Notre Dame and Ohio State Set to Clash in the National Championship
- Daniella Kapusty
- Jan 14
- 2 min read
Updated: Feb 18
It’s finally here: the College Football National Championship! Notre Dame and Ohio State will face off for the title next Monday, January 20th, in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Ohio State last claimed the championship in 2014 under coach Urban Meyer. As for Notre Dame, the Fighting Irish haven’t hoisted the trophy since 1988, so it's been a while.
Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl Victory
Looking back at the Cotton Bowl, you’ve got to give credit to Jack Sawyer’s incredible 83-yard fumble return for a touchdown, which sealed the win for the Buckeyes. Poor Quinn Ewers fumbled the ball just 8 yards away from tying the score, and poof, the 21-14 game turned into a 28-14 final in favor of Ohio State. Special shoutout to the cameras for finding Matthew McConaughey on the sidelines every so often, it kept the game entertaining!
Jack Sawyers “Scoop and Score”
Notre Dame Shocks (me) in the Orange Bowl
As for the Orange Bowl, I was convinced Penn State had it in the bag. They seemed more polished and capable of running the ball, especially with Notre Dame missing Rylie Mills. But ya, was I wrong.
The first quarter ended scoreless, which is either a great sign of a defensive battle or a signal to change the channel. Thankfully, I didn’t turn off the TV.
The second quarter saw Penn State put up a field goal and a touchdown, while Notre Dame managed a field goal, bringing the score to 10-3 in favor of Penn State.
The Fourth Quarter Fireworks
In the third quarter, Notre Dame came alive with a TD. But it was the fourth quarter where things really got exciting. First, Jeremiah Love scored a touchdown for Notre Dame. Then came a Penn State touchdown and extra point, followed by another Penn State touchdown and extra point. Just when it looked like Penn State might take control, Notre Dame answered with a touchdown and extra point. And then—yes, you read that right—another Notre Dame extra point for the win!
Notre Dame deserved that victory, no question. I’ll admit I should have had more faith in them heading into the game, but they proved me wrong.
Mitch Jeter with the game-winning kick.
Natty Predictions?
As far as the Natty’s go, I’m still leaning towards Ohio State, but the lines aren’t very solid yet, so you’ll just have to wait for my prediction to come out this week on @Linesatlunch
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