The Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Ohio State Buckeyes are both seeking their ninth national title of the AP Poll Era when they collide in the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday. The Buckeyes are 8.5-point favorites, according to the latest odds from the SportsLine consensus, with an over/under of 46.5.
The teams have won eight national titles apiece since 1936, which ties them with the USC Trojans for second-most in that span behind the Alabama Crimson Tide (14). The seventh-seeded Fighting Irish (14-1), who also captured the crown three times prior to 1936, are aiming for their first national championship since 1988. Meanwhile, the No. 8-seeded Buckeyes (13-2) are looking to win the title for the first time since 2014.
Notre Dame began its playoff run this year by posting double-digit victories against the No. 10 Indiana Hoosiers (27-17) and No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (23-10) before edging the No. 6 Penn State Nittany Lions 27-24 in the CFP semifinals. Ohio State has defeated each of its three opponents by 14 or more points, trouncing the No. 9 Tennessee Volunteers 42-17, the No. 1 Oregon Ducks 41-21 and the No. 5 Texas Longhorns 28-14.
The Fighting Irish and Buckeyes have met eight previous times, with Notre Dame winning the first two encounters. But Ohio State has dominated the series since dropping a 7-2 decision in 1936, registering six consecutive wins - including a 17-14 triumph in 2023. The Buckeyes are looking to join the 1960 Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-2) and 2007 LSU Tigers (12-2) as the only teams with multiple losses to win the national championship during the AP Poll Era.
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Notre Dame vs. Ohio State
- Kickoff time Monday, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Point spread Ohio State -8.5
- Money lines Ohio State -365, Notre Dame +286
- Total 46.5
Picks and more to know
Points may be difficult to put on the board in this matchup, as Ohio State has given up an FBS-low 12.2 per game this season while Notre Dame ranks second in the nation with an average of 14.3 allowed. The Buckeyes also are first in the country in total defense (251.1 yards allowed) and against the pass (161.1), and they are third in both sacks (51) and rushing defense (89.9 yards allowed). The Fighting Irish rank second in passing defense (165.3 yards allowed), fifth in interceptions (19) and ninth in total defense (298.3 yards allowed).
Ohio State's pass rush is led by JT Tuimoloau, who is tied for seventh in the nation with 11.5 sacks. The senior defensive end has racked up 5.5 sacks in the CFP, notching two in each of the Buckeyes' first two games before recording 1.5 against Texas in the Cotton Bowl. Teammate Jack Sawyer has posted 4.5 of his nine sacks this year during the team's playoff run and returned a fumble 83 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to seal the victory over the Longhorns.
Offensively, Ohio State is 12th in the country with an average of 35.8 points scored this season. Will Howard has been one of the top quarterbacks in FBS, ranking eighth with 3,779 passing yards and fifth with 33 TD tosses. The senior eclipsed the 300-yard mark in each of the Buckeyes' first two playoff games before throwing for 289 against Texas. He's tossed six touchdowns this postseason as well.
Howard's top two targets are freshman Jeremiah Smith (71 receptions, 1,227 yards, 14 TDs) and senior Emeka Egbuka (75, 947, 10). Smith has been especially effective during the CFP, racking up six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee while hauling in seven passes for 187 yards and a pair of scores versus Oregon. On the ground, senior TreVeyon Henderson and junior Quinshon Judkins both have rushed for two TDs in two different playoff games, while the former also had a 75-yard scoring reception in the Buckeyes' semifinal win.
Riley Leonard has been the key to Notre Dame's offense in the CFP Playoff. The senior quarterback threw for one touchdown and ran for another against Indiana in the first round before tossing a TD pass and leading the team in rushing with 80 yards in the quarterfinal triumph over Georgia. Leonard, who is tied for 15th in the nation with 16 scores on the ground, had both a touchdown pass and run versus Penn State in the semifinals.
Ohio State's defense also will need to pay attention to Jeremiyah Love, who is 12th in the country with 17 rushing TDs. The sophomore running back has gained 1,122 yards this season and posted his fifth 100-yard performance in the first-round victory against the Hoosiers, running for 108 yards and a touchdown. Love rushed for another score in the semifinal triumph over the Nittany Lions.
The SportsLine Projection Model says one team covers in well over 50% of simulations in this matchup, while SportsLine expert Eric Cohen (77-57 on college football picks this season) also has a pick on the spread.
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