley Leonard, running. Paired with this play, we noticed Charles Jagusah playing tackle early in the quarter, who hasn’t played tackle all year and only had one other start back in the 2023 season finale. Notre Dame fired a 3rd-and-2 in the opening nine-minute drive to start. They made a touchdown at 9:45 minutes in with eleven drives total, eighteen plays and 75 yards. This marked the first historical moment of many for this year’s CFP as it was the longest-scoring drive in BCS/CFP championship game history.
As Ohio State took possession, TreVeyon Henderson immediately rushed nineteen yards but proceeded to be pushed out of bounds by Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts. A catch was then made by Quinshon Judkins who got tackled by Watts after advancing fifteen yards. OSU ended up taking a five-yard loss after getting tackled by Watts once more before the end of the first quarter hit.
With only fifty seconds into the second quarter, Ohio State moved Jeremiah Smith back and forth in a successful attempt to distract Notre Dame’s defense. They scored a touchdown as Smith received his fifteenth catch of the season, marking another historical moment as Smith placed second in the program’s single-season receiving touchdown list.
As Notre Dame regained possession in the second quarter, they continued their challenging offensive front but quickly received a five-yard penalty for a false start, followed by a ten-yard penalty on Jagusah for offensive holding.
Back in the possession of the Buckeyes, they played a fake orbit motion with man-to-man coverage and scrambled eleven yards. Quarterback Will Howard went 9 for 9 with 82 yards to Emeka Egbuka. Once again, a record-setting moment as Egbuka sets an Ohio State football record for most career receptions with a total of 203. The Buckeyes took the lead 8:45 minutes into the second quarter as Judkins rushed nine yards for a touchdown, a close call when closely considering if his knee touched the ground before reaching the end zone.
As Notre Dame regained possession, we witnessed an unfortunate mistake with a man in motion during the snap. The Fighting Irish fumbled because of this but recovered 3rd-and-5. Unfortunately for Notre Dame, OSU regained possession and Judkins made a catch for six yards and a touchdown with only 27 seconds left in the first half. This marked thirteen straight completions for Ohio State to start the game. Not to mention, the Buckeyes led 21-7 going into the second half, in which they would start with the ball.
A few things we noted during halftime was that during the middle eight minutes, Notre Dame was considered the best collegiate team in the country but they would have to work on their offense going into the second half if they had any hope of winning the game. With only seven points in the first half, the Fighting Irish would need another seven to regain some power. Notre Dame had 75 yards with their first possession but only eighteen since while Ohio State made a touchdown on all three of their first-half possessions. Will Howard also notably became the first quarterback to throw for 1,000 yards, the most passing yards in a College Football Playoff’s run, although it took place throughout four games. This record was previously held by Joe Burrow during his time at LSU in 2019 when he ran 956 yards in two games.
We entered the third quarter with Ohio State in possession. After the kickoff and an incomplete pass, Judkins rushed 70 yards at 14:56. Judkins made a touchdown with five plays, 75 yards, and 2:14 minutes of possession. This had us all questioning whether this may be the worst playing of the season for the Notre Dame linebackers.
Back in the possession of the Fighting Irish, the Buckeyes were forcing them to pass which proved to be a big struggle for Notre Dame. With only 3:45 minutes left in the third quarter and a touchdown by Jaden Greathouse after he broke two tackles and went 34 yards. We witnessed our first two-point conversion of the game by Jeremiyah Love.
As Ohio State regained possession, a roughing-the-passer call was made on RJ Oben. Followed was a catch made by Egbuka for 24 yards where he fumbled and it was recovered by Notre Dame at the 21-yard line. The play was reviewed and upheld. Now with possession back for Notre Dame, Greathouse made a 30-yard catch with 14:07 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Two penalties were then called on Ohio State; first on D. Igbinosun for defensive holding for 10 yards and then on C. Downs for defensive holding once more for another eight yards. To end their possession, Mitch Jeter attempted a 27-yard field goal which was unsuccessful, surprisingly for all fans who have witnessed Jeter’s hot streak all season. OSU took possession and Notre Dame struggled with their running game. They had yet to have a double-digit yardage run which was a first for their incredible season leading up until now.
Back in the hands of Notre Dame, a pass was made by Leonard to Evans for 33 yards. With only 4:20 minutes left in the game, Greathouse made a 30-yard rush for a touchdown for Notre Dame. We then see our second successful two-point conversion for the Fighting Irish with a catch by Beaux Collins. At this point in the game, Greathouse had five catches, 111 yards and two touchdowns.
With the time ticking down slowly, everyone was on the edge of their seats. However, when we asked for the game-changing play, it came from Ohio State’s Will Howard’s pass and catch to Jeremiah Smith for 55 yards. Jayden Fielding then made a 33-yard field goal with only 27 seconds left on the game clock to secure the win for the Buckeyes.
Unsurprisingly, the two MVPs named for the game were Buckeyes. Quarterback Will Howard was named offensive MVP with 231 yards of passing, two touchdowns, 57 yards on the ground with 16 carries, 17 out of 21 completed passes, and 13 straight completions to set a College Football Playoff game record. Alongside him, linebacker Cody Simon was named defensive MVP with eight tackles in the game.
As we predicted three days ago, Ohio State did come out on top as the national champions. The stats did not prove to be wrong and as I had hoped, Notre Dame did not concede easily. They do not call themselves the Fighting Irish for nothing; they never go down without a fight.
Unfortunately, after a few questionable decisions made by Notre Dame coach, Marcus Freeman, it was difficult to close the gap Ohio State had created going into the second half. The decision which received the most backlash was Notre Dame’s fourth-quarter field goal decision. After trailing OSU by thirteen, Freeman sent Jeter out to kick an unsuccessful field goal. Freeman reported after the game that he felt that if the field goal was successful, it would have been easier to make up 14 rather than 16 with nine minutes left in the quarter. While some may question this play, the pressure the Fighting Irish were facing as the clock was ticking down left coach Freeman with almost no choice. And if we are honest, it makes for an interesting play.
Now let’s get back to our champions. Ohio State’s win set a lot of records and marked historic moments for each person part of the team. The Buckeyes have made the short-list of national champions to not have won their conference. They are the fifth team to have done so as they join Minnesota (1936), Alabama (2011 and 2017) and Georgia (2021).
Speaking of the BIG Ten conference, OSU’s win begins a two-year streak for the conference pumping out the national champions. Last season, Ohio State’s arguably biggest rival, Michigan, took the title. But after being taken out of contention by Michigan during last year’s national championship, the Buckeyes had only one goal in mind, winning this year’s championship. Along with the hard work and dedication to making this happen, it was no surprise that OSU came out victorious. This past year the program invested $20 million in keeping their returning class and recruiting strong transfers such as their starting quarterback for the game, Will Howard. This makes it tough not to wonder, after the performance Ohio State put on this year, can we expect them to take the next title?
As mentioned, this marks a special occurrence for the whole team, including coaches. Ohio State’s coach Ryan Day is speculated to leave the program after this win. Against the will of Buckeyes’ fans around the nation, Day has proven his strong offensive mindset and put it into motion, leading his team to the championship and ultimately the title. Could this be the start of his NFL coaching career? It is known that the Jaguars, Cowboys, Jets, Saints and Raiders are in search of a coach, but Day has let it be known he is a strong Patriots fan. While I hope for the sake of all Ohio State fans out there that Day sticks around, it would be interesting to see how he could bring his offensive thinking to the NFL.
As the NCAA College Football Playoff National Champions, Ohio State now has nine championship titles: 1942, 1954, 1957, 1968, 2002, 2014 and 2024. With nine titles, the Buckeyes are tied for sixth alongside the University of Southern California for the all-time college football list. Within their nine titles, OSU won the first four-team college football playoff in addition to this year’s first twelve-team college football playoff. The list ranks collegiate teams with the most NCAA-recognized titles for the highest level of collegiate football. Interestingly, Notre Dame is ranked fourth with eleven titles ranging from 1924-1988.
Adding to their rankings, in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Ohio State held their second-place ranking for the all-time winningest programs. Once again, Notre Dame also ranks in the top five for these rankings.
Michigan - 1,012 wins
Ohio State - 978 wins
Alabama - 974 wins
Notre Dame - 962 wins
Texas - 961 wins
Moreover, after the title was awarded to Ohio State, the AP Poll Top 25 College Football Rankings were released ranking the Buckeyes at the top and followed by the Fighting Irish.
Ohio State (+5)
Notre Dame (+1)
Oregon (-1)
Texas
Penn State
Full of historic and record-breaking moments, this year’s NCAA College Football Playoff National Championship in Atlanta, Georgia was nothing short of amazing. With two historically strong teams led by headstrong coaches, there was no doubt in my mind the fight wouldn’t come down to the last few minutes, and it did. Whether you cheered for the Buckeyes or the Fighting Irish, I hope we can all agree that there is nothing like an exciting NCAA National Championship game to bring us all together to watch some good football.
Edited by Madison Roost
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