The College Football Playoff National Championship pits the Ohio State Buckeyes against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Atlanta, Georgia, on Monday, January 20, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. ET.

How to Watch:

The game will be nationally broadcast on ESPN. If streaming is your thing, it will be available on ESPN+. It can also be streamed on other platforms such as FuboTV, which has a free trial along with the subscription.

Coaching Matchup:

Ohio State Buckeyes, under the guidance of head coach Ryan Day, took a disarrayed season and overdrive post the loss to Michigan with an aim toward championship aspirations. The Buckeyes have one tactically proper resilient side in place under his tutelage.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, meanwhile, are led by third-year coach Marcus Freeman, who has quickly turned the Fighting Irish into a power. The intrigue for this matchup is added by Freeman having been a linebacker at Ohio State during his playing career.

Star Players:

Ohio State:
QB Will Howard led the team quite well in the playoffs, especially with his 72.6% completion of passes, which was indicative of how well he can manage the offense with great precision.
Freshman WR Jeremiah Smith has turned into a star, particularly in playoff games, because he catches everything.

DE Jack Sawyer had an 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the semifinals to show just how game-changing the defense can be.

Notre Dame:
QB Riley Leonard has been a dual-threat under center with a lot of production both through the air and on the ground.
RB Jeremiyah Love has been one of the most efficient runners in the nation, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.
DB Xavier Watts has been the outstanding of defense, leading this team in interceptions and general defensive plays.

Phase-by-Phase Analysis:

Offense: Ohio State probably has the edge because it possesses a more dynamic and explosive passing game with Howard and Smith. However, Notre Dame, with Love leading from the backfield, may very well rise to the challenge if they can control time of possession.

Defense: Both teams have elite defenses, but Ohio State forces turnovers, and Sawyer's performance makes them a tad more effective. Not many scores get past the Fighting Irish defense, which is ranked second in the nation for points allowed.

Special Teams: This could be one area where the Fighting Irish can make a difference in -- big plays that could alter the momentum of a game, much like in their semifinal game.

Odd:

Ohio State opens as an 8.5-point favorite and is -350 on the moneyline, with Notre Dame coming in at +315, meaning bookmakers aren't fully ruling out the possibility of an upset. The over/under for the game is at 45.5 points.

Prediction:

While the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame do tend to have more pressure with Ryan Day's experience in massive-stage games and trending upward, adding offensive firepower at Ohio State coupled with defensive toughness. Great Notre Dame defense and a penchant for huge upsets somehow cannot slight entirely. A special teams uprising would just about be enough if it's a low-scoring game that Notre Dame will do everything to hold the opposition's offenses down.

But the pick is an Ohio State win, perhaps covering, and a final score not over the over/under, considering how great both teams' defenses are. What will be huge for Ohio State is to utilize their passing game early, while the strategy for Notre Dame should be to control possession and maximize its defensive stands.

This will be a tactical and thrilling close to the college football season, as both teams have a burning desire to be named national champions.