The College Football
National Title Game
Buckeyes and Irish the vanguard in college football’s newest era; No. 7 and No. 8 clash for the National Championship in first ever 12-team Playoff finale
Jake McCreven
19 January 2025
Quick question; when was the last time the No. 7 and No. 8 teams competed for a National Championship? Quick answer: never. This unprecedented National Championship game between the seventh and eighth ranked teams was made possible only because of the College Football Playoff’s new 12-team expanded format, which gave eight additional teams a shot at the title after nine years of a four horse race.
Not many expected Notre Dame to reach the season’s finale back in September, when the Irish were sent reeling after a colossal upset at the hands of Northern Illinois. Its Riley Leonard-led offense looked sloppy and turned the ball over twice, as NIU stunned Notre Dame in South Bend just a week after the Irish handled Texas A&M at Kyle Field. Marcus Freeman’s team responded by winning 13 straight games, never again faltering, as the Fighting Irish plowed their way through the regular season before winning a grudge match against in-state rival Indiana in round one of the Playoff. Notre Dame shell-shocked Georgia in a defensive slugfest the next week before overcoming a 10-0 deficit to defeat No. 6 Penn State last weekend in Miami.
Ohio State began the season by outscoring its first five opponents 230-34, allowing just four touchdowns in that span. During an October 12th meetup in Eugene against Oregon, the Buckeye defense surrendered 32 points in a last-second loss to the Ducks. Since that point, the Scarlet and Grey defense has allowed over 20 points once (Oregon, Rose Bowl) and has clamped down on the head of every offensive attack its matched up against. Ohio State has steamrolled its way to the National Championship game, bulldozing Tennessee 42-17 in Columbus before defeating Oregon 41-21 in the Rose Bowl and Texas 28-14 last weekend.
Is Monday’s title bout a collision or a coronation? Both programs shared a storied and famed history, with Ohio State’s eight championships ranking eighth all time, and Notre Dame’s 11 ranking fourth. The Irish last took home a title in 1988, with the Buckeyes’ coming more recently in 2014.
The teams have met eight times previously, with Ohio State holding a 6-2 advantage (including six straight from 1995-2023). The teams last met in a notable 17-14, walk-off touchdown game in South Bend last season, topped off by a Chip Trayanum goal line plunge as time expired.
Below is a preview for each of the key matchups in Monday’s National Championship, one X-factor for each team, and my bowl season record.
The quarterbacks: Riley Leonard and Will Howard meet in the first National Championship game between two transfer QBs
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Notre Dame’s injured offensive line and Ohio State’s stout defensive front
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Notre Dame’s steady pass catchers and Ohio State’s spotty secondary
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Notre Dame’s backfield monster and the Buckeye’s stonewall run defense
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Ohio State’s battered offensive line and Notre Dame’s inconsistent defensive front
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Ohio State’s behemoth receiving room and Notre Dame’s man-heavy secondary
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Ohio State’s versatile run game and the Notre Dame’s burly run defense
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The X-factor: who is winning the game for either side?
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My bowl season recap: how’d I do?
I finished with a 34-12 record this bowl season, a slight dip from my four-loss record last season. Still, I had fun predicting each of these games. In terms of my original College Football Playoff bracket, I went a solid four-for-four in the first round, three-four-four in the quarterfinals and zero-for-two in the semi-finals. My national champion pick in ESPN’s bracket pool was Oregon over Penn State (yikes). My championship match-up before the season started, however, was Ohio State over Oregon (which was a popular pick and was possibly one seed away from being correct), and that can still get me some kudos.
I had so much fun covering this college football season here on The Magic Ball. Definitely some road blocks considering my hospital stay and all that, but nonetheless it was a great year! Be on the look out for draft analysis and 2025 season preview articles in July!